Getting Ready to Go

We are about to embark on the annual family holiday. The Man of the Place and I have been very busy organising things to make sure that things tick over nicely while we're gone for two weeks. Henry has been in charge of money, tickets, diving equipment and the hotel and parking stuff at the airport. I have been in charge of the domestic side of things like laundry, giving the grass that last cut before we go (I deserve great praise because I am a hayfever sufferer and this is HIGH pollen season) organizing a very good friend (gem of a friend bordering on saintly) to come and feed and water the chickens (eggs in return for this service) feed and water Jasper the rabbit and feed the cat. This good friend will also water all the stuff in the greenhouse. I am confident that she will handle all of these things with great competence.

When I return, I will not be greeted as I was one year by crispy hanging baskets. Once a few years ago I had conveniently placed all the containers of flowers and hanging baskets in the large greenhouse so that the person who was tending them only had to turn on the hose and spray it in one greenhouse once a day. Everything was lovely as we reversed out of the drive. Two weeks later, relaxed and fat from our time in Brittany we drove back in. The first thing I saw was the greenhouse full of brown and crispy hanging baskets. It was ALL dead. How could my careful instructions been messed up to that degree? Nothing had been watered, not even once. Two weeks in a sealed greenhouse with no water would even kill cacti. Well, nothing could be done except throw it all into the bin. . . . . This isn't going to happen this time. It will all be flourishing when we get back.

I have purchased over a month's worth of rabbit food, two month's worth of chicken feed and cat food. It is all in easy to access areas and there should be no problems.

The strawberries are looking fat and pink. Not red enough to eat, so the locum Lazy Gardener will get those. I have also said that if the sweet peas start to bloom to please pick them. They always smell so great and if they're picked then I know they will continue to blossom.

I'm up late at the moment because I am waiting for the wash to finish in the machine. I can then swap another load in and then go to bed.

I am going to try to continue the bloggy fun while I'm away, but I can't promise. If I find a cyber cafe that works and I can use our camera's little card in their machine, we'll be in business. I'll post diving photos too, but those will naturally be in the diving blog.

I've got my one small case all packed up. It weighs less than 8 kilos. It is a bit heavier than I normally carry but all in all, not bad for a two week vacation.