Summer Staycation Is No More.

Good morning.

Today Jon has gone back to work after his annual Summer break from the saw mill. We both really wish he could always be at home and hopefully it will be that way soon. The recent couple of weeks has been a little bit of a staycation for the two us with the boys being away. Now they are back we've had some lovely family time together. Saturday and yesterday we went to the beach for the boys to swim; it was great to see boats, swimmers and paddle boarders and we might have seen a dolphin but we got there an hour too late. Harumph!

We were able to chill and it gave Jon time to slow the pace of life when he works so hard even though on holiday and we all had ice cream. Yum!

Before we went to the beach on Saturday we came across these two chairs in our favourite house clearance shop. They are PERFECT for the summer house snug project. (We have ditched the chair we previously found) It is coming along very nicely indeed and I can't WAIT to show you the end product but I'll have to wait a little longer. 

The stories I could tell you about the things Jon and I have transported on car roof racks since we have been together would make your hair curl - I know at times they have been responsible for the grey in my hair!!

Jobs around the house have continued, of course. The stable door Jon fixed for the kitchen has now been painted in duck egg blue, chalk-style paint, door furniture added and I love it. 

Just for further contrast we've painted the lovely side table that was green, which I've loved since we viewed the house. It practically sold me the house - you know when you just see something that you think is just your thing well this was that.

I've been harvesting a few things here and there and Jon I had lunch one day made up of two types of courgettes, green beans, onions, herbs and boiled potatoes. 

We have spuds coming out of our ears right now but I also took delivery of these beauties...

Charlotte Christmas spuds which are nearly all planted now, in bags so they can be moved indoors when necessary. 

In the polyhouse the last lot of climbing peas I recently sowed have come up and are now planted out - not sure how they will do but at the stage now of just giving stuff a go.

I've sown a tray of beetroot and spinach beet to grow inside along with some wild rocket in the polyhouse drainpipe and a pot of parsley to keep in there. Plus I've sown spring cabbage in trays to hopefully survive when I plant it out later on; this is my go at overwintering along with some spring onions in one of the green house raised beds.

Elsewhere in the garden I am loving my sunflower against the teal-coloured door of the polyhouse.

My tomatoes have SO many flowers on them and finally getting fruit on more than one plant.

I had a really good sized cucumber the other day...

and they are coming thick and fast....

as are the gherkins. Hope to get some radishes soon so I can make yummy fridge pickles.

I said we have spuds coming out of our ears, well the maincrop ones are looking great, too, and just starting to flower. 

I am still very upset that I have lost my cabbages and I think I'm going to take out the broccoli as nothing is really left of them, look our chooks. My swede are small and some of the leaves have been nibbled at, too, but I'm going with it as I hope it won't really affect the harvest?

Well that is where I am for now. We have Airbnb bookings for in the week and at the weekend so that it great - hope to get more for this month.

Bye for now.

Lou.xx