Weekend

Back in Weston-Super-Mare, a second young woman has jumped to her death, are they linked, what's going on, a good plot, following another young woman and the police, will DCI Louise Blackwell be able to workout if its suicide or murder. Book 69 read this year.

 I did not notice many changes in style with this collaboration, 3 young children are missing, time is the factor here, chasing every lead, DCI Pat Lennon and his team are searching for them. I enjoyed this book, I'm not a huge fan of 'police DCI' books. Book 70 read this year.

Friday we met with daughter, children were all at school, we often meet at Dunelm, they have a nice café, time for coffee, cake and a chat. Next door is a huge B&M, we wonder around picking up bits which are cheaper, Christmas has arrived, isles full of stuff, I could not resist this little light up tree, I have loved this style for years. Both hubby and daughter rolled their eyes at my purchase.  

Saturday was our local artisan market, hubby and I walked around, it has grown in size this year and was busy, I picked up two pieces of cotton fabric, I do love these cats, just £2 for both. Not needed, but wanted. There were loads of stalls selling lovely edible treats, we still have items we brought back from Wales. 

Later on Saturday we drove to daughters, we ordered a huge Chinese meal, Will loves so many of the dishes, Molly and George both love the chicken balls, rice and chips, it was enjoyable start to daughters birthday. All three children eat well at the table, I do love a family meal, we chatted for ages, even George sat for longer than normal. Daughter turned 44 on Sunday, how quick the years fly by. 

Sunday was a day at home, I did housework, hubby did the ironing, we had already done some bits in the garden, I have cut the red acer again, it should regrow next year. I picked runner beans and tomatoes, the cucumber plant is going over, hubby cut back the blackberries, one side had died off. I've moved my cider pot, it's in a central position now, the gap by the raspberry bed I have left clear, I can see through to my pond now.

I am feeling better after my tumble, I can carefully kneel on my left knee, it's much better, my right ear is still sore, but not so swollen, it's no fun getting older.

Sun worshipers

I have always loved succulents, this bowl was created last year, I've done nothing with it this year.

These are scattered along by the side bed, again I have left them to grow.

This plant has loads of babies and lives in my greenhouse, these haworthia cooperi are beautiful whilst small, the leaves swell and look almost transparent. I have reduced my plants in the greenhouse,  quite a few started to look ropey. 

The hedgehog house was too big for the space behind my big pot, hubby asked if we could put it under the acer, it fits here and looks good, hubby added a waterproof cover for the roof. I put some violets by the side of the ramp.

The season has shifted toward autumn, I will move the succulents into the greenhouse, they don't mind the rain, all are on feet so the pots can drain, they will survive the cold as well, I just prefer to relocate them to a drier spot.  

On a completely different note, our tree surgeon, Sam called in the week, we have been chasing him for an invoice for his recent work, he has agreed he will return in the future and cutback both our Magnolia tree and the front boundary, he says we won't be beaten by our horrible neighbour, he can pop his camera in his lorry and record himself doing any work out the front. I am so relieved, it's not a task hubby and I can do easily anymore, I really expected him not to return. 

Winter accommodation

I have been looking at hedgehog houses for our regular visitor, hubby said I can make that, and he did, using marine ply, so it's completely weatherproof. 

He put a hinged roof on so we can clean it, it has two chambers and a tunnel, all designed to keep predators out. It would have been cheaper to purchase one, I'm really pleased, as is hubby, we have placed it behind the big pot with my olive tree in, a spot the hedgehog often sniffs around. Inside for bedding we put barley hay.

My pond is looking good, the water is much clearer, I can see the tiny cyclamen are growing in the front. The grasses have looked good, this area is pleasing, I have not done anything to rectify the front corner being lower than it should, it does not effect the pond, just I can see more of the container. 

The garden is looking past its best, the recent rain has brought plants back to life, I can see a few have died and some needs cutting right back, the veg beds are still giving.

I have few plans for the winter months, I do have broad beans to go in, probably late November, most of the veg space will be empty, I have leaves to cover the soil, which should rot down and feed the soil.

Blogger is again playing up, I can now comment on your post, for a while I could not upload photo's, again that has been sorted. The final issue is still unresolved, my list of your post has not updated for a couple of days, before that some post were missing, now everything is stuck. 

25 years ago we were in rural Spain, as the news unfolded of the fate of the twin towers, we found a TV with BBC news and sat stunned, our daughter was home with the cats, she phoned us many times in tears. The flight home a few days later was very subdued. 

After the issues in Portsmouth from last Sunday, where the RNIL landed 120 people off a boat in the Channel, our local Facebook pages are scattered with ugly comments, there is going to be a rally this coming Sunday, the man behind the rally recently in Dover, lives locally, its doesn't feel a nice place to be at the moment. I do agree we have allowed too many people to stay who arrive illegally, who mainly appear to be young males, but, is this the way forward.

Back home

 We had a lazy Monday, popping to a garden centre local to where we were staying, we had the most amazing lunch, I got these plants, the begonia which is a houseplant was reduced to £3. The other 3 were on a get the 3rd plant free.

We did bring treats back with us. Bara Brith, the fruit is soaked in tea before baked into the cake, Welsh cakes which are dropped scones and apple crumble biscuits, which looked to good to leave behind.

I had loads to pick from the garden, tomatoes, a cucumber, runner-beans and carrots, 2 are huge, a nice harvest. We had 20 mm of rain whilst we were away, so my garden looks good.

We walked along the water edge a couple more times on Monday, by teatime the rain arrived, along with new neighbours next door, who had 2 small yappy dogs, they barked at everything, so we were ready to head for home on Tuesday morning. We consider ourselves very lucky to have warm sunny days, it rained overnight twice, each morning it dried up quickly.

Our car journey was mainly motorway, M4, A34, M3, M27 and a total nightmare, heavy rain and water everywhere, it was a slower journey that our trip out, very poor visibility the whole time, we were both glad to get home.

We had a few issues whilst away, I tripped over a rock on Friday, fell and banged my knees and ear, luckily I was carrying a soft bag with 2 fleeces in which broke my fall. Hubby was shut out of our bank account on Saturday, they informed him by text, our Halifax account is now Lloyds bank, hubby had to reset a transaction, which the bank stopped thinking it was fraud, it's sorted now, it took almost an hour, he had to repeat himself to 3 different departments. 

It's great to be back home, we did a shop at Lidls on Tuesday, this morning daughter had my car to do the school run, we then drove to the garage to collect her fixed car, rest of the day is at home with hubby relaxing.