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Plants

Pic of the week 5/5/24

At last, yesterday the sun shone. It has been a very long, wet autumn into winter into spring, the sky has been seemingly permanently leaden grey, with rain constantly tumbling from the skies. And Spring has been cold, too. Yesterday was the first day I wore shorts – and today I’m back in my jeans, after the early promise of an alright early morning gave way to drizzle.

But I do think it has warmed up enough to start introducing my over-wintered geraniums and spider plants to the out doors, to start hardening them off.  I wrote about them here in November: http://aboutstuff.co.uk/garden/indoor-gardening/ – I started with six geraniums and twelve spider plants that I bought of ebay. I’ve learned a  lot about how much or little water and light they have needed over the winter, and I have enjoyed my regime of nurturing and watering.  Five geraniums and eight spider plants have made it through the long, dark, wet winter and will, in the next few weeks, take up their summer residence outside. (I tried to keep a few geraniums alive outside, this was not successful.) The geraniums are looking particularly healthy, with plenty of new green growth – will they flower, that is the next question?

We’ve also purchased a lot of geranium plants – with going away for a month in July we need plants that will be tolerant of neglect in our absence – and they are now waiting for planting up. I won’t be planting lobelia this year, I’m not sure they will survive our absence.  The plan is to sow Cosmos in the front bed/trugs to go with the geranium and spider plants, and to also plant nasturtium seeds which so also, hopefully, survive (thrive) on neglect.

The alliums are now coming into flower and the garden is looking good.

And I’m including this photo (below) as a bit of a guide to see where there will be space to plant some more bulbs into the lawn come September (gave it a mow yesterday)

 

This morning I ran 10K – the first time since January. The weather was still (and dry!) and, although I wasn’t running swiftly, I felt I was cruising comfortably, so it was (relatively) easy to add the extra 3K loop onto the end of my run to make it a 10K run. Ran it 49m 30 sec.

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10K!

Pic of the week 26/11/23

Today I ran my first 10K of the year!

I had been losing my love of running at the tail end of last year and had stopped regularly running 10K – running 7K instead – in October ’22 (although I did clock up two 10Ks in Dec ’22) and then with my plantar fasciitis my running dropped off significantly this year.  But in April I got going again, but 7K was still very much my limit – I lacked the energy or inclination to go any further.

But over the last couple of months I’ve got my running mojo back, my times have improved and in this month (November) I’ve been adding an extra 1k onto my seven K run as I felt I had a little bit left in the tank.

Today, I did the extra 3K loop after my 7K run to complete my first 10K of the year. Wasn’t too bad at all, took it comfortably within my stride (pun intended) Annoyingly, map my run was playing up, so I didn’t get any splits, or an accurate time, but I ran it faster than I did last December. Am pleased with myself, now need to build on this and make it a more regular occurrence.

In other news, the temperature dropped on Friday night and we had our first frost of the year – quite a hard one.  I had bought some agricultural fleece and cocooned some of my geraniums and nasturtiums under it – my aim is to try and see some of the former through winter and spring to bloom again in the summer. So far so good, but I will now be a slave to the nightly weather forecast …   (I kept the fleece on over Saturday night as well, another cold one.  Its been cold all day now, but the temperature is warming (but still cold!) – typical grey, damp and cold late November: not nice!)

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Cars, bikes and pavements

Pic of the week

Well, what a full week this has been!

Monday saw the 205 complete (not pass, but not abandoned!) its MOT. It didn’t pass – I didn’t expect it too, but was surprised that it failed on a couple of brake lines being corroded and headlight alignment. After some initial disappointment, I have decided that these are not major jobs and I will do them myself, as a summer poject.

Tuesday saw me back in the saddle – spinning at Strode leisure centre for the first time since the pandemic. It was tough, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, I may be tempted to return …

On Wednesday we went to Cornwall in the rain (and returned in the rain – it pretty much rained all day) for a gathering of the Woodhouse clan.  A long way to go, but a nice afternoon.

Thursday – a big day: I ran again for the first time since my plantar fasciitis. It was not easy, partly because I was conscious of my foot, and partly because I haven’t run for 4 months. I ended up running 4Km, my foot was OK afterwards, but my left calf felt like a knotted ball. I ran again on Saturday, this time running nearly 6 Km (the 3km “Grange-High Street” loop twice) It felt good to be running again. I think I do need to manage my miles – my foot doesn’t hurt, but I’m “aware” of it – not sure its still 100% recovered. Have also swum a couple of times as well.

