Clouds, clouds and have a few more clouds!

Hello Once again! Here is another blog catch up post. It's blinking hot here in the UK at the moment. It's gone up to 31c which is lush! And long over due. However it means I don't want to spend too much time with a hot laptop on my lap lol! So on with the update we go! ...

Monday 28th June:

Today is super stormy! A thunderstorm comes close but not a direct hit. It slides down the East of us. Even so me and Sophie make great uses of it and still get excited!

On my way to school run you can really tell something is building as the sky is full of convective towers.

We can hear thunder from a distance so we load up the live lightning map. Whenever we saw a lightning strike we would run outside to wait for the thunder. It is pretty accurate! Sophie totally loved this and was giggling her head off!

Not sure where my smiling face is here!!

Tuesday 29th June:

I wake up to my bed mate once again. This is now a daily occurance. I'm still in so longs she sleeps I don't care where she sleeps mode ...!

After tea Jess wants to play outside for some reason! This hasn't happened for a couple of years so I am most surprised! But she asks for the chalk and gets colouring in the wall!

Soon she has a helper!

Here is some feint previous artwork of daddys!

The kids decide they want to feed the pigeons bird food ...

The birds are appreciative of their feed!!

We then come in and remember that Wimbledon is on. So I switch it on and me and my girl watch some then time for bed!

Wednesday 30th June:

Went up to pick some fruit for tea today. Got some strawberries and raspberries. No one is liking the raspberries though! So i've now given up picking them at all as I can't eat them all myself! 

After tea the kids went out to pay on the patio again, Not quite sure what is going on but I think it involves chalk, a knife and a plate. Making some potion?!

Bed time see's me snuggled up with some relaxing You Tube channel on TV and a book to read for a bit. No it's not snow it's some sparkles or something lol!

Thursday 1st July:

Today I write and get out Jessica's birthday invitations. Her birthday is just over 2 weeks away so now is a good time. On the way to school the sky was looking convective again. Don't think we will get any storms but should watch out for showers. Wonder if I can make it there and back without getting wet?! ... As it happens I managed so it was worth the gamble!

Friday 2nd July:

Bit of a boring week this update isn't it?!! Life becomes so samey with lockdown. All I do is go out to school and swimming lessons lol! 

Today looked like the sun was going to come out so I ran for my sunbed. No sooner had I got there than the sky went from picture 1 to picture 2! I was not happy ...!!

Here is the evening update! I wrote and posted it but of course you have most likely read it already! I post my posts to facebook, instagram and twitter. Twitter is mostly a waste of time tbh as I have no one on it really lol. And Instagram brings in a couple of views but not much. The majority of my viewers come from facebook with google search second. 

Right that's it for this week. Sorry it's somewhat boring! Some weeks are just that like that aren't they with not much going on! The weather hasn't helped either with it either really wet or just so cloudy and depressing! We have been under cloud here for weeeeks on end now! (funny that as I type this in real time it's been 31c today LOL!). Right i'm off! Had a busy weekend with a sleepover for Jessica's birthday and i'm shattered still! Sleep well all! Lots of love from The Mad House Xx

Pigeon in the house anyone?!

It's time for a weekend blog update. Mostly garden related but also a birthday party involved! ...

Saturday 26th June:

Today is party day once again. Party number 2 for Sophie for another school friend. It was held at a park and rec ground where the kids could just go off and play in the park! It was warm but mostly cloudy. About 21c. So not bad really. Left my coat at home but wore a jumper. By the end of it the sun started to break through somewhat. Here's a pic of Soph swinging around. 

Once we get home it has mostly cleared off to blue sky so i'm up there on the sunbed with a book for half hour or so!

Sophie decides to collect stones from a bag and collected them in a pot.

As i'm lying around I get a bit distracted by some pretty flowers in my border of weeds! They look good next to the mini dandelion things!

At tea time mummy is scared to death walking into the kitchen and seeing a pigeon pecking at the kitchen floor! Jess decides it needs feeding so tries to lay out a trail of chips for it ...!! Video here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WCkRBeBpLQBkYo5T9

It visits again and I catch it pecking around the bin on the floor! Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/czsE69oXfkxJTm7RA

After all this excitement mummy takes to the garden to check things over and water what needs it. Here is J helping by watering my beetroot with a bottle of water lol (tap!)

Sophie spying out the Strawberries!

I sceive the last of the compost I had up here ready to use. This was my own compost from the bin.

I've thrown away the last of the carrots that I grew last year. They have gone all hard and dry now and not worth eating at all. This is because they have all bolted and gone to seed. End of season! I've done well to keep them going as I planted them July 2020!

Planter now empty except some stray strawberries.

I go to my 2 small square planters to check things out. I forgot to cover it when I put the plants in so I add the netting now. Got some holes in he top so not sure how well it will do tbh!

Here is my little beet root. It's getting dark now so pictures not as good!

Raspberries are really taking off now ...

Little fruit is just turning!

Sweetcorn doing well!!

Some potatoes in this bag from last year so left them. And some stray Tomatoes that are too small to do owt probably but i'm giving them a chance.

1 sweetcorn by itself!I guess I could plant something else in here as well tbh!

The Strawberries

Potatoes. These are earlies and will be ready for picking soon. Not sure whats going on with the left bag and nothing coming up?!

Potatoes and Tomatoes starting to go a bit wild!

Tiny cucumber. I am keeping them alive but not much growing going on this year! This keeps being eaten by things!!

Carrots! Might plant some more soon too actually so we can pick these soon.

Courgette really taking off now.

And as I go indoors for the night a last look at my poppy plant still going.

Sunday 27th June:

Today the weather has gone rubbish again. Thick cloud and it's raining. But I need to do stuff in the garden to bring up my mood. I feel as bad as the weather. So I frag myself out.

This planter needs filling with compost. So I need to mix it 50:50 with compost V vermiculite. The vermiculite helps to hold water longer. 

I do the bottom layer and then I get itchy feet and want to plant in it! So I start putting in Strawberries from my potted collection. They were runners from last years plants. 

A little person joins me in the rain and wants to plant and water too ...

My cucumber plant is still being eaten so I put some slug pellets around it.

Then I add slug tape!!

Next  I go off to weed in the flower border down the garden and Sophie still wants to help

Then I go back over the area I weeded last week to take up any smaller bits and bind weed coming through

Then that's it for today! Small progress on this end. Thankfully digging is easier as it's wet rather than rock hard ground. It's time for tea so that's the end!  

Right off to bed now! Had a late night last night. Then Sophie was up at 130am and wanted me to sit outside her door til she went back to sleep. We were due a new mattress for Jessica's bed to be delivered any when between 7-9. So I woke up at 530am knowing I had to be awake and not able to go back off!J has a sleep over tomorrow night - was meant to be tonight but Sophie had a dodgey tummy last night so we put it off for 48 hours! She's been fine since! So I will go down now to catch up on sleep and then be up half the night tomorrow - ha! Right sleep well all! Good morning/afternoon to those of you elsewhere in the world! Lot's of love from The Mad House Xx