Have a couple of random photos to counteract the heat - currently 31° here, but due to drop 10 degrees overnight. Hopefully rain overnight too, main waterbutt is three quarters empty...

IDW Thundercracker and Buster! I managed to find the right sort of dog at getting on for the right size at Wilko. (She's still a little large but stands on his shoulder joint rather cutely.)

Off to write bio for the unicorn book...

Labels: orchids, Solstice, Transformers

Where the hell did the week go...?

[sigh] Let's see if I can remember what's been happening...

I finally finished scanning the albums of Kai's photos last Sunday: went to burn to disc only to have the drive refuse to play. [grump] Saved to Ken's 8 gig pendrive and he used his machine instead (although his drive is also glitchy. Managed to get it done though!) That shelf is now full of music CDs. My diaries are next: Ken suggested photographing rather than scanning, which would be a lot quicker and easier, so going to give that a go in the next couple of weeks.

Ken's been removing the multiple layers of gloss paint from the windowsills with Wilko paint and varnish remover, in preparation for the new windows (28th and 29th of this month. Can't wait!) Horrible, smelly, time consuming job, but the tiles underneath are really nice, a soft sandy colour, so once everything's done we'll leave them as is.

The garden... Everything's doing well. I have an overabundance of cucumbers (next year I'll only bring on one plant!), loads of sugarsnap peas, and enough mange tout - already! - that I'll be freezing some for the winter later on today. The first blueberries and raspberries are out (have to organise netting later too) and plenty of pears and apples (on both trees) coming along nicely. I estimate that in the next two weeks the cooking toms and peas will be ready to start cropping, and I have hopes for my peppers this year - lots of fruit developing! (Now if I can just stop whatever it is that usually eats holes in them we'll be fine...) We've eaten the first radishes and red and purple carrots - interesting and pleasant taste, the purple ones - and the second lot of seeds are in, as are the marrow seedlings and the dwarf beans. All going well so far!

Kai's meadow is slowly taking shape. It's going to be lovely when it's done (not that it'll ever be finished, of course) with a small dewpond with loads of native flowering plants around it, and a low wall. He's been digging a holloway between the hazels and the wall, and is going to plant foxgloves along the wall side. (They're springing up everywhere so a major seed-gathering day is on the cards...)

As for garden wildlife - we haz damsels! (Photos © Kai Taylor)

  

There are two in this one, a bit difficult to see.

There were another pair this morning - one was more green though. They didn't hang around long enough for photos, alas.

Films and things... Kai and I finished B5 season 1 and are partway through season 2. It has quite a different feel to it, but is still very enjoyable. And complex!

I picked up Jack Reacher going very cheap: enjoyable as all Cruise films are. The DVD trailers were World War Z and Flight: Kai said both looked interesting, so I found them cheap on amazon (1p and 10p respectively, £2.52 p&p) and ordered them. We watched World War Z last night, and were favourably surprised. I'm not a fan of Pitt or zombies (although Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Warm Bodies were good) but this one is not at all bad. It also has Peter Capaldi as a W.H.O. doctor, which made me chuckle).

That's about it, I think. There's been the usual doctor's appts, shopping/clearing/general housework. Ken and I finished adding all the DVDs to a spreadsheet (we have 1,119 to date and that's counting multipart series' as one) and I've organised all the shelves. It's not perfect, but at least I know roughly where everything is now. Later I need to add the list to the site, so when I'm out I can check to see if we already have it (found we had two copies of Scrooged: one's now gone to charity).

Right - brunch. It's Ken's birthday (thanks for the card Wendy! Great fun!) and I'm doing a full English. He can diet tomorrow!

Labels: busyness, decorating, films, garden

Just back from second foray out with the bike. Rode the whole of the lane, both ways, twice today. We're thinking we'll try the river ride next week: it's flat, and pretty, and not too long. I'll be easily able to get off and walk for part of it (the bike acts as a mobile walking stick, to be honest!) as recommended by Dr Ng.

All very reassuring. But I need a pair of loose knee-length shorts: my leggings are too hot for this weather.

Labels: bike

Finally, before I forget what's happened!

The scaffolding opposite started coming down yesterday: it was a loft conversion. The workmen were surprisingly quiet!

It's been busy as always - a lot of the usual sorting/cleaning/shopping/gardening stuff. I fancied a change of wardrobe and (wonders will never cease!) rather liked some of the summer stuff in Sains, so treated myself (made a lot easier with their 25% off all clothing over the bank holiday weekend). Kai's new meadow is coming along nicely: the native plants from the old meadow have now been moved to it and the old one scythed, ready to be dug over so I can gather all my bulbs and corms and plant them in their new (and hopefully final) home.

RHS Chelsea was fun - and I discovered that irises are fragrant! Never knew that. Dived out and took a deep deep sniff of Sultan's Palace, and yes, it is indeed scented! Subtly, but it smells of peaches and cream - absolutely gorgeous. I now want it as a perfume. I know it must be available as someone was wearing it on the bus the other day. I now have the fun of a scent quest!

Last pics of them for this year, they've all died back now.

Not Sultan's Palace, but very sweet.

Everything is outgrowing its space in the greenhouse, and I have plenty of mini munch cucumbers coming: looking forward to those, they are very tasty. The hot dry spell finally broke and we're now back to a lot of rain, which at least saves me having to use the hosepipe. Have some pics: this is the view from the landing window, wonderful even on a wet, grey Monday morning...

On the film side, we've watched National Treasure 2, which was fun, and finally saw Forrest Gump, which is wonderful - as Kai said, "ALL the feels..." Then he suggested Babylon 5, which we haven't watched in a very long time. We're up to Season 1 ep 7 and thoroughly enjoying it. For a sci fi series that's older than Kai is, it's aged exceptionally well and feels like it could have been made this year.

What else... Ah yes! Last Thurs the weather was fine, and I finally took the bike out to see if I could still remember how to ride - Kai came with me on his own bike. Just down the lane between the allotments and Tesco - straight, wide, smooth and quiet. It's been 42 years, but after a couple of false starts I found my balance (more or less, the vertigo is still a nuisance: I won't risk riding on the road) and cycled both ways along it. Legs were shaking when I got off, but that will improve with practise. Planning to go again this week - if it ever stops raining - and get a little more used to it before we try an actual proper ride.

I have just four more albums to scan and that job is finished. Then I'm going to start scanning in my old diaries - started back in 1974 with my first 5-year diary. It's going to be a long and occasionally very embarrassing job, but it's all genealogical stuff and will help complete the records. (Then I can destroy the originals!)

I've not forgotten Poppy, honestly, but every time I sit down to tackle the next chapter something comes up and I have to put it on hold again. I do at least now have the chapter properly planned out, so hopefully this weekend?

And finally - Ken saw one of our foxes up on the wall at the back a couple of nights ago...

Isn't he gorgeous?

Labels: Babylon 5, bike, busyness, films, foxes, gardening, shopping