Monday 24 August 2009

While Richard has been away I have been picking our produce, plus the goodies our neighbours have given us, and cooking and freezing like there is no tomorrow. The tomatoes have been fantastic and some of them are HUGE as you will see from the photo. When you cut them open, they are so fleshy and so sweet, just yummy. The garden looks dreadful because there
hasn't been rain for ages and we have lost so many trees, especially the fruit ones. The peach trees have lost their fruit and leaves so are standing naked, same with the apple tree, apples still clinging on but not growing at all, the pear has a few pears but they seem to have stopped growing as well. Even our massive lime tree has lost most of it's leaves now, the ones that are left are brown; we are kicking up leaves as we do in the autumn when we walk across the lawn, well I say lawn, there is NO green at all and it is being blown away. How very sad it all looks. The forecast has said we could expect storms tonight, going into tomorrow so perhaps we will get the rain we so desperately need. We just can't water everything because it comes from our mains water and we have a hosepipe ban now so it is a matter of watching everything close down before their time.

Richard is due home on Wednesday about lunchtime and I can't wait. I have to say I don't like being here on my own too much and with being scared stiff of storms, I'm not looking forward to tonight at all. What a whimp I am.

The family have all settled down back in the UK and Bill has completed his bike ride from Edinburgh to London, (525 miles) he arrived back yesterday evening (Sunday). Well done Bill, a real achievement, we are very proud of you.
Well, that will do for now, I seem to be rather boring at the moment so I will try and get some cheer in the next post for you. I will take some photos of Smokey and Sophie playing. They are an absolute delight though Sophie is such a tinker, a bit like a puppy because she chews everything, dives at ANYTHING that moves, especially my bare toes (ouch!) and her teeth are like little needles. Clare has advised me to get a spray bottle of water out and give her a little squirt when she does wrong which is a brilliant idea but I think I may get through a few gallons a day!!!! I will have to do something though because my body looks as though it's been through a war zone I have so many scratches on it. Bye for now, will talk again soon.

3 comments:

aims said...

This has been quite a different summer all around Hazel. We have not had any heat this summer at all. The pool - only used once after much complaining on my part to The Man to please put it up - sits at 62F - way too cold for anyone to swim in.

The river for rafting is holding in there but we didn't get our usual spring flood at all - it just didn't happen because the weather never warmed up. What does that mean for next year? Mayhem most likely.

I am near exhaustion with helping my brother. I feel another cold coming on. My brother fell off a ladder and hurt himself pretty badly. Everything then landed on my shoulders and it was very difficult for me.

Now I am home for a few days - to do laundry and try to rest. I have started making my own beads out of polymer clay and I'm very fascinated with it although I feel much like a dolt - especially compared to others. I look forward to discovering what I can do and then make jewelry out of it. A new adventure in learning for me.

I would love a storm to rock the barn and pound away over our heads. I survived a plowing tornado in our little trailer. I don't know how but I thought the roof was going to split open with the hail. My brother's little trailer got damaged and we had to make a special trip to buy the cover for the roof vent which shattered. The guide who lives in it for the summer said it was scary inside.

Your tomatoes look fantastic! We are getting the worst looking produce this year from all the stores it seems. I don't know what is up with that!

Living the Dream said...

Hi aims, lovely to hear from you again. I hope you get your batteries re-charged and you will be ready to put all your energy into your jewellry making. I have to say the bracelets I saw on your Big Blue Barn Knits site are absolutely stunning. I loved them, you are so clever. I hope your brother gets better soon and that your cold soon goes. Take care and talk again soon.

Anonymous said...

Hi Hazel... thanks for visiting my blog. http://www.hatchedandpatched.com.au/proddetail.asp?prod=BK006 There's a link from where I bought my book and kits for the bag I just finished making! Thought I'd save you the hard work and give you the link!! Hope it works!! Take care.