The stochastic gardener

Christmas is coming

2011-12-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

I went shopping in Stafford Town centre at the weekend and I met father Christmas.

I think I must have been behaving myself this year because I got a hug ... so perhaps I'll be getting lots of presents!!

TLC

2011-10-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the DIY store and I spotted the bargain plant trolley. Tucked away at the back was the poor specimen that F is holding – a rather sad Peace Lily.

I don’t like to think of plants meeting an early demise so I paid 10p to rescue it ( about 15 cents). For the last ten days it has been fed and watered and has responded to TLC. Some leaves were too far gone to save but they were trimmed off and now I have a much healthier looking plant that should make a full recovery.

TLC works wonders.

What to do with the apple harvest

2011-10-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

This year has produced bumper apple crops in the UK.

In spite of picking off lots of the fruits in June, giving the apples left on the tree chance to grow to a good size, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of fruit produced. None of the trees get sprayed so they produce an organic crop, complete with extra protein - you can’t offer these apples to the squeamish.

We eat apples as desert nearly every day (using up the worst specimens) and there is no room left in the freezer for anymore. We would need to buy a new freezer, and find the space to put it. What to do with the surplus – about two hundred kilograms!

The apples were gathered up and put into plastic boxes (supplied courtesy of Tesco) and taken by car (two journeys) to nearby Haywood Park Farm which offers an apple juicing service.

After being checked for bruising the apples were put through a chopping machine - I don't know its proper name - it's like an oversized liquidiser.

Then the farmer put the chopped-up apples onto the press and juiced them. The two types of apples produced distinctly different juices which were pasteurised and bottled.

Now all we need to do is to get labels made for the bottles - C has said he will help with this - and make a list of everyone who will get apple juice for this year's Christmas present.

Christmas gets earlier every year

2011-10-01T05:56:00.000-07:00

Today I received my first Christmas card in the post! It was from a charity that I support occasionally and as well as the Christmas card they included their charity christmas catalogue.
They're too late - I know where I shall buy my cards from for this year - I always get my cards from the same shop, and I always shop early to get the style of cards I want to send - but not this early.

When you listen in on someone else's phonecall

2011-09-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was chatting with my neighbour, soon to be 100, when her phone rang. Being hard of hearing she sets her phone to speakerphone so I heard both sides of the conversation.

The caller was ringing on behalf of ‘Gym and Tonic’ – Would she be interested in a membership at the newly opened gym?

H replied that as she was nearly 100 she was not interested in joining the gym.

The caller expressed amazement and said she sounded no more than 50. (How do you tell that from someone’s phone voice?).

The caller then asked would anyone else in the family be interested in a gym membership. H politely told them that no-one else in her family would be interested in a gym membership and ended the call.

We laughed at the picture conjured up by H working out in the gym.

I think it’s tough to make a living by telesales.

Signs of Autumn

2011-09-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

In spite of the Indian summer of the last few days, the trees have already started to change their colours and are beginning to shed their leaves. Walking round the estate with my trusty camera I found lots of early autumn colours. There are patches of mushrooms growing in the grass and the abundance of garden cross spiders is most likely due to this year’s warm damp summer.

Especially for you RM, the colours of early autumn. They will be even brighter in a couple of week’s time.

Memories of Robert the Bruce

2011-09-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Going to put some materials in the recycling bin – the bin is due to be emptied tomorrow – I found the path to the bin was blocked by a spider’s web and the spider was waiting in the centre ready for some dinner to fly his way. There was no way through except by breaking the web and though I didn’t like to do this I needed to get at the bins. So I gently broke the thread from its anchor in the bushes on one side of the path and placed it on the bushes on the other side of the path. The spider was safe but now its web was useless as a food trap.

By the time I had finished working at the recycling bins, the matter of a few minutes, the spider had summed up its predicament and was busily making a new web in the bushes on just one side of the path.

It reminded me of the story of Robert the Bruce who, defeated in battle, was hiding in a cave from his pursuers. He noticed a spider having to persevere, making many attempts to span a wide gap to make its web – he decided that all was not lost and that he would try again to defeat his enemies in battle. (And next time he was the victor in the battle) Then there are many tales of people hiding from their enemies in a cave and not being discovered because a spider wove its web across the entrance, suggesting to pursuers that no-one could have entered the cave as the web was intact.

They should have studied the behaviour of spiders.

It's a small world

2011-09-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

My elderly neighbour, almost 100 years old,and a long retired farmer’s daughter and farmer’s wife, has quite a collectionof books on farming themes.

I spotted the autobiography of a vet whosename was familiar to me from many years ago. When my younger sister was training to be a vet, she had work experienceat his veterinary practice (quite a prestigious placement since he was famousin the UKas 'the television vet'). My sister wasnot impressed with him as he told her that she was wasting a university placethat should have been given to a boy. Ithad the effect of making her determined to prove him wrong.

He was also the vet for my neighbour’s farmanimals and she said what an excellent vet he was, working very hard wheneverhe was called to their farm – he became a friend as well.

Having read his autobiography I have toadmire him for the way he battled through the adversity of childhood poverty,and worked hard to achieve his qualifications.

I don’t think this would impress my sisterthough!

Exercise is good for you.

2011-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try out zamba – some colleagues from my former place of employment have taken up this form of exercise and they enjoy themselves trying to coordinate arm and leg movements in time to the music. The only trouble with joining my friends is that it means a ten mile journey there and the same journey back which takes time and costs petrol.

I found out that a zamba class takes place in a nearby school (about 250yards from my front door) so I went to my first session tonight. The instructor welcomed me and found me some water to drink during the session. Next time I go to zamba I shall take some water and a towel – both useful for coping with the pace she sets.

I have discovered that if I concentrate really hard I can cope with the footwork, or with the arm movements, but not both at the same time. With practise I may well get them to co-ordinate! The gyrations – well everybody else is having to concentrate on their own efforts and will be much too busy to notice that I sometimes do and sometimes don’t!

At the end of the session the instructor said we should burn off 600 calories if we joined in for the whole session. That seems a lot – I’ll be content to feel fitter and if I lose weight – that’s a bonus.

Moan of the month

2011-09-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

Is it just in my imagination, or do some large companies treat their customers with contempt.

I pay insurance cover for my washing machine so that should it break down the cost of repairing or replacing is covered. At the beginning of August I renewed my insurance cover and received an agreement letter. Paragraph 3 stated ‘Please check the above details are correct. If they are not, write ….. who will make the necessary corrections and reissue etc.’

On checking, the agreement document had the machine details incorrect. The procedure was followed and today I have received the new agreement. It is word for word absolutely identical, with the wrong information restated.

The final paragraph informed me the Customer Services team would be happy to help if I had a query and that I could telephone them.

So this is where the story gets silly!

I phoned and spoke to D – she told me that it didn’t matter about the incorrect details as they couldn’t be altered as HEAD OFFICE had set up the letter. She had no way of explaining to me why I needed to write about incorrect information that could not be altered. So I asked to speak to a supervisor or manager. Hold on please ….. After a minute D came back on the line and told me that what she had told me was correct and that the supervisor would only tell exactly the same as she had told me. So I repeated the request to speak to a supervisor and got the same response! I asked again to speak to a supervisor or manager and I eventually wore down her resistance and she asked me to hold on.

This time I had to wait about three minutes before I got a reply. Supervisor VK spoke to me now and gave me exactly the same reply as D. She could not explain why the request was made to write to the company if details were incorrect when no changes could be made. She did not feel it was a problem (By now, I was considering it a matter of principle) I asked who else I could speak to and was informed that the agreement letter format was “set in stone” and could not be changed. (What sort of business can prosper with this sort of “set in stone” attitude?) I began to feel that I was banging my head against a brick wall – or should that be a stone wall.

