The garden gets a scalping...

Another fine bright day today and I am desperate to get the garden tidied - we want to completely revamp the piece in front of our bedroom window but it is going to be a work in process because before we can do anything permanent we need to tackle the water butt situation which is going to involve moving it or removing it.  We need to try and get a better solution to the rainwater coming off of the roofs and leaving the front awash.  

The front has been allowed to get a bit wild with so many self seeded plants but I was determined to be ruthless today although it grieves me to be so!  The only trouble with clearing vast areas of shingle is that it provides a massive toilet for the cats which is not pleasant and there were some initial visitations in the form of Minnie Mou and Charlie within minutes of me starting.

Why is it that when you start weeding or cutting back the job doesn't look that big and then all the waste seems to multiply like it expands when it is about to be discarded.  I thought my small bucket would be enough but as it happens I filled both the large bucket and the little bucket several times over.  The wild garlic got the heave-ho - it is pretty when it is in flower but there is a lot of leggy greenery beforehand.  The Californian and wild poppies also got pulled out along with some self seeded Cerinthe but now we can see the wood for the trees or at least the shingle for the weeds.  It looks tidier and gives us a starting point for this project.

I moved on to the larger bit of garden at the front which just needed a weed and a tidy but the Tecoma Capensis or Orange Trumpet shrub, which along with the bay tree is the only other original plant in the front garden, needed a massive haircut - the only trouble is that when you cut it hard back at this time of the year the inside is all bare and woody and quite unattractive - it should green up at least I hope it will otherwise its days are numbered!!!

John was tackling some odd jobs around the house which he had noticed like replacing the doors to the electricity meter and the telephone supply - the weather had caused the existing ones to swell and warp and they no longer fitted which meant if it were to rain the innards would get wet which is not recommended.  In fact we reckon our telephone wiring suffers when it rains anyway and we have no idea exactly what state it is in.  John once lifted the manhole cover out the front to find the wiring submerged in rain water - this cannot be good for it and may well be the reason why we sometimes get clicking and pixelating on the TV picture when it is raining heavily although I have to admit that recently we have had very few issues with our TV thankfully.

Periodically John likes to take Lakis's car for a run to make sure everything is working properly.  On a number of occasions this is the extent of the view I get - John with his head under the bonnet although today this was not because there was an issue it was because he was ensuring the battery was secure before we set off for Polis.  It was to be a quick visit to get rid of the recycling and to pick up a couple of bits in Paps.  On our way home we passed the Police doing some spot checks - we have seen them doing this much more regularly of late and I casually asked John if there was paperwork for the car to hand if we needed it and John said yes it was all in the glove compartment but then it occurred to me that Lakis and Argy and Kia had returned to the UK in October and road tax is due to be paid in January and I was guessing that probably Lakis had forgotten all about it which was not such a worry as they give you a bit of leeway for payment.  John said he would check when we got home and thank god he did because Lakis thought it was due at the same time as the MOT in 2020!!

Unbelievably it is the anniversary of Dad's death on Monday.   Sometimes it feels like yesterday and at others it seems like a lifetime ago.  

I have asked Mum if she wants to come and spend the day with us so that she is not on her own and we can go to the cemetery and then go out for some lunch together.  

I had been to check out the flower/plant situation a couple of days ago and cut back the Chrysanthemum which Aunty Joyce and Uncle David had put there last year.  I will bring that plant back home and try and nurture it back to its former glory and so we got something to replace it.  

I eventually opted for a very pretty geranium which was full of buds waiting to open and which should survive all weather conditions until the permanent surround and headstone is put in place then if it is still looking good it can be placed in the trough that we have asked to have at the opposite end to the headstone.  

You can tell what a good day it had been weatherwise when we showered this afternoon - the water was piping hot and plentiful courtesy of the solar panels which is a bonus!!!  However the glorious day led to a very cold evening with clear skies ensuring minimal temperatures so we dressed up warmly for our trip to Fitos with Rob and Di.  We were supposed to be joined by Edda, David and their son Julian but health issues meant this had to be cancelled but we kept the booking, adjusting the numbers to just the four of us.

Fitos has some very funky new patio heaters - they are very modern and industrial looking and the heating part is at a much lower level than with the traditional ones and as hot air rises I am guessing these make the room feel warmer - they are effective and I wasn't conscious of them being smelly but all that hot air does mean that the windows are dripping with condensation and so you have to be careful if you are sitting in a corner as you can get quite a chill off of the glass.  

We had a lovely evening.  There was some nutter in eating, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts but when he got up to leave it was fairly obvious that he had his fat to keep him warm as he was huge and would have given Mr Blobby a run for his money.  The food was delicious and as it was fairly quiet we had lots of attention from Fitos.  We just love that place when it is like that!!