Finally managed to find time on our own today to take some exercise – a 8.5km circular walk from Ruralville passing through two nearby hamlets and, needless to say, a pub. The cloud and haze rather spoilt the views, but it was excellent nonetheless, particularly to see the spring flowers starting to bloom. We passed through open fields, narrow lanes, coppice, woodland, heath and golf course – certainly varied. We also discovered an absolutely fantastic spot in the woods, with moss-carpeted floors, towering beech trees and the babbling of the confluence of two small streams – definitely a future picnicking spot, we reckon.
Month: March 2005
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Hard at work
A day of much gardening activity, punctuated by washing of the cars – that’ll make it snow, or worse.
Anyway, a summary of the day’s activities in the garden:- lawns mown
- border in rear garden forked over, two sacks of organic matter incorporated
- horrible weedy border in front of car parking area in the front garden dug, with manure and ash incorporated
- one of the three troughs alongside the house rejuvenated with spent potting compost
- plants planted in the rear garden: Ajuga, Cytisus, Dianthus, Iris and Phygelius
- plants planted in the trough: rosemary and parsley
- sweet peas planted front and rear
- seeds sown in all three locations: parsley, Eschscholzia, Shirley poppy, Aquilegia McKana hybrids, nasturtium, Virginia stocks, Nicotiana sylvestris (yes, that is tobacco), cornflower and a pack of mixed hardy annuals.
Not sure how successful the seeds will be – a spot of rain would certainly enhance their chances, but other than that we’ll just have to wait and see. As for the plants, they should all do reasonably well. The overall effect is far from stunning so far (hence no photographs for now), but these things take time (in spite of what the garden makeover TV shows would have you believe). A lot will depend on how well the seeds do, as they make up 99% of the new front border planting – designed deliberately to be cheap and expendable in case I get round to tackling the new parking area this year. As for the rear and the troughs, I need to get quite a lot more plants to furnish them properly. I think some visits to a few nurseries for some scrounging might be called for.
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Dilettante
Monty has been bringing magpie feathers to me all morning. So far, he’s amassed a nice little pile.
I’ve just seen Treacle running through the garden with what looked like the rest of the magpie carcass in her mouth. Clearly she’s the pro here. -
Toughening up
Today’s theme seems to be to toughen me up. I’ve just been moaned at telephonically by my wife for not leaving enough petrol in the car (I know that there was slightly less than a quarter tank when I drove down the lane towards home last night – I checked!). Before she left she gave me a list of household chores to do (harrumph!). I’m now sitting in the conservatory with the door wide open in an attempt to brave out the chill breeze and pretend that it is really spring (it’ll be better once the sun moves round – or, rather, the earth rotates – sufficiently that the sun reaches my seat). And I am having to deal with two manic cats who seem determined to make up for my absence yesterday by shedding as much fur as possible over my keyboard and clothing. All this and I haven’t had a coffee yet.
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More quiet
Been out all day visiting clients in Norfolk. Driven lots. Tired. But a successful day, nonetheless. More exciting content tomorrow.
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The ghost of Tommy Cooper
Budget day today. The BBC has used this picture of Gordon Brown on their front page:
I felt that he needed a fez:
Just like that! -
Rainy day schedule
Making Fiends, episode 16. Featuring a dictionary. Of words.
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Toyota critical of Honda
Read this – don’t you think it smacks of "wish we’d thought of that"?
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Whinge
BT – crap. Why have I had an invoice sent to my old business address (oh dear, looks like their databse really is as up to date as it is, and no more)? Why have I received a credit for £2.11? What is the Exchange Line Credit Scheme? Why is the invoice marked "copy" when I’ve never seen an original?
Dutchman – idiot. Honestly, expecting me not to act in my principal clients’ best interests? Fool. And he’ll soon learn never to rile a graybo. Mwah ha ha! -
Watch out, there’s a Humphrey about
Nothing to do with red and white striped drinking straws, but more to do with the revelation that the Daily Telegraph has used the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to government files on Humphrey the Number 10 cat. The dossier, apparently an inch and a half thick, reveals that, whilst on the Whitehall payroll, he cost the British taxpayer around £100 per year and was
a workaholic who spends nearly all his time at the office, has no criminal record, does not socialise a great deal or go to many parties and has not been involved in any sex or drugs scandals that we know of.