Project and digging

I am tired as I type this; today has been a full day and I have used lots of energy and sweated a couple of buckets at least so we shall see just how much of this blog I get done in my usual gobby style before I get bored and go for the more basic type of style. You have avoided another mainly black video in this blog taken last night as it really didn't come out but this is quite a shame really. I wish I had a really good video camera. There was a distant huge storm which was lighting up the clouds in such a beautiful way; I stood out on the balcony for about ten or fifteen minutes last night before heading to be just to watch and appreciate the beauty. A few times there was simultaneous forked and sheet lightning and this was most stunning of all.

Early morning mist

I headed inside eventually and dropped off to sleep but I was disturbed a bit in the night by quite strong winds which howled through the roof above my head (which is quite in need of renewing) and some desultory flashes which did light the room up a bit. This must have been the outlying dregs of the storm and I am pretty glad it stayed well away. I did sleep pretty well after the wind died but I was woken just before 6am by Rambo going nuts and barking at something above their compound. I ignored him for a bit but then got out of bed to see what was happening and was pleased I did as it both shut him up so I could get back to sleep, and allowed me to get an early photograph of a lovely morning.

Morning has broken

It was a couple of hours later that I woke again and I went out again on the balcony in the early morning sun to get another picture. It was a lovely view and, with the boys being quite quiet yet still welcoming me it was a great start to the day. I woke at the same time as the UK half and had a brief chat with my brew before heading out to feed the boys.

Post breakfast faces

The good start to the day was continued out there as, apart from the standard barking and jumping around from Ralf, and Rambo jumping up a couple of times, they were really obedient and Ralf again sat down in his corner and waited while I placed the bowls and ate only when allowed. Long may this continue. Again after they both finished we sat for a few minutes together, while I emptied the tea, and they were also chilled during this time.

Posh scrambled eggs on toast

For the first time since my Special Guest was here I decided to do posh scrambled eggs for breakfast as my bacon block was too small to slice for normal bacon and I was so pleased I made this choice. I chopping some mushrooms, added a chili and fried that off, then some eggs and a few chopped olives and onto toast with Daddies Brown sauce and I was a very happy man indeed.

Lovely wasp

As I was just finishing eating the same wood wasp that was flying around in here yesterday returned but it was not looking very healthy really. It staggered around a bit, landing and walking more than it was flying, and then after I was able to watch it for quite a while (while chatting to S on facebook which was nice) before it flew off drunkenly and disappeared again. I think it was on its last legs which is a shame as I love these wasps.

Just after she has been fed and watered

Shortly after this I fed and watered Sassy and she was looking really chilled out as well, squatting on the top shelf of her cage, so I grabbed the camera and took a load of pictures. I do spend time with her every day and she always makes me happy as she hops around my feet and sniffs my hand then lets me pet and scratch her head. I love the idea I have for where her home will be, maybe even next year if the living room gets done, so she can be central to our lives. She's a top bunny rabbit.

The melons are growing fast

After this I went out to let Ralf have a wee, and I took one of the old cucumbers and a load of cabbage, and dropped it in for the boys; they have lots of green things growing but it is nice to be able to provide them with extra. I could see Shiva but not Jesus so I will be checking them more often to double check Jesus is still around. When I looked later today Shiva was still in sight and again no Jesus. A little concerning, but not something I'm that surprised by as they have loads of space in there. I checked the free water at this point and found that I had pressure so I quickly did the watering round with the hose, including the Olive trees and Melons which have really grown fast.

Ralf just putting the kong back down

One thing which was new about this visit was me not putting Ralf on his lead; he proved my faith in him by staying pretty close to me and, other than running off with the kong (I again failed to get a picture of him carrying it which is so funny as it is so big compared to his head) and chewing it for a bit he was very obedient and always came when I called him. The super tough training schedule is starting to really pay dividends.

Gorgeous Zinnia

I filled the watering can and then, again taking a little risk, went up onto the top bank without putting Ralf back on his lead. He was excited, running around a lot, but always staying pretty close to me and even when he went up by the fence, near where he had chased that hare, he returned to me immediately I called. The Zinnia which has flowered is looking really beautiful and I spent a fair bit of time up there giving them a really good deep water; allowing each application to soak in before pouring more on.

The clouds sweeping in for the day

As I was on the top bank I could see a raft of cloud heading in my direction and covering the sun and sure enough it kept coming and all day there has been very little sign of the sun and really heavy cloud cover. At this time, however, it was still gorgeous and even the clouds coming in added to the view.

