That time of year

15 - 20 May 2021

Just as the grass gets knee high, and starts to seed, regular as clockwork, that's when the strimmer will break down.  We took it in for repairs, and were told it would be three weeks.  We put up with it for another week, until the grass was waist high and we were both sneezing, and went to buy another strimmer.  We will be a two-strimmer family and get a lot more done in future.  The new machine came with an extra battery and charger, too, so we are generally better equipped now, if poorer.  

Dave out early with the new machine, which is bigger and better balanced than the old one, and apparently much easier to use.

Much joy when we saw more than six ladybirds and several chrysalises not yet hatched.  These are all in the chopped down borage, so there must have been an egg-laying among it.  Very pleased indeed.

Another painting completed, this one was for my brother-in-law's mother who is confined to bed following a stroke, she asked for a copy of a photo of two family pets.

 

Dave completes work on re-rigging the mainsail reefing lines so that we can operate them from the cockpit.  He has decided that we need to focus on safety, now we are no longer young!

 

Another early start to get on with strimming

The row of vines in front of the water tanks are doing very well compared to last year.  Looking good.

Also the pomegranate tree.  Lots of flowers, and we are hopeful that at least one of them will hang on and become our first ever home-grown pomegranate.

 

An exercise in up-cycling.  When the boat sank, we lost our coasters to protect the varnish on the table, so I decided to try a technique I'd seen for making cloth ones.  You cut three old t-shirts into strips of fabric about one inch wide and plait the strips, then zigzag stitch out from the centre in a circle until you reach the size you want, and then tie off.  It sort of worked, although they are a bit lumpy (I forgot to take a photo!)