I said that I would need to write to Head Office to ask for an explanation as the ‘happy to help’ Customer services team were unable to help. DK informed me that all Head Office would do would be to forward the letter to Customer Services who would then reissue an agreement identical to the two I already have.

I really feel I should be saying to myself I’ve wasted enough time on the matter – I have better things to do with my time etc - and let the matter drop. But perhaps when I have three hours with nothing better to do to pass the time …. I will write to them.

A water flow problem

2011-08-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

This year we have had some spells of very dry weather interspersed with longer spells of downpour. Much strain has been put on the guttering and F has had to do much maintenance.

The rain from the roof goes into the water butts via the downpipes but the water from the garage roof is channelled straight to the borders by a ‘Heath Robinson’ assemblage of guttering. The channel from the garage gutter, rests through a branches of an apple tree and then into the midst of the bay tree where water is able to pour out from the open end and into the border. We do not see this end of the guttering but hear water trickling or pouring out amongst the stems.

This weekend, when F dismantled the structure to clean it out before the autumn, he discovered, as well as apples, a bird’s nest. It was in good condition though a little damp. I think this is probably why the birdfeeder has been very popular this year.

The demise of the holly tree

2011-08-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

We’ve lived in our current house for nearly twenty years and so it should have been no surprise that the holly tree, planted by the previous owners, has now reached to the top of the house. It is planted about four feet away from the side of our house and within a few inches of our neighbour’s garage.

A few weeks ago our neighbour pointed out to us that a crack was appearing in the side of our chimney and he thought that it might be because of the holly tree – he also hoped that it would not affect his garage wall.

Time for action? Taking a closer look at the tree it had reached the sort of proportions that make it much too large to be so close to a building, so F decided to cut down the tree and our neighbour offered to help.

Cutting the tree down was the easy part – the roots were another matter!

They had not dislodged the paving slabs and they were more or less parallel with the house and garage, so it should not have been that difficult, but it took a long crowbar, a large axe and lots of effort to make any impression on it.

We’ve ended up with a huge amount of wood and seemingly even more roots.

They have been cut into smaller pieces – the trunk and thick branches and thick roots will make useful firewood – the finer branches, roots and foliage are destined for the garden fire. That is the fun part of the task.

Cutting down the tree has created a space and F has put down a platform of slabs to be the new home for the four household bins - now we're neat and tidy!

The potato harvest

2011-08-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Last year - the first year of my retirement veg patch - I planted potatoes and was pleased with the results.
This year I spotted two small potato plants growing in the patch where the potatoes had been planted last season. Obviously, I'd failed to dig out two small potatoes whenI'd harvested.

I didn't bother to do anything with the veg patch until we got back to the UK from our American/Canadian adventure - the first week in June. By this time, the potato plants had grown sturdy and it seemed a shame to pull them out when they had made so much effort. I filled the space around them with pea plants because they don't need any special treatment.
Today, because the potato tops were dying down I decided to dig them up - from two small left-over potatoes I obtained 6lbs 3ozs of potatoes ..... large, unblemished ...... I hope they taste as good as they look.

The UK situation

2011-08-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

The past few days have not done anything to enhance the reputation of the UK. You could almost believe that it’s not safe to venture out, but the major part of the country has been unscathed, not wishing to make light of the events - it must have been terrifying to have been caught up by the events.

This is an extract from an item in the current newsletter of ACT (Association of Christian teachers) that I want to share with you….

“Wayne Clarke
Baptist minister and broadcaster on BBC Radio Merseyside

To be people of peace is to be Jesus on our streets…… I’m amazed again at the relevance of God’s word. Here’s The Message* version of Proverbs 1

“Dear friend, if bad companions tempt you, don't go along with them. If they say—"Let's go out and raise some hell. Let's beat up some old man, mug some old woman. Let's pick them clean and get them ready for their funerals. We'll load up on top-quality loot. We'll haul it home by the truckload. Join us for the time of your life! With us, it's share and share alike!”

Oh, friend, don't give them a second look; don't listen to them for a minute. They're racing to a very bad end, hurrying to ruin everything they lay hands on.”

This week, we’ve been reminded that this is the world we live in. To turn to Christ, rejecting evil, being honest and caring, is the gift we can give to this sad world.”….

*The Message is a modern translation of the Bible and these particular words were written about 2500 years ago – so it seems as if such troubles have been part of the human condition for many centuries.

Befriending the enemy

2011-08-12T03:32:00.000-07:00

Stargazer Lilies are one of my favourite garden flowers. They look spectacular with their vibrant pink and white blooms and their scent is heady, pervading the border where they are planted.

I once had a modest number of half a dozen plants but the display was still spectacular. (I used a photograph as wallpaper on the whiteboard in my classroom.)

Two years ago I spotted a beautiful bright red beetle on one of the leaves of the plant. I knew it was a lily beetle and though I knew it fed on the plant I thought I would share my garden with this creature – after all, the lilies were quite robust.

Last year the lilies were not quite up to their usual standard.

This year – oh dear!

I think I might have to resort to spray if I am to re-establish stargazer lilies in the borders.

A rescue story

2011-08-09T03:54:00.000-07:00

A racing pigeon crossed our path when we were driving to an appointment. As we waited at a junction my daughter spotted a pigeon walking across the busy A34 and it was seemingly oblivious to the cars which were slowing down to avoid it. B, realising it was an exhausted racing pigeon, got out of the car and went into the road to try and pick up the bird which was still crossing the road. I put on the hazard lights so that he traffic behind knew I was not going to move my car and the cars on the main road slowed down almost to a stop while the pigeon was captured. B got into the car holding the pigeon on her lap while I continued along the road, turning the car round at the first opportunity.
We went back home and quickly found out the top part of a bird cage so that we were able to set up an emergency holding cage while we went to the appointment. The pigeon was very thin – he obviously had been flying for quite a distance and the last few days had been exceptionally hot for the UK. In a corner of the kitchen I laid down a thick pad of newspaper and put a dish of water and a dish of wild bird seed. When the cage was in place B opened the cage door and carefully placed the bird inside. Then I put a weighty box on the top of the cage in case the pigeon tried to escape. A hasty note was put on the kitchen table so that it would not be too much of a shock if F got home from work before we got back home.
Oblivious to the shock he might cause, the pigeon was feeding!
When we had attended the appointment and got back home F had returned before us and had decided to leave well enough alone. Now B could start the search for the bird’s owner – some racing birds are very expensive. ‘Sir Percy’, as we named him had a telephone number on his wing feathers, so first B phoned that number. Getting no reply she then took the information from the ring that was on the bird’s leg and phoned the information to the RPRA (The Royal Pigeon Racing Association). They were able to give further contact details. The mobile phone number achieved a result and the owner of the pigeon suggested that we feed the bird and release him but B would not agree to this. She explained that the bird was exhausted and needed to rest up for a few days.
The bird was from a Manchester loft and as this is much closer to the Wirral (where B works) than to our home, B told the owner she would take the pigeon to her workplace and that he could be collected from the RSPCA Animal Health Centre.

First thing next morning the owner went to the Animal Health Centre to collect his racing pigeon – he remembered to say thank you!!

When the nest is empty

2011-08-01T04:34:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time we were a four car family and in order to accommodate the cars when we were all at home F and A put down some tracks of slabs so that the cars could be driven onto the front lawn without doing too much harm to the grass.

Over the years the offspring have left home and we are now a two car family so no longer need to use the extra parking spaces. We decided to take up the slabs and replace the turf.

F laboured all day, getting up slabs and stacking them neatly out of the way in the back garden.

We ruined the habitat for the local ant population!

