Is it really that long since I did this?

Thing is, th'Limpits was actually quite good, especially the bit where we won stuff, but on a serious note, Seb Coe? Boris Johnson - what the freaking hell does he take to get like that and THAT hair, he must have got it from some obscure DIY shop, you know the sort, they sell individual nails and screws and they put things in brown paper bags still. 

BUT, the best moment was Gideon getting the bird from 80,000 in th'Limpit stadium - whose dumb idea was that, "Yes George, good PR, go to th'Limpits and stand out in the open with a gold trinket. That'll sort out all the problems and send us flying high in th'Pinion Polls." And one last thing before th'Limpits gets to Rio (what will they do with the kids on the streets this time?) if Cammo claims the Volunteers as an example of the Big Society one more time, I shall... Well, I shall! 

See, the thing is, people have "volunteered" to help others since time immemorial. From doing a bit of shopping for a sick or elderly, or both, neighbour to helping out on the school PTA to collecting jumble for some obscure cause you believe in or, wait for it, some needy political party that is struggling for support. Here is a Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the Lickle People Party (that's the Lib-Dems to you, 'cos at the next election that's what they'll be, Lickle... And if they actually call themselves The Lickle People Party they might just get a few sympathy votes.)

Since I was last here I have picked up two more gardens and have a very healthy full few weeks up 'til the end of October, which is good, as I have missed so many days over the summer - what summer? - don't think I've been so wet so frequently. Wetter than a wet thing that's been swimming, forgot their towel and then walked in the rain without a coat or umbrella-ella-ella-ella...

Anyhoo - why do I say that? Anyhoo, here be some pictures from the last six weeks or so:

Our own garden, looking  a tad unloved...

...bit of hedge trimming at home, busman's hols!!!

Some of the trees at Rebecca's in Quainton

Occasional work in Hudnall, just outside Berkhamsted - this
and next two shots

The new "big" house. This place is a beauty, about a mile from home and has so much grass and so many hedges they have one bloke to do the grass, one to do the hedges and me, to do the rest...

I actually trimmed this hedge, the longest single hedge I think
I've ever done. About 80 metres long - that pen houses the
pig, no not Boris or Osbourne, The Pig, see below...

I trained this clematis in the Spring - and it did what it was told

Tom & Vicky's place in Aldbury. I'm going to get rid of most of the gravel and enlarge the lawn area. Lawd knows when, but hopefully before the end of Autumn

A long bed at the new "big" house. Before...

The Pig...

A long bed at the new "big" house. After

New lawn needed methinks. Quainton again

The new "big" house.. Awright for some eh?

Me new bezzie. She's very old and very blind, bless...

So, there you have it, apologies for so many new pix, but I have been most neglectful during these past few weeks and felt the need to catch up.

Oh yeah, Th'Aralimpits, what an inspiration; what a cornucopia of togetherness; what a delight to see Ellie Simmond's smile again. Blind football? Wheelchair rugby? Archery without arms? You couldn't make it up...

Happy whatever!

Si-Botic

Dear Lord and Father of...

...humankind, forgive our cockamamy ways...


Listen, there must be something going on. It's obvious isn't it? All this weather we are having, it just can't be right. Too wet, too windy, but most of all too naffing cold. Quite frankly I am now pissed off. I can't work and if I don't work, blah blah blah...


Strangely though, on Monday this:

23-04-12

Turned into this:

30-04-12

What a difference a week makes, but then again I am not working today again, which is the third week on the trot that I have missed a day of work. It's becoming an obsession, I should learn to relax; ommmmmmmmmmmmmm...


Seriously though, I don't mind the wet or even the wind, it's the cold that gets to me. I reckon I haven't yet got used to the cold since coming back from our three year sojourn in Oz - that's the Antipodean rather large island as against the wonderful land of... OK, it was all of 42 years ago we got back, but I continue to not appreciate having me nutz frozen orf.


Anyway, Pat's on Monday. It was actually quite nice all day. I even cut the grass and doesn't it look nice:

The wisteria continues to flourish

Nice tulips, new this year. I think they are Tulipa viridiflora, 'Spring Green' - isn't that nice?

I believe this is Clematis 'Montana Rubens'. Masses of flowers every year and never fails...

The partare at Pat's, with freshly trimmed box hedges. I love trimming
up hedges, it's what I go to bed dreaming of!

Another post later on with a rather sad welcome for me at Rebecca's on Tuesday this week, a la this:

This is the horse chestnut at the top of the drive in
Quainton. A branch was lost in the storms at the weekend.

Laters! Or should I say L8rs?


Happy chopping!

Back in my day droughts weren't wet...

As I have said in the past, I am not one for moaning really. Not a whinger or a whiner; not me. BUT, oh dear, what the bejesus is going on out there in the big wide world?


THIS:

The only thing to do is sit in the car with a nice cuppa...

Thing is, of course this rain will be the wrong kind of rain. It won't replenish the reservoirs or top up the underground natural sources and I won't be able to work. That last statement is nice if you don't have to work, but seeing as I need to work, it's, quite frankly, boring. As I sit here the sun is shining, but there is a massive black cloud coming in over the Chilterns, looking like it's gonna dump a biblical amount of water yet again. Apparently this current drought is due to a blocking anti-cyclone - sounds like something that goes wrong with your Dyson. 


Anyway, there we are, drought, schmought, I just hope I can get back to work tomorrow (Thursday 26th April). I have a conifer to chop down, so it doesn't really matter if it's raining - just a lot of mud to roll about in again (mud wrestling a conifer does not sound like a good idea though...)


I have doen some nice work over the last 10 days though, here are some pictures...

Julie's last week, little bit of weeding, etc

Isn't it ironic? New grass once settled in looks so much better than old grass. I'm going to tidy up the edges of the new stuff and re-seed so it kind of blends together. As they say, work in progress...

...love it, here comes summer... and the bluebells

Another bit of "cruel to be kind" pruning at Pat's place. Titchmarsh
should stick to gardening - fine advice, the cruel stuff

And talking of cruel to be kind, the wisteria carries on on it's wispy way, can't wait for the flowers to bloom

Oh, blue sky has appeared above the Chilterns, but just been out to look at the chickens and the run is like a mud bath and the gells are looking most bedraggled. We continue to get 4 eggs a day, which is good as Alison had loads of cakes to make in the coming weeks, plus we have the Aldbury Mayday Fayre to prepare for. Here is the stall from last year...

A splendid cornucopia of loveliness...

So, there we have it, that was Monday, Tuesday was actually totally dry and I will post some pictures from then in a little while.

Happy munching!

The new year arrives...

...and it was mild enough to get out and tidy my own garden - what a novelty!


The garden looks sad, but at least we can see it now. Lots of seed heads to gather still, must dig out the old clematis and prepare the ground for the new grape vine in Spring. AND, most importantly, make plans for the allotment, I will not neglect it at all this year!


First proper blog, I hope someone sees it...