Busy, busy, busy, and a well deserved rest

As it should be, my blogging has been completely ignored over the past few gloriously hot and sunny days, as I enjoyed as much time as possible out of doors, catching up on jobs in the garden, greenhouse and on the plot.

The first job was to clear a space in the greenhouse for the tomatoes and cucumber plants. Within a few minutes inside, I was struggling in the heat, and glugging down pints of water, but Mike came to my rescue and threw an old sheet over the greenhouse roof, to shade me from the sun. 'Clearing a space' involved filling all the area outside the greenhouse with the evacuated vegetable plants - and this year there seemed to be more than ever. Then, somehow, they have to go back - somewhere! Some were crammed into the already overfilled mini-greenhouse.

The next job was to empty the spring bulbs from various pots and the window box. Then I spent far too much time moving the heavy pots from one place to another, until I was happy with their 'final' positions. Final positions? During the summer, no doubt, they will be rearranged on a regular basis.

At last, some of the vegetable plants in the overcrowded greenhouses, have been taken down to the plot and planted out, and one by one, more will follow. The warm weather has brought things on a treat, and we are enjoying plenty of salad leaves and the first radishes. However, the weeds are also thriving, I spent some time over the weekend on my knees, clearing them from between my vegetable seedlings. It was very peaceful, the birds were singing, and I was actually very happy at my work. I even enjoyed a long rest, sitting on my new bench, before returning home.

Back at home, I'm particularly pleased with the 'woodland' section at the bottom of the garden, where the hardy geraniums are at their best, the ferns are unfurling, Sweet Cicely in flower, and this lovely group of contrasting foliage, with white bluebells. This is the best place to sit when the sun is just a bit too hot.

What's the point in working hard to make the garden look good, if I don't sit and admire the results on the odd occasion?

Yesterday the family came round for Sunday dinner. Today Mike and I went out for lunch with our good friends D & D, at the Park Gate, followed by a stroll around Castle Ring, where there were good views across Cannock Chase, and a cuckoo calling. Then back for trifle and wine in D & D's pretty garden.

Things are on the up

Last Wednesday's walk was in the Cherwell Valley, where the trees looked particularly beautiful, bedecked in their fresh, Spring growth. There were bluebells in the woods, and little ducklings on the lakes, and the weather was kind to us, despite a rather cloudy sky from time to time.

The following day Mike and I set off for a couple of days at the Rising Sun, Cleeve Hill, near Cheltenham. Once we'd settled in, I climbed to the top of the hill, where there are some spectacular panoramic views. There were buzzards soaring around the hillside below me, skylarks high above, and a cuckoo calling from the woods near the hotel and from the summit I could see the Black Mountains, the Malverns and the Clee Hills.

The following day we visited the gardens at Sudeley Castle. It was a little too cold to sit outside, which was a pity, as I would have liked to have done some sketching. As Mike isn't able to do too much walking at the moment, we drove around looking at the pretty villages and magnificent country houses. Mike sat in the car while I climbed yet another hill, up to Belas Knap burial chamber.

I've made a couple of visits to the plot since returning home. The past two days have been glorious - warm and sunny, and at last all things in the garden and on the plot are making good progress. The strawberry bed has its defensive system in place, and yesterday Mike and I constructed a cage to protect the reducurrants. I don't think we'll have many blackcurrants this year, due to some well needed drastic pruning last autumn, but the new growth is vigorous and healthy, so maybe next year. It was good to return home with our first bag of salad leaves, and I was even able to give some to Jane, when she came down to water her plot yesterday.

Back at base, I've now risked moving a few plants out of the greenhouse, with an eye on the weather, just in case frost is forecast. The garden is becoming quite lush and green, with the first of the perennials beginning to flower, particularly my favourites, the cranesbill geraniums. And is it just me, or is the birdsong better than ever this year?