F then had to spread some topsoil in the area so that the clods were level with the rest of the grass, cutting the turf to size and putting it in place, then bedding it down so it remained in place and could mesh into the rest of the lawn.

I got the easy job of watering the newly laid grass, a job that will need to be repeated daily while the weather is so warm and dry, if the grass is to survive.

We were left with about a third of the rolls of grass – the supplier was very generous in cutting the turves – they were almost double the stated size. What to do with them? Well, now the new grass is in place it shows up the rest of the front lawn which over the years has evolved into a mossy weedy patch! So today F is removing the worst of the remaining ‘grass’ and laying down the remainder.

I think I’ve jinxed the weather

2011-07-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of July my daughter and her fiancée went on holiday so I stayed at her bungalow to look after her pets – currently three rabbits, two guinea pigs and eight budgerigars.
She lamented the state of her lawn which was so dry that the grass was beginning to go brown. On the way back from taking B and C to the airport I called in at the local supermarket and bought a watering can. I watered the lawn with a good many cans hoping that they would return to a revived lawn. The rest of that day was gloriously hot and dry.
The following four days the rain was torrential and when the dry weather returned it was much cooler and so the grass did not suffer. When B and C arrived back in the UK they had green grass and a watering can that had been used once - it seems to be surplus to requirements - and the weather has remained very rainy.
As if to rub salt into the wounds, the identical watering cans are now half price!

Everything catches up with you eventually

2011-02-24T03:27:00.000-08:00

Last week was gym reassessment and I discovered that I have put on weight and inches - the opposite should have happened! The solution - eat less and exercise more often.
Retirement is wonderful and I am so busy but a lot of the time I seem to be involved in sedentary pursuits. Walking is recommended as very healthy exercise without having to go to the gym so last night F and I went for a walk - fifteen minutes out, then fifteen minutes retracing the route. In theory, next time we go walking we should get a little further in the same amount of time - eventually we should be able to jog the distance but that is some way in the future - a long way!
My sister and her husband walk most days - they take Umbrage for a walk -he's the imaginary dog they own. Not to be outdone, we take Advantage for a walk - she's our imaginary cat!

Spring has sprung

2011-01-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

In spite of my best intentions January has half gone and I haven't posted yet. I promised myself that the studying was not going to take over my complete waking hours this year - after all there are more things in life that I want to do. I even took on a lighter study load, but it seems that it is taking up the same amount of time as last year's commitments.
Then today, as I was emptying the kitchen waste into the compost bin I noticed that the worms have come out of hibernation and are crawling on the inside of the bin. So I looked for other signs that the cold spell has gone and that the garden is waking up.

One of the earliest signs of Spring - just one cluster of catkins is beginning to grow on the twisted hazel - it managed two sets of catkins last year - so fingers crossed.

Last post (for 2010)

2010-12-31T05:12:00.000-08:00

The last fortnight has been so busy with the preparations for Christmas and then the actual celebration, followed by getting things back to normal ready for the New Year that I find I have time for just one more post before the end of the year.
The UK is cold if not very snowy now - the water butts in the garden were full to the brims before the cold spell. Now they are full of ice and the lids are raised above the tops resting on the ice - it will need quite a thaw before we can start to use them.
I am not usually bothered about making New Year Resolutions - if something is worth changing it might as well be changed straight away - but I am resolving to post more often in 2011.
Its good to know what's going on in Miami, Washington DC and Homerville so I will try to add details of happenings in Stafford - more regularly.

Happy New Year

What not to lose!

2010-12-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

My address book is hiding - I know I used it in February 2010 - but I haven't seen it since writing out birthday cards early in the year. I suppose it's possible that I recycled it or even put it with the household waste - I've searched in all the obvious places and the not so obvious places but it remains stubbornly out of sight.
I've adopted a lined notebook and made a temporary replacement for the missing book but it is no substitute for the real thing. Writing Christmas cards is taking ages because I am having to ask relations and friends to send me addresses to fill in the gaps in knowledge. That works for most of the missing information but not all.
How do you let people know that you haven't forgotten them and that your reason for not sending a card is that you've lost their address?
When I have plenty of time I think I'll put that sort of information on the PC - it will be more difficult to lose that.

Winter

2010-12-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

Season of fogs and biting frostiness - with apologies to John Keats.

A couple of days of milder weather and rain has melted a good deal of the snow that sprinkled over the Midlands, but now the bitterly cold weather has returned bringing with it harsh frosts and freezing over the remains of the snow. When the sky is clear, the frost sparkles.

The trees and shrubs look spectacular with a thick coating of frost.

If you look closely, you will spot a robin sheltering in the bushes, against the fence.

The water for the birds has to be replenished every day because the cold weather turns the water into icy blocks, and the blocks remain frozen.

Spiders webs are so easy to spot when they are covered with a layer of frost - there must be quite a few spiders inhabiting that particular hedge.

But of course, as soon as the temperature rises, the fog descends and the spikes of frost begin to melt from the plants.

First sightings

2010-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

Sorry - no photographs this posting - I didn't have my camera handy.

On Saturday morning a woodpecker visited the suet slab bird feeder nearest the house. There was no mistaking the large beak and the red undercarriage. I don't think a woodpecker has visited our garden before but the weather is so bird unfriendly that I suppose he was having to search beyond his usual territory. He flew from the bird feeder onto the oak tree at the bottom of the garden and made his way up the trunk, beak at the ready, looking as though he would start pecking at any moment - visions of the tree crashing down - it is only about twenty years old so the trunk has quite a few years to go before its sturdy.

On Saturday night I went to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham for a concert given by the BPSO (British Police Symphony Orchestra). Symphony Hall is situated in an area of regeneration around the canal system and has become a very fashionable area. (The hub of canals, known as the Gas Street Basin, was originally built in the second half of the eighteenth century). Walking to the concert hall the canals were very icy and a group of mallards were swimming their way through a passage in the ice floes, single file, heading for clearer water.

The concert was called Proms Night Spectacular and the usual items of Proms music was played. One of the trumpeters in the orchestra just happens to be the bursar of the Primary school I retired from. We noticed that from early in the concert she was constantly having to adjust her trumpet. When the interval came, she walked towards our seats (we were in balcony seats at the side of the stage)and asked if anyone had a hair bobble. After rifling about in my handbag I produced the very same item and threw it down onto the stage. She was able to use it to make a temporary repair on her trumpet and complete her part in the concert.

I had the reputation of being a squirrel when I was teaching and of being able to find most things in my stockroom, often able to produce the quirky things that my colleagues requested. Rumour was that Lord Lucan and Shergar were hidden in the depths of the stockroom.

At the end of a thoroughly enjoyable concert, the journey back home was a slow affair. It had rained, there was no longer any ice left on the canal and no sign of the mallards. The slight rise in temperature meant that roads were now very wet and slippy and it was quite foggy so we took our time and made sure that we got home safely.

The BPSO is coming to Stafford in May - that concert is on our itinerary for next year.

Snowy weather

2010-12-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

You might have seen news items that the UK is in the grip of arctic conditions. Fortunately, for those who live there, Stafford has had the merest sprinkling of snow, but it is so bitterly cold that most of the snow is staying put, even after several days.
Before the snow descended I tidied up the garden. The olive tree, now three or four years old and in its third pot, is getting too weighty to move easily so this year it has to survive outside. The sides of the large pot have been swathed in bubble wrap and a layer put around the top of the pot to prevent snow lying on the soil. The trunk and the crown seem to be surviving without any protection. ( Bubble wrap courtesy of Tesco - they recycle packaging so don't mind customers helping themselves)

The cooking apple tree has had an abundant harvest this year and many apples have been distributed to friends and neighbours. Unfortunately, the apples remaining on the tree have succumbed to the bitterly cold temperatures, and though they are securely holding onto the branches, looking pretty with snowy white tops, they are squishy soft - the birds will not mind.

