Back to earth with a thump

artur in vineyardFifty plus one. I love how the day after an eventful birthday is often flat. I have been dreading turning fifty for months, and suddenly I am.

So no time to mope. I decided to launch myself at the day.

And I knew that if I chose to stay around the garden near the house I would put off the vineyard weeding. So with barely a glance at Artur (snoozing in his box already at 830am) I scooped up my tools and plodded down to the very bottom of the property.

I only had three rows to go (of the 18), but it felt like I was wading through the brambles, tall grass and fallen wire from the collapsed fencing.

But here was the surprise: Artur came down to watch my progress. What a surprise. It’s a long walk for an elderly cat. But it was so sweet that he had tracked me down. Naturally he had to plonk himself in my lap, even though I was kneeling and didn’t have much of a lap to speak of.

You would be amazed  to see how that cat can cling onto a pair of jeans with his claws well embedded in my thighs. Purring like mad, but determined despite it being an almost vertical cling. so pleased

I had to keep urging him away while I attacked another vine.  But he kept on returning.  Dear thing.

I managed to stagger to my feet with the last of the vines weeded just before noon. And I collected happy small cat and my parcel of tools and we plodded slowly back up the mountain.  Naturally Artur was shattered from the walk and took to his favourite potting shed box for a good long snooze.

more mulched hedgeBut I was still full of vim.  I finished mulching all the small oaks above the courtyard, and the shrubs in the new hedging area.

And then I fed and weeded the rest of the huge hedge that circles the potting shed and terraces.

That was a relatively easy tick off my list.

I then planted up the 25 new thyme plants in the bank below the shade garden.

I knew I would be short. I need 15 more thyme plants to complete the whole long length of the bare soil. thyme planted

I’ve put upturned pots held down with stakes to remind me where I need to put the last of the plants.

And then I must intersperse the whole bank with purple sage (just propagated and needing to grow on first) and some spare stachys plants which are doing too well in the barn garden.

Artur emerged from the shed to assist in this part of my garden work as well. Maybe he was just feeling exceptionally clingy.

I wasn’t complaining. It’s lovely to have a happy cat about the farm.

shade bank thymeI had just enough time to cut the fencing lengths which I need to put up tomorrrow.

And clean the guest house ready for our first guests of the year who arrive on Friday.

Busy, moi? Bring on the morrow.