Extra

Walking through our wild garden today, I realise that I’m seeing more daddy long legs than butterflies and moths flying up, as the grass is disturbed. Time moves on. I love our long grass patch and all the bugs it attracts. Often encounter frogs, hopping ahead of me to escape my lumbering feet. There’s not just grass in the mix. Plenty of hawk’s eyes, at the moment, offering swathes of yellow among the green.

Time to get ready for the colder months. I’ve been plotting and planning a longer growing season. I love the taste of fresh food. I’m always spoilt over the summer months, and forget to do any winter planting. Not this year. I have beetroots, leeks, cabbages and tasty salad leaves to plant.

Tomatoes and peppers are turning a lovely, rich red in the greenhouse. We’ve been eating the outside tomatoes. They haven’t quite reached the quantity of more than meal portion yet, but when they do, I’m ready to make pasta sauces and ketchup.

Figs are still going strong on our tree, as you can see in the top photo. I shall miss my fig jam, fresh from the tree, each day.

Two apple trees are finished. Mainly the produce eaten as crumbles. One tree failed. I think the lack of rain hit at the wrong time. The last one fools me each year. I think there are no apples and then hidden among the leaves are enough apples to fill baskets and wheelbarrows a plenty.

I’ve noticed the rabbits (yes, the rabbit family is still with us) munching on the apple windfalls. Must have been too much for one small bunny. Hopefully the joy of eating the apples and nothing else. It was jumping and frisking around, as if invisible firecrackers had been set off underneath it, one morning, that only it could hear.

Two pumpkins so far. Maybe more, but I’ll leave these until the first, cold night wilts the leaves, and we’ll see if there are more. I daren’t venture into the middle of the patch to find out. Not after encountering a noisy, but unseen critter, hiding in there, one evening at dusk when I went out to shut up the henhouse. Either frog, hedgehog or demogorgon. I’ll let your imagination take its pick. Mine did.

As for the pumpkins, they are unharmed. I grow the ones that are perfect for pumpkin pie, because I love pumpkin pie. They can still be carved, although I’ll bet my bottom dollar that the children will persuade me to take them to the pumpkin farm as usual, at half term.

Apart from the garden, the week has been busy. I knitted a dishcloth, as I needed another. Best kind to clean surfaces, I find.

I went to the dentist. Managed to arrive early, by accident, of course.

Me (bursting into the dental reception): “Sorry, I’m cutting it fine.”
Receptionist: “No, you’re an hour early.”

Bliss! An extra hour. I spent a lovely hour pottering around the town. I don’t go there often. Managed to tick of a few bits and pieces I had to do.

Anyway, clean bill of dental health. And only two minutes late for my appointment.

Successful day, as I dropped in to see my parents too. Picked up my two old, hockey sticks, so that Youngest can practise at home and I will inevitably get bruised shins from helping him. What’s that saying? No kind deed goes unpunished. Something tells me I’m not going to be quite so quick on my feet since last I played. I’m hoping I haven’t lost the technique.

We’ve finally settled into routine. This year, I’ve organised a set time, after school, for everyone to do homework or extra study. Makes the house quiet for them all, which is hard with the age gap. It encourages them to put the time in. Boundaries were tested, but I think we’ve made it work for everyone. Also set up a system to reward good marks in tests. Sounds draconian, I know, but we needed to up our game.

I’ve organised our Christmas theatre trip. Way ahead for me (see dental trip). We’re going to see the Christmas Carol in Bristol. Just need to make sure I remember the safe place I’ve stored the tickets, when the time arrives.

That was my week. “Extra” seems to sum it up. Hope you’ve all had a good week and have fun plans for the weekend. I’m joining in with Anne’s Word of the Week linky.