Blown away…

Had one of those days where it seemed wherever I was, I was supposed to be somewhere else. Too much to squeeze in the hours, I guess.

The weather was also in something of a hurry today. It was raining hard enough to wake me up in the morning, then about an hour later it was all sweet innocent “Oh, me? I was here all along” sunshine - which should have been all the clues I needed that it was going to be windy today. Having hair almost long enough to sit on (plenty long enough to dangle in my dinner), I’m not much of a fan of blustery days. Tangles suck. I’m also a little miffed that my not-the-tallest-but-first-to-bloom sunflower has had most of its petals blown off! Poor thing… I need to get a photo of the dark red one before it suffers the same fate. Wish I could remember which variety I’d planted where; the trials of slightly lazy gardening…

Dixie spent the afternoon at the vets today. She’d been a bit funny for a few days so we got her checked out; turns out she had a couple of spurs on some back teeth which were making her mouth uncomfortable. They put her out for a bit and filed them off - hopefully she knew nothing about it cos the thought of it (and the noise it would make) sends shivers down my spine! Now we have to make sure she eats plenty, but enticing a bunny with a sore mouth to chow down requires almost endless patience and perseverance. Fingers crossed she’ll be perkier tomorrow - I could be expecting a bit much of her right now.

New fluff

I gave in.

After a few weeks spent telling myself I could never go through the grief of the ending again, there are 2 new bundles of fluff in the garden. I know… Me without rabbits is like lungs without breath. Ok, so it’s not like I don’t have rabbits, Bea & Dixie are 2 of the sweetest and most entertaining housebuns I could wish for, but looking out into the garden and seeing that cute house empty was just wrong.

I’ll probably post some pics soon, but right now I’m keeping Pepper & George for myself. Greedy, yes, but I’m enjoying getting used to having them around.

Also clearly relishing my garden are my sunflowers; they got planted a little later this year than usual (I’ve planted some every spring since we moved in 5 years ago) as we were away on holiday for the end of April to start of May - and I think it did them the world of good. There hasn’t really been the endless torrential rain that’s sabotaged many of them in past years, and if it’s been windy it seems only to have made them stronger. Although it’s not all about size, I have to say that I’m quite excited about the tallest one; I think it was one of my last Russian Giant seeds, and it was looking strong from the off. Last monday it was a healthy 5ft 10in tall - today, just one week later… 7ft 3in!! It looks like it may flower soon, hopefully it will keep on growing upwards too; after all, I need to show it off to the neighbours…

Self-basting

I have been overdosing on vitamin D this week. The classic British summer has taken a holiday, and the sunshine is here in bucketfuls. Last monday took us to the Isle of Wight (allegedly for work, but it seemed like fun - ?!), where we eventually found a beach Lloyd was hankering to hunt fossils on. As he’d never been to the good old Pile of Shite (kidding, I love it) before, I bit my tongue each time we took a wrong turn and couldn’t find the right footpath; I was dying to go back to Alum Bay - the last time I was there I think I was about 2. Chances are there is now a lot of stuff there I’d find way less appealing than my only memory of coloured sand and a cable car, but I was feeling nostalgic… The fossil beach was pretty fun, although we aren’t even worthy of Indiana Jones apprenticeships - we found a few vague shaped blobs of stone and shell but it was interesting. I think Lloyd was hoping for a dinosaur skeleton to just pop out at him…

Dead beach tree

Sunday… oh wow. I can honestly say I have never been so hot in my life. Just as well there was plenty of free ice cream on offer - oh yes, Ben & Jerry’s Sundae, yay! By some miracle I didn’t spend the entire afternoon in the Bohemian Raspberry queue (I know, such self-restraint!), and only got a teensy bit pink. I’m going to be kind and just say my face has ‘caught the sun’. ‘Nuff said.

Split screeeeen!

Love thy neighbour!?

So, yesterday’s headache about Someone Else’s Neighbours I described as “thoroughly dull”. Well, the headache continues and it certainly didn’t let me down today! After taking the decision to forget trying to get any work done today, we spent it supervising a fencing guy (think posts and panels, not swords…) - the lucky thing… It was all going so well, posts positioned correctly, batons up, ready for the boards tomorrow. We headed off and let the guy finish up.

I think the point it all started to go somewhat pear-shaped was probably when he was packing up his tools and Someone Else’s Neighbours informed him they’d called the police. And going on from that, they weren’t terribly happy when the police arrived and laughed at it all (hey, that’s what I was told). I’m not sure how it got from that to the female of those neighbours attacking the fence-in-progress with a hammer and dragging the posts up out of the ground, but hey, details……

Something tells me I shouldn’t expect to get too much work done tomorrow either. I have yet to see the sad remainder of the nearly-fence myself yet, if I’m brave enough to go near the hammer-wielding maniac then maybe we’ll go round tomorrow. The “highlight” is going to be giving a statement to the police about what she’s done, I’m going to have to play nicely and not mention where I’d really like to stick those fence posts or I’ll probably end up banged up myself.

