Bulb and seed day

I woke nice and early ... and turned over, ha ha! I got up just before seven, though. Mippies were darling quiet and let me sleep!

I wasn't feeling very energetic, so I played the 'take the body and the mind will follow' game. You know, when you behave as if you feel something positive - happy, energetic, relaxed, etc - and as you act it, you start to actually feel it. Well, it's not so much a game as a life skill? Is that the right word? Anyway, it works for me. But it does require effort - and I'm not always up to the effort.

Today, I was up to it. I hung up the laundry, got the cheese going, washed the dishes, made myself some milk shake ... smoothie, milk shake, it's all the same to me. