SOLUS

Hallelujah, Praise the Lord in fact thanks be to all the Gods we managed to have a day without any callers which is just as well as both me and the cookie jar needed a rest! I was awake in time to watch the morning mist rise and vanish , always worth getting out of bed for and afterwards I made myself a coffee and watched the news while tackling a pile of ironing. I woke Pa with a coffee at nine and by eleven thirty he was breakfasting on home made waffles with maple syrup and fresh cream. Waffles are my favourite breakfast at the moment although I prefer mine with hot strawberry jam pour liberally all over.

Due to circumstances beyond my control I had to go to the shops to by a couple of new water jugs and while I was out I treated myself to some new sun glasses and a pretty floaty scarf to go with a blue top of which I am rather fond. The sun glasses are great as my old ones were hurting my nose and because I wear them all the time I am out side it was becoming unpleasant. Pa asked my to make him an appointment for an eye test and so I fixed that for tomorrow at eleven fifteen,....fun and games tomorrow morning then!

Back at home I changed grabbed a beer and went out in to the garden with a song in my heart. It was a glorious afternoon filled with dappled sunlight under the fruit trees and the songs of countless small birds, and the clatter of an old lawn mower in the distance...the sounds of summer.
The first thing I noticed was that one of my cucumber plants was looking very sick indeed, further inspection told me that its roots had been munched by some kind of bug lava chaffer perhaps or leather jacket. Apart from this minor problem all was well and looking better for yesterday evenings rain.

I planted the runner bean plants in the ground which I had begun to prepare yesterday and watered them in and then began to clear the old kale bed. Kale is a good vegetable to grow for winter use as it keeps producing lots of lovely green leaves no matter how cold it gets and if like this year it does die back a little it soon bounces back once the frost has gone. I always leave mine in until it has finished flowering as the bees love its bright yellow blossom and so do I, the flowers also taste pleasant, a cross between broccoli and asparagus in flavour. This bed will be planted with more leeks and this years kale will be planted in the ground where I grew peas last year.

I spoke to my son several time today, the boat trip took three hours and was amazing, he visited some old silver mines and walked down a cliff path to visit a deserted cove, he is having a wonderful time. The only slight disappointment is the fact that as the moon is almost at the full the stars are less bright that usual, this however is a small thing and everything else has exceeded expectations, The food is all fresh and either grown , laid, hatched or caught on or around the island., it is beautifully cooked and relatively inexpensive and he is being spoiled by the lady who runs the guest house where he is staying, he is always lucky that way.

Pa and I had bacon and eggs with mushrooms for dinner, followed by iced cream, this no preparation meal allowed my more time in the garden for which I was very thankful. Our flower garden is attracting almost as many admirers as it does bumble bees. A coach full of people actually stopped so that the passengers cold get out to have a look . There is a garden open to the public close tour home and this type of thing often happens. Fortunately they did not require any attention and I was able to continue in the vegetable garden quite undisturbed. Had I been working in the front garden it would have been a different matter, years of experience have taught me to stay well clear of the flower garden unless I want company.....at the moment I do not!

From my window as I write I can see Pa in the flower garden with our little cat , by the way she is rolling about I suspect that he has just given her a sprig of cat mint, dear Twiggy she loves the garden every bit as much as I and has spent the whole day stalking in the long orchard grass, sleeping in the sun and sitting in her tree house. She will be a sleepy little cat tonight, come to that so am I so I shall stop rambling on and take a bath. Good night every one, sleep well.