Saturday 16 October 2021

It's Saturday Once More

I've not had flowers on the table for a while but after the first frost on the car windscreen on Wednesday I brought in the last of the roses to enjoy for a few more days.
 
 The weather was good for gardening on Monday and Tuesday and I was able to get all sorts of jobs done. So the sand that was under the slabs where I'm putting the 3 Minarette Apple trees has been put on the veg beds to be raked in later and  the weed suppressant membrane has gone.  Someone commented that the space half prepared for the trees isn't big enough, but the trees on order can be planted just 2 feet apart as they grow straight up with hardly any side branches. 
 The pepper plants and aubergine are now all finished so the pots from the greenhouse have also been emptied onto the veg beds  and behind the shed there was a heap of small bits of turf which had rotted down so that soil has also been put on the veg beds too. (I'm glad I didn't order two builders bags of top soil as BiL reckoned were needed, because one was plenty with all the other additions)
Then I got busy out the front cutting back some of perennials.
 
There has been much talk of the Government "saving Christmas" this week.............Christmas πŸŽ„comes in a truck apparently, trouble is there's no one to drive them. (This isn't a sudden problem - for years there have been warnings about aging drivers (like aging farmers - the average age of a farmer is already around 60).
This reminded me so much of the famous Christmas πŸŽ„episode of  The Good Life. Margo's Christmas πŸŽ„ is delivered in a van on Christmas Eve but when the Christmas tree πŸŽ„ is 6 inches too short she sends the whole lot back. There are (shock horror!) no deliveries on Christmas Day πŸŽ„ so Margo and Jerry end up next door spending their day with Tom and Barbara.πŸŽ„ Here the Christmas crackers are made from newspapers and have no snap so they have to shout Bang! instead, but the company is so much better than their usual Christmas πŸŽ„and it all ends happily........of course.
 I'm just so thankful that my Christmas πŸŽ„ isn't waiting to be delivered in a truck and I don't need anyone to save Christmas πŸŽ„ for me.

Friday was another good day for getting things done as Brother -in -Law came over to put new tyres on my bike. When he was looking after it while I was moving between holiday lets he'd pointed out that the tyres looked pretty bad so I'd eventually got around to buying new and he was able to get them sorted. While he was here he also drilled some holes in the bottom of a huge plastic pot so I could re-pot my Olive tree and then he managed to get the wooden shuttering out from around the greenhouse concrete base. I'm pleased about getting that done as now the wood can be used for edging a new raspberry bed. Lots of work needed to make it........removing turf and digging etc but I'll get there eventually.

 
This week I'm grateful for.............
  • New Grandson arriving safely
  • Being able to help out with some Nanna duty at short notice
  • Getting some gardening done 
  • New tyres on my bike
  • Help from BiL

I do love it when something unusual happens. I glanced up Friday afternoon just at the sun was sinking behind the houses out the back and spotted...............


 Not a common sight for Mid-Suffolk.

So the weekend is here again......... starting with the car boot sale of course, not many left now before they finish for the winter.

Have a good weekend

I'll be back Monday
Sue


33 comments:

  1. I am pleased to say that hot air balloons are not a common sight anywhere anymore. Horray.

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    1. Apart from frightening animals and landing in farmers fields by mistake - damaging crops and fences - are they are problem!

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    2. Scaring my elderly mother, 100s of followers going on private land and then wondering why I asked them to leave, damaging crops and balloon passengers thinking the pilot had permission to do this, drifting past my brother's bedroom window and 12 faces looking in at him before crashing in his garden, I could go on.

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  2. Newbie gardener question ; is this the right time of year to plant trees?

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    1. Trees that are pot grown can be planted anytime but bare-rooted which is usually how the better growers sell them need planting when they are dormant between November and Feb although if the weather is really bad that's difficult and we've planted all sorts at strange times over the years including cheap supermarket bare=rooted and providing they get plenty of water they usually survive

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  3. Oh, that balloon takes me back. Where my mum lived, someone over the hill from her used to go up in their balloon quite regularly, and she loved to see it. One time we were setting up at the Botanic Gardens and they came overhead, SO LOW we thought they would land on the glass dome! We could hear them speaking, they were so low. I rather miss seeing them when they used to fly over our house too.

    Like you, we don't need our Christmas delivered on a truck and I took a leaf out of your book and swiftly got some chipolata sausages and the best dry cured streaky bacon in the freezer.

    I am requesting Heritage apples and fruit trees for Christmas.

