Out in the cold

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I decided to venture outside again this morning to add more fleece to a couple of plants. I managed to get soaking wet whilst wrapping it around the cordyline`s and phormiums that need that extra bit of protection. I noticed some shoots coming through under the magnolia where last year I planted all sorts of bulbs, snowdrops included. I`m not sure what they are but I`m sure I soon find out. The hardy cyclamen should do really well again because they just love freezing temperatures and have really spread since last years bitter temperatures. I gave the compost a good stir and the heat that came from it was very welcome, even if it did pong a bit…lol! I don`t want to neglect my precious compost as I had some really nice stuff from it last year and I`ll want quite a bit for the vegetables that I`ll plant in the Spring. I topped up the bird feeders, put out some fresh water, the last lot is lying on the lawn in the shape of a house brick and showing no signs of thawing.

I just wish the snow would thaw just a little, my daughter and her family live in Hampshire which has been hit quite badly by the snow. They are coming here tomorrow and will have to leave home really early in the morning to make what is usually a 40 min journey here for Christmas. All the roads leading to the motorway are iced up and they won`t be the only ones going away for the holidays. I don`t care what time they get here as long as they are safe.

I`ve done all I need to do for Christmas. The presents are wrapped, the ffood shopping done and if something has been forgotten then it will have to stay that way, I`m not going near a shop of any kind until after the weekend and then I`ll be back at work. Because I`m on annual leave I`ve been rather bored. I`m not one for watching a lot of TV, I can`t do any gardening and the housework is up to date. Jim`s on late shift and I actually have nothing to do. I did make some homemade vegetable soup yesterday which went down well but I there isn`t anything else I can cook until tomorrow.

We saw some friends that we haven`t seen for a while this morning. They asked after Jake and were stunned to hear the bad news. They lost their own black lab, also called Jake and 14yrs old just a year ago. It seems the last week we`ve have bumped into quite a few fellow dogwalkers that didn`t know about Jake either, sometimes it`s hard to keep re-telling the story but its also really good to speak to people who had a soft spot for our boy. He was a bit of a star locally, especially to some elderly people who could no longer keep dogs of their own. Hopefully our new dog, when we get him/her will be just as popular.

Tomorrow evening my daughter Kerry and I are having the evening off and are going for a drink in the old village pub, leaving the men to babysit. Several chins hit the floor when we informed them of our decision but they couldn`t say much as every year they go out and leave us to prepare the veg for Christmas lunch. Tomorrow it will all be done by the evening leaving us free to hit the town…well a quiet drink will do nicely instead…lol!

I would like to thank everyone for your good wishes since we lost Jake, you can`t know how helpful they have been. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. Take care. :o)

• 23 Dec, 2009
• 11 likes

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