RAINING CATS AND CATS

Today is Tuesday and after a cool but sunny day yesterday we are at the mercy of storm Francis, rain and gales. Being fine yesterday I mowed, dug up and sorted the potato crop - slugs had got at about 30%. The good ones are in a hessian sack in the shed after drying, the rest in a trug. Perhaps some will be edible.
The ground was soggy yesterday but now !!! The top grass in the wood is usually a bit thin because of shade but the wet weather has made the grass sparse. (Mm, grass sparse).

It seems the badger cull in Cumbria is to go on. Obviously must be cheaper than immunising farm animals against TB. We have not had a badger on the trail camera recently but have had a fox again - 

(apart from pheasants, grey squirrels, rabbits and the animal that kills everything - cats.) The RSPB estimate that cats take 27 million birds a year in the UK (out of a total prey count of 100 million.)

The house martins continue to whirl out side the kitchen, hungry I think as the rain will stop insects flying. At least their nests up under the eaves are safe from cats - but not squirrels which run along the walls as if they were level ground.

And autumn draws on - elderberries are not yet ripe.

So what to do when it is pouring with rain - make raspberry jam - the Mrs Beeton recipe, very easy.





And there are more autumnal signs around - the hypericum foliage bright red already and the rose hips in abundance, ready for picking, whether to make syrup or itching powder though - ?






The cardoons with their heavy heads have needed staking but are still canted at an angle. The only dahlia is blasting out its red above the almost black foliage.

The buddleia need dead heading but there is still enough blossom for the butterflies.

It is not all wet weather though - well not quite - sometimes we can actually see south over the bay.

Friday and I am woken by the sound of heavy rain. I lie in bed planning what I can ask the gardener to do on Wednesday. Firstly there is no point going into the lower garden. It is so wet doing that will only cause damage. A list grows in my head, then the clock strikes 8. R has been up for a while, had a cuppa, had her breakfast.
Today's a big day - my second haircut at the barbers since the onset of the virus. It is also the day I fill my loyalty card and get a free cut. I had considered having a cut like Doc out of Back to the Future but that was vetoed. Anyway I do not have enough on top.


And the Annabelle hydrangea's heavy heads are flattened with the rain.

Yesterday I weeded and transplanted Erigeron down the side of the path from the upper area to the lower path as R requested. Then I moved two of the struggling roses from under the cherry. These have been refaced by the erysimum from the pots by the door. The pots now have Euphorbia Glacier Blue planted. 
R has weeded the asparagus bed

Enough!