I am so grateful I don’t live next door to them. And so should they be!!

What a week…

Or should that be fortnight..? Whatever. It’s been a crappy time and I don’t know where to start.

I guess the biggest, baddest stuff comes to mind first. We had to have Brody put to sleep last tuesday. She’d developed an infection in the root of one of her upper molars; after treating her gloopy eye with Baytril, trying desperately to keep her eating, and then giving her penicillin injections for the tooth itself, nothing seemed to be working. Her eye area had swollen a lot overnight, and it was being pushed backwards because of the infection inside. It was heartbreaking to let her go, but at the same time I was so relieved we could save her from any more pain - it was starting to look really ugly. I’m starting to get used to not looking out of the window for her; I didn’t even notice I had that habit each time I went upstairs for something. A lesson learned though, if you’re after advice: even if there is nothing else on tv and the novelty of new freeview channels hasn’t worn off, when you’ve just finished cleaning out your dead rabbit’s hutch, do not sit down and watch Watership Down. Just don’t do it.

That’s 3 pets we’ve said goodbye to in about 3 1/2 months! I don’t think I could take much more.

Really, everything else giving me a headache right now is thoroughly dull - it involves someone else’s (hideous) neighbours, a fence that we’ve been trying to get fixed for months and my feeble efforts at interpreting legalese. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though, and I will not be beaten, rarrrr!!

On the fun side of things, me & Lloyd have been married for 5 years now (yes, five - where did they go?!) so it was great to have some time off. In his first attempt at organising a trip overseas, Lloyd booked us on a ferry to Calais for the day for some shopping fun. I have to say, at first I wasn’t convinced - visions of endless discount alcohol stores and long queues of Brits with over-stacked trolleys were clouding my judgment. I’d forgotten how much I love wandering round foreign supermarkets… ok, it’s a little odd, but I like it. So, yeah, we bought wine… and smelly cider… and violet liqueur… and cheese… and chocolate… and a teapot.

Hey, it’s my anniversary and I’ll buy a teapot if I want to. The cheese is absolutely stinking out the fridge right now too.

Finds

I came across the sweetest idea on a blog today, The Toy Society. Some softie makers in Australia are leaving toys in public spaces for people to find and take home to love. I really want to join in (er, locally!), although I’m not sure which is more fun - the making-and-leaving or finding someone else’s creation! Both would be good. Around here I’d be a little worried about a beloved toy being molested by mean chavs, but not enough to put me off doing it.

From that I found the “This is…” project on Three Buttons, which looks like a fun idea for blog photo inspiration. Might just have to join in with that too. Fingers in all the pies, me…

Bye bye Barpy!

It was sweet while it lasted - but he didn’t stand a chance.

Don’t point that finger at me

It’s all over. Wednesday nights have once again become redundant and empty after Phil & Kirsty. I’ve lost the ability to entertain myself without a bunch of hapless, arrogant twerps squirming under the kind of pressure only national tv and the lure of a chunky salary can generate.

I am so pleased Lee won.

Pooped.

Had a busy one today, moved several tons of furniture around and around. Finally had a go at driving the van! After 4 years of clutch-pedal-less Smart Inky, I was a teeny bit wary of a big white box with 3 (3! Count them!) pedals… but it was ok. I only took it round the block at the store couple of times, so next time I’ll have to brave the open road - and something faster than 2nd gear!

When we got home from the store, only Dita came to greet us in the garden… where were the other 3 chickies? Were they ok? Surely they couldn’t all be laying eggs..?

Apparently they could. Tairrie hen has been broody for about a month - she just won’t listen when we tell her she doesn’t have any chicks - and Aimee and Dolly had lost patience waiting for her to get off the nest.

Meanwhile Dita had gotten a little lonely out there on her own in the garden… Room for a little one, girls!?

Ketchup

Or as it’s more commonly known, catch up. It’s been so long since I posted last… Rovinj seems like months ago; we had such a great time, I hope we can go back someday.

Returning to everyday life has been tough! I think it’s much easier to get work done when it’s not sunny outside, but the rain today just made me sulky… My souvenir is still sitting on the kitchen worktop; it’s like if I eat it, then the holiday is really over. I need to get over it!

Happily there was someone waiting for me when we got home, but more on her later. She’s just getting settled in.