Saturday 27 July 2019

A Week Off The Blog

It's been quite strange not to look at the lap top  to make sure the scheduled post has posted itself but as it was such a quiet, HOT week I certainly wouldn't have had much to write about. I  spent lots of time indoors,  all windows open and curtains closed. Mainly reading, with one eye on the lovely scenery of the Tour De France............and wasn't it weird that The Tour was stopped on Friday due to snow!(not weird that it was stopped, that was only sensible but weird to see snow while the rest of Europe wilted)

The first truss of Big Mama tomatoes really are Big but as the plant grows it seems that the later trusses produce smaller tomatoes, the first to ripen were skinned and popped into the freezer on Monday......two tomatoes weighed half a pound............ the start of collecting enough to make my favourite chutney but they'll be plenty to use fresh once they get going. The teeny weeny Cascade in the baskets have a really lovely flavour, they are turning  red a few at a time too.

Before the heat got going I used the small mower to do between the veg. beds and other bits in areas that can't be got at with the ride-on. Also cut the tops off the potatoes and weeded the asparagus bed. After that it was too hot to garden.

Swimming was a joy early on Tuesday morning because it was so quiet, some schools had broken up and others hadn't but the pool summer holiday schedule hadn't started so it was a sort of in-between day.
Amazing lightning in the early hours of Wednesday morning, there was no thunder to start with which was quite odd. Then just a little rain, still hot for sleeping which made for a horrible night. I couldn't be bothered to get up early enough to head to the midweek car boot.
But did head out later to the dentist. He can do a better filling but not before first week of September, due to holidays - it's a one man set-up. So I just have to be careful for 6 weeks. No pain except that which will be inflicted on my bank balance!

Thursday morning dawned with a nice breeze, which then turned into  hairdryer heat! The kitchen is coolish in the morning so I made a few scones and put the breadmaker on before my sister came round for a coffee which was good. I tried to give her beans and she tried to give me beans! but I was able to give her aubergines and a cucumber and she gave me sweet-peas.
 More thunder storms in the evening, but with hardly any rain, I turned off the TV and watched the storm from the dark room.

Friday morning and 10 minutes of rain but also 10 degrees cooler, supposedly....... although it didn't feel like it when I picked and blanched the mange-tout peas for the freezer. Not as many as last year which is probably good as I still have a bag of last years in the freezer. 


The heat has benefited the butterflies, they are everywhere now. I counted 6 Peacocks  at once on the Buddleia and managed to get a photo just before standing still in the sun made me wilt.


Well............... that was my week..................

This week I'm grateful for.................
The freedom to stay out of the heat quietly reading a book.
Lots of books to choose from
Not having to do much cooking


Have a good weekend everyone, the forecast here for the weekend will be cooler but showery ...........perhaps no car boot sales then.....bother!
I'll be back Monday.
Sue


35 comments:

  1. I hope your car boots aren't rained off. We had to go to Glos. on Thursday - thank heavens for AC in the car is all I can say!

    Glad you were able to sit and enjoy your books and have some pickings from the garden. Mine is still thinking about producing!

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    1. Pouring rain Saturday morning, I had to go shopping but didn't stay out long.

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  2. It really was a scorcher of a week, wasn't it. Very exhausting and not being able to sleep week was a bit of a killer. I'm very glad it is cooler now.
    Have a lovely, gentle weekend and I'll look out for you on Monday.
    xx

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    1. I took freezer blocks to bed!

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    2. What a brilliant idea. I put up with the fan whirring away for a bit and then switched it off ... much too noisy!

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  3. In London with my daughter. It was blistering hot on Thursday, and hot and noisy at night. Grateful to have awoken to cooling rain this morning. Apparently we are due for a large influx of butterflies from across the Channel shortly. Your photo is super!

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    1. London in a heatwave doesn't sound good at all.

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  4. And there's me thinking you were having a lazy week reading and watching TV, lol. Beautifully detailed picture of the Peacock butterfly.

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    1. I felt very lazy and got through several books.I nearly gave up trying to get that photo - it was so hot for standing outside

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  5. Hope your car boots go ahead! My tomatoes are still very green, but they are outdoor ones. Gorgeous photo of the Peacock butterfly! I've noticed more in my garden recently, which is lovely:)

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    1. Pouring rain Saturday morning so no boot sale.
      There were no Peacock butterflies two weeks ago and then suddenly lots

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  6. What a lovely photo. Really brightened my day!

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    1. I nearly gave up trying to get a photo with open wings, then one sat still just long enough

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  7. Glad you enjoyed your week and change of pace.
    Arilx

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    1. Heat enforced rest - now today is rain enforced rest!

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  8. We are getting storms from the East now in this part of Yorkshire, the electricity goes off for a minute, and then all those electric clocks, etc start flashing.

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    1. When my electric goes off and on the doorbell rings - quite annoying in the middle of the night!

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  9. It's been far too hot here too, Sue, wish I had thought of taking freezer blocks to bed now! Lovely and cool today though. It's rained gently since about 3 am this morning now at 4pm it's just starting to dry up, everything refreshed :)

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    1. Freezer blocks wrapped in tea towels and a wet flannel saved me from sleepless nights, During the day I had a couple of damp tea towels in the fridge and took them out alternately to use as head bands.....worked well and cheaper than a fan!

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  10. Fortunately the evenings and night are cool but oh the days. Way too hot and humid. Glad you are back. Send us some rain!

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    1. It's been raining here all day and the forecast is the same tomorrow so I wish I could send you some

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  11. It's been a scorcher for sure, but no thunderstorms here, it seems we are one of the few areas of the UK not to get them. We managed to get a car boot sale done before the rains came, perfect timing for once.

    The photo of the butterfly is amazing!

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    1. I took about six photos of the flutterbys with folded wings as they wouldn't open them and then at last got that one as I was just about to give up

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  12. Rain here all day. I still went out in shorts as did most other people.

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    1. Had to go shopping and got wet feet/shoes and very hot!

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  13. I see that our usual summertime temperatures have moved across the pond. I hope you get a bit cooler temperatures this coming week.

    God bless.

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    1. It was certainly quite an unusual week for this country. All gone now

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  14. congratulations on the Peacock photo Sue, it's lovely. Here's hoping for a nice cool week ahead.

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    1. Several minutes of useless photos of butterflies with folded wings and then a bit of luck!

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  15. I too have been absent for a lot of the week - too hot

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  16. Is there no air conditioning in the homes in the UK?

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    1. No, no AC in houses, normally we never need it and anyway it uses electricity that we are all trying to cut the use of.

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  17. Very hot in Dorset and still no rain so watering every night but also harvesting like mad, many jobs being left undone. I want to make chutney but would have to start at 4 in the morning to do that comfortably. Hope you get respite from heat next week although reading without guilt is good.

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    1. Now we have had many hours of rain and it can stop please as all the water butts are full again!

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