About Stuff – Page 15 – … my musings on, er, "stuff"

September 17, 2023

Autumn?

Pic of the week 17/9/23

After a couple of unseasonably warm and sunny weeks, this weekend saw the wind and rain arrive that probably herald the onset of autumn. Today has been particularly wet (although managed to run before the rains arrived at circa 10.30 am) and all next week rain is forecast. Trees are beginning to turn and, although the temperatures are holding up, I think that summer has finally fled.

We’ve had a fleeting visit from Sam – he came on on Thursday and returns to Cardiff later today (and he went to Bristol on Friday afternoon returning Saturday evening, before heading straight out to Wells …!) and it has been nice to see him, looking well, and still not started on his second year at uni.

A couple of poppies have bloomed in my “wildflower” lawn – not sure if they are the ones I sowed earlier in the year, or from the wildflower seeds Becky and Sam sowed, but I’m pleased they’ve flowered, and hopefully will expand in numbers in future years.

And in the same patch we’ve got some “strange” mini-pumpkin like growths: a couple of ghost pumpkins I think, and some smaller yellowish pumpkins. These are self-seeded from when I spread some soil from my compost heap on this patch of the lawn. And one of the pumpkins I did grow from seed is swelling nicely on the lawn.

And the sunflowers continue to shine! We still have a few more set to open, bringing a ray of sunshine to set against ever darkening skies.

September 12, 2023

Hot, hot, hot!

Pic of the week 10/9/23

Typical! After a pretty rubbish summer, weather wise, it was back to school on Monday to searing temperatures – it has been a record September for consecutive days over 30 degrees!

The pic above was my “back to school” photo on the Sunday before term started (I had to go in for a “Meet & greet” for new Y10s and their parents.)

It has been a busy, busy week with me barely able to catch my breath due to both the weather and my workload. Have enjoyed it, however, although I was glad when I came home after the Y10 BBQ on Saturday evening with the week “done” and a chance to put my feet up and have a breather.

Annoyingly, woke on Sunday to damp humid conditions – it didn’t rain whilst I ran, but boy was I hot & sweaty – but later in the morning we had thunder and heavy showers, although the rain did clear and the sun come out allowing me an hour or two sat in the garden, before it was back into school for dining room duty. Does it ever end …?! Looking forward to a normal week to come.

Becky was away for much of the week in Amsterdam, with Sophie – picked because Sophie didn’t want to go away in the height of the summer! I think they’ve had a nice time – lots of photos with plenty of blue sky.

September 3, 2023

A farewell to summer

Pic of the week 3/9/23

A few days ago, the calm tranquillity of the garden was shattered by the not unwelcome singing of a robin. We often have plenty of birdsong in the garden, but it is absent over the summer months (this is a known phenomenon, with food sources much more abundant, the birds abandon the garden). And so when we heard this robin signing loudly – and it was loud – it made you stop, listen and look. Watching it today, its be flitting between our tree and next doors Rowan tree, singing loudly, marking its territory. Summer is coming to an end.

Like all summers, its been a good holiday – Croatia was definitely my highlight, the poor weather the low, On a personal level, I have lost a bit of weight – now nudging 12st 6 on the scales – and my running and overall fitness has improved, today clocking in my quickest 7K time (33:32) for some while. In fact, checking my records, you need to go back to August ’21 for a faster time (although I was regularly doing 10K, not 7K, then; and I’ve enjoyed swimming and spinning, generally being active.

But in true typical UK weather fashion, after weeks of rain and chill, the sun has come out and September is proving to be hot! Back to school proper tomorrow, lets see what the new year brings.

August 27, 2023

Winding back up

Pic of the week

With a sense of inevitability, the latter weeks of August always see a gradual wind back up to work and, with GCSE results on Thursday, the middle of the week saw me back in school on a couple of occasions. Sadly, the holidays are definitely winding down.

In what has been a bad summer, weather wise, this week has seen a couple of nice days and I have taken the opportunity to sit outside and read, as well as do a bit of pottering in the garden. It (the garden) does somewhat resemble a new year 7 student who has been given a close trim for the start of school. There are still some patches of hefty, verdant growth, but areas are far more spartan than they have been for years (this is a good thing)

This morning the yellow spider in the pic was spotted on a sunflower in the back garden. Apparently it is a … ” Yellow Sac Spider according to Google. Common in the UK, a beneficial predator in agricultural fields, also known to be mildly venomous, with bites causing itching and swelling”

The sunflowers, front and back, continue to bloom despite the lack of sunshine, I wonder how long they will hang on for? I’m not holding out much hope for a glorious late summer, I fear an early autumn will be descending upon us this year.

August 20, 2023

Hedges and history

Pic of the week 20/8/23

Although not wall to wall sunshine, we have had some usable weather this week and I’ve been busy cutting things back in the garden. On Wednesday, this meant the front hedge had its annual trim and, once again it looks neat and square. As ever, a lot had to come off and whilst up the ladders I noticed that there were several strong saplings penetrating the canopy so I had to crawl “inside” the hedge and and cut them back. Once done, I was able to climb to the top of the hedge from the inside, using the trunk of one of the two trees that make up the hedge.

On Tuessday I gave the windows a wash – I had been washing the 205 in preparation of giving it a polish using Mequires polish to bring the paintwork paint to life – which it did. On Thursday, I gave the bonnet a spray with paint – Bleu D’Arabie, code PL3A – and although it needs another coat (I ran out!) it does look so much better now the rusty bonnet has been painted.

