Lots of updates...
Phormium and Pittosporum
I am here. My winter garden is here. The hedge trimmer has gone, leaving lots of mess behind. I am procrastinating, naturally. But the bonfire is ready to go - sorry about this, but needs must. Aargh! Prepare for lots of tedious updates...
Five Hours Later...
OK, so the first day of the great clean-up is over. I've been mixing up the Leyland trimmings with Cordyline leaves and dead Phormium leaves. It's been a smoky, sulky bonfire - the heap already sitting there was still a bit wet from the rain. But it's a start. Yes! Blow by blow accounts of the daily burning are going to be tedious. As will be my day by day reports on the re-socialisation of Lilli-Puss. Alas, these two things are going to take up a large part of my days to come.
Sunday 13th June
A calm morning - if singing in a Stravinsky Mass could be deemed calm. And now I'm enjoying a slow afternoon. The weather's not right for burning, so I'm off to sit with Lilli, have a cup of tea, and read my book. Could easily doze off - one of those afternoons.
The trailer is back, and I can fill it tomorrow. I can bonfire tomorrow. I can work really hard tomorrow. Today I can concentrate on walking my dogs and looking after my cats.
Lilli-Puss
Monday 14th June
So here's the Lilli Update for today. She's a hybrid. There's her wild side - a few mild hisses, her detachment from people, her instinct to gobble food as if it's her last meal. Then she softens and smooches, miaows like a proper cat, and purrs with a gentle chin tickle.
How has Lilli been living?
So how has she been living for the last six years? A barn cat, tolerated and fed a bit, but not really handled? An itinerant opportunist, sneaking through cat-doors in the night to pinch food? She has definitely NOT been snuggled up, warm and cosy, on some old lady's bed.
Now here's the garden update. It looks oh so wintry - wet, with lots of brown, autumn leaves dead and down, waiting to be bagged up. The trailer is full of Cordyline leaves, waiting to be burnt. Hedge trimmings line the driveway and cover the edge of the paddocks. Oh boy. Oh joy. There is much winter work for me to do, yes?
Winter Garden
Winnie :- Winnie is recovering from cruciate ligament surgery.
Now how about a Winnie the dog update? It's the fourth week since her operation. She tells me she's perfectly fixed and mended, ready for Collie Cross-Country Racing, thank you very much. I tell her she's on a leash until September. Oh dear!
Much Later...
I'm sure there's a gardening rule which says : Do not light your bonfire in fog. And if there isn't, well there jolly well should be. So I poked around doing music instead, rescoring the song called Moaning for my choir. And that's that, really. Lilli-Puss didn't hiss at me today. Small steps.
Tuesday 15th June
Aha! Another Lilli-Puss update (sooooo sorry about this). A bit of light purring and smooching. She's a bit unnerving, though - she stares intently at me as I talk to her. I wish she could tell me what she's thinking, even if it's only 'Who is this daft old lady?'
My Horrible Bonfire
Blast! No fog. And no roof painters. So what does this mean for today? Aargh!
Two hours later...
Two horrible hours. The stuff I have to to burn is so wet. Not happy. So smoky, couldn't get the seat of the bonfire hot enough. Gave up. Walked my dogs, had a cup of tea with Lilli-Puss. Then decided that I was being a wimp. Went back outside, did another couple of hours. Walked my dogs again, showered and washed my hair, had another cup of tea with Lilli-Puss. Told her about my horrible bonfire. She stared intently at my face. Oh joy. So this is my commitment for the rest of her life, right?
Yeay for dogs!
No limping from Winnie the dog, who is now allowed longer walks. Yeay for dogs! They are far less complicated than cats.