Garden Girl Blog

Day off today and will be getting ready for my mum and step father who arrive at about 6pm.  Might find a bit of time to get out in the garden if the rain holds off.

Well yesterday was, today is raining so will be sorting out the house.

We got lots more done on the deck and got the bottom one has been oiled.  I need to go back to the shop as the two cans of deck oil I got are almost gone.  Need maybe two or three more, the stuff is not cheap so this is tuning out to be an expensive job, but very needed.  The deck is looking much better and I think it has become obvious to us that we do need to look after it better.

I also sorted out my pots and think they are all done now and ready for the summer.  A few of them have tender plants but they are sheltered so should be okay.

I did water the garden last night, it was all really dry and of course this morning it is raining. 

The sun is still out so a bit later we will be doing more stuff with the deck.

I am a bit worried about what is in the cleaning solution that we used, it was far too effective to be anything nice.  Sometimes we have a bumble bee nest under the higher of the two decks and I am worried that if they are there we are going to do them harm with the cleaning stuff.   Might try a bit of washing up liquid and see how good that is.

I am also going to have to water the garden today as it has not rained.

Some pics of flowers that are currently in the garden.

It was cleaning day!

You would think that there is only so much in a garden that can be cleaned, but the husband and I took it to the limit today.

The husband started with the deck, this was installed about 5 years ago and has never had more than a dusting with a broom since, and that would not be a regular thing.  So it is by now very dirty and not looking its best.  With the new jet washer in hand and other various items to help with the job he set about cleaning it.  It was coming up very well and I joined in with my scrubbing brush as well to do the step and sides... does that make me a scrubber...

While waiting for the cleaning solution to work its magic, he had a quick go at the wall caps on the top of a low retaining wall that we have.  The first one came up a treat, so he started to do more of them while waiting.  They do now look a bit anaemic now but much cleaner!

I left him to his playing with the jet washer and went to potter around the greenhouse.  I noticed I had an abundance of spider webs and also of flies, so I went and got the Dyson and got rid of them all.  I also used the Dyson on the work benches while I was at it.  To finish off, I cleaned lots of by plastic pots ready for my seeds to go into.

We are now both very tired and still have the second deck to do, and the first one now needs to be oiled, but it looks much better!

The husband has not been right since the tonsillitis and now it seems he has a bad tummy bug with a rotten name and he has been feeling rubbish for ages.  The doctors have finally worked out what the issue is are giving him something for it, so I really hope that he is going to be feeling better soon.

Because of all the stuff he has to take he cannot have any alcohol to drink, so to support him I have not either.  But tonight I opened a tiny bottle of wine I got in M&S and am enjoying a nice glass of wine. It is very nice!

In Edinburgh today the weather is a bit overcast but still warm, and our office is roasting!  The garden could do with a good water so we could do with rain but maybe it could be tonight please.

Feeling much better now but it did take a few days to get back to normal.  Very strange.

Yesterday I went to York for the day.  It was a long day and I was on a train out of Edinburgh just after 7am and not back home until 7pm.    It was nice to sit on the train and watch the world go by, the train goes via the coast so got to see the sea.   Did not get to do anything in York as I had a meeting to get to and then was back on the train later in the day.

I am at work today and planning on going out to lunch.  Lots of meetings so best get on with it.

wine or sun?  Had neighbours over from an unplanned BBQ and now I do not feel well.  Not sure if it was too much wine or sun but think I might just go to bed.

Night.

Not the one from my garden but one from on holiday last year.

We went to Jackson to visit the Grant Tetons and Yellowstone national park last year.  We had some tours with a chap who did a lot of photography and he told us about some fox cubs that were in Jackson town and attacting lots of interest.

We went for a look and found them, mainly because of the lines of camera that were in front of the area of the den!  Mummy fox was off out hunting but the cubs were out and about.   The chap we knew was there, and we had a chat and took some photos, he then introduced me to one of his mates who had the biggest camera lens you have ever seen.  The camera was not on a trypod, the lens was!   His camera had the same fitting as mine so he let me have a go.  Here is one of my pictures of the cuts.

They were so cute and quite happy to play in front of the cameras.

Heavy frost this morning but going to be a nice sunny day!

