Saturday 25 May 2019

Last Week and the Bank Holiday Weekend

After 4 years I've just about got used to being able to go out and about on Bank Holidays. 2015 was the last year we were at the smallholding with the campsite open for what was always the busiest weekend of the year.
I can remember one sunny year when tents just kept arriving - and we ended up putting some on the hay-field, there was even a yurt!

Actually I haven't yet decided what to do this weekend so not sure where my out and about will take me, it's all weather dependent. What I really should do is get the paint out to do all the bits that got damaged when the kitchen was fitted, the scratches and scrapes are beginning to annoy me.

Anyway before that there's a week to look back on..............

Monday morning started with no electric - bother. I discovered something had tripped the trip switch which is out in the garage so spent ages going round indoors, turning things off, going out to the garage and trying the trip again........all with no luck. Had a think and decided to turn off all the fuse things which are in a cupboard in the back porch and then try the trip, and it stayed on. So one by one I switched the fuses back on and found the one that made the trip flip off was the one that said 'Upstairs Sockets' .
So back upstairs and check round - Nothing switched on. Looked all round the house AGAIN - by which time I was getting a bit fed up - and found the fridge switch that I'd forgotten about because its under the kitchen worktop with just a little junction thingy with a light that shows the fridge is working on the wall above. Switched off that switch and Hey Presto! But WHY is the fridge plug on the upstairs socket circuit??  Just one more thing to sort..........was it the fridge or the plug on the wall? Answer = Sadly it's the plug on the wall. Electrician needed,  which will probably cost more than buying a new fridge and a darn sight more difficult to arrange although I was quite pleased that I'd found the cause and got everything back on and working again, even the fridge -  by using an extension lead. Another thing that in the past I would have left to Colin to sort, he would have found the problem in half the time!.

One morning this week I went to the surgery to pick up.............................2 bottles of wine! The week before I'd popped to a Friends of Mendlesham and Bacton Surgeries coffee morning. I had £1 worth of draw tickets and left my phone number and got a surprise when the phone rang later to say I'd won 2 prizes. I don't drink but there are plenty of family who do so they won't go to waste.

All the small plants that were in the greenhouse in my photos earlier this week are now planted out and protected from pheasants, ducks, pigeons, cat  and any strong winds that might come blowing across the fields.........it's a complicated business!
 The sweetcorn, chard and parsley are well protected
French climbing beans with a sacking wall around the bottom and a fleece tent pegged to the canes.
I'll take the fleece off when the plants get going.
Beetroot seedlings under wire frames, lifted on flower pots

The courgettes are under a fleece tunnel at the moment, just to stop the wind rocking them about until they get well rooted.  I think they'll be OK when I take it off, can't remember from last year  if any of the local pests eats them. I'll need to use the tunnel over the squash plants when I put them down the other half of the bed.

  I've been weeding too, mainly big stuff like cow-parsley that's around all the shrubs, I really need a strimmer but the battery ones wouldn't be man enough for cow-parsley and nettles and I'm not man enough for a great big machine. Colin's brother has been asked to come over with his big strimmer but I'm on a job waiting list!

The Chelsea Flower Show has been on TV all week, I'm not a huge fan of  TV gardening  programmes they make me feel inadequate.  But no one can expect to compete with the Chelsea show gardens, they are mostly so un-real, make it possible to watch without feeling hopeless. My sister and her husband are off to visit the show today and for a moment I was envious, then thought - no - all that walking about - all those crowds - better off watching on TV. (Like Wimbledon tennis!, which reminds me - The French Open starts on Sunday, it's on ITV 4 I'm pleased to say)

Swimming, shopping, visiting youngest and Florence, sitting in the sun and my week has gone by - alone - but still getting through.


This week I'm grateful for
  • Solving a problem by myself
  • Beautiful gardens on TV
  • Fine days for gardening
  • Juicy nectarines back in the shops for summer.......love them

Have a good weekend, hope the weather isn't too disappointing.

Back Monday
Sue

30 comments:

  1. I’ve been planting out the brassicas too this week Sue. I’ve had to put in place all the usual battle defences to see them through. Straight forward traditional vegetables but so complicated to grow.

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    1. In 1993 we planted all sorts of greens outside at the smallholding without cover and no problems, then pigeon numbers increased dramatically and after that it was a pain having to protect everything

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  2. I was invited to go to the Chelsea Flower Show once, it was great but the crowds were horrendous - never again, you see much more of the gardens on TV.

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    1. It always looks chock-a-block and on TV you get to see right inside the gardens too - just missing the scents

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  3. I don't think I will every get used to having a Bank Holiday off! This one I even forgot it was happening. It's all go in your garden, which is looking good.

