A celebration - free at last

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.