Cute!

We went for a day out today, packed sandwiches and off we went.  Destination, Bellymack Hill Farm to see the Red Kites, they feed them so a little bit of a cheat but still!

Drive over to Dumfries and Galloway was wonderful, so many beautiful places to see, we stopped a few times along the way and I made the husband promise that we could go back to at least a few more!

We arrived at Bellymack Hill Farm to find that they were having an open day and had tea and coffee available for all, how fab is that!?  We settled down with our sandwiches and then went for a wander round the farm.  They had goats, sheep, lambs, dogs and, of course, Red Kites.  The RSPB were on hand, so lots of additional knowledge was being given out.   As it started to get closer to feeding time the Kites started to come in and hang around.

Had my camera ready and the feeding started!  Kites everywhere, diving for the food and then eating it as they fly.  Quite something to see.  I took lots of photos and my arms and neck were killing me after just a few minutes but I carried on.  Had to swap to a smaller lens to give my arms a break, but got some good results.  Here are some of the best!

After we went back to the places I wanted to see and stopped for dinner on the way home.  Weather was great all day and we had a good day out.

Almost as if to prove that the cat is a helpful puss, we have had various animals polishing off bunny.

Today the last bits went to a beautiful adult fox who found a few scraps, which the crows had dropped, on the bank behind the house.  He ate the last bits and then came under the fence and into our garden to checkout the bird ground feeder where I sometimes leave food.

He looked very handsome and his coat was thick and full and very red.  It was nice to see a wild animal that close.  His natural instinct made him very wary of coming into the garden, but he has obviously been here before.  He checked out the food situation in the garden and then was back off up the hill.  If he comes again during the day I will have to try and get a picture but I think that will be quite a challenge.

What a dull day outside.  When I was driving to work there was fog around again.. but it was high above the car.. maybe that would count as very low cloud!  Now it just seems dull and like it might rain.  Oh well I am in the office all day so don't mind too much.  The weather man says the weekend will be good.

Puss has been a bit down since her operation and has not recovered very well.  It has taken her a long time to get back to herself.

Yesterday I was stroking her and noticed there was still a bit of a scab or something on her scar, I had a better look because it has been ages since the operation.  It was just a small hard scab or something, (this is a bit disgusting so be warned) anyway I was thinking maybe I should take her back to the vets, but decided to give it a tug with the tweezers myself.

Got my best tweezers and gave it a tug, it did not move even thought I had a good hold on it.  The cat was giving me dark looks and was not impressed with what I was doing.. now I am thinking I really will have to take her back... decide to give it a bit of a harder tug.. well much harder.. out comes a two inch long bit of string that must have been left behind after the stitches, was all scabby and horrible.  It was right inside of the cat with just a tiny bit poking out.  She has a perfectly formed small hole where it had been. Not nice.

She looked very miffed at me but did not seem the worse for it.  This morning she was licking it a bit but it does now seem to be healing over, so glad I got it out really.

Today she has been out and about and seems more herself so maybe it was bothering her a bit.  She has also, this afternoon, delivered a rabbit to the front door step, so she must be feeling more on form.  Rabbit was put back up the hill for the fox to have for his tea.

The fog did just really clear, it did get a bit brighter for a bit but was freezing!

Also did not get out of work on time... if anything far later than yesterday but I was helping one of my less experienced members of the team with something that has to happen tomorrow morning, so do not mind... well not much.

On my drive in this morning Edinburgh had disappeared, a heavy layer of fog had rolled in and covered the town.  Will have to wait and see if it clears.

Nice relaxing drive into work today, the roads were not at all busy, it was getting quite light and I was feeling super relaxed after a fab weekend.

Arrived at the office and no one else was in, set myself up with my little headphones and a bit of radio 2... bliss... started on my emails and stuff to do and soon everyone else started to roll in.  I was still feeling very calm and was planning on going to Yoga at lunch time.  However my budding Yoga buddy blew me out because he was having to sort out some problems after the weekend.  So decided to pick on someone else and invite them for lunch.

Lunch was good and we even managed to spend most of lunch time not talking about work, choosing instead what we had done at the weekend and stuff we had done in our house recently.  Very nice....

