Distractions...

 A rambler, I think.
Unknown Rose

Finally, after puppy and kitten distractions, I've had a proper gardening day. I have been working so very hard! My face is very pink - it's the first sunny day we've had for ages. It's the first hard-working gardening I've done in ages, too. Nice to know that I've still got 'it'. Even if some days I only seem to have half of 'it'...

Sunday 14th December

I've been dealing to the weeds down the driveway, along the Allotment Gardens. I've been barrowing in mulch. Lots of weeds have arrived courtesy of my new top-soil, others from the 'fill' that was scooped up from next-door and dumped in the holes left by the tree-stumps. Oh well. Weeds or ugly gaping holes? What a choice!

A word about three roses planted on the edge of the Allotment Garden. One looks suspiciously 'rambly' in nature, and is cherry red. If it is, it will need a fence! Hee hee - the perfect excuse. Another, a droopy thing, looks like a fluffy white David Austin. The third I'm sure is Bonica, a compact pink rose, unspectacular but well-behaved.

And The Kittens...

And now on to the kittens Buster and Tiddles. More photographs - awwwwww! So cute! And not so long ago I was so worried that they didn't like it here, and that they didn't want to purr. Things have certainly moved on.

 On the Herb Spiral
Tiddles the Tabby Kitten

Little Tiddles zooms everywhere, spotty tail curved over her back like a hook. Buster loves to celebrate his blackness by lolling in the sun. And oh how they purr. They both indicate 'hello' whenever I appear. They are very easy, loving kittens, and I love them back very much.

 Such a pretty face.
Buster the Black Kitten

Right. I'm going back outside. I've set myself a target today to pull out all the fat hen - fat hens? - from the Welcome Garden and as a reward I'm allowed to soak in a hot bath. Fat hen is a weed, by the way.

Monday 15th December

Right, Winnie the puppy. The honeymoon is over. Let me introduce you to the scary rolled-up newspaper - actually several, placed in strategic locations, with which your rump is to be loudly pseudo-smacked when you ignore instructions.

 More of a doglet in size now!
Winnie the Puppy

One is at hand near the patio pot plants. The puppy has carted several of these inside and undone them (rather delicately) and scattered potting mix all over the floor rug. The poor orange Libertia has suffered enough, and I've placed it in a ceramic pot on top of the table out of reach.

 Burgundy Iceberg
Miscanthus and Rose

Aargh!

Another rolled-up newspaper sits outside the kittens' bedroom. This door has to stay open, for inside is their litter box and water bowl. Earlier today Winnie decided this was the perfect puppy paddling pool in which to splash and slosh her feet, then leave a trail of happy muddy paw-prints over the carpets. Aargh!

Yesterday Winnie decided she didn't want to leave the dog-park when Non-Gardening Partner and I did. This is after an hour of playing, zooming, running up and down over ladders, chasing tennis balls, and so on. So she ran off, and wouldn't respond. Grr again.

Only a Puppy...

It's like the supermarket where the toddler throws a tantrum and everyone looks at you. "She's only a puppy' I said pathetically as I switched between stalking and calling. Humph. Showing a hand cupped with dog-treats had no effect whatsoever. Next time my plan is to trick her with a tennis ball.

Now the new kittens are playing in cat lounge while big fat Tiger snoozes with half an eye open. All seems to be going OK on the feline front. Though I do have a cat who thinks he's a dog (Fluff-Fluff, who comes for walks with the dog-pack), and a hay-barn cat (Lilli-Puss) who smooches the bouncing, boisterous puppy, yet is timid with other humans. Dead odd. So who would you trust? Hmmm... Maybe best not to answer that.

Later...

I've just done an hour of dead-heading in the garden, and that, I'm afraid, is that for today. But I've been out for a music rehearsal, then a rather long lunch with human friends, and then to the dog-park with the dog-friends. I watched a Midsomer Murders on TV and played with the kittens. I've been spreading myself around. OK?

 Such a lovely dark pink shade.
Blackberry Nip Roses

I also finished scoring the last of the songs for the Blues Band I'm playing in. Michelle Shocked's 'If Love Was a Train' - what a brilliant song! Catchy as...