Wine is evil

much chomped bay tree

"Did you just say wine is evil?"
"No, vine weevil! I think my bay tree is being eaten by a vine weevil. Mr Google suggests that we examine the plant after dark because that's when they come out to eat."

So, last night, Paul and I crept out in the darkness and shone our torches on the bay tree. (Rick came out too and immediately started barking at the bats that were swooping around the garden.)  Straightaway we spotted a vine weevil in the light beam munching away on a bay leaf.  He was quickly dispatched and we checked the plant for other pests but he seemed to be a solitary diner.   We shall go out again tonight and make further checks.  Even if we don't find any more weevils it's a bit of a giggle creeping around the garden after dark.  I know, we should get out more!

vine weevil

Vine weevils are a real pest for pot grown shrubs.  We probably need to repot the bay tree and check the soil for grubs too.

a prettier and more welcome visitor to the garden

Preparation

This morning I made a big batch of pork tagine in my slow cooker.  I shall freeze individual portions and add them to the other ‘ready meals’ that I have been hoarding so that we have plenty of easy meals that can be put in the microwave during the kitchen build.

colour samples on the dining room wall

the wall behind the chairs will be demolished

The builders are due to arrive on Monday so we shall be spending the next three days emptying cupboards and setting up a temporary kitchen in the garden room.  Rick is looking bewildered, he thinks we’re on the move again.

the wall on the right of the kitchen will be removed making the room spacious and light

Rainy Days

I’ve just managed to take Rick out for his afternoon walk between showers.  It has rained on and off all day and some of the downpours have been very heavy indeed.  The beck in the village is running again after almost drying up completely last week.  Barff  Lane is completely under water and we had to turn back as I didn’t want to paddle through the muddy water.  The Yorkshire Dales got very badly hit yesterday by torrential rain and many homes got flooded. I hope Weaver in Leyburn has stayed safe and dry.

This time last week we were basking in the sunshine and enjoying the garden.  Right now the flowers are looking very sad and soggy.

Peacock Butterfly enjoying last week's sunshine

The good news is that the builders are arriving on Monday or Tuesday next week to start work on my kitchen.  Bring on the dust and rubble!

Excuse me, there haven’t been any blog posts recently!

Excuse me, there haven’t been any blog posts recently!  This was the lament I received from Sarah, my eldest daughter in Oz this morning.

I blame her young sister Kat.  She was on leave last week and spent the week with us, generally leading me astray.  We ate too much, drank too much and lazed around in the sunshine or in front of the television watching the Tour de France.  Housework, laundry chores and blogging were cast aside.  Paul accused me of hiding his underwear this morning.  The truth was that his dozen or so pairs of pants were piling up in the laundry basket.  

Kat has now returned to her RAF base and normal service resumes.  This morning Paul and I went shopping for paint.  Our new kitchen has been delivered but the builders, who were due to start work on 15^th July, have been delayed.  I’m not too sure when they will arrive to knock the kitchen wall down but in the meantime the dining table has been dismantled and my dining room looks like a dentist’s waiting room with the chairs lined up against the wall. 

Last night we watched the last episode of Killing Eve.  Kat messaged me halfway through needing the answer to a cryptic crossword clue -  “An alternative volunteers tube”.  I finally figured it out halfway through my weetabix this morning.

Anything Buddy can do...

 ...Rick can do better!

Stranger Things

We went out cycling for just over an hour this morning, round through the Tofts and then back up through Spridlington and Normanby.  My mind wanders a bit when I'm cycling so when we passed a signpost for a Green Burial Site I started thinking that maybe it would be nicer to be buried instead of cremated.  I thought about how I've always had an irrational fear of fire (doesn't everyone?) so maybe I'm a reincarnation of Joan of Arc.    Just random thoughts.  A couple of minutes later a black convertible drove past.  The number plate was J348ARC.  Seriously.  Spooky or what!

Nothing to do with this strange coincidence, can anyone identify this tree in our garden?  Paul enthusiastically cut it right back in autumn and it has now gamely sprouted some attractive feathery branches but we have no idea what it is.  Any ideas?

Sunday Afternoon

Images from my afternoon walk with Rick...

a cloudy Lincolnshire sky

Rick checking for rabbits

raindrops glittering like diamonds

back home in the garden...

... ready for another game of ball