Next

We lost, by the way.

On penalties.

Yet again.

Not that the uninspiring and pedestrian England team really deserved to make the semi-finals after that performance.

Two years until World Cup 2014 ...

In the meantime, since we need a laugh, and further to my obsession with foxes, I am sharing this gem with you.

Here We Go.

I am what you might call more than a football fan, more of a football fanatic when it comes to England.

So, as we have a Quarter Final against Italy tonight, I'd just like to say (and please, say it with me):

COME ON ENGLAND.

Let's go, boys.  Get us into the semi-finals.

Foxy Loxy

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with foxes, or why I love it so much when they come in my garden.



There he was, one recent morning, which had me running for the camera and snapping away as he examined the lawn.



He seemed to be finding something to eat. What that might be, I do not know.



Isn't he just gorgeous?



At this point Ginger must have been wondering what I was clicking away at, so went out to investigate. Didn't bother either of them much, really.



Except when Ginger decided to relieve himself, which piqued Foxy's interest.



"Do you mind?  A little privacy here?"




Didn't last long. He settled back down for a nap.




Drama over.  What a beautiful creature.

Hurrah

One bright spot of good news, the hosepipe ban has been lifted.  It only took them two and a half months to do so, after "the wettest April in over 100 years", and forecasters predicting "the wettest June on record."  "Monsoon June", the papers are calling it (don't you love the British press), which is about right when you factor in the very high winds, and flooding.

So whilst it is good news that should we need it, there is no longer a ban in place, I for one don't foresee any need to actually get the hosepipe out, based on recent conditions and the upcoming forecasts.  Last I heard, this "unsettled" (The Met Office's favourite word lately) weather will continue into July.

Here's a cherry snippet for the weather in the next 30 days or so: 

"Periods of unsettled weather are likely to continue although these will be interspersed with drier and sunnier conditions. Temperatures are expected to start off a little below the seasonal average, but possibly recovering to nearer normal later in the period. Rainfall amounts are generally expected to be close to the seasonal average, but may end up above normal towards southern and eastern parts."

Oh dear, Wimbledon starts soon ... well, that's more rain guaranteed then!

Four Day Weekend

One day's work.

That's right, out of a potential four days of gardening, I managed to dodge the raindrops to get in a day's work.  That includes a visit to the garden centre to pick out some plants on Sunday (generally an awful day) and the luxury of little rain in the afternoon on Monday.  Even a tiny bit of sun peeked out.

Sigh.


So, off to Phoebe's Garden Centre on Sunday to purchase three tomato plants, two courgettes, and a cucumber.  Two lovely little Nemesias because I couldn't resist.  Sadly none of the easy-carry just-add-water compost I'm so fond of.  A 10-litre bag of compost which was all we could carry, not nearly enough to do anything with.

Monday was promised to be at least fair.  But first I needed to get more compost because the plan is to plant the tomatoes in these.

I discovered that the local Homebase had something like my easy-carry compost.  Sadly, it filled one of these.  It is made by Miracle Gro, so I'm sure it's good, but obviously not nearly enough (more is on order from the internet).  So at the moment, all three tomato plants are in a temporary home, in the one.

That's not all I managed to do.  The herb border was being overrun - by weeds only, so that is now cleared (note the Jasmine is still alive - shhhhhhhhhhhh)




Job number 2:  clear the recently "Ready" vegetable border of cat poop.  It seems the cats have decided that, apart from any other part of the garden, this particular border is now their litter box.  That was the second purchase from Homebase:  Growing Success Cat Repellent.

This is not of course to repel the cats entirely from the garden, but from this plot.  I could get all sorts of cat repellents; sonic repellents and such, which would eject the cats from the garden completely.  But since I have a cat, no, all I wanted to do was keep them off the border.

So I cleared the patch - again - of poop, hoed, raked, ready once more.

This is when the disturbing thing happened.  There is no photographic evidence of this, it all happened so fast.  I'm not sure if the sequence of events is related, but here goes.  Ginger squats in the newly once again prepared patch (but not yet sprinkled with cat repellent).  I shout "no", and pick him up mid-squat and place him in an acceptable place.  He does his thing.  Fine.  He vacates the garden through the hole in the trellis, and minutes later returns with something squeaking in his mouth.  I heard the (loud) squeak before he appeared.  "Oh crap, is it a bird?".  No, it was a mouse.  In his mouth.  He sat and looked for approval.  "I've brought you a present".  "Oh crap".  Poor mousie.

Must remember to remove mouse body before I cut the grass.  I'm ... honoured.  Horrified.  That's never happened before.  "Good kitty" I say.  After all, it's what cats do and who am I to interfere in the nature of things.

Yuck.  (For the record I have no problem with mice.  Only spiders).

Border, by the way, is now sprinkled with Cat Repellent, and I'm happy to report when I looked today there was no poop.  It smells strongly of garlic - key ingredient, it seems - and seems to have done the trick.  Hurrah.

Even with all the rain today.

I leave with you a picture of the lovely Nemesias, in situ.  Berries and Cream, and Raspberries and Cream.



Am trying not to be too fed up with this gardening lark.