Wednesday Words & Catch Up.

Monday (3rd August) in the garden...

I dug up one of the rows of potatoes.  

There weren't that many in the end, but probably just as well as to be honest I am a little disappointed in them.  

I picked some more beans - these ones are doing so well.

I pulled up a couple of overgrown spring onions and some beetroot.

I picked some more sweet peas to put in a vase in the house.  They smell lovely.

These are looking good.

So very vibrant.

The bee is very busy collecting pollen.

In the afternoon I went for a walk down to the local beach

I sat and read my book

Finished it.

Quietly enjoying the sea.

Soaking in the fabulous view before walking back home along the cliff.

In the evening the Magpie Family visited the bird feeder in the garden.

They are the only birds I have had on it so far!

Tuesday was pretty quiet...

I did make a loaf of bread.

Oh and pulled out some four foot high nettles from the front garden, behind the footpath - they get a bit hidden in that part of the garden.

Today...

I had to post an item that I sold on Etsy, and then the morning seemed to just disappear without a lot being done...

I have had a very big flare up of my right side neuropathic pain today - I woke up with it bad, it is so easy to forget how bad it can be when you have gone a period of time with it at a very manageable level.  But it has been the 'I want to wrench my arm off type of pain today', which is silly really as that would make it oh so much worse!  Not sure if it has flared because I am at a low steroid dose now, or because I have done something to aggravate it, although that is not that likely as I have had quite an easy few days.

I went for a walk late afternoon to try and distract myself from the pain.

The ground is so very very dry, but the poppies are bravely showing their pretty colours.

I think this is wheat?

I sat here for a while, read and did a small painting.

Just so beautiful

Fluffy seeds.

I am not sure what sort of berries these are.

So a pretty quiet week so far, with no where near as much gardening and walking I would have liked to have done.  But that is okay I have been telling myself as I have been doing other jobs whilst it has been too hot to work outside.

Monday Motions

I mowed the front lawn this morning...there were long wispy bits, but so much of the lawn is dry so I had it on quite a high setting.

I had to top up the pond again as it had gotten low.

The water lilies are still looking as lovely as ever.  The white patches on the leaves are from the blanket weed killer stuff I put in the pond. fortunately the wildlife still seems to be fine.

I painted some rocks 

Just a little bit of fun.

I left one of my walk in the afternoon.

I sat and watched  a little wren while out on my walk.  I am pretty sure it had a nest in the shrubbery along where I walk...I could hear lots of little peeps and chirps.

I managed to get some wood shavings with my grocery order on Sunday so am seeing how that works in Dennis' cage.  I'd love to have a bigger space for him, but he won't be living indoors indefinitely so it is probably not worth the financial outlay - gumboots/wellington boots need to come first!

Enjoying the day on the grass.

Murphy with Jeremy resting beside him.

Bailey and Felix.  

I've been having salad leaves and radishes for lunch everyday and chard and spinach for dinner.  So good to be eating home grown produce.

I had to do my first reduction in steroids today so now down to 4 mg.  Instead of coming down every three weeks, I think it is going to have to be every two weeks if I want to be off them for at least three weeks before my tests in September.  I will see how I go.

Tuesday - A Little Project Done.

Well what can I say, I have had the most dreadful couple of weeks, last week being especially bad.  I could barely walk to the end of the driveway, spent a lot of time resting, had a day in bed when the pain was really bad.  I just couldn't function at all.  I didn't know what to do with myself, how to sit or lie comfortably and just felt generally very miserable.  I managed to get a telephone consultation with my GP on Friday and he has put me back on steroids.  I was able to start them on the Saturday morning. I have started back on at 5 mg, having come off them five weeks ago at 2.5 mg.  The plan this time is to wean off them 1 mg at a time.  Four days in and I feel so much better.  The last couple of days I have been able to go walking again and even done a bit of gentle gardening.

It was a really stunning morning.

This morning I worked on something I have had planned for a long time. I didn't have any materials so used the old box that was at the front steps which was used for selling eggs by the previous owners.  I covered the top, line the inside and made a sign... for a Free Little Library.

I've started off with putting four books in it until I manage to sort some more, or people leave them.  That will be interesting to see.

I had to clear the front pathway steps as the last couple of weeks while I was unable to get out in the garden, it had become almost completely overgrown again!

There are so many pretty flowers in the front garden.  These iris make a nice display.

Looking up the driveway

It is a riot of colour.  So much has grown since earlier in the year.

Not the best shots but I loved how you could see the feet tucked up against the tail.

The magpie was chasing it and telling it what for.

Dive bombing!

Acrobatics.

A crow joins in the chase.

The first water lily has flowered.

So pretty.

At least another three flower heads.

All the tadpoles seem to have disappeared.  They were there one day, gone the next, there were hundreds of them, so not sure what has happened - perhaps it just got too hot for them.  The water level had dropped significantly.  I have since topped it up.

Beautiful red roses.

More shots of the driveway.

The bank.

One of the books went sometime during the day!  I hope whoever took it enjoys reading it.

My little geranium I got off a flower stall down the road is really growing well.

So pretty.

I pulled out some three - four foot high nettles from the front garden today.  The orchard is well... it has gone out of control.  It is a bit daunting actually, but I am going to not beat myself up about having not been able to do any gardening the last couple of weeks, and will just do it as I feel I am able.  I will concentrate on enjoying some walks as I got so down last week with all the pain, I want to work on my mood as a priority and walking really helps that, especially now I am able to do so again!  So today's walk is on another post as this was already a bit photo heavy.