One corner of the garden near the kitchen catches the sun for most of the day, so while the rest of the garden looks wintery, the strawberry planter, newly sporting winter pansies, adds colour to the scene.

A celebration - free at last

2010-10-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Having completed my first year of Open University studies, for the next five weeks I do not have to read course text books, take part in online forums or produce work to be marked. I shall not know the results of the courses until 17th December but I'm confident that I've done enough to pass.
When I finished working full-time Frank suggested I might like to keep the little grey cells in good order by taking on an OU course. Little did he know that it would take over my life! Dreams of having a manicured garden, home made food waiting on the table for when my husband gets home for work, a house that does not hide under cobwebs, a crowded social life (with other retirees), several sessions at the gym each week - well they have faded quickly from my aspirations.
Now I dream of which course to take on next. Before starting to study with the OU I was certain that I wanted to study geology (and I still do), but having completed a wide range of science topics during the year and with hundreds of courses to choose from the problem is - which others to choose? I'm starting with a short course on maths for scientists, but that will only last for a few weeks, then choices will have to be made.
In the meantime - I'm celebrating the freedom - so I am trying to post more often. Today, while there is a break from the rainy weather, I have been emptying one of the compost bins and digging the compost into the patch where the potatoes were grown. Then tonight, I'm catching up with the news when meeting up with a colleague for a meal. It's good to be busy!

A tiresome problem solved.

2010-08-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

The warm,wet summer, especially July and August, has transformed this -

-------- to this ------

The tomato plants have enjoyed all that rain and grown so big and heavy that now they fall over, with even the slightest breath of wind.

---------How to solve the problem------------

Years of not recycling the tyres from our metros - someone knew they would be useful one day. We picked up the plants - pot, plant saucer and all - and placed them inside two stacked tyres. The tomato plants no longer fall over.

There is just one remaining problem. August was so wet and unsunny that we have lots of green tomatoes that need long, warm days to ripen.

Has anyone a recipe for green tomato chutney?

Blue hydrangeas etc.

2010-08-09T03:12:00.001-07:00

I am very fond of hydrangeas, especially blue ones.

About five years ago I was bought a blue hydrangea for Mothering Sunday, one large deep blue flowerhead - it looked magnificent. So when it had passed its best I planted it out in the garden and was determined to nurture it so that for many years I could admire the shrub.
To keep hydrangea blooms a blue colour they need an acid soil and since the garden soil is not acidic I bought some ericaceous compost,the right sort to use with acid loving plants, and filled the planting hole with it. For two years I watched in hope but the plant produced greenery and no flowers! Reading up I found out that hydrangeas flower on two year old wood and that by pruning it I had been cutting out the flowering stems!
The solution was simple - leave the plant alone. Since then there have been more flowers, each successive year.

When a flower head appears it is very pale green and whether it turns blue or pink depends on the composition of the soil. How do you keep a soil acid when it is naturally neutral to alkaline? Tea bags.
They add acidity to the soil so the hydrangea gets tea leaves (used ones that have been dried out and then emptied out of their paper pouch) on a regular basis. You can see they like the treatment.
When I was in Brighton recently, there were many pink hydrangeas in front gardens - the soil in that part of south eastern England is chalky and alkaline.

P.S. Why do cabbage white butterflies lay bright yellow eggs? They show up so easily that they are easy to deal with.

Why I am reluctant to gamble on horses.

2010-08-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I bought a satnav and was very pleased with the purchase. I did a test run to a garden centre about thirty miles away and found the instructions clear - the female voice giving the instructions was calm and did not have hysterics if I strayed from the route.
Then last night, when I was checking the news on the internet, I came across an item about solar eruptions which filled me with dismay.
To quote........ 'The solar eruptions ..first detected ... at the weekend. Billions of tonnes of gas were ejected into space ..........If the giant ball of gas collides with the Earth's magnetic field, as scientists are predicting, an intense geomagnetic storm will be produced ......... interfere with satellites ........'

I'd better keep the atlas in the car just in case!

Another Historic Day

2010-07-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm expecting to be offered a contract by the BBC soon!

A few weeks ago I sent an email to Gardeners' Question Time asking what I should do about the flowers that are growing on my potato plants. They liked the question and I received an email from the GQT office asking if they could phone me so that I could read out the question for the programme recording.
Today I had the phonecall and read out the question that I had sent in. They recorded it and said it will be used next weekend when the programme is being broadcast from Bob Flowerdew's garden (What a name for a gardener - it is his real name)
I shall be at Open University Summer School when the programme is broadcast, so I shall listen on the iPlayer to find out the answer, when I get back.

In all modesty - I expect the contract will be for making the tea, or dusting the microphones!!!

An Historic Day

2010-07-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today I used my Bus Pass for the first time. My car has had to go for wheel refurbishment so I am without my own transport for twenty-four hours. The company working on my car want the payment in cash (I am getting a proper receipt - they have been in business for 27 years - they were recommended by Kwik Fit - so I don't think they are dodgy)
As I pay for almost everything by debit card, I do not usually have cash in the house - at least not the sort of amount that the car job will take, so I decided that I needed to visit my bank. Then an information leaflet about local bus services was delivered through the letter box and I took this to be a good omen for taking an adventurous ride into town.
I sorted out the times for catching the bus to town and for the return journey. I made sure I was properly kitted out for public transport and I made my way to the bus stop. After about five minutes the bus arrived, I showed my bus pass to the driver and he asked where I was going - he needed to issue me with a ticket even though I did not have to pay. There were just two other passengers on the bus (both very obviously old age pensioners) and they greeted me with a friendly hello.
The first thing I noticed about the journey was the seating - not nearly as comfortable as a car seat - and no seat belts! Next, the noise of the engine was so loud that it would have been impossible to hold a conversation in a normal voice - I did look, but I could not see the engine anywhere inside. The bus had very many signs and adverts around the innards. As a child, I travelled by bus frequently and there were many signs inside those buses too. I was very proud to be able to read them. The one that fascinated me was 'SPITTING PROHIBITED'. On my journey today there was no such prohibition - perhaps the travelling public have become more civilised over the decades.
As the bus slowly made its way to town, it turned off the main road and went through a housing estate. After a couple more bus stops the bus driver switched off the engine and the bus remained where it was. Eventually restarting its journey, it made a convoluted route back through the estate to join the main road. I got off the bus in the middle of the town which was very handy and I had about an hour to do my shopping before I could catch a bus back home. I met some people I knew and chatted with them and I had time to browse in charity shops as well as going to the bank.
I decided that on the return journey I would notice whether the bus was as noisy ( I don't remember the buses of my childhood being quite so loud) I also wondered if the bus would be as empty. The bus arrived on time, it was the same bus and driver as on the outward journey! There were quite a few more passengers and we were soon travelling back, but by a different convoluted route.
Altogether, my adventure took just over two hours. Although it would have been much quicker to go by my own transport travelling by bus does have a few advantages. Buses have bus lanes which means thay can speed through the traffic at busy times. I didn't have to drive, or find and pay for a parking space and I was able to notice the surroundings. I have found a couple of detours that I could use if the main
road gets jammed.
I think I shall use my bus pass again, but only when the weather is good and I don't have a lot of shopping to carry, and when I have lots of time!

The European Tour - first leg

2010-05-06T05:01:00.001-07:00

Just a few of the hundreds of photographs taken during Andrew and Renee Michelle's visit to the family in the UK.

Andrew and Renee Michelle arrived safely and so a photograph was taken in the back garden to show off the good weather and the flowering currant bush.

