Progress

Now that my nights aren’t distorted by drugs I’m starting to dream again which is somewhat disconcerting after so many years of dream free sleeping, but it’s also intriguing.  This morning when I woke I was so relaxed from dreaming that I just wanted to snuggle down and go back to sleep, which isn’t at all usual for me.  Anyway I forced myself awake, after a couple of taps of snooze and headed out to Caffe Nero in St Annes where I spent a couple of ours and then moved on to the doctors and a blood test.  Last months were fine, although I’d like to see my ESR fall a little.

I then went for a walk along the prom and back home, where I made smoothies up for the next couple of days and then got on with the mission for the day, finishing the raised beds (pictured).  Although the frames look simple enough they actually take quite a bit of work, lots of cutting, pilot holes and deep countersink holes to create and then everything needs treating to prevent rotting and assembling with a lot of screws.  The feeling of progress when it’s all finished is fantastic though.  Lewis helped with the assembly yesterday and Debbie helped today and after 3 hours everything was finished.

Although they are fairly small raised beds are incredibly productive with plenty of compost enriching the soil and good protection from slugs, snails and insects.  Just these 4 beds should provide all the leafy vegetables that we need for a few hundred days next year, probably 600 smoothies and 200 evening meals and then a little less in autumn.  The next batch of three beds will provide the tubers, winter greens and beans that we need.  The front garden beds will provide courgettes, cucumbers; the patio pots and walls will provide the tomatoes an soft fruit; finally the trees will provide apples and cherries.

Unfortunately three hours of continuous manual effort is almost always too much for me and this time was no exception and by the end I had a migraine.  I’ve settled down now in a cocodamol daze to watch Stargate Continuum, I’m working my way through the movies before starting to watch the TV series again, for the third time.

All this working in the garden and travelling means I have quite the housework backlog, but fortunately it’s going to be raining tomorrow so I will be all caught up before I head off to London on Friday for another weekend away.