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    1. I still have to sow a few more things but running out of space in the greenhouse

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  4. We soldier on Sue and every little job that we manage by ourselves lifts the spirits. I have enjoyed Chelsea and was pleased the Yorkshire Garden was the peoples choice - all the work that had gone into creating that bit of canal and that lock. My friend's grandson was manager of creating the garden which Jane Gould had designed - the one for the Childrens' Hospice with all the handprints on the wall - they got a medal (silver I think) and she is so proud.

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    1. There was much discussion over the Yorkshire garden as to if it was actually a garden or just an installation! I liked it

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  5. Another productive week for you. Well done for sorting out your trip switch, I don't think I would have had the patience to be going through everything twice, or was it three times.

    You're right about seeing more on television than actually being there. I remember, one year when my husband and daughter went to see the Grand Prix at Silverstone, the year when Michael Schumaker crashed into some tyres and had to go to hospital. I was watching it at home and they rang me to find out what was going on!

    Have a good weekend whatever you decide to do.

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    1. Never fancied going to watch motor racing just to watch them zoom passed at 100s miles an hour!

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  6. I to have been watching Chelsea I love the banter by Monty and Joe. I have been several times has early as the 1980s but could not do the crowds now. My daughter went last year only because by grandson help with the company he works for had a garden there. We hope to go to Hampton Court because his company are there again, it's not as crowded as Chelsea.
    Hope is a nice weekend there is lots if things on, our Garden centre has lots of stalls selling things for Headway a charity for brain injury. We have made a large knitted blanket for them to raffle from our Knit and Knatter group.

    Have a nice weekend everybody.
    Hazel c uk

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    1. I shall have to watch the Hampton Court coverage too so you can say which garden is the one your grandson works for

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  7. Sue, you may want to read and delete the first comment above!
    You have had a busy week and have been quite the problem solver. Good for you.

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    1. I delete as soon as I find them without commenting about them!

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  8. The only way to sort out what's tripping electricity is a process of elimination. If, as one commenter says, she wouldn't have the patience then she would not find the root cause, the first step.

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    1. I wasn't being serious when I said I wouldn't have the patience. Obviously if I was on my own I would have to do it, patience or not. There were many things I had to do on my own when my husband spent months working abroad, but trip switches weren't one of them.

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    2. Oh, it sounded serious. Sorry

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    3. No need to apologise Rachel, I should have made it obvious.

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  9. Well done for finding the cause of your power cut. That sort of thing drives me insane, but as Rachel says it's a job you HAVE to do. It's literally more than twice as hard to do on your own too, all that running around for one thing, how much easier to have a person on 'trip switch duty' to yell yes or no as you try each socket and switch, and to reset when necessary.

    Apart from that you've obviously had a brilliant week in the garden it's all looking ready to be very productive.

    Hope you have a good Bank Holiday weekend, ours has started with well with a very successful day at the car boot sale today.

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    1. I have always had to do it on my own even when P was here, he would leave me to it. In fact I think I probably do it better alone!

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  10. Sadly the weather is not cooperating here for a weekend spent in the garden, Not to worry tomorrows another day.

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    1. Sunday midday and so far so good with the weather - luckyly

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  11. Congratulations for working out the electrical problem. It is a headache for sure but you did it! I love your new header - everything looks lovely. Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. The photo is the patio corner and what I see from my kitchen window when washing up - my Hosta is HUGE this year

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  12. Your veg look fantastic! We're a bit behind you, weatherwise, here in Scotland but going to plant out my borlotti beans today - have been dutifully carrying them out & back in for days - am fed up with that now esp as my flat is not on the ground floor! Yest was pelting down, but today is one of those 'bright sun interspersed with rain showers' days so need to get cracking.

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    1. I've done that carrying in and out thing in various places I've lived - but never from upstairs - that's dedication!

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  13. I'm glad you got the electric problem figured out by yourself. We've had dreary weather lately. Rained most of Sat so no walk. Phil's going to mow the lawn later today as it's quite wet. Went to look at my beautiful roses in front lawn. Good thing my leather shoes are water proof! I'll cut a few roses and bring inside. Gave a bouquet of flowers to our 2 granddaughters yesterday when they left after our family get together. We celebrated their birthdays. Warmer day today. Have a blessed week!:-}

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  14. Wonderful that you were able to figure out the electrical problem. Even if you have to have the electrician in, you've saved him having to do exactly what you did to find the source of the problem. nd it would have cost you extra for him to track it down, I'm sure. I hope you're feeling proud of yourself for all you are managing on your own. I have great respect for you.

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  15. Nectarines are the best of summer fruit.

    Glad you got your electrical problem figured out.

    God bless.

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  16. Well done on doing your Sherlock Holmes thing on the electrics! We had a similar thing with our sockets. Your veggies look amazing, hope you have a good harvest later in the year :)

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