We travelled to Wales and stayed for a couple of days - the beach at Aberdovey was our first excursion - there were hazards on the way.

Andrew was taking no chances!

Having negotiated the dangers of the golf course we were able to cross over the sand dunes by way of the wooden bridge and walk along the beach.

The next day the sun was shining and Andrew and Renee Michelle stopped at the bottom of the chalet steps to admire the daffodils and to give time for the older members of the party to catch up.

Walking on the nearby hills, along the Pennal Mountain Road.

What goes up, must come down.

A visit to the ice cream factory is compulsory.

Ice creams eaten, Andrew set up the camera so that we could all be in this picture.

The Alternative Technology Centre is at the top of a very steep incline - fortunately there is a water-powered car to take you to the top.

So much to see - we spent a couple of hours wandering around, looking at a wide variety of displays. It was very quiet - there were hardly any other visitors there - Saturday tends to be journey day for holiday makers.

Renee Michelle looks pleased to be emerging from the underground display of life under the surface of the planet. It was very dark in there.

Andrew and Renee Michelle - researching which type of solar panels will be right for their home?

The day finished with a walk along the beach at Aberdovey - Renee Michelle is looking intently West - about 3000 miles and the island of Ireland in between the UK and home.

What did you you do when you went to the UK?
We collected litter from the beach and sand dunes and put it in the waste bin.
Very public spirited but how sad that some people don't think anything of leaving their rubbish to spoil the landscape.

On Sunday we visited the island of Anglesey and went to a beach near to Puffin Island, hoping to see puffins.

Taken at the base of the lighthouse in the previous picture. This photo brought back memories of the photograph taken in Washington DC at the base of the Washington Monument during a very happy holiday.

Puffin Island taken from nearby cliffs - we didn't see any puffins but we knew they were there.

On Monday, we visited Formby Sands, a National Trust Reserve near to Liverpool, hoping to see red squirrels (now quite rare in the UK). We did see ONE but he kept his distance and the photographs didn't show him to advantage.
It was pleasant walking through the pinewoods on the way to the beach.

On the beach, the tide was a long way out. In the distance the off-shore wind turbines can be seen. Renee Michelle walked barefoot. Again, we had the beach almost to ourselves because it was a school day, so there were not many holiday makers around.

On Wednesday we went to the Roaches, an area in the Peak District National Park. In the distance Tittesworth Reservoir could be seen on the Valley floor.

At first, the walk was gently uphill through wooded hillside. We heard a cuckoo in the distance, but we couldn't see him.

Then the walk got steeper and the vegetation sparser.

Andrew surveying the landscape - we could still hear the cuckoo but he kept himself hidden.

In spite of the grey skies it stayed dry and wasn't too cold.

Sherpa Pearson - this is the highest point on the Roaches.

OnThursday, the day of departure, it rained.

We had a farewell meal at the Soup Kitchen in Stafford. Then we made our way through the Park to the railway station - spot the British Rail Logo.

We allowed plenty of time to get to the correct platform.

While we were waiting for the train to Hull, a steam train came thundering through the station - not an everyday happening.

The final photo before Andrew and Renee Michelle got on the train to start the next leg of their journey. They look so happy - the week went very quickly - it's good to have the photographs as well as the memories.

PS - The onward journey was not without incident - but that is their story to tell.

Surprise Visitors

2010-04-01T09:56:00.001-07:00

Early one morning, just as the sun was rising, or perhaps a bit later, I peeped through the kitchen blinds and spotted visitors.

Opening the blinds , there was no mistaking , five mallard ducks asleep on the back lawn.

One woke up and started to rouse the others.

Time to explore the garden - they walked along the borders.

They spotted water - puddles on top of the black plastic covering the future vegetable patch.

Time to paddle and have a drink.

The mallards stayed in the garden for a couple of hours and I was beginning to think that they could not take off because of the trees surrounding the garden and the lack of a 'runway'.
I turned off the camera.
The ducks proceeded towards the back fence and then took off - almost vertical take-off - and I missed the best picture of all.
The pictures were taken through the secondary glazed kitchen windows so they are a bit hazy and I think I need to clean them!

A Fairy Story ...... unhappily ever after.

2010-02-16T10:30:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, on a quiet housing estate, somewhere in the middle of England, there was a clump of trees. The trees were established and quite beautiful and because of their age and character they were made subject to a Tree Presevation Order. No-one could deliberately harm the trees in any way - the penalty being a fine.
Finest of the trees was a huge Horse Chestnut tree. In Winter its bare branches scratched against the sky. In Spring pale green leaves pushed out of the sticky buds heralding the arrival of the dark pink flower spikes. Throughout the warm Summer months the horse chestnuts grew ever larger so that by the time the Autumn arrived the conkers were big enough to be collected by the local children, ready for battle to commence.

And so years passed and the trees were much admired by the residents.
The house nearest to the clump of trees had a large garden. The trees straddled the fence around the garden. One day the owner of the house decided to sell his property and he thought that it would be a good idea to build another house on his large garden so that he could sell that house too.
Local residents were alarmed. The foundations for the new house would cut through the roots of the Horse Chestnut tree and the branches of the trees would brush against the building.
Despite protests to the Local Council that it would harm the trees, planning permission was granted for the new house to be built. After much lobbing of branches a house was built and the old garden fence was replaced by a new fence. The house was put up for sale but nobody seemed interested in buying a very expensive house with a small garden that was so overshadowed by the clump of large trees. Eventually the house was rented out but the tenants did not stay for very long. They wanted to live somewhere more light and airy.
As Spring arrived the trees burst into bud, except for the Horse Chestnut tree. All through the Summer the other trees flourished but the Horse Chestnut showed no signs of life. When the trees were trimmed before the house was built they showed no signs of disease or old age. Now the Horse Chestnut tree looked distinctly dead. Whatever could have happened to cause its demise?

A few days ago the noise of chain saws and shredders filled the usually quiet neighbourhood. When the residents looked down the road, a very professional looking firm of tree surgeons were working to cut down the Horse Chestnut tree. Within an hour only the tree stump was left and the bright yellow truck drove off taking the trailer full of shredded wood. The next day the arborealists returned to grub out the stump and roots.

Now the residents must use their memories to picture the beautiful tree that so mysteriously died and hope that the other trees in the clump, still 'protected' by the tree presevation order, do not suffer the same fate.

Watch the Birdie

2010-01-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

The end of January already - where has the month gone?
This weekend is the weekend of the Big Garden Birdwatch - an annual event that has been going for the last 31 years. Last year was the first time I involved myself. The task is to spend one hour watching for bird visitors - they have to land in the garden and you enter the greatest number that you see on any one occasion during that hour. Having a bird friendly garden I was very disappointed to find that not a single bird landed in my garden during the hour.
This year I got up earlier and during the hour seven different types of birds visited. Now all I have to do is send in my results online. In March the results are presented, UK garden-bird trends having been analysed from the data. With half a million partipants it is advertised as the 'world's largest garden-bird survey'
PS - the snow has returned!

How does your garden grow?

2010-01-26T13:44:00.001-08:00

This afternoon the sun came out and the weather was milder than it has been for the last few weeks so I decided to tidy round the garden. Lots of jobs that should have been done in the late autumn were left as I was very busy making sure that I completed the work I had to do for the OU. Then when I had that work out of the way the weather turned bitterly cold and the garden was not at all appealing. So, I looked after the birds instead, making sure that bird feeders were topped up and water was checked each day.
Today, I've cut down dead foliage and raked leaves from off part of the borders. It is incredible that in spite of the very cold spell the leaf buds are swelling on the flowering currant and the honeysuckle. I just hope that the next cold spell, forecast to start this weekend, does not kill them off!

