A Blustery Day, More Weeding. 11th March 09

Gosh it's been a blustery day today. Jim and I went out gardening but it wasn't particularly pleasant. We had a long afternoon coffee break and put the world to rights. Then we headed outside again. Jim was extending the 'snake rose bed' as he had a few more roses to plant to finish it off. I have taken a photo, but it's still very much a 'work in progress'. The edges need trimming and straightening or bending a bit more in places. The roses are still very small but are bursting into leaf so hopefully it'll be a picture in Summer!





Of course the grass is far too long but much too wet to mow. Also we cannot get the mower out of the barn with all the building equipment about! We have 29 roses in this bed now.











I finished weeding both of the arboretum beds. The second one is much bigger than the first and full of weeds so it has taken a bit longer. When Jim and I went out after our long break, we both put our balaclavas on and felt much warmer. Jim took a photo of me in mine but you're not seeing that! I look about 20 stone and have 6 chins! You can see this one:


The 'snake rose bed' is on the right. The 2 arboretum mixed beds are obvious, and I'm weeding the larger one. I am bent over clearing the last bit, and Buster is helping. You can see if you click on it and make it full size. And my wonderful balaclava. The gorse is out behind and the path leads up to the well head and then to our gates. On the left at the back is the fairy hill. You can see the bench on the top of it.



This is the smaller of the two beds. I'm afraid the rhododendron doesn't like our soil so the leaves are going yellow. It'll have to go in a pot with ericaceous soil.




The smaller of the arboretum beds. The little red tulip I took a close up of is about in the centre. Another is just coming out. The barn is behind and our cottage to the right.









Work very much still in progress. To the left of the photo you can see the edge of the smaller mixed bed.






We had just about finished working when Buster started making his real foxhound howling bark. We found him up the meadow and he was going mad at something. We think it was maybe a fox as he doesn't usually make such a persistent noise. He rushed round in circles with his nose to the ground. I'm sure whatever it was was long gone by then. We also get pine martins so it could have been one of those.

Dinner tonight? We had yesterday's leftover mince from a spag bol plus tuna mixed with sweetcorn and mayonnaise all with 2 jacket potatoes. It was delicious. Followed by a Muller double yogurt, strawberry. Apparently they have brought out a dark cherry and dark chocolate one. That sounds like one for me.

I had forgotten one special present that Jim brought back from the UK for me. On Friday 13th March it is Comic Relief Day or Red Nose Day. Every Year a vast amount of money is raised by doing 'funny' things and each year a different red nose has been produced. I have every one so far but of course this year I'm in Ireland and couldn't buy one myself, so here is my special present:









Isn't he super?








If you look at the photo of me bending over weeding, you can see that my right boot is very muddy. Well, I did my own comic turn earlier on and my foot and half my wellington boot disappeared down one of the cow holes which was full of muddy water!! Jim was laughing his head off and said 'where's the camera when you need it?' I had to pull my foot and boot out with both hands!

Off to bed shortly, happy blogging.