Catching up...

I need one of those much needed catch-up gardening days - finishing off stuff in the Pond Paddock that I started some days ago. It's very soggy and damp out there, and I reckon I have two hours max before I get too wet and too cold.

 In front of the tall gum trees.
Pond Cottage in Winter

Nothing to stop me, though, and the borders will look wonderful when they are finished, right? I walk past them every day on the way to and from Pond Cottage. So I will notice the difference.

 And muddy...
Wet legs!

Three hours later...

Started off sitting on my large plastic bag, but got stuck in the middle of a huge clump of Carexes and had to abandon it. Ended up in the mud. Wet bottom, wet legs, wet arms, wet feet. Dumped four loads of mess by the Pump House, two loads on the bonfire (including lots of seedling Pittosporums, and some severe prunings from the Ballerina roses). What a mess! Can't remember the last time I cleaned up in here, right on the edge of the pond.

More raking...

Also raked more oak leaves off the paddock grass and relaid edge stones. Didn't plant anything. It's a lovely place to garden, actually - with lots of evergreen foliage underneath the shapely deciduous trees, bare of their leaves.

Now for my reward. Am beautifully clean, with warm feet in their wool socks just tingling for joy. Off to meet my friend at the local library (which has a cafe). I'm thinking late lunch and coffee, and some new books. Yeay!

 A shrub I pass on the way to the cottage.
Brilliant Red Berberis

Back home...

Guess who left her camera out in the drizzle for two hours? Daren't try and switch it on yet, am drying it out in front of the log-burner. Silly, silly me.

 Not looking so wild in this photograph.
Speckles the Stray

And now I am off to feed Speckles the stray cat, who has been sitting on the cottage verandah watching my progress. He can be soooooo smoochy when he feels like it. And then suddenly, for no reason, he'll remember his wild-cat status and bite me on the elbow. Or the bottom. Rude cat!