Well, we’re well on our way to Autumn now, and I fear those long hot days of sunshine will soon be but a distant memory. OK some were a little too hot for me, but with the warm wind we kept getting it dried the washing beautifully. Less happy were the garden plants, some have not survived, and we have now pulled out much of the wild Crocosmia from under the fruit trees along with some tall shallow rooted Daisies that did not agree with the dry heat one little bit. Now the fruit trees are more mature it’s time to change up to Spring bulbs and some Cyclamen in order to be able to see fallen fruits. A few Honeysuckle plants have also outgrown their welcome, honestly the amount of pruning and pullings taken from our garden has been enormous!
It’s been a mixed bag for us in other ways, some happiness, some sadness and a lot of keeping on keeping on the work merry go round. I now travel to the bigger town which is further away for many of my shifts, unfortunately this town is quite famous for its bad traffic. I’d dearly love to be able to drop a day, however the mortgage rate rise imminent for us will be a bitter and quite large pill to swallow financially, and I don’t yet know if we could manage, well we would, but my wage pops into the account reliably each month whereas hubby’s is from self employment so has to rely on me getting bills out timely and the customers being able to pay promptly. Catch 22 really. Anyway for now I am trying to put aside the amount each month I would lose by dropping a day and seeing how doable it is in real life.
I’ve been adjusting to life without Wilbur in it, Kitty also kept going out at bedtime to look for him I feel, she never asked to go outside after supper before we lost him, though I did let her see him after the accident.
We have entered a couple local carnivals as The Darling Bus Of May, to promote the Ploughing Match, which is happening as I type this, I have been without hubby each evening the past week as he helped get things ready, eldest daughter and I have not long returned from the venue with produce, cooking and crafts for the accompanying show. I cut back my entries drastically this year. Although I took the last two days off I have been anxious to preserve some of our garden produce. The larger softer pears have been canned in syrup, one batch of the smaller harder ones also. Tomatoes blitzed and frozen. Runner beans have been dreadful this year, though hubby did still enter them along with the other veg, we’re not expecting high hopes for anything…I’ll add results later! After all if I don’t make time now to write a few lines I fear I never shall. Anyway I digress, the carnival float consisted of orchard scene with grandchildren sat around a table, lots of food and daughters as Mariette and Primrose, eldest daughters’ hubby as Charlie, youngest daughters hubby would rather die than do something so raucous in public, but was happy to support from the sidelines! Hubby was the Brigadier and drove his tractor, I was Edith, anyway the cute factor had people oohing and aching, until they saw behind the screen…Mom & Pop Larkin in the bath! (Friends and Secretary & Committee member of said association), who both deserve bravery medals!! It got lots of laughs and publicity for the Ploughing Match.
The lower photos of of my extravagant purchase, after looking at said pumpkin candle for ages I told myself I did not need it, it was money for nothing and continued on round the store finishing getting what I needed, only to return later and pick it up anyway..it has proven useful, the living room having no damp course begins to smell and feel a little damp this time of year, the fragrance has improved things so it was not after all money for nothing! Well it’s a good enough excuse anyway.
