Catch up

These balls are now much smaller

 and the blanket is much bigger

 Don't you just love a ripple. 

I have been given a couple more books to read

 Hubby purchased these books for my iPad

Thank you for all your recent comments, they helped cheer me up, I don't get the blues too often and normally I pick up again quickly, this time I was wiped out as was hubby. A couple acts of kindness has helped, people can be brilliant, we moan at peoples failings, but we should celebrate their good deeds.
I had a good morning on Tuesday with our sign language class, it's just a small group, not an official class just learning together, we laugh alot and share lunch. It's a really good couple of hours.
We met our new neighbour this week again, she was measuring up and hopes to be in before the end of October, exciting to have some in the house, it's been empty for almost two years.
Hubby and I are away for a few days, we both needed a break, so we are in Ilfracombe, hotel by the sea, weather is not important, time together is.

Its the perfect opportunity for us to relax, heal and laugh, sat on our bed watching the tide come in, what more can I ask for.

Harvest

My few Olives are turning colour

maybe this year a harvest

Chillies drying in the greenhouse

 Blackberry runners along the garage

 This hedge in front of my greenhouse

is a full larder for the birds. 

 This tiny grass is growing well in front of the hedgehog pot

they still visit the garden, but not as often. 

My garden is surviving all the winds, we have had huge amounts of rain, everywhere is looking good.
We do have two fence panel breaking on our horrible neighbours side, which is going to be hard to do anything with, in the past we would write to them suggesting they get their handy man in to replace the panels and we pay him half.  But their garden is so overgrown, they can't see the fence, so we don't feel it's worth sending a letter until the panels completely break. We can't do anything ourselves without their consent, can't get anyone in to do the work, they become abusive to anyone working along the boundary, I wish we could build a huge brick wall.
I am now preparing the garden for winter, I have dug up my geraniums and a few other plants, they live in pots in the greenhouse all winter. All the bulbs and primroses have not  been planted, maybe a job to do later today, I require a few pansies for the tubs along the side of the house, but I will get them next Wednesday. The Dahlias  are still looking really good, so loads of colour everywhere.
Our main task is picking up leaves, they are dropping early this year.

prickly bed

I sifted all the soil to remove any thing left behind which could grow and all the roots. I then planted and added the membrane, this was added not to suppress weeds, I have not had issues in this bed, but to keep the small stones and slate from sinking.
I washed all the stones, then used white stone around the edge of the garden, I then added the slate on the left side, then filled the whole area with white stones. I added the 'river' of slate on top of the white stones. The bigger stones were added last, to balance the edges of the garden, I loved the wooden square as a place I can put a display bowl. I have already changed the display for a bigger bowl I have. The Aloe Vera I have left in it's bucket and it can stay just in front of the garden.
Using my lovely stand allowed me to keep some plants in their containers, I do love using kitchen items as planters.
The only downside to this garden, is it's in my greenhouse so not on view from the garden, but on the plus safe from young grandsons hands.
I have had this plan for ages in my head, just waited until the final harvest could be made, I can now watch to see if they all grow.

Colour through grey

I am pleased with these colours

 I am using each colour for the second time

 Folded into quarters

This is the only crafting I am doing, I have loads of sewing ready to stitch, a pair of socks over half way and I've almost finished my cross stitching. But I am on empty when it comes to crafting, well on most things.
I do have loads of joy in my life, my supportive and loving husband, wonderful grandsons, and daughters. But like the weather there is cloud everywhere, life is grey. I have never felt so low, things around us this summer have weighed heavy on me, I am a strong woman, so I have never felt this before, I can see where I need to get to.
The garden is being done, simply because if I don't sort things before the cold weather, I will lose plants and not have any colour early next year.
I am out into the greenhouse to finish my project at the back, at least this brings a smile. B&Q had the slate and stones I wanted, plus some primroses and cyclamen both reduced, if it ever stops raining I can do my pots. I have added the cost to my list.

Under glass

So it's raining outside

not storms just that relentless rain. 

 Greenhouse tidy

 Both sides

 Growing for inside for December

 My stash of plastic pots

Reused pots ready to go.

After a late morning, both hubby and I were exhausted after our visit to Somerset, I know the past couple of months have caught up with us, so a lazy weekend at home.
I wanted to clean inside my greenhouse before I started putting my tender plants back inside, so I cleared the left side, moved the staging outside, cleaned the potting bench and the second bench moved them from the right to the left side, I then brought the cleaned staging in on the right. I had planned to change things around in there, so plants would be warm and dry this winter.
I have left outside all my plastic pots, hoping the rain will clean them off, my stash is not too large, the smaller pots, I regularly fill with small cutting and babies from my bigger plants, the 7 plants above are ready to go to our local charity shop, once gone I can plant some strawberry babies, I have loads, once they are ready they too will go to the charity shop. 
I have sorted my raised bed at the back of the greenhouse, I have sifted all the soil, removing roots and other rubbish, I have a plan to use the area differently, I have started, but a pop to B&Q for some cheap slate and pebbles tomorrow, then I should be able to finish it off and take photo's.