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    1. Oh dear........hope I didn't start a rush on chipolatas and bacon!!
      Trees for Christmas sounds like the best sort of presents

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  4. I loved The Good Life.
    Pleased you got a lot done in the garden the weather was lovely in my part of the world to and got the bin full up again.
    Have a good weekend Sue and everyone.
    Hazel 🌈🌈

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    1. Yes my garden waste bin is full up again.
      Hope your weekend is good too

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  5. A frost? I don't think we had one here but the nights have been cold, definitely.
    xx

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    1. Yes the windscreen was frozen on Wednesday morning - luckily I didn't have to go anywhere

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  6. How nice to spot that hot air balloon at the end of the day! Like you (and many others), I pick up things throughout the year for a gift stash. It's a habit started decades ago when funds were tight and just sort of stuck. I'm not worried about shortages this holiday season. In fact, I'm not even sure where we'll be this holiday season! DH "officially" retires on Christmas Eve and we'll be moving out of state just before... or maybe after that. But a holiday is what you make of it, wherever you are. --Elise

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    1. I'm not sure what I'm doing for Christmas yet either - but whatever happens I won't be panicking

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  7. You have had a very busy and successful week. It's especially nice to welcome the new baby! It sounds like you have made great progress on getting the garden and outdoors ready for winter too. It's good to know your bike has new tires and is safer for riding now. Enjoy your weekend Sue!

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    1. It was a very good week for getting things sorted. My bike tyres should last me out!

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  8. Congratulations on the new grandson!!

    Some 40 years ago, my dear MIL and I were pushing DS1 in his stroller (pram) through the neighborhood. We suddenly heard a 'whishing' and 'blowing' sound from above the tall trees. MIL said "What could that be?" My uncertain reply was "A dragon?!" We laughed as two gloriously colorful hot air balloons appeared through the leafy cover over our heads. Some experiences are touched by magic!

    Hugs!

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    1. What a lovely memory. Hot air balloons can be very loud sometimes

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  9. I woke up one morning to a balloon drifting across our back yard. It was plenty noisy and woke the house. My every gregarious and curious bil struck up a conversation with the passengers and pilot and helped them get back in contact with headquarters and going the proper direction at the head of our street.

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    1. The burners can be very loud - glad they were able to get going again in the right direction

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  10. Love the Good Life series (we have them all on DVD).
    Have a great weekend Sue :)

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    1. Yes I have them on DVD too I think they are one of the reasons I wanted a smallholding! Haven't watched them for a while maybe this winter I'll go through them again

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  11. {chuckling} I had thought just the same as you about "Christmas not being delivered". Loved 'The Good Life' back in the day but I cannot watch old episodes now - I now find the way Tom was written is bordering on bullying and quite uncomfortable.

    But yes, it's so sad that Christmas, for so many, is about what they can buy and over-eating.

    Sorry I have missed so many of your recent posts, a combination of trying to get stuff done outside before the weather breaks and the ensuing tiredness leaves little brain-power for the computer πŸ₯².

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    1. I think I've watched the Good Life series so often I know them off by heart!

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  12. I Have some hope that Christmas isn't just about presents but people. We are getting the same message here in the US. I say less stuff and more coming together. You have been plenty busy with your garden. I love the balloon not a common sight here either
    Cathy

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    1. I'm sure Christmas will be enjoyed with family whatever happens with deliveries

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  13. The issue with not delivering trees for Xmas is that trees are farmed and if they are not used that is a large scale crop loss for tree farmers?

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    1. Sorry I've misled you with the little tree icon thingys - my post wasn't about Christmas trees but everything in general

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    2. But won't the tree farms and other producers be affected economically?

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  14. I mostly see hot air balloons when we visit the mountains not so much on the flats of the prairies.

    We have had a second frost here and I am so glad the garden is cleared out. Now there are just a few boxes and pots to empty.

    God bless.

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  15. Many congratulations on the arrival of your beautiful Grandson, he's gorgeous!
    I remember that Good Life episode too, it was very funny. We won't be panicking here either. DD has the turkey on order for Christmas day and I've ordered salmon for boxing day. What will be will be regarding the rest. As others have said, being together will be the most important thing.
    Love the balloon too x

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  16. Happy B-day to your son! Like you, I will not rely on "truck deliveries" for Christmas. Working with what I have feels very good. Your end-of-season garden work seems well underway and nearly complete. I'm also near the finish line. A few more times mowing lawns, clearing fallen leaves and removing invasive weeds in the forest will be ongoing until frost. Being outside in the coolness of Autumn working the land is always enjoyed. The Balloon is quite spectacular.

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  17. Congratulations on the new grandson! I love to see garden photos if you would take some. :)

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