Going Nutty

Being a gardener, any mobile phone worth it's salt has to stand up to some pretty tough handling. A few years ago I bought an IPhone, and it was suggested that given that they have a glass front and back, a protective case might be sensible. I never did get one, and the phone has been dropped again and again, and getting more and more cracked. Last week it went flying again, and this time it seemed terminal. Everything smashed, and the battery ripped out, leaving wires trailing. It is getting repaired in a day or so, so that I can eke out a bit more from it until it's replaced with a Samsung after Christmas. So far it's been about a week without it, and life has been strangely free and liberated. It's unfortunate that these things have come to dominate our lives so much.

 

 

This weekend the UK has been hanging under the news that an impending severe storm was on it's way for Sunday night. The working week has been tough and tricky, what with loads of rain, and the wind building up, and so we planned a couple of easy days. The kitchen is coming along, with some of the cupboards installed now. The sink end will have to wait until later as money doesn't allow for that yet.

We have at last started to bring in some of the tender plants from the garden. Unlike my friend over on Garden on Sherlock Street, who is always far better prepared and more organised at this time of year than us, we always seem to leave it later than we should. The succulents now dominate the kitchen table, and the plan is for them to replace the geraniums in the bathroom. As for the Tibouchina, well, we will probably have to squeeze that into the bathroom as well!

 

 

Yesterday, Sunday, and the tell tale signs of the oncoming storm were showing. We took the hanging baskets down for the winter to stop them going flying, the trailer and all it's rubbish was secured, and all outside gates closed and locked. We wanted to do something with the day, and so headed out to Lucy Hill near Burley in the New Forest to get some more chestnuts for the freezer. After a lovely breakfast in a small cafe in the village, we buried ourselves in the forest. The storm was now taking hold, and we had to listen carefully for the crack of breaking tree limbs. Unfortunately one can't hear the spiny nuts themselves fall, and they repeatedly caught us by surprise with a painful clout. An hour after this clip was taken, the huge deciduous trees were being thrown all over the place, and we decided to call it a day, as some very big branches has come crashing down from high up.

 

 

 We managed to gather quite a few chestnuts though, and in the evening roasted them and set about the long job of peeling. Finally got to bed at 1am, far too late for a night before work.

 

 

It's Monday morning, and after the late bedtime, I have predictably woken feeling groggy and tired. Claire and her family are off on holiday today, and are dropping by for a cup of tea before setting off. I'm taking the morning off to see them, and do more paperwork, before heading out to clear all of the tree debris from a couple of properties. The storm appears to have mostly passed, leaving a trail of destruction across the country. The news brought the tragedy of a fourteen year old boy who has been swept to his death whilst tempting fate, ignoring the warnings, and swimming in the rough seas off the east coast. So sad, and pointless.

 

Have a good and safe week all of you.