See how they run

Growing in size and colours

 A few days later

The rows are really long, but they do flow, and it's relaxing to make, once it gets longer I expect it to be more time consuming, moving it along my lap, but it will keep me warm through the winter months. Now I feel I'm sorted on the construction, I can start doing more of my other crafts.
Our garden is taking a beating from the tail end of storm Helene, nothing like the terrible weather in North and South Carolina, China and The Philippines, so I won't moan too much, but we are planing time this weekend in the garden.
We are away for a few days in Somerset, sadly a family funeral to attend, but we will see both hubbies sons, it's not often we see them together.

I've got worms

Lovely fine compost

 Hard working worms

 Wormery

 Note the best area of dahlias, next to the wormery

I removed the tomato plant, loads of green tomatoes

popped into paper bags, left on the table,

they will ripen over the next few weeks.

 I did get into the greenhouse, cleared the cucumber plant and the raised bed, I have plans for this space, but first I will pull everything out the greenhouse and give it all a good clean.

 My pepper plant has loads of fruit on, I am letting them dry out on the plant, I did this a few years ago with great success, they keep well once dried, which is good as I don't eat chillies.

 I love the walk to my greenhouse
still loads of colour

My wormery is doing well, all kitchen waste is put in here, the compost looks fine and rich, and the juice from the bottom helps feeds my plants, when we get heavy rain the bottom sump fills up, so often I open the tap and let some drain into the garden, hence my wonderful growth on the dahlia bush next to the worms. I have no plans to use the compost until next spring. 

We managed a couple of hours in the garden, me in the greenhouse, hubby about our tiny plot doing chores, the new season is here, leaves are dropping and require picking up each day, spider webs everywhere. The warm sunshine was lovely on Sunday afternoon, I do love a warm September day, always a bonus. 

I have stopped picking blackberries, the few remaining are for the birds, I have been making cordons for the brambles to grow along, I want the long garage wall to be full of fruit next year, plus I am trying to get them over my shed. 

In the next week, I have bulbs to plant, cutting to take and create a new raised garden in the greenhouse. I also need to shop for gravel, slate and pebbles, not too many of each. I at my most happiest when I have a garden plan and it's all ready to go. 

The Solent

 Closer view of fort and shipping

 Delivery at second fort

Vessels heading for Southampton in the background,
Portsmouth in front and Isle of Wright

 Cross channel ferry going into port

 Local birds

Hubby and I went back to Southsea, this time I took my big camera with the longer lens. I wanted better shots of the two forts (there is a 3rd further along the coast).
The Solent, which is the water between Isle of Wight and the mainland, fascinates me, the water is always busy, all the large vessels have to pass in-front of the Isle of Wight, to get into the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth. Watching the huge vessels as they all sailed past was interesting, two cross channel ferries as well as freight.
We had another lovely walk, not as far as the previous day, but we stayed dry, had a later fish and chip lunch, we must remember to do this more often.

Southsea

Locals on the beach

Military forts in the Solent

Toward old Portsmouth

Watching Isle of Wight ferry

End of Pier fun

Yesterday at Southsea we had perfect weather, sunny, not too hot, we walked along the whole of the seafront from Eastney, through Southsea and on to Old Portsmouth, chatting and enjoying everything around us.
We stopped for the most perfect brunch at a sea front cafe, eating poached eggs on toast with smoked salmon watching the tide coming in. The glimmer off the sea was stunning, a little starling was feasting on crumbs people were putting on the floor, unafraid of anyone, children loving it.
The above photo's were just a few of many, it looks as good as being along the Mediterranean, the Solent was as always very busy, the hovercraft making it's journeys to and from the Isle of Wright. Tankards heading for Southampton, cross channel ferries coming into Portsmouth, plus all the smaller boats, jet-skis, this stretch of water is always interesting to watch. There were a few people on the beach, but the promenade was full, as was all the little cafes along the way.
Daughter loved her day out together, we did not enter a shop at all, which is good as my daughter loves to shop, Will was at nursery, hubby spent the day at home, but if the sun shines this morning, hubby and I are going back to walk and brunch, whilst the sun shines we can have fun.