Being silly and random...

Being silly and random can be heaps of fun, especially when one is gardening, or looking after cats. Got up in the night to let Minimus the cat into the cottage. Shut the door, went back to bed, listened to the crunching of cat food. Then heard a chirping miaow. Put light on. Oops.

 Gone AWOL.
Where is Speckles?

Sorry Spex!

It was Speckles the stray, shut in the cottage, looking rather alarmed. Sorry, Spex! Glad that you're back, by the way (Speckles has been AWOL). Opened the door and all change. Out went Speckles, in came Minimus, cats passing in the night.

After breakfast, more random silliness. Hunted around for fruit etc. to put out for the birds. Then remembered that the wax-eyes used to love the fat-and-meat-scraps balls from the butcher. Had a brilliant (?) idea. Scooped the raw meat out of two pork sausages, placed it on the feeding station. Have lost all credibility as a provider of healthy bird snacks. But when I checked later in the day it was all gone.

Oops. The third silly thing : I was going to my adult ballet class. Where was my wallet? Checked the car. Checked the house. Checked the car. Checked the house. No sign of it. Blast! Drove down to the local shops, the last place I'd used it. I must have left it there. Yes? No. Not there.

Checked again...

Checked the car again, checked the house again. What to do now? I know, I know. Ring the bank... Felt really old - not a pleasant feeling. Then on a whim I looked in my swimming bag. Aha! There was my wallet. Who on earth had put it there? Me. When? Hadn't been swimming. Why? Shook head in disbelief. Too random.

 The beautiful lime green ones.
Wet Hellebores

Si I went outside and cleared up the back lawn, then started weeding and cleaning up the water race border. Unfortunately I was working mainly in the shade - boy, it was cold! Dug out clumps of Shasta daisies and replanted them, cut up some more Lupins and replanted the pieces in pots. Tried to do small things, as well as trimming the large Phormiums and so on. Threw Winnie's tennis ball lots. Think I am getting quite a sore arm, but Winnie is worth it. I so enjoy her company.

Friday 28th July

Today has been cold, but there's been no rain. And I've been good. Sat on a feed bag weeding and finishing off the edge of the border along the water race. The soil has been very water-logged, and also very wormy.

 The border along the water race.
A Well Dug Edge

Worked until my hands, feet, and bottom were too cold. Am very happy - the border is slightly bigger, with a well-defined straight edge. Threw Winnie's tennis ball again and again.

 Or rhododendron...
Island Bed Azalea

Thanks, NGP...

Then Non-Gardening Partner helped me with that heavy rhododendron in the Island Bed. He put a rope around it and pulled, while I back-filled the planting hole. Perfect.

It's in front of the big pink, which is flowering now. Hopefully it won't notice it was ever shifted (it came from my friend's garden), and will put on a great display. Has smallish leaves, maybe is an Azalea. But Azaleas are Rhododendrons, right?

Over twenty hours work this week...

I reckon I've spent over twenty hours this week in my cold, damp, and sometimes drizzling garden. Estimate I've thrown Winnie's tennis ball over a hundred times. Hopefully I haven't endangered any wax-eyes, and hopefully my new system (yes, I have a new wallet rule) for keeping track of my wallet will work. Hmm...