I promise to try harder in 2016….

Blog 28 / October 2015

 

 

 

 

In 2006 we bought 100 leylandii trees to form a hedge  between the car park and the ponds at the Relais in Watten, Nord, and when our business plans took a tumble and we decided to move on, we transported  20 little pot plants in the removal lorry and planted them in numerous places in our new garden, that was still a farmer’s field . Some have been left to develop but most have been grown and cut down in the 8 years that we have been here. These monsters are now on their way out for being far too independent and totally unruly to the point that we have been afraid to trim them, in case they take offence and put double growth on, out of spite.

Mike set off with all the tools required for the job and it was all over in a little more than an hour.  We have loaded all the dechete in a large pile and will leave it till the spring, leaving nature to deal with the bulk and perhaps offer some wild life a nice warm and dark place to bed down if it should turn cold.  We are always a little sad to chop trees down that we have planted and as the years go by we are doing this more and more.   But now that our farmer’s field is a mature and established garden I should think we will do this rejuvenation on a regular basis.

 
 

 

So there you have it, the allotment is now bathed in light and my strawberries are no longer dodging  tree shadows .We have a wider view to the house so all in all a good job done. Sadly this wood is no good for burning indoors so it will all go to the dump if we don’t think of something fantastically artistic to use it for during those long winter evenings planning the next garden project…

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkinalia was fun but many of our friends were away and what was billed as the event of the year was frequented by a few enthusiasts and we all had a jolly good time

 

I made a pumpkin pie, and although I followed the recipe to the letter it really was not fun to eat, so the chickens finished it up which made them happy for a little variety in their diet…no extra eggs in way of thanks

 

Mike bought me a selfie stick and I had such a good time just being silly, Mike and I have struggled with our double chins and wonky faces so this will make our together photographs nicer to keep…….

 

 

 

In the evening of  Pumpkinalia day and after the Rugby world cup….goodness what a full day we had…Mike and I joined our friends at a 1940’s dance in Blossville. We dressed up best we could as Mike and I find it hard to get into character but since our trip out in our 1936 Morris in June we are not so self-conscious. We had a really good night out with WW11 re-enactor enthusiasts and watched with interest at the jiving and dance floor fun had by all.  We are now rethinking our outfits, Mike will never put a uniform on but is happy to go civilian and that is all very good and acceptable, In June we did the D-day parade dressed as Free French so perhaps we can do a bit of research and head in that direction.

 

We did a 1940’s conga, an okee kokee, and there was such great, big band music played that we could not resist hitting the floor for one of those anything goes waltzes we had to do when we were young and out with our parents…….

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am determined to learn how to jive before the next Stage Door Canteen dance is organised ….I know all of you who know Mike will understand the mountain I will climb to get him on the jiving end of my arm…but  I will try …….

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the promise of a few good days we took the opportunity to get the last hanger-on apples down and Mike got his trusted gouly pole out which he used during our cider years and rattled the apples to the ground. I will now make apple juice for the freezer ready for those  cold dark winter days when you need the taste of a bit of autumn to cheer you up…

 

 

 

 

Job well done, and if this weather keeps up we will be ahead of ourselves at this busy closing down time when all the hatches are battened and anything that might damage in the garden is brought in for protection from the cold winter months ahead.

 

 

 

And finally, I had another great day in the sewing room and made a dress for Victoria and a waist coat for Alex in Canada.  I am looking forward to having more time during the winter months to lock myself away to be creative. It is a good job I put Sewing Wednesday in the diary  or else I would never find the time, but being retired is all about making the time and I am not very good at that as the garden always seems to take priority ……but I promise to try harder in 2016….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see the weather was extremely kind to us and we sat out in the sun as though it were July enjoying the unexpected joy of sitting out in the garden at the end of October.