I love my shed-with-a-bed!
Waking up in Pond Cottage - ginger cat Percy in the window, chirping like a bird, the bellbirds whistling high in the trees, a pair of mallard ducks cruising contentedly around the pond, my cottage cat Minimus purring quietly underneath the crochet bed-cover...
Pond Cottage - My Shed-With-A-Bed
I love my shed-with-a-bed! I watched the rain making circle ripples on the pond surface and I had a momentous thought. I love the animals in my garden. In fact, I think I prefer watching and listening to nature than people. Like those ducks, gliding past the fishing gnomes on the water's edge, making baritone quacking noises. Helloooo, you. Helloooo, you. Helloooo, you...
MInimus the Cottage Cat
And Minimus my cottage cat, now squeaking at me, telling me her food bowl is empty. Dear Minimus!
B-Puss :- This is my most favourite photograph of blue-eyed B-Puss.
But nature has its sad moments. Yesterday we buried one of the lambs, a weighty, hearty fellow - a very puzzling sheep death.
Earlier we'd been reminiscing about dear B-Puss our 'calico cat', at rest under a Cornus called 'Eddie's White Wonder'. B-Puss was our 'white wonder'. And every morning I walk past the refugee black cat's burial place, say hello, and tell him how sorry I am - he didn't ever get to enjoy my garden.
Ginger Percy Cat
Sunday 4th August
For me garden life would be very bland and flat without the animals. Watching the birds flitting between the crab-apple tree and the bird feeder on the pergola is fun. And there's usually a house cat or two curled up in a chair watching with me. These cats are far too mature and well-fed for any of that rude teeth-chattering, though. And I mustn't forget my dog! Oops - sorry, Rusty. Taking you for granted yet again...
So why am I twittering on? Because the power's off, and I was planning to do some web-work until the rain stopped. So this would be an excellent time to vacuum the house - wouldn't it? Or put on a load of washing, make a nice hot cup of coffee, and start sewing the curtains for the house bay window. Right? Hmm.... Electricity rules. Think I'll change into my gardening clothes. Might as well get wet.
Two Gardening Hours Later...
The rain did stop, and I've been cleaning up the old Dog Kennel Garden, which started life as a rockery. Guess what? Someone (me) planted unsuitably large plants in here, and now all the rocks are invisible, completely covered over. Anyway, I've sawn down a conical conifer which was misbehaving (one half was dead, the other half alive - not a good look). And trimmed the Phormiums. And peeped at a few of the rocks, hidden underneath a so-called dwarf Escallonia and lots of self-sown Carexes.
Cherry Rambler
I'm concerned about the cherry rambling rose on the nearby fence (the photograph above was taken in its heyday, in the summer of 2008). So much of it is dead, and I wonder if there's been some major die-back. I've mentioned this rose before, and I'll repeat myself sternly for the record - after flowering this summer I'm going to chop it all down, nearly to the base, cross my fingers and see what happens next. Ha!
Lilli-Puss
Much, Much Later...
What a groovy day! After lunch we went to visit Escher and took the dogs to the dog park. On the way home I was soooooo tired - how on earth would I stay awake? Aha! By burning my bonfire, that's how! So I raked up rubbish and cut down the huge Miscanthus in the Apple Tree Garden and trimmed the dead canes off Moonlight rose (a horrible job). The bonfire gurgled on, and on, and on.
Then I noticed it was dark, so I've come inside to crow, and chirp, and drink. I may not have the most sophisticated palate for wine, but Larry's home-made brew tastes just as smooth and subtle as that twenty-five dollar bottle of Roaring Meg (bought when I was trying to go upmarket, wine-wise). Think of the money I'll save - I could buy heaps of new shrubs, hee hee...
All's well in the animal world. There was a slight grey cat stand-off between Minimus (underneath the pergola) and Lilli-Puss (on Middle Bridge) - both watching each other, with me at the bonfire between them, acting as an impartial referee. I love both my grey cats, but they don't get on.
The Third Rule of Blogging
Remember the third rule of blogging? Don't blog and drink. So I'll stop now.
Monday 5th August
Remember the second law of blogging? If you don't have anything to say, then don't say it. Today I have been garden-lazy. It's been a beautiful day, so I did housework. Why on earth housework?
Rusty the Best Dog
But I did take my dog for a walk and we had THE most meaningful conversation ever. He agrees with me! Humans are daft sometimes, but this makes them much more interesting.