Sentimental weeding...
Daffodils and Cat
Sentimentally reminiscing while pulling out Shepherd's Needle weeds : Scandix pecten-veneris, according to Ms Google. We met for the very first time nearly thirty years ago when I came to Mooseys. Aww.... Thirty years for our relationship to blossom - wrong word, but it is spring...
Friday 16th September
Oops. A slight whoopsie this morning - went Youtube wilderness travelling with the Canadian adventurer Jim Baird , a very heavy Fred cat on my lap. Saw lots of bald eagles and some polar bears. Amazing country, vegetation, waterways. Fred purred, stretched, and smooched his way up the Seal River to Hudson Bay. Personal disclaimer : have never white water canoed or kayaked in my life. But am having great fun going on these adventures, and am learning a whole lot of new words.
September weeds...
In the afternoon I weeded until I got too cold. When I first met Scandix pecten-veneris I called them 'October weeds' - then had to change to 'September weeds'. Climate change? Don't think so, not this time! Sneaky things - when the seeds are dry they fly up and hit the unsuspecting gardener on the nose. Ouch!
Weekend Report - Sunday evening...
Oh joy! No gardening possible this weekend - music performances (from Monteverdi to jazz standards to Abba), plus a big ballet rehearsal and family socialising. Love my family! Love my music - OK, I can probably take or leave singing Abba songs with a brass band, but hey! Lots of good fun.
Blossom!
Back to my garden tomorrow. Love the daffodils which I planted in pots around the house.
Pretty Daffodil
Monday 19th September
So today I'm making up for my non-gardening weekend. And the weather is amazing! Absolutely breathtaking - spring greenery everywhere, bees buzzing around the blossom trees, the new daffodils in pots blooming, many of them fragrant.
Action woman...
Action woman, me. Noticed a huge oversized green Phormium blocking Middle path, sat down there and then and sliced it down. Took ages. Then I moved to do more clearing in my glasshouse. I've sown some more seeds, and have sorted out the benches at the back where I harden off things. And now, a modest list :
- Plant pots of old daffodils which have not been flowering.
- Plant excess perennials.
- Rake path behind glasshouse, take mess to bonfire.
Next morning - wow! What a garden! Pity about the gardener, who slumped in a chair yesterday halfway through the afternoon and fell asleep. All tools left outside, nothing finished - the list pretty much ignored.
Dog and Daffodils
This morning I've already been out and about with the dogs taking photographs, with the hugest grin on my face. I am surrounded by the gentle beauty of spring, and I should never, ever feel cross with life (this hardly ever happens to me, anyway.
Speckles the Tabby :- I have been feeding Speckles for about one year.
Came home late last night after a 'difficult' choir rehearsal (one I sing in, don't take it), in a complete grump. Wandered over to my bed in the cottage in the dark, met at the verandah by a mixture of a hiss and a cat-chirp. Speckles my stray cat was waiting! Sat outside on the verandah while he smooched and bunted my body and my hands. Aww...
The power of cats!
At breakfast this morning, one of my Fred cats arrived, sat on my lap, purring and smooching vigorously while I cleaned his eyes and stroked his shining swirly fur. The power of cats! Impossible to stay grumpy when being smooched by a passionate cat.
Winnie and Fred
Am now taking a deep breath. The plan is to finish slicing down the fattie Phormiums, standing in the water race. The reality is that my waders leak and the water is snow-melt (i.e. cold). I give myself one hour maximum, then probably will have a warm shower to rescue my feet.
Later...
So how lucky am I? I have energy and plans. I have pulled out hundreds of Scandix pecten-veneris (am impressed that I actually know the correct name of a weed, for once). I have music, smoochy cats and devoted dogs. I'm even lucky to have Non-Gardening Partner (even though he is very tardy doing his chain-sawing). He is taking me out for a roast meal at the local pub tonight. That makes up for it, surely? And how about this for being lucky - my waders didn't leak at all. Hmm.