Busy, busy

2010-01-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Life in retirement is both casual and busy - I can usually choose when I do the things I want to do and rearrange plans as apart from the OU there are very few deadlines that I have to meet. Frank understands if his tea is not ready when he gets home from work and since he finishes work at different times each day - no set pattern - it depends on what has happened during the working day - we often eat in the middle of the evening.
Well today I had an appointment at the local library and I had to get out of bed early to get ready just as if it was a working day. Becoming a volunteer at the local library necessitates a criminal record check because of coming into contact with children and vulnerable adults. I needed to take my passport and driving licence for personal identification, and a utility bill to verify my current address. Bank details are required in case I submit expenses. I also had to provide the names of two referees who have known me for at least two years and who are not related to me.
If I am given clearance then I will have to submit my car details - a current MOT Certificate to show that the vehicle reached government stipulated standards on the day of the test and a current insurance certificate showing that I have the cover needed, in case I am involved in an accident. I also have to inform my car insurance company that I will be using my car in my voluntary activities with the library.
Within the next to months I am expecting to be given clearance and then I shall be able to help deliver books to housebound adults - It will take about an hour of my time, once a month.

The library staff did say that it is difficult to get volunteers - I wonder why?

Winter Returns

2010-01-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

While most of the UK seems to have been brought to a standstill by snowfall and bitterly cold temperatures, Stafford and suburbs have remained relatively snow free - just bitterly cold. This morning all that changed. There was a good layer of snow on the ground with snow still falling.
Today is the day Frank goes to Bournemouth, a south-coast seaside resort, to attend a conference. Fortunately he decided to travel by rail. The railway station is a mere ten minutes drive away from home, if you travel steadily. It took forty minutes to get to the station and Frank had visions of missing the train he had booked - if the train was running on time! He arrived at the station with about three minutes to spare. Then I had the same slow journey to get back home.
Now, checking the progress of rail travel, it seems that journeys via London are running well behind schedule. Hopefully, he will get to his hotel sometime today. I don't think he'll be taking any walks long the sea front.

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

Well - Christmas came and went and we had a lovely family time taking the festive fare to Beth's and staying for a few days. There was much eating of traditional food on Christmas Day. Beth was on duty and having managed to finish the workload a couple of hours earlier than usual she shared Christmas dinner, but a few hours later she was on night duty so she had to go out for another two hours to make sure the animals had their Christmas treats and were tucked in for the night.
On Boxing Day we went to the Sales and joined in the crush for bargains. Frank had the sense to stay at Beth's but Clive was persuaded to join the shopping party.
Now, the winter weather has come with a vengeance - I jest - and the snow has at last reached Stafford.

The garden birds are being fed but they need water each day. The temperature is so low that the water freezes over very quickly. The birds even scratched away at the snow covering the ice that filled their usual water source.

The blocks of ice are tipped out and the containers replenished with fresh water. The next day the ice has to be tipped out again and fresh water put into the containers. We are getting a collection of ice blocks as it is so cold that the ice is not melting from one day to the next.

Yesterday was Twelfth Night - traditionally all Christmas festivities cease and the decorations are taken down and put away until next year. Our neighbours have the brightest outdoor display in the street - in the best possible taste!

PS Did you know that warm water freezes more quickly than cold water - It is known as the Mpemba effect. I wonder why that is? It doesn't seem logical to me.

Long time - no post

2009-12-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

I thought that when I retired I would be able to fit in all the things I wanted to do but life has turned out to be even busier than when I was working full-time. Since I last communicated on the blog I've completed the work I have to do for the first part of my studying with the Open University -OU - and I even managed to beat the deadline by a couple of days.

Sunday was very special - Beth and Clive announced their engagement a little while ago and so we had a celebration lunch with the happy couple and Clive's Mum and Dad. Because it was special we went to Weston Hall, the venue for A and RM's wedding blessing meal. We obviously had made an impression - we were remembered - and enquiries were made about A and RM.

The wanderer returns

2009-11-10T09:39:00.000-08:00

It seems ages since I posted anything but I've been away from home pet sitting at Beth's home in the Wirral and I didn't have access to a computer.
The week before Beth's holiday with Clive the weather was very pleasant for the Autumn - quite warm and sunny - so we took advantage and gave the holly hedge a severe trim and now our garden is at least 5 feet wider than it was. Frank did the heavy work and I supervised. In a couple of years the hedge should be compact and provide a good home for the local bird life as long as I remember to feed and water the hedge regularly next Spring and Summer.

We came across several blackbird nests - its incredible to think that they are able to build the structure when they only have a beak to manoeuvre the materials.

Last year a neighbour wanted to get rid of a clump of Pampas grass so she burnt it to a stubble and then dug out clumps of root. She presented us with one such clump so I planted it in a large stoneware pot and this year for the first time it has produced its iconic plumes - except they are about a quarter of the size they will be when the plant matures. It's a wise move to keep this plant confined or it takes over the garden!

Now I am back home for a few days I will be busy catching up with my OU work - having met the deadlines for the first two pieces of work (they have to sent by computer so you can't blame the postal service for late delivery)I want to make sure that I continue this good habit.

Neighbours

2009-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our next door neighbours, Peter and Dee, celebrate their golden wedding on Hallowe'en. Their children live in distant places so their celebrations took place during the long summer holidays. Today was the turn of friends, neighbours and nearby family. We were treated to a luncheon party at the Moat House, Acton Trussell, and sat down to a three course meal in a half timbered dining hall - very posh - we were spoilt! Thank you Peter and Dee.
Next weekend, they are travelling back to their honeymoon hotel in the Lake District, which is now rather expensive, but because the occasion is so special, the hotel are giving them favourable rates. I think the local press should get in on the act.

A fine day in Autumn

2009-10-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Being at home means I can take advantage of good weather days and Tuesday this week was such a day. I had arranged with Pearl, a colleague from many years ago, to meet on Cannock Chase and walk.

We met on the Commonwealth war cemetery car park situated in the middle of the Chase and started walking. We kept to paths and headed for the stepping stones a few miles ahead. Being so close to centres of population means that the Chase has thousands of visitors and can be crowded, but being a working day and well into Autumn we saw very few other people.

The signs of Autumn were all around and on this bright sunny day the colours were distinct. The Chase, an area of heathland, has gentle hills as well as moor like areas. We passed this lightly wooded hillside - tree growth is kept in check by rabbits and deers - Forestry Commision Rangers making sure that a balance is maintained.

Water collects in the valleys, small streams feeding shallow pools. We walked across the stepping stones through such a pool and started the return route. Although the temperature was supposed to be cool it felt gloriously warm - the walking helped to increase how warm we felt!

The fern on the hillsides prove that Autumn is well and truly here. In some parts of the Chase there is so much heather that the ground looks purple. The trees on the Chase are mainly deciduous, but there are great tracts of conifers planted by the Forestry Commission. We stayed away from those areas during this walk - they give the Chase quite a different feel.

The Chase is a very popular recreational area as well as the home to an array of wildlife. We didn't see any of the deer, although thare are several hundreds of them. They have the sense to keep out of sight during the day, but can be seen at the watery places in the evening. There was birdsong. There was also evidence that the Chase is a popular place for horse riding. I saw the evidence and thought of your blog B.
We had walked and talked for three hours by the time we got back to our cars, so we drove to a cafe, situated at another popular part of the Chase. We feasted on tea and scones to help revive our flagging energy levels. It was a very enjoyable day.

Goodbye to a colleague

2009-10-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the funeral of Pat Hemingsley, a colleague. Pat had battled with cancer for the past twenty-six years. In between treatments she lived life to the full and no-one would guess that she had been ill.
She had no relatives and so it was left to her friends to show their sorrow and appreciation on this day. The service was packed with former colleagues and friends, some had travelled thousands of miles to be there, many of the mourners had to stand around the edges of the room. There were tears but also admiration for this lovely lady.