November in May

I felt quite fed up and grumpy on Saturday. It was dark, damp and cold, and the phone call to C & D to wish them a good holiday in Finikounda made me feel quite envious. We should have been almost half way through our own holiday, and how I wished I could be recharging my batteries in the sun, instead of having to don an extra layer and resorting to turning the heating back on. There was nothing for it, but to pretend it was November and spend some time in the kitchen, preparing a hearty chicken and bean casserole and rhubarb crumble. I also booked us a couple of days away. We've planned a week in R & S's caravan too. I've also got a walking weekend in Wales to look forward to, and a visit (with added surprise - I wonder what that will be?) to my sister's. A bit like buses - one has been cancelled and then number turn up at once.

Sunday was much better, and fairly warm. After hanging out my washing, I popped down to the plot, mainly just to try out my new bench, in the sun. It should be a pleasant place to sit, once the sweet peas have hidden the working area. I'm very pleased with the new strawberry bed, directly in front of it. The plants survived their move well and there are plenty of flowers. Next job is to get some short posts in each corner, so that I can drape bird netting over the ripe strawberries. I'll also need to make some form of cage to protect the currants. The salad bed is also a success, with cut and come again salad leaves, overwintered lettuces, radishes and spring onions coming on well, still under a protective fleece. I did notice that the cold nights had just caught the potatoes, so a bit more earthing up should protect them. The newly planted cabbages and broccoli seem to be OK, and the garlic gets taller by the day. On the way back up the hill I chatted to Hazel for a while before heading home for lunch. The afternoon was spent potting on and sorting out the numerous plants in the greenhouses.

We had a phone call from our friends A & P, who have a house near Kalamata. We first met them in 2003 when we were staying at Chrani with C & D. All of us then moved on to spend the second week at Stoupa. A & P fell in love with the Peloponnese so much that they bought a property out there, where they spend some considerable time each year. Since then, Mike and I have kept in touch by phone, and meet up on occasions. We'd told them that C & D would be arriving at Kalamata Airport yesterday. Upon their arrival, C & D were surprised to see someone holding up a sign with their names on. For a moment they were confused, as they'd not arranged for anyone (such as a taxi) to meet them, but once they'd realised it was A & P, there was a happy reunion. They are all hoping to get together during the holiday.

I've kept a journal of all our holidays in Greece, over the past 14 years or so. As I won't be keeping one this year, I thought I'd occasionally blog about some of our 'adventures'. The following two stories are similar, as we were 'hijacked', but in the nicest possible way.

Lesbos 1999 - We'd hired a car, and set off from Molyvos to look for a Mandamados, a village in the mountains, famous for its potteries, where we bought some pretty hand-painted plates (now on our kitchen wall). On the return journey, we headed towards Ypsilometopo, where we hoped to visit the church. Slowing down to negotiate a sharp bend near the church, we spotted the local priest sitting on a bench across the road. He waved, and walked over to the car. "You must visit my beautiful church" he said. We told him that it was our intention anyway, so we parked up and hastily covered our shorts with long trousers, before following him through the gate. He collected a very large key from his house, where the remains of his simple lunch were scattered on the table outside -bread, cheese, garlic and tomatoes, before opening up the church and leading us inside. As he turned on the lights, he also set in motion a recording of himself singing, then taking us both by the hand he led us to the altar and blessed us both, before showing us round his church. Outside in the sunshine we were encouraged to climb the rather unsafe and wobbly outside steps up the bell tower, then taken on a guided tour around the orchard, where he picked a large bunch of herbs for us. We weren't quite sure what he had in store for us next, as he led us into his house, up the stairs, and asked us to sit on his bed, before reaching for his mandolin. After serenading us for a while, we were shown the beautiful view from his window. Then, out came a large tin box full of postcards and letters, all from other foreign visitors that he had entertained there. Once outside again, and after thanking him, Fr Ignatius put out his hand and said "money for church", so we dipped into our pockets and said our 'goodbyes'. Back at Molyvos we learned, from those in the know, that we weren't the only ones who had been hi-jacked by the priest. I reckon that from his bench on the corner, he could identify the visiting drivers, as they made their way slowly up the hillside, and was ready to approach them on the last sharp bend. How enterprising was that!