My project

I returned inside for another cup of tea and a chat and then decided to go outside and get started with my task for the day - digging out the small vegetable bed on the left in the fenced garden. I got outside and had just gathered all my tools together and made a start and I heard a car pull up and it was Lubo, early for our meeting about the kitchen wall and project. I greeted him and we went inside where Ralf bothered his heels continually as he could smell Lubo's cat on him. First of all we went to the kitchen and drew all over the wall with where the wall can be knocked down. You will have to wait for tomorrow to see about that as I have not taken a picture of it. The main reason for the visit was for me to review the project and sign each section. Apart from a little concern where Lubo had drawn lots of electrical plans without having discussed any of it with me (he said the inspection will be purely for safety and not checking I have carried out the exact plan) I was happy enough and signed them all.

This was my entire target for the day

Once Lubo headed off, with the huge amount of paperwork in his super strong Lidl bag (not the most professional of images, but then that's Lubo) I made a brew and headed out to get the digging done. It was cooler than it has been for the last couple of days and this was a very good thing as I found the ground, which I had hoped would be a bit easier to dig over, was actually quite compacted and hard to break up. It took just over an hour to go from the first dig to the completed bed though I would need to add some more gravel to fully bed the border beams in place.

I was super sweaty, and pretty tired, after this so I had a lovely shower as soon as I came in, then went upstairs to rest for a bit, try and rustle some paid work up, and have lunch which was cheese, tomato and cucumber sandwiches, and also bounce a few emails around and finally (yes, a lot happened) the cricket started as I came in so I popped that on as well and enjoyed seeing some good English bowling.

Partially dug over the remaining bed

After eating I decided to head back outside and give it a go at the final vegetable bed that I have laid out and I put some serious graft in getting what at the time I thought was about half of the bed dug over but I reckon now as probably only a third. I stopped when I started to get a little light headed and the sweat was running over my forehead and I thought it was raining as it landed on my hands and arms as I was digging. I headed inside and had a brew, a slice of cheese and some chocolate biscuits and pretty quickly felt better.

There was cloud cover all day today

As I said earlier the clouds have been overhead all day and at times it has even felt a little cold when the wind picked up and I also heard some big rumbles of thunder which fortunately never came closer than that. I still got very hot digging but it was less oppressive than it has been and that is a sign of me settling in to living here; being HAPPY that it is overcast on the last few days before August.

Only a little left to do

I went back out and worked really hard again, once more with the sweat pouring off me and dripping down my face and back and arms and all over me actually, smeared in mud and probably a right sight, but enjoying my graft which cheered me up from the slight jaded feeling I had suffered first thing, and finished digging the whole of the large bed and then put in three of the six beams for the border. I quit when I started feeling like it was ready to stop and I will finish this tomorrow morning; I have achieved more than I was expecting to (I had scoped my plans to just the first bed I finished before lunch) so leaving it half done wasn't a terrible feeling.

Dinner in the oven

So I went inside, had another awesome shower and headed upstairs to spend the evening watching the cricket and then starting this blog and finally making my dinner. I was so uninspired I didn't start cooking for a fair while but then I had the idea to make a casserole with the two sausages left from yesterday, three slightly over ripe tomatoes given me by the Little Lady this morning (who was almost in tears, bless her, as she tried to tell me there had been a catastrophe in the village down the hill and someone had died. I don't know who. It really is terrible to not be able to understand her sometimes) some mushrooms and half an onion and then finally a sliced dried chili. I slammed it all together and put it into the oven at about 190 degrees and left it to cook.

I spent time typing this up, checking the food every now and then and after about half an hour popped the heat up, and also gave it a bit of a stir a little after that as well. I waited for it to be bubbling, and my hunger to really get up, and then served it up and wow it was amazing. So flavoursome, tender, varied and also very hot - I sweated, nose ran and even got a little lightheaded as I drank down the sauce left after I had eaten the solid elements. Amazing.

A missing brick; a sunset shot

While I have been inside the clouds have blown away and left me with a lovely clear evening. This is perfect for me as I have been able to pop onto the roof a few times in the evening and enjoy the sight of the sun going down and the clouds blowing away. I did take some of the standard boring shots of the sunset but as I was coming back down one time I saw the red light streaming in through a hole in the wall and got a really arty picture for you.

So that is my day; time for my evening chatter, then bed, and tomorrow my plans have changed so I will be going to Lidl to buy them out of those lovely chili plants to put in the Hugelkultur (if they haven't already sold out again) so we never run out of chilis again.