Meeting with my manager in the afternoon where I told him that my Easter resolution was that I was leaving on time so he could not book any 4pm meetings as that is the time I would be leaving.... okay he said.

Was just packing up at 4:05pm and along he comes... 'sorry but I must discuss this with you, can we just have a quick meeting'... then I get, 'oh just before you leave can you do this'.. from my team.......... arrhhhhhhhhhh I am leaving now!!!!!  Got out the door at 4:45pm which is much better than recently but not as good as I had planned.

Oh well there is always tomorrow!

Our guests left this morning and so the day was spent sorting out the house, cleaning the car, cutting the grass (those two were the husband not me) and pottering in the garden.  Was a nice relaxing day and sunshine and cloud but the rain held off.

A chap came round this morning in a van selling frozen food.  I do hate that sort of thing as I always feel I have to buy something to be polite, anyway he was showing off all his stuff and there were some rather nice looking Cajun chicken fillets.  I was trying to decide if I should get them or not when the husband came over, the chap started telling him how good they would be on the bar-b-que.  That was him sold, the husband got the cash and they were on the bbq ten minutes later.  Very nice they were as well.

Back to work tomorrow but I am going to try and be more organised and set myself tasks to do and just sit and get on with them.  Then I am going to leave on time!

So today is the last full day that our visitors are here and we were around Edinburgh for the day.  The sun was, once again, out and it looked like it would be a great day. We were late setting off after my slow start.

First stop was the bridges and here is my best picutres..

From there we went into Edinburgh and to a hill over looking the town and the coast. Our visitors took in the sights and we then headed off to the beach.  Stopped for some lunch at a farm shop and was very nice.  Then we went on to Gullane beach.

It was busy and quite cold, so everyone was wrapped up well and had wellies on for going in the sea, which seemed strange but they were enjoying it!  Lots of people were flying kites and the wind was strong, so it did not take much effort at all.  None of the running back and forward, but getting no where that I remember as a kid.  We walked along the beach and then went to look in some of the rock pools.. very relaxing.

Home to make beef stew with mash... yum yum.  A bit of wine but not as much as yesterday!

Oh and had some chocolate today... very nice.

My head hurts, way far too much wine for me last night.  I have a very small drinking ability and it was breached.

Off to find coffee.

We took our visitors for a day out in the Trossachs.  We drove all over and I slightly lost track of the names of the Lochs and waterfalls we went to see.. there were so many.  This time of year is very wet in Scotland, I assume partly because it rains so often and also because the snow is melting and causing the rivers and streams to fill and flow well.

We did some walking and walked up a particularly step hill/moountain, underfoot the moss is full of water and felt like a very heavy carpet, but squelchly at the same time.  In places it covered everything and tumbled down hills, rocks and fallen trees as if it was water, most strange.  Scotland is not really that green yet, the trees are a bit behind England so have no leaves as yet, and the grass is still brown from having snow and frost on it, but signs of spring are everywhere.  We saw more lambs today and more fogs spawn in large puddles.. seems to quite be the normal thing!  However these were very big puddles so am sure they will be fine.  The roads were busy so no time to stop for photos of lambs , but they were very very sweet!  Really want to see a hare and get a photo so might need to do something about that soon.

Took a few photos but did not write the names of place down! However they were all in Scotland!!!

The last one of the loch was my fav photo and came out very well.

We had a really nice day and then came home and had a nice dinner and lots of nice wine!

Going for a nice sleep now...

We have some people to stay for Easter. The fridge is packed with food and even the husband decided to tidy a few bits around the house.  They arrived in time for lunch so we sat down ate, relaxed and had a few glasses of wine.  A great way to spend lunch time.

We then went for a walk along the river outside our house and to see some of the local sites.  I took my camera in the hope that we might see lambs.  The first sheep we came to were fat as anything but no lambs, they looked like they were going to pop so the lambs should not be long.  We started back but came a different way and came across some sheep on common ground and they had lots of lambs.  Also lots of twins which is nice, if not hard work for the sheep.

Took a few photos...it was a bit gloomy so not the best light.

We then came back home, but I had to go back out again.