The Tale of a Lawn

2009-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

By definition a lawn is 'a piece of grass kept mown and smooth'. This isn't exactly the description that could apply to the grassy patches that are at the front and back of our home, and while I do not hanker after Wimbledon quality turf I would like there to be fewer weeds and much less moss. So now I am at home I have relieved Frank of the task of cutting the lawns and have taken their care upon myself.
A couple of birthdays ago, for a present I had a lawn spreader and two bags of lawn 'feed, weed and mosskill' granules. The opportunity to improve the quality of the grass was now at hand.
Having read the instructions carefully I made sure that when the granules were put into the spreader it was not standing on the grass. The spreader was standing on the patio and I decided it would be easier to fill with the granules if it was moved slightly. When it was moved there was a line of granules that had fallen through the holes at the base of the hopper. I checked that I had the spreader switched to the off position - just so. This should have rung alarm bells, but it didn't!
Having filled the spreader with the correct amount of granules I started to apply them, walking at the speed of one metre per second, as well as I could judge. I was careful to leave no gaps as I walked along , one spreader width at a time across the grass. The granules seemed to drop out at an uneven rate, but I thought that perhaps I was expecting too high a standard.
Half way through the job it decided to rain - not heavily - so I decided it best to finish what I had started. I moved to the edge of the grass nearest the patio and was about half way across when the bottom dropped out of the spreader, depositing the remaining granules in a heap and there seemed to be a lot of them - even though I had completed more than half of the area. Not to be deterred I turned the spreader upside down, refitted the spreader plate to the bottom of the hopper, and refilled it with the granules that were in a heap in one spot. They were not very co-operative clinging in their soggy state to the grass and it was obvious that this patch of lawn would definitely have no weeds or moss - or even grass - as the chemicals took effect.
Striding on, I had not got much further when the bottom dropped out of the spreader again - this time when I tried to fix it, the repair did not seem secure so I gave up using the spreader and gathering up the granules, now very soggy, I scattered them from a plastic trowel. I packed away the grass improvement pack and went inside the house.
The manufacturer had to be contacted and the inadequacies of the spreader communicated. I tried to find the company on line and decided to telephone about my experience. Having gone through a sequence of numbers to get through to the correct department I was directed to leave a message after the tone as all the helplines were busy, the assurance given that they would get back to me as soon as a helpline was available. After half an hour and no reply I decided to send an email. It was a long and detailed complaint and no sooner was the email sent than the phone rang. The telephone person was attentive and agreed that the spreader was faulty so he would post me some vouchers to buy a new spreader and some vouchers for grass seed to repair the dead patches that would undoubtedly result from the overdoses of lawn granules.
Within hours of applying the granules the lawn looks as though it has been a site of chemical warefare - it was much prettier when it was full of weeds and moss.
The job is not over. In about a fortnight's time the lawn will need to be raked to remove the dead moss. I shall continue to be busy in my quest to have a grassy lawn.

P.S. These are the last roses of summer - at least in my garden. And you might just spot fallen apples that keep the blackbirds fed and happy.

A good time was 'ad by all - erratum

2009-09-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Today I put in a link for the very first time - posted the blog - then checked the link and it doesnn't work because I made a spelling mistake in the web address. Oops!!

Try this instead to find out about Soweto Gospel Choir.

This one definitely works -you learn by your mistakes - hopefully.

A good time was 'ad by all

2009-09-23T04:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy week. In an effort to avoid mental deterioration I am indulging in some academic work.

I've attended the first session of an evening class at Walton High School. The course is called Science and Society - Looking at Contemporary Issues. It covers issues such as stem cell research, evolution, climate change etc. The same course is taken by the sixth formers and course tutor is Mr Hancock. He taught Physics to Andrew when he attended WHS.

The next day I went out with a group of my former colleagues. We went to the Symphony Hall in Birmingham to listen to Soweto Gospel choir. They enthralled the audience with their wonderful singing and their vibrant costumes. If you get the opportunity to go to one of their concerts it's worth the effort and expense ( personal opinion of course!)

At the weekend I went to an induction day for Open University students. This year I'll be tackling the beginner's course for Science. We were given lots of advice about distance learning and I managed to meet up with some of the people who have already completed this course and are ready to start on the first level Science course. OU students have left school some time ago and are now choosing to study for a degree in their spare time, so I wasn't surrounded by very youthful undergraduates. There will be more news about the joys of being an OU student as I get further into the course. I wasn't surprised to see that the arts and languages group and the management group had a lot more students attending their induction days. I think one complaint of the UK government is that not enough people want to study the Sciences.

Technology

2009-09-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

I have decided since I am now at home all day and Frank works full time that I could take on the job of keeeping the grass cut. I don't like the electric mowers we have so Frank found out our very first mower - a Qualcast Panther Cylinder mower - and we've worked out that it is 35 years old. It's been buried in the depths of the garage and not used for many a year. After knocking off the cobwebs, to Frank's surprise and delight he found that it cuts better than the newer, and much more expensive electric mowers. He demonstrated how one uses a push mower and then I had a go at cutting the grass. His efforts looked a lot better than mine but he put that down to experience.

I think that my cutting skills will improve with practice. In the meantime I went inside and cooked the tea while Frank finished cutting the front 'lawn' and started on the back 'lawn'.

At sunset he couldn't see well enough to complete the job but the grass will wait for him till another day. This is the skyscape from the end of the road!

P.S. Leaf mould is very good for improving the texture of soil and this bag of leaf mould was spread at the base of one of the apple trees. It takes one to two years for leaves to break down into this rich looking mixture. This amount started as one bin bag full of autumn leaves and by the time it is ready to use it has reduced to about half a bucket. In another few decades I will have made enough leaf mould to put one layer over the borders, then I can start again.

The vegetable patch - 2

2009-09-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

The British summer continues as it has most of this year!
Taking the opportunity to get out into the garden between showers, the work on the vegetable patch continues. The appearance of blue sky through the clouds gave hope that this day we would manage to make progress.

The blue polythene had proved not to be appropriate for the job of depriving the vegetation of light and the grass and weeds had thrived under cover. We left two bricks on the grass at the same time as we had put down the blue polythene and when we moved them they had been highly effective - this is what I had expected to see happening on the patch. We bought some weed suppressant fabric but to use it, first the weeds had to be cleared "preferably by use of systemic weed killer" then once in place the matting needed to be covered by a thick layer of bark mulch "to protect the fabric from the sunlight". We returned the matting to the shop.

We went to a builders merchants to buy some black polythene. Back home the under-gardener placed a double layer over the top of the blue polythene.

He had to beat the polythene into submission.

This is how the vegetable plot looks now complete with resplendent castlellations. In a few more weeks we shall peep under one of the corners and hope to see dying vegetation.

PS - Once upon a time, several years ago, I bought some bargain pansies from a greengrocers. Some were pale yellow and some were delicate purple. I put them in pots on the patio and left them alone. They continue to seed themselves in any available space and this year some have mixed colour petals! They did this all by themselves.

How to start your retirement

2009-09-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

The first day of my retirement was marked by a visit to a garden centre with friends. We travelled to a famous rose growing establishment, David Austin Roses, and despite the grey skies and heavy showers of rain we managed to see all round the extensive rose gardens.

We were very happy because we were heading straight for the cafe where we enjoyed cakes and coffee and planned our route.

There were fresh roses on each table. I don't know the name of this one, but the perfume was very strong.

To get to the rose gardens you have to walk through the shop. It started to rain while we were in the shop and the rain was torrential so we browsed a while. This photo was taken from inside the shop.

