Talkative knees!
Waterfall - Ryde Falls
A gently aging gardener (e.g. me) has to remember to bend and stretch more slowly. My knees are becoming quite 'talkative', and my back is having a few minor niggles. Even have to be careful when tying shoelaces or pulling on socks! Sad, this.
Day walk in the forest...
Yesterday we went on a shortish day walk in the forest to Ryde Falls. The first two items on my list? Poles and pills, essentials of the gently aging day-hiker. A lovely walk, path not too muddy, not too many step-ups and step-downs through tree-roots, not too many sandflies. My knees were singing noisily by the end of the afternoon. So I went to bed really early (just after 6pm, oops). Best thing I could have done - didn't even read, just relaxed and waited for the knees to quieten down.
So today I have to do lots of gardening. Here's the plan. Have randomly rediscovered my large garden fork (lying in the garage underneath assorted stuff). Am going to start digging up the perennials garden by the pergola, with the intention to weed out the nasty grass runners, etc., and then replant everything (Delphiniums, Ajuga, Centaurea, Aquilegias, and Lychnis).
Bumble Bee in a Delphinium
Sounds like a good plan - gentle on the joints, since I will drag self along on my bottom. Back not too soon...
Much later...
Have finished for the day. Stashed the burnable mess (including pieces of that nasty grass) by the bonfire, tipped the dirtier stuff underneath the hedge. Most of the area is well weeded. Will finish off tomorrow and replant. About time I sorted this wee garden out - it's been a while!
Hello Speckles!
Cat news
So here is my wild cat Speckles, whom I've been feeding at the cottage for over six months now. Our relationship is progressing : he now lets me stroke the top of his head, but only when he's busy eating or drinking his milk.
Not a smidgen of a smooch, yet - I am merely the provider of good food (dinner AND breakfast, thank you very much). I still get the full fang face hiss when he sees me, but he stands his ground. And then he'll come really close beside me.
Sunday 10th April
Wow! What a groovy day! Five hours spent plodding around, trimming and pruning, and moving stuff over to the bonfire. It took me all that time to 'do' the Driveway Garden. Again, seedling Pittosporums and Pseudopanaxes have got the chop, plus a sad and straggly Choisya and several Hebes. Then for the last hour I burnt all the mess. Non-Gardening Partner kindly collected four barrowfuls of gum leaves to encourage my bonfire. Yeay!
The Autumn Bonfire 2022
It occurs to me that I didn't finish yesterday's perennial garden dig. I could have, while the bonfire was gurgling, but chose to sit on the damp grass with an iced water and contemplate my day. Anyway, I'd done rather a lot of walking. And I was also thinking about our groovy day-walk in the forest. Must organise us to do more of these. It's a jolly good way to keep my knees honest, and I love being out in the bush. Maybe while it's still autumn, and the sun is still fairly robust.