A dollop of faith...
The Herb Spiral
Even one day spent poking, pulling, and clearing makes my garden look better. It really doesn't take much. Just energy, hand tools, a chunk of time, and a dollop of faith.
My efforts to remove the dead rambling woodshed rose (AKA Paul Transon) might not be quite as visible. This will take months? Probably. Aargh!
Tuesday 30th November
Good morning, Tuesday, last day of November. Speckles arrived late in the night, a super scaredy cat at first, but then he relaxed and ate his meal.
And here's Lilli-Puss, my cat who went missing for six years - she's just jumped onto my lap. Am having a slightly one-way cuddle with her, gently taking forget-me-not biddi-bids off her fur. Dear old cat!
So today I'm going to sort out that rose. Let me put that another way. I should sort out that rose. Oh boy. This is going to be a pretty tricky removal. But I've tackled worse jobs and managed to get them done. Eventually. With a bit of Non-Gardening Partner help thrown in.
Much later...
Oops. I didn't even look at it. I went swimming, had lunch at a cafe, came home and planted some purple cornflowers, then sat on the cottage verandah to read my book. Much more peaceful than waving the loppers around...
Peaceful View From Cottage Verandah
After ten minutes, Speckles (the stray talking cat) announced his arrival with a series of gentle miaows. I had a wee bit of dried food in my pocket, so I fed him (he took a couple of brave bites of food from my hand).
Speckles the Visiting Cat
Progress!
Then he sat nearby and watched me for the next twenty minutes. Exciting progress! Again I must give thanks for the generous spirit of Minimus the cottage cat, snoozing on her chair, ignoring both of us.
Sorry, Tuesday, if you're a bit disappointed in me, reading and sitting around rather than gardening. I promise to do better tomorrow.
Tuesday 1st December
Have had another animals day, so far. Firstly Lilli-Puss came for a walk with the dogs (she likes to follow them), so we went slowly around the driveway and over the back lawn. Then I popped her back safely in the house (in case she got lost) and took the dogs on a proper walk around the orchard.
Not a Fred...
Earlier Speckles the stray had arrived at the cottage door for breakfast - this is a first. And no scaredy-cat big eyes this time. Minimus my cottage cat checked him out : 'A Fred! Oh - not a Fred. It's only you!'. She jumped back on the bed to wash her bottom.
Lilli-Puss with Pebbles
Feeling thoroughly dog and cat affirmed, I'm now going to do my piano practice. Then - ahem - I will finish scraping weeds off the woodshed path and start to dismantle the dead rose. Aargh! Wish me luck. This rose aint pretty.