Sunday Morning Musings - Part 57

So here we are, the first week of September over already, the sunshine waning earlier in the day, and the mornings looking more crisp and cooler, with Autumn knocking on our heels. Although we have a few more weeks of Summer left, what Summer we have had has been cool, with spurts of hot, warm weather, and with a fair amount of rain, so not the best.



We took two weeks vacation recently and it rained for most of that two weeks, and although we felt relaxed and didn't think of work through all that time, it probably didn't re-charge the batteries as best as they could have been. However, thinking of the past couple of weeks, although cool, the weather has been on our side, and it has given us the opportunity to get to grips with big changes in the garden, that has been desperate for attention for the last 18 months, ever since we had the extension built.

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There has been a big media emphasis this year extolling the virtues of anyone and everyone getting back into gardens, allotments, and community gardens etc, and growing their own produce. Not only does this give you that satisfaction of growing your own produce, but in these straightened times, it can also save you money on your grocery bill! Growing our own is something we have toyed with before, but we decided this year to see what we could do to improve on previous results. It started first with successfully growing our own crops of potatoes, then salad leaves, alongside a few other crops in containers, so when we started looking at what needed doing in the garden, the thoughts of growing our own produce played a part too.

Over the period of the past couple of weekends, and with help from friends along the way (Karl and Andy S get a mention) we've dug, sawn, carried, raked, chopped, huffed, sworn, laughed and slept the sleep of honest men. We've also carried and moved a dozen or more railway sleepers, moved 4 tonnes of topsoil, 2 tonnes of gravel, re-laid a path, built raised beds, brick-lined the lawn, built a boardwalk, and built a second shed. So hopefully this has allayed any fears that we have dropped of the face of the earth, (Thanks Lee, x) honest we have just been so busy, and what with work being as relentless as ever, any spare moment has been taken up with sleeping or eating.

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Over the past months too, although busy, we have managed to catch up with a good few friends, especially some we haven't seen for a good while too, so that, and the garden re-modelling has been pretty worthwhile, all told.

We are beginning to see the fruits (no pun intended) of our labour too, as we have had Runner Beans, Peas, lots of mixed Salad leaves, juicy little Tomatoes, and delicious Spuds, and we are looking forward to Squash, Red & Green Cabbage, Curly Kale and Purple Sprouting Broccoli.. I can't wait.



One thing the mild and damp weather has been good for is the enormous variety of insects that have been out and about, predominately chomping their way through all the aphids (good news), but more so for the variety of dragonflies that have been keeping a holding pattern throughout the garden during the summer. These wonderful insects never cease to amaze me. Only the other week, I was opening up the blinds in the kitchen when I spotted an incredible turquoise one, on the floor behind the blinds. I grabbed the camera, then made the mistake of opening up the glass wall, to get a better shot, only to have it zoom off before I could snap of a shot! That'll teach me!



The other good thing about the sunshine (when it was here) was that I could test out my new wheels too



This fella could well be the world's smallest solar powered car - OK, so you set the wheels for it's turning circle etc, and you'd be hard pressed to get far on it, as it is as big as the first knuckle of my thumb, but I think it's cute, and I'm still contemplating building a track for it! (yes I am that big kid). Anyone that is that mad keen on getting their hands on one should check out EcoLogicCool in Brighton, run by Jake Greene (who may just have sorted a track out already... and may not remember our conversation, as it was early this year when we were down for a wedding)

Right folks, the Sun is over the yard-arm, dinner is cooking in the oven, so I think a glass of wine is in order and I can chill into the evening, before contemplating more mayhem tomorrow. Keep well, stay fit, I hope all your plans work, and may your respective deity of choice go with you (a la Dave Allen)



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