On our next visit to the cafe we managed to get a seat by the windows and this rose was covered in raindrops so I photographed through the glass and hoped the picture would turn out. This time we did not order cake. The tea was served in bone china decorated with roses - very posh!

We didn't spend all our time in the cafe and the shop. The weather brightened up and we walked around the rose gardens and managed to buy a plant. This photo shows an elephant vine - the one we bought was small enough to get in the car.

There were peacocks roaming around the gardens but none of them had long tail feathers. Do peacocks have their tail feathers trimmed or where these young and not yet showing adult plumage?

The visit was worth the effort of the travel and we must have sniffed the perfume of hundreds of roses. We've decided which blooms we liked and maybe we'll return and buy some of our favourites and sample more cakes.

If you like looking at roses try www.davidaustinroses.com

The vegetable patch - 1

2009-08-31T08:53:00.000-07:00

Although my retirement doesn't start until September 1st, I have spent some of the school summer holidays getting a vegetable patch underway. Because I like the garden borders I don't want to get rid of them so the vegetable patch is going to be taking up part of the 'lawn'. (The grass is so full of weeds and moss that it is not really good enough to have the title of lawn.)
Near the beginning of the holiday Frank laid out a rectangle of paving slabs while I supervised. The undulating surface of the grassy patch was highlighted by the rectangle of slabs. When we were satisfied that it didn't matter whether the plot was parallel to any particlar edge of the garden we then needed to think about clearing the grass and weeds.

Digging up turf and clearing from the soil of the roots of the many weeds that grow in with the grass is hard labour, and there are easier ways of doing this without resorting to chemicals. Depriving plants of light is one of the easier methods of clearing unwanted greenery - all it requires is something to cover the surface and patience. The sharp-eyed will notice the Frank made the patch longer before the area was covered with a polythene membrane usually used for damproofing in building. The edges were firmly kept in place by house bricks. It gave the garden a look of elegance - with a little imagination it could be thought of as an outdoor swimming pool.

A few weeks later - I am impatient to see how things are progressing under the cover so I persuaded to lift a corner and let me see the yellowing plants.

Oh!!
It looks as if the plants under the polythene enjoy the conditions so much that they are doing better than the plants that have been left exposed to the elements. Both grass and weeds are doing well.
Perhaps the blue polythene has not excluded the light very well but it has sheltered the area from the excessive rainfall of the last few weeks.

Back to the drawing board.

A seasonal break

2009-08-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Frank and I decided to go for a short break last week and we took a leisurely journey through very pleasant countryside to arrive at Aberdovey, Mid Wales. We decided to go for a beach walk in the early evening. Arriving at the beach we found the sea higher than we've ever seen it before - to the top of the shingle - so there was no sand left to walk on, and it was rather cold and blustery for an August evening.

We admired the sunset and after about five minutes decided we were not kitted up for the wintery conditions. Perhaps the remnants of Hurricane Bill had travelled east.

The next day was wet and windy till dinnertime so we spent time browsing the local charity shops. In the evening we went for another beach walk. This time we went to Fairbourne , about fifteen miles north of Aberdovey. It was drier, and warmer than the day before, but still not warm enough to stay out for too long without the right kit.

Looking to the south and the north of the beach where Andrew and Beth spent their childhood holidays. The weather was good sometimes!

The next day was warm and sunny all day so we stayed a day longer than we had planned.

In from the cold

2009-08-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

I have re-discovered the email address and password that I use to post on this blog. Now all I need to do is keep them in a safe place so that I can access the facility when I have something to post!

Time flies every holiday

2009-02-25T11:52:00.000-08:00

The week came and the week went and I've been back at work for three days now. The holiday effect soon wears off! The house didn't get any more TLC than usual but I managed to post on some birthday cards for A, a little belatedly. I was very impressed with the royal mail stamps that graced the envelope for its long journey to the USA. They were from the Charles Darwin commemorative issue and sported a magnificent Orang-utan. Just for good measure the package needed two of these stamps and I was sure A would be impressed at the beauty of these creatures. When we spoke, he hadn't even noticed the stamps - now he'll have to look up what he missed at www.royalmail.com

We (F and G) managed to take a trip to Wales. We chose the right day and the weather was mild, a sunny afternoon with hardly any breeze. The place was deserted so we enjoyed a few hours of peace and quiet, strolling along the sea wall at Fairbourne.

There would have been photographs but I'm still working on the skill of getting the photographs to upload!

The Holidays

2009-02-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

Time off for good behaviour - it's half term so for one week I can do the things that I don't normally have time to do.
I went into the garden this morning and everywhere was so saturated that gardening would have been impractical. I think the house will get some TLC instead.

The east wind doth blow, And we shall have snow!

2009-02-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

The weather forecasters have got it right. The snow and bitterly cold winds have brought the UK, or at least parts of it, to a grinding halt. Those who can, have made snowmen and enjoyed other snowy pastimes. Being forced to stay at home because my school has been closed for a couple of days I have been able to get through some of the backlog of paperwork that accompanies the job nowadays.

I did leave my desk to take a few photos of the snow.

I know it doesn't look anything like the amounts of snow that have covered other parts of the country, but it looks so pretty when it's dusting the trees in the garden.

Specially for B

2009-01-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

Photographs of my garden can be selected to show it at its best - this is definitely not what RM and A saw when they viewed the garden by dim torchlight one freezing January evening. The plants are the sort that have taken to their habitat and thrive in spite of sporadic care - the sort of care that happens when I am on holiday.

A view of the back of the garden from the house - late summer - the lawn has a natural look! Frank says its green - what more do I want from a lawn?

This is the best of the apple trees - its totally organic and pest friendly. It must be about fifty years old and every year it produces a bumper crop of Bramley cooking apples. Every year we think that it is making its final effort. The apples are very good quality and non-squeamish neighbours and friends help us to get through them. The garden birds supplement their diet with the apples we leave lying on the grass.

The Stargazer Lilies - they didn't get staked this year so they're leaning against the trunk of one of the apple trees. Their heady scent dominates the garden for the few weeks they are in full bloom. These are reminiscent of RM's wedding bouquet.

Distant Rudbeckias framed by the branches of an apple tree.

When we returned home from the USA a friend
presented me with a penstemon - note its name.
She said 'I saw this and thought of you'
It was planted it with extra care - note the anti-slug defences. Maybe the plant is susceptible, maybe not!
Two views - close up and in situ.

This is definitely a stochastic corner with room for planted and self seeded - also the bird bath without water.

Springtime - one of the tidier borders because of the woodchip mulch.

April is apple blossom time - for a few weeks the garden looks very pretty.

I hope you enjoy the photographs. It does give a small idea of what the garden is like at the most colourful times of year and I think it does provide evidence of the non-manicured method of maintenance - time for that when I retire.

Time flies

2009-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

We were making arrangements for months and enjoying the anticipation of A and RM's visit to the UK - a two yearly event! Now we are spending our last evening together and then , it's the airport run early tomorrow morning.
RM is tutoring in the art of sending a blog so this will be brief and selective - one or two photos of the main event.

Cutting the cake

Dancing the Light Fantastic

This may be the first installment - it depends how well I've taken on board the tuition.

Weeds

2008-08-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

I wrote this months ago when I was staying with my new family in the USA - and, with the help of my computer adviser, I am now able to publish it:

Being a newly 'seasoned traveller' I have discovered that there are weeds worldwide - but weeds are in the eye of the beholder. What is more beautiful than a meadow with the profusion of colours in summer bloom?
I recently attended a wedding - the bride carried a bouquet of wild flowers and grasses - in their simple beauty they complimented the radiance of the happy couple.