Paralia Astros, Peloponnese - Along with C & D we set off along the coast towards Leonidio, with the coast on our left and some interestingly coloured rocks to our right until, suddenly the rocks became a towering red cliff-face, more akin to Arizona than Greece. Along the skyline there were numerous windmills, and far down below lay the town of Leonidio, beside its dry river bed. This region is known for its aubergines of all colours, shapes and sizes, and the locals hold an aubergine festival here each year. After finding somewhere to park we wandered into the town to find somewhere for lunch, looking and feeling like the only non-Greeks in the place. A man stepped out from a doorway and asked us "Are you looking for somewhere for lunch?" or words to that effect. "Where is your car?" We pointed in the direction of the car park. "I will wait here. Follow me, in my car, and I will take you to a very good restaurant." So, a little bemused, we followed the man, as he drove through and out of the town, and off into the countryside. Where was he taking us and had we made a dreadful mistake by following him? Eventually we reached a small village, where he parked at the back entrance to the restaurant, leading us through the kitchen, where he introduced us to his mother, peeling onions, and his brother, the chef, who looked quite grumpy. After all, our friend just swanned around in town looking for customers, while he slaved away in the kitchen. Up to this point we were still feeling we had been rather foolish by following him. Then we were led out onto a balcony, overlooking a beautiful, little harbour, with water so blue and clear, and full of fish. The meal was perfect, but there were so many delicious freebies that C had to secrete some of her chicken away in her bag for later consumption. We were even warned to pace ourselves, by some other customers, that more free food would appear when we had paid the bill. Too full to move, we just had to make our way to a nearby beach and loll about under the trees for quite some time. Wonderful!

I feel better for that! The happy memories have brought a touch of fun and sun to my day, and hopefully to anyone reading my blog.

My blog has been kept as an election free zone but I fear the hype has been far worse than a pre-match, and post-match analysis. We'll just have to be patient and hope that someone eventually makes a decision, and then gets on with getting the house in order as soon as possible. At least we aren't quite in such a state of turmoil as Greece - not yet, anyway.

Ebb & Flo

Meet the pigeons, Ebb and Flo

They drop in daily, don't you know

And every day I wave and 'shoo'

For drop(p)in(gs) mainly what they do!

Drop in' is an apt description of these two entertaining, but irritating birds, as they literally plummet down onto the garden (and usually onto my precious plants) with a lot of noisy wing flapping. Then, once they've eventually gained a little balance, the game is to find where I've hidden the bird food. Do pigeons have bad eyesight or are they just acting stupid in order to entertain us? I ask this because they insist on searching around the area where the food 'was' but isn't any longer, because I moved it the previous day, then sit on the fence looking miserable, just inches from its new position. I have to keep moving the food from time to time for the sake of the small birds, as this greedy pair would devour it all in one se

ssion, nuts, fat, whatever we put out. The fat had to go, as their table manners left a bit to be

desired. They are not tidy eaters - the surrounding area was decorated with globs of the stuff. After yesterday's visit, when one of them (I have to admit, I can't tell the difference between them) 'fell' from the fence above, and with some considerable skill for a heavyweight, eventually gained its balance on the top of a rather delicate acer. Very springy it was too but, with some determination, once the movement had settled down, the bird set too devouring the contents of the overhanging bird feeder. So that explained the broken stems, and the bird feeder had to be moved to prevent further damage to the acer.

Their other occupation is to play chicken on the road outside our house. Sitting on top of the hedge waiting for a car to approach, they drop down onto the road, where they wobble along slowly, defying the driver to slow down, followed by a clumsy take-off, with more flapping at windscreen level, before returning to the hedge. Our late cat Emma used to play a similar game (not the result of the 'late'). As we approached our drive, she'd emerge from the hedge and walk, tail aloft, very slowly in front of our car and on down our drive, forcing us to down wait until she was safely out of the way. The bird feeder could go back to its original position, as I'm sure it will be a day or two before they realise it. In the meantime, the small birds seem to be able to find it straight away wherever it is. Despite the disadvantages (such as their droppings) this devoted pair (cooing away on the roof, as I write) are certainly keeping us amused, and my 'shooing' doesn't seem to deter them for long.

Bank Holiday

New bench delivered to the plot, and carried down its place outside the shed by John B and Son No.2. Hope it won't be too long before I can test it, preferably on a warm and sunny day.

Driving towards Middleton, the countryside was looking at its best. There were bluebells in the woods, trees bursting with fresh, green foliage, and cherry blossom and bulbs flowering outside the cottages.

