Friday – yesterday morning started much like this morning, windy and showery. The rain did break after Popmaster though so while Ady went out to tidy out the Rangerover which we’ve been using as storage prior to Big Dave’s visit I did some more herb spiral weeding. I have some slates around the outside to create a strimming / scything edge which are completely overgrown with moss and rushes which is a long but theraputic task. Ady and I checked the bell tent for leaks (it needs fabsealing which we have ready to do but had been letting it really air as it was smelling musty after a winter in the Pajero before applying it and sealing the mustiness in). We had an early lunch and then headed down to the village. We put a wash on, collected some bits from the freezer, went around to the hall to put some pork ribs in water to start defrosting for later, collected the laundry and went to the pier. Big Dave and Faye were coming off and we were hoping for a delivery of some mini greenhouses. About six weeks ago we decided to buy a second polytunnel to move stuff like chillies, peppers and tomatoes into as I was running out of space in the one Ady built. It didn’t turn up and didn’t turn up so I chased it and finally after several emails the supplier came back to say actually there would be an additional charge for delivering it here. I then had to fight to get my money back as they wanted to wait until it had arrived back with them having told their courier to return it rather than pay the extra charge. It was just really poor communication and service and so I ordered four mini greenhouses instead thinking maybe that would be better. Those have also taken an age to get here and were finally shown as delivered on Tuesday but didn’t turn up on Wednesday or Friday. So I chased them too and it turns out they had arrived yesterday after all, in the post as actually they are not mini greenhouses at all but reinforced replacement covers. Argh! So have now tried a third time to get some from somewhere else and requested a return label for the covers. Having gone back and looked at the listing again it does say covers but it pretty misleading as it says ‘mini greenhouse reinforced cover’ which I took to mean a mini greenhouse with a reinforced cover rather than a reinforced cover for a mini greenhouse… the photo is of a whole greenhouse too rather than the competitors listing for replacement covers which clearly show the cover in a bag rather than the whole thing. Anyway, I am not bothered about arguing over the cost of sending them back and will learn the lesson to read listings really, really carefully in future.
Back home to get changed, feed the animals and then head down to the hall for monthly bring and share meal which was themed as Takeaways this time. I had planned on doing some fried rice while Ady was doing sticky spare ribs but the hall kitchen gas has run out so we called off the rice and Trudi kindly let Ady use her kitchen to make the ribs. It was another good night with nearly £50 raised for the hall, plenty of laughs and fun. Davies and Scarlett left about an hour before us, we were home just before midnight but walked home in the rain.
Saturday Ady was at work this morning so I had my usual lovely Saturday morning but with added loveliness in the shape of Kira snuggled up next to me purring. I read in bed for an hour then got up to crochet, drink tea and listen to Graham Norton on the radio. It was really rainy which made it all the nicer and both Kira and Bonnie were being affectionate (quite possibly in a competitive manner with each other but I’ll take my loving pet behaviour where I can get it!). I finished a couple of scarves which were both half done, labelled them up and later Scarlett put then in the shop. I finished a couple of crochet thistles I had been faffing with and sewed on pins to make them badges / brooches. I need to make a few more of that sort of thing and then I can put them all down in the shop too. I laughed so loudly at Graham Norton that I woke Scarlett up so she sat with me chatting until Ady got home and it was lunchtime. The weather had cheered up by then too. Ady, Scarlett and I fed the animals and then walked down to the village to collect cheese from the freezer for pizza for dinner. Really, really sadly we discovered Mrs Turkey back on our croft with Mr Turkey and no chicks 🙁 She has lost them all. We spent some time looking for even remains but found nothing. So sad. At least we know they are both fertile and she can hatch eggs, next time we will pen her and the chicks as the crows and ravens must have taken them all. Poor Ady is really sad.
Back at home I potted on some lavender which had arrived – cheap on ebay the mis-shapes that are too big or small or have started to flower which can’t be sold as standard 10cm potted herbs to supermarkets and garden centres so they sell as seconds. I watered the polytunnel and got some more sand up for Kira’s litter tray. Back in to make pizza dough.
Dinner watching BGT (guilty Saturday night Goddard Heights pleasure!) and then part 2 of the LOST pilot episode.