Lessons learned

I participated this evening in my first Zoom drinks with two old friends in different parts of the country. We’ve struggled for ages to get together. Inevitably one of us is unable to make it when the others can. We could have been doing this ages ago! The only major downside was that Bernice’s son kept her supplied with top ups and chocolate and Jules and I had to struggle manfully on alone looking on in envy. For the next one we plan to have the drinks lined up in advance.

Another new learning this week was the discovery that I can shovel both right and left handedly. Keith press-ganged me into potato patch prep and I have shunted 9 barrowloads down to the spud patch and a further 4 for general use in the flowery bit. Thinking, after the first 3 yesterday, that I was surely going to end up looking like Popeye with a single giant muscly arm I experimentally switched to the other – which was fine. I was feeling quite pleased with myself til Keith said he could as well as that was the only way to get in the corners of the dumpy bag. I feel, however, that there is a difference between the odd corner exploration and 3 big barrowloads. Audience feedback would be welcome.

I had the usual spring dark night of the soul yesterday, when I looked at the garden and wondered if I was insane to take it on. However I filled 2 dumpy bags (now emptied of compost) with cutting back twigs and so on and it looked much better today. There is a messy bit I am almost certainly not going to be able to sort out before summer so I have resolved to plant something tall in front of it. Job done.

Lyra has moved on from slipper theft – the new item of choice is the kneeling mat for weeding…..

Lots of white things out at the moment and interesting leaves promising allium action.

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