While we were out I noticed that our local pond had a lack of frogs spawn, however while walking along we found several large puddles with loads in.  So I went back to retrieve some and put it in our local pond.  There were still tadpoles left in the puddles and I hope we get regular rain to keep them topped but I am a bit worried.  Silly frogs, why did they put them in puddles!  Anyway, I went back with a bucket and collected some. I think our visitors thought I was joking when I said I was going back but soon learned I was not... they do not know me that well.

If it starts to stay dry I might have to go back again.

All tadpoles and frog spawn I collected safely transferred to the local pond. I hope at least a few of them benefit from their new home.

We do not ask much of the puss, but her one job is to keep the mice and rabbits down and stop them coming into the garden.  Well the rabbits anyway, the mice live under the deck so that did not work!  In the past she has undertaken this with relish and left the evidence on the doorstep so we can keep score for her.  The dead bodies go back up the hill behind our house for the crows or Mr Fox, which ever finds them first.  We do not have cat flap for this very reason so she cannot bring her gifts in.  When we did have one, she once delivered a half live mouse to us in bed.

Even the neighbours are supportive of the sterling work she has undertaken in the past and complain when she is on holiday as the rabbits make a bid for their flower beds, and they come in groups!   The only time that they were not so supportive was when a crow was trying to fly along with a rabbits head and dropped it... right infront of the neighbours door.  I assured them I did not think the cat had been involved in any way....

Well now in her later years she seems to be finding the rabbits a bit of a challenge.  They have taken up residence on the hill behind our house and the little white tales can be seen bobbing along as they run around at will. They have not made it into the garden as yet but it is only a matter of time.

Today we witnessed the puss sitting on the hill watching the rabbits, just sitting, not assuming the hunters poise, she sat, she looked.  The rabbit about 20 foot away, was just doing what rabbits do, eating and looking around.  In the end puss walked off and the cheeky rabbit even got up on its back legs to watch her go.  Then I am sure the rabbit shouted to let his friends know that she had gone, two others appread very quickly.

If I am not mistaken, they were waving their little feet at her as she plodded down the hill.  Rabbit 1, Puss 0.  Poor puss.

The puss has to go in the kitchen overnight, it is the rules.  For the first 8 years of her life she got to come to bed with us, but she was always a complete pain and I would have to get up at some point to let her out or feed her or something.  So I decided it was time for her to start sleeping in the kitchen, so kitchen it is, she has a nice little bed and everything... except she can open the door and I cannot work out how a cat can push the handle down and pull the door towards her...

She trotted up to bed with us at about 1:30am and at 5:30 (the time I normally get up for work, but not today as day off) she decided she wanted to go out.  She started scratching the carpet and making noise and I was up and at her service to let her out. She is a pain, but knows just which buttons to press!

Bit dark and damp here today.

Where do the hours in the working day go?

I get to work just before 7am and before I know it 9am has arrived and the rest of the team are coming in... then I start to feel a bit hungry and it is just before 12am and so I have lunch, normally at my desk.... moving on 2pm hits like a train at full speed and then 4pm arrives out of no where.. I should leave at 4pm but before I know it 5:30pm has arrived and I really should leave.  This is like a cycle that happens to me every day I go to work, just like Groundhog Day. Worst thing is I do not feel like I get much done.

So today I think, this is silly what is going on?.. I need to sort this.. it has to be me.  So I decide as I am driving in to work I decide, no sticking my nose into other team members business, no getting involved in all that the team is doing just so we do not end up looking silly, they can all get on with it.  You could say that as team leader that is my job to do the things I have just mentioned but let's not worry about that. So head down and work.

So what went wrong.. okay four hours of meetings did not help, thirty emails in a two hour period while I was in some of the said meetings was not helpful either.. but really there has to be more going on here.   Next week my mission is to work out what the issue it and sort it.  Happy to accept maybe it is me and I need to change but this cannot go on!

So here is the plan.  Tomorrow is my day off but I have 'permission' to do so extra hours to 'catch up'.  So catch up tomorrow, have a nice long weekend off then Tuesday head down get on with it.  Everyone else would have been off so I will not have a mail box full of very very urgent and important (or so they think) emails waiting for me.  I will go to Yoga at lunch time and leave on time. This is the new me.  Okay we have a plan... now I just have to stick to it... that could be the hard bit...