But, despite quite a bit of blue in the sky, there were some dark clouds looming on the horizon.

Green Man had been dancing at Middleton Hall, where they experienced some typical Bank Holiday weather, including hail. Mike & I joined them at the Dog & Doublet, and after lunch we ventured outside where it was a bit on the cool side but apart from a small shower, not too bad for the dancers.

The Plough and Harrow, on Slade Road, was the next venue where, fortunately for us, the landlord cleared a space for the men to dance inside. I doubt if the customers, many of them being families with small children, would have wanted to leave the warm pub to stand outside. Inside, there was a warm atmosphere in all respects, with the children, in particular, enjoying the entertainment, and the landlord asked the dancers if they would return for the August Bank Holiday.

Tiptoe through the tulips

A large part of Saturday was spent weeding the front garden, and in particular between the yellow tulips, which deserved some attention now that they are in flower. This is quite a delicate operation as I have to make sure I don't put my feet in the wrong places. Once I've found somewhere to stand, I then have to lean and stretch in all directions in order to pull out as many of the offending weeds as possible(chickweed and large dandelions) before changing my position. Talk about a workout! Then there was the moss to mow. A friend wished us a happy holiday. I had to put her in the picture. There was a short visit to the plot to review the weed situation after the heavy rain, and I met Wendy and Carl (plot opposite the gate) for the first time. They've really transformed the plot since their arrival and in such a prime position, what a welcome to visitors it is. I should think the Committee are delighted. I particularly like their hand-crafted shed complete with the tin bath outside.

After indulging myself with a soak in the bath, we set off for The Gate at Castle Ring, where Mike had booked us in for a meal, prior to the traditional evening of morris dancing. I must say I was very impressed with the food, the friendly atmosphere and the buzzing atmosphere of the place. The landlady was standing by for the arrival of a couple celebrating their Golden Wedding Anniversary, as she had to detain them for a few minutes before opening a curtain to reveal their surprise party. The staff and the landlady and family were all so cheerful and friendly, despite being rushed off their feet. The place filled up even more as the Green Man Morris were eventually rained off and had to retreat indoors.

I felt a bit flat yesterday morning. It was very raw and dull. About the time we should have flown to Greece, just to rub it in, a plane flew over the house. Mike went off to church, followed by his daily visit to the hospital and I wandered down to the plot to be welcomed with a cuppa and biscuit from my friendly neighbour John, who has been keeping an eye on things for me. Peter (2b) was busy at work too. I believe the younger plot-holders, like him, are a real asset to the Hill, with their enthusiasm and determination to make a success of things, whilst at the same time picking up tips and sharing their ideas with the older generation. There's a real, friendly atmosphere down at our end - new and old sharing ideas and garden tools. I know I only have to drop a hint that I need something such as a post or board, and within a day or so one of my neighbours will come up trumps. However, this friendly atmosphere can have its down side too, as by the time I'd finished chatting with John I was chilled to the bone. I know I banged on about not feeling the cold, earlier in the year, but on this occasion I hadn't come dressed for standing around in a damp and chilly wind. Back home it took some time before I could feel my hands and feet.

Later in the afternoon Son No 2 arrived with his intended. On their recent holiday to the Lakes, he proposed to E, on her birthday, and she accepted. We are so delighted as she is the most delightful girl. Both of them had been so upset about Mike's health problem and the cancelled holiday, that they had planned a surprise for us, arriving with a delicious home cooked lasagne, salad, wine and pudding. The meal and the company really did cheer us up.

This morning, the sun is shining, so hopefully it will be a better day for all the events that take place on a Bank Holiday Monday. I ventured outside in my dressing gown to take a photo of my pot from Thassos, now planted up with violas, and looking particularly pretty. The second photo is of an unusual pale green primula 'Francesca', originally discovered growing on a traffic island in Hemel Hempstead (I think), and purchased at a Rare Plants Fair at Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens.

Son No.2 arriving shortly, to help transport a bench constructed from slices of silver birch trunk (from the allotments) and a board (from Brian, plot 4A) and put together by Son No 1 and his apprentice (our grandson). Must go.