On Friday I went to see my third film of the summer – Oppenheimer – a good film, but at three hours, forty minutes too long. Not sure I also followed all the ins and outs of the “trial” of the senator either. Needed a lot of intellectual investment in the film. Good, but not as good as Barbie or Indiana Jones (which was a bit silly, but a lot of fun!)

August 13, 2023August 13, 2023

21, and street legal

las

Pic of the week 13/8/23

On Monday Sam turned 21!

We went up to Cardiff to see him (& Sophie!) for the day and tok him out to lunch at Maria’s, the Greek restaurant where he works. (The pic shows him with his boss, Mario, who kindly supplied the (cheese) cake. It was lovely to see them both (S & S) in their “home” environment – they do seem to be building their lives in Cardiff and it is lovely to see their growing independence. (Still struggle to believe I have 21 and 23 yr old!)

On Friday, the 205 passed its MOT! needed a new tyre, windscreen wiper and one or two other bits and bobs but it is now up and running! Need to ponder my future plans for it, but it has got back under my skin …

Over the last couple of days I’ve been tackling some of the “heavy” growth in the back garden, in particular the ivy along the wall at the bottom of the garden. It’s been tough, but I’ve taken a lot out – 3 tips to the tip, and its still not “job done”!

August 6, 2023

Barbie and family

Pic of the week 6/8/23

On Friday we (Becky, Sophie & I) went to see Barbie, down at Strode cinema. A good film and I enjoyed the evening out,

The night before, we had been over to Wells for a gathering of the clan as Auntie Janet was down visiting

(I can’t be seen in the pic, but I was there!) Sophie was home (she had come back for her car’s MOT – it passed, but we did put on two new rear tyres – and she was going to 42nd Street with Becky on Saturday, Rog & Lisa also came over. A nice evening, and a chance to catch up.

Also on Thursday, it was our 27th wedding anniversary, hence the obligatory pic of some sunflowers. These are the ones in the back garden, which are fairing better than those in the front which continue to take a heavy beating from the strong winds that this dreadful summer is regularly producing.

July 30, 2023

Croatia Calling

Pic of the week 30/7/23

On Thursday we (Becky & I) returned from a fantastic 8 days in Cavtat, Croatia.

I loved it – it is a beautiful place, the pace of life was suitably chilled, a melting pot of nationalities, the price was right, the food and drink delicious and the water – well the water perfect.

The sea was deep, calm and refreshing.

It didn’t matter whether it was “our” cove,

or over at beautiful Plat – a 15 minute bus ride to the other side of the bay:

The weather was hot (and the apartment air-con deliciously cool) and we woke on the Tuesday to smoke on the mountains opposite as bush fires took hold. All day, we watched aircraft scoop up water from the sea and then water bomb the mountains opposite us.

We were never in danger (in fact, it was a privilege to watch the planes in action) but a few days earlier we had read in the news of holidaymakers being evacuated from Rhodes as they fled forest fires. The scene that night was quite elemental as we watched the hills burn:

The fire just added to the drama and interest of the week. We also saw a spectacular lightening storm one night, water polo practice in the harbour, some local folk dancing and some varied bird life – I swam 5 metres from a cormorant, saw a heron and kingfisher in plat and had swallows swoop within feet of me as I swam in the calm of the early morning. It really was a great holiday.

July 18, 2023

Sunflowers

Sunflowers, 17 July 2023

Thought I should do a quick update for the records re: the sunflowers – they are growing well, as can be seen in the pic above. The tallest currently measures 2m 8cm and I’ve needed to add the top “wire”.

The biggest challenge this year has been the wind – on the days before we went to Mallorca, and on the days since our return, it has been really windy and the sunflowers have need some extra support – I don’t think they would all have survived without it. In addition, where they were being blown left and right, their stalks were rubbing against the wire, causing scaring, and one was nearly cut in two, so I put some neoprene fish tank hose over the the supporting wire to make it a much less harsh surface. I also tied all the individual sunflowers to the wires to keep them upright,

They are looking good – we are off to Cavtat tomorrow, I hope they still look as good when we return in nine days time.

July 16, 2023

Soller, Majorca

Pic of the week 16/7/23

On Friday, we returned from 10 lovely days -en famile- in Soller, Majorca. We had a fantastic Finca a few minutes walk from the town centre, with a pool set in a lovely garden. It was, however, hot! As the week wore on, we became embroiled (emboiled?!) in the heatwave Cerberus with temperatures hitting 36, 37 degrees, and not getting much cooler at night (which then exacerbated the omission of air con from the property, although ceiling fans dis their best to keep us cool.)

We did a lot (well, Becky & I did – Sophie really didn’t like the heat, and Sam didn’t like getting up in the morning!) Probably the highlight for me was on the Sunday when Sam & I went coastering of Deia, climbing rocks and leaping of cliffs (10m high?) into the sea. The best bit for me was entering the sea cave – in fact, it was exiting the sea cave! The water was so perfectly blue as I rounded the corner the enter the final passage. This was no grand cavern, the exit was not very big at all!

Other highlights included our trip to the orange grove Ecovinyassa, and on our final day when Becky and I took the bus to Fornalutx, explored it and then walked down to Biniaraix and back to the house. But the whole holiday was great – food, family and fun!