Needless to say, it was another long busy day at work.

One good thing we did not get too much rain today!

Had a very very nice man write to me tonight sayig that ' he had a very good prososal' and ' trust is something that is extremely difficult to establish'... bless him this is all so true... and all he wanted from me where just a few personal details.. nothing more....

Poor fella I pressed delete!

The rain the weather man said was coming has not arrived and the sky is clear with just a few clouds... think we will get some rain later but hope it is not too bad.

They seem to have a secret plan for cheering us all up.  They say it is going to be wet and horrid and then change it at the last minute to some cloud but sunny spells as well.  It works I am always really pleased when it ends up as a mixture of sun and showers! 

Right, head down and work!

It was my day off today and I did not have to go to work, which I take as a bonus at the moment.  So I did all the wifely bits round the house, pottered around the greenhouse and garden, went to the post office and did a bit of Wii fit.  Very nice relaxing day, but I also did all the stuff I wanted to, even the rain held off.

I could not resist a wee peak at my work email (the draw back of being able to connect in from home) but there was nothing too scary there, so I hope that tomorrow will be a good day at work and I will get lots done.  I am going to Yoga tomorrow lunch time with a chap from work, should be good but am a little worried, I have no balance so could make a fool of myself.  We had been planning to go for several weeks but just too busy... hope that tomorrow that will not be the case.

We have done lots of work today on the lawn, I went over it with the electric rake and got out lots of dead grass.  The husband did the edges and gave it a cut and then a feed.  It already looks better and should be much greener in a few days.   As much as I dislike chemicals the lawn does need a bit of a boost now and then.

I also potted on my 'swan river daisies', that I had grown from seeds, I now have approximately a million little plants.. okay maybe 30, just hope that it is not too cold for them tonight.

This afternoon we had a visitor to the front room window, he did not say anything but just wanted to sit and look at us, very strange.  The visitor was a male Bullfinch and he just sat on the window ledge looking at us and then did a poo and left.  Oh well, he was a fantastic colour and it was nice to see him close up. Had to go and clean up after him, but he was male so I guess that should not be a shock to me!

Am very tired after working in the garden so am off to bed.

The sun has got his hat on
Hip-hip-hip-hooray!
The sun has got his hat on,
He's coming out today.

I am off to the shops for a very quick visit and then back to do stuff in the garden.  The sky is a fantastic blue today and the sun is shining!

At this time of year I often go out just after dark looking for frogs.  Sadly we often see a flattened version of frogs because they have failed to get out of the way of cars on our road, so I go out and move them on, and take them down towards the river.  The only thing I can never be sure of is, have they been and they are on their way back, or are they going too the river... at what point should I know that they have been.  I can clearly see someone has been as there is frogspawn in the  slower part of the river but how do I tell if the ones I find are going to or from...

Anyway I tend to assume they are going too and put them down by the river at this time of year.  If I find them in a few more weeks I assume they are from and bring them into my garden in the hope they may eat the slugs.

So far this year, just one squished frog.

This morning was pouring with rain and some of it sideways, yuck, it has been doing that off and on all day.

I got out in the greenhouse for a while this morning and my seeds are doing very well and are not feeling neglected, even thought I have been getting home from work too late to do much with them.  The sun over the last week or so has really brought them on and I am going to have plenty of plants for the garden.

I have also started to plant some veg seeds now and will see how they get on, but need to pot on some of the plants that have already come up to make room to put more in. I am really pleased with how the seeds are doing.

The birds have been a bit unhappy with me as I have not been keeping the feeders topped up and lots of them are now empty.  I did a few today and will do the rest tomorrow.  I am sure there should be other food around by now so hope they are okay but will get on the case tomorrow.

The clouds have just cleared and there is a wonderful blue sky and the sun is out, might even go and do some of the feeders now.

Very foggy driving in to work today and out of my window here I can see... well nothing!

Hope it will clear later, yesterday was a beautiful sunny day, but work was not good. More later.

For some reson I did not think of it yesterday but today on the drive in I noticed I am back to coming to work in the dark., it was starting to get light by the time I arrived in Edinburgh so this will not last for long.  It is the one thing I dislike about the clock change, roll on long light days!