Friday was lovely day, weather wise, and spent much of it in the garden, doing some pruning, but also a lot of reading and soaking up the sun.  After much promise, though, sadly neither Saturday nor today lived up to the promise of more good weather, and now it seems the rain will be back tomorrow (good job we are off to Greece (Rhodes) on Wednesday).  Over Friday and today, I chopped back the “brown” tree and the buddleia, reducing both significantly in height, a job that needed doing.

In addition, on Tuesday, the cooker stopped working. It was the heating element – quick bit of fault diagnosis, part identified and ordered, arrived on Thursday and within 20 minutes I’d fixed it. On Monday, the Corsa threw a EML light – Sam thought it was like when the timing belt slipped 18 months ago, diagnostics showed a misfire on cylinder 4, and after initially finding no fault, I was able to replicate it – a low speed lack of power.  Whipped of the coil pack and found some moisture ingress around the no. 4 spark plug: cleaned it up, dried it off and the problem seems to have gone away. Pretty sure that this was the cause and correct solution.

So a busy week, a full week, but an enjoyable week.

 

 

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Summertime?

Pic of the week 8/5/22

With warm sunshine and clear blue skies, it does feel as though summer may have arrived, and I have had a very busy day today, making the most of the weather.

First up I ran, the first time without gloves, and also no under armour, was just a T-shirt day today for running, it seems a long time since I did that.  My running feels like it is OK, but the times are not quick, only just managing to sneak under 50 mins for the 10K.

I then spent a happy hour or so changing the coolant on the Corsa.  When I returned from taking Sam back to Cardiff the level dis seem low, so I drained the system, removed and (attempted to) cleaned the expansion tank (I couldn’t get all the gunk out) and refilled it with fresh coolant.  I will keep an eye on it to see if it is using an excessive amount.

And then I spent much of the rest of the day gardening. I planted up a number of pots with geranium and lobelia, and in the big trug on the lower deck I planted some geraniums and lobelia and also some sunflower seeds, some  “Evening sun” multi-headed, multi coloured sunflowers, and some “Little Dorrit” dwarf sunflowers, always exciting to see if they pop up.

And I have also planted x6 pumpkin seeds in small pots on the windowsill of my room, the plan is to plant them out when germinated and strong enough to face the demands of my poor soil.

Oh, and on Monday, I replaced the hot tap cartridge valve in the kitchen tap to stop it dripping.

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Injury!

Pic of the week 21/11/21

On Wednesday I pinged a muscle.

I was doing the line for the U15 ISFA cup game and, about 5 mins in, set off at a sprint to follow play. I felt something “go” at the top of my left calf. I hobbled on and it seemed to get better, by then another quick turn of pace, and another stabbing pain. By the end of the game I could walk with a heavy limp, but I couldn’t run. It hurt.

Wednesday night is yoga night and I wasn’t sure if I should go or not, but I did go and I’m glad I did. You can tell when a stretch is  a good stretch or a bad stretch, and I pushed the former hard, and relaxed when I felt the latter. By the next day, my leg was much better (although it may just have been all my other muscles aching, post yoga, and masking the pain of my pulled muscle.)

On Saturday I refereed our U18 girls – I couldn’t run quickly, but ambled my way through 80 minutes, but it did tell me I shouldn’t run today, so I didn’t. Instead I swam, swimming 50 lengths. Wasn’t really looking forward to it as I walked down to the pool, but really enjoyed it once I was in. Come the Christmas holidays I must look to increase my swimming.  (I hope to be back running again next week)

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(no) Gloves

Pic of the week 3/10/21

Well, like a switch, summer has ended and autumn has begun.

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and warmth, but come Monday the rains came and the temperature has dropped – it now feels distinctly cold at times.

Yesterday- like a couple of days in the week – it absolutely pelted it down with rain but today dawned bright and clear and I was pleased that it was so as I set off on my run. I was (sensibly) wearing my long sleeved base layer top under my T-shirt, but a few Ks in I was beginning to regret not wearing gloves as my hands were staying stubbornly cold. By the end of my run they were fine – its hard to note when they stopped feeling cold, I reckon it was probably about the 5 K mark.  Anyway, it was a good run, I did 10K in pretty much 48 mins on the nose, and I do feel that I have my running mojo back.

In other news, it was haircut week this week – the pic is, of course, Becky’s “before” photo. I must admit, I always feel better when I’ve had my haircut. Its fine for about 3 weeks, but the fourth week before cutting it just feels heavy and shapeless.

