Gardening and piano playing...
Long Fred
A wonderful week full of gardening and piano playing - the perfect balance. And am I slowly making progress slowly on both fronts? Yes. And thoroughly enjoying the challenge.
Monday 21st August
The mornings are noticeably lighter. Spring, is that you? Sorry, but I am feeling slightly moochy, because there's a rather chilly wind. I am not in the mood for wind. But I have my schedule, and I will stick to it. Have already done my piano practice, and am about do some gardening.
Lost?
Red Fred is lost - have done a couple of circuits around the garden calling him, no response as yet. Hope he hears his name and reappears. The cats here are free range (there are no predators, other than an unlikely rogue dog), but there are driveways and roads on which cars and trucks can drive quite fast.
Meanwhile Speckles (the stray cat I feed outside the cottage) has gone feral - if it's possible for a feral cat to go feral. He doesn't smooch me any more, he scowls, and makes a whining miaow sound. All he cares about is getting his food and his milk.
Five minutes later. Fred wasn't lost at all. He appeared from the side of the garage. I think he was snoozing in the Sleepout. Silly me, getting worried.
White Hellebore
Mid-afternoon...
The wind is making me a bit cross. Have been weeding solidly for three hours, working in the garden in the back lawn next to the pergola. Have given the Alstroemeria another secret squirt (shush) and pruned all the roses.
But I might find a chair in the sun and read my book. Why not?
Friday 25th August
OK. Since I last wrote in my journal I have visited my friends, driven around the city a bit, been to my ballet class, and taken two singing rehearsals. Each morning I have played my piano - the wonderful music of Albeniz' Armeria suite .
I have spent three busy afternoons in the garden - one weeding around the Herb Spiral (picking out lots of little weeds) and two removing Lamium from the garden bed next to the pergola. Have also spread horse manure around a bit, and pruned the roses here.
Lamium :- The lemon-flowering Lamium is rather invasive, but sometimes in a big garden this is useful...
This Lamium is easy to remove (because I've cleared it out before, maybe four years ago). Found a lot of rogue potatoes, not sure they might be a bit sour having been left in the soil for so long.
Red Fred has taken up residence in the Sleepout, so now he is easy to find. Am very happy with my garden and my piano, and am loving the House Blend of no-alcohol Merlot and no-alcohol Shiraz. Tomorrow I have a ballet rehearsal for our next big production! Woo hoo! And on Sunday my Jazz Choir has a concert. Woo hoo again!
Mosaic Grand Piano
This beautiful mosaic piano isn't mine - it's in a wonderful garden created in Akaroa, New Zealand called the Giant's House. Enjoy!