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Double Dab

Pic of the week 30/5/21

On Tuesday I had my second dose of the Astra Zenica covid jab, and on Thursday Becky had her second dose.

Pleased to have got my second jab in – should be safe now!

Half term had finally arrived, after a long and tiring seven week term. And the weather has changed for the better as well – after a cold April and a wet May, yesterday and today has seen the sun shine and the temperature rise, which has been wonderful. Went for a lovely walk yesterday morning, this morning I did a 10K run – didn’t feel too difficult, but was slow. On Wednesday I ran 10K in school in an attempt to “beat the Head” (I didn’t!) and that was really tough – running on grass just seemed to sap the energy from me, there was no bounce to my rhythm.  I do need to spend some of this half-term getting myself back to a level of fitness I haven’t known for many months.

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Glastonbury 10K

Pic of the week 2/5/21

Today was the Glastonbury 10K road race.

A new route, to avoid the crowds in Glastonbury High Street, and we were set off in waves, I was in wave 11, those with an estimated time of 47 mins.  This time was the time I gave for my entry in 2020, which was cancelled due to Covid, and was a bit optimistic. But the “new” course is very flat – from Strode, along the back lanes towards Baltonsborough for 5K, then turn round and come back – and therefore quite quick.

As ever in these races, I set of with racing snakes at too swift a pace – 1st K in 4 mins 30 secs – the race was tough, but I completed it in 47 min 42 secs, a whole minute faster than I have run a 10K this year.  I finished 222nd out 760 runners, and 19th out of 56 in the M50 category (Males between 50 and 55)

I’m pleased I ran it, am pleased with my time, let’s hope that events like today signal some sort of return to normality.

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10K

Pic of the week 7/2/21

Its been strange week, Tuesday was (actually) Groundhog Day and it certainly lived up to its name. A low point in lockdown – weather was cold and damp, everything was just “bluhh” and everyone in the house was just fed up. But this is the key – recognising when you reached the nadir, so you do something to lift you from the gloom and despondency. I ran on Wednesday lunchtime, only 5K but everything was better after that. Music is my other route out of the doldrums, but running is better; I think I am addicted to endorphins.

On Saturday morning I went for a lovely long walk with Becky, walking to essentially the corner of Ham Wall.  Although cold, the sun shone and the spirits lifted. A lockdown bonus is that I would never have known some of the places that exist on our doorstep.

And today I went for my Sunday morning run. I was planning on doing my 7K, with a possible 1K extension, but for the first time since my back injury, running was becoming easy again, so I did my full 10K. Not swift, but managed a sub 50 and, despite the last two Ks being a little difficult,  it was a bit more like the cruise of old. Looked back at my stats for last year and I first ran 10K on 23rd Feb, in a time (slightly) slower than today’s so that’s encouraging – I perhaps haven’t regressed as much as I feared.

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Winter is here

Pic of the week 31/1/21

We are in the grips of winter. The pic above was from a week ago, when we awoke on Sunday to a lovely snowy scene that then soon turned grey, cold and damp. Today we’ve had more snow – a lot has fallen, big, wet flakes, but its not settled, and has now stopped, but it did enough to dampen any opportunity to do much outdoors today.

On the metaphorical (rather than metrological) front we have entered a big freeze – I’ve been told that my AHoY role is to be scrapped. On the one hand, I’m not completely surprised, but on the other hand I am rather miffed. In part because of the “process” – I don’t think it is being done properly, in part due to the significant finacial hit I will have to take, and partly it means going back to square one, and one has to question what is the point of being a “good teacher” and doing all that one does. Given the stage of life that it is happening, it is a significant event and could well be pivotal in my relationship with my career and Millfield School for years to come – perhaps it will now just be a job, my relationship with the school purely mercenary and I prostitute myself for money, and nothing else.  Time will tell.

Running: January draws to a close with me struggling to average 5mins a km. The good news is that I am now running again – its tough, certainly not the cruise around town it was before I hurt my back, but I did manage an 8Km run today which is progress. I’ve run 46 Km this month – not bad, I now need to look to increase that significantly next month. My weight is stubburnly sticking at around the 13 stone 4 pound mark: with lockdown, it may just be a case of accepting this post-Christmas/bad back weight for longer, until lockdown eases and general movement increases. But I must guard against any move northwards.

Some good news: this last week saw Dad, David & Anne, and Granny W all get vaccinated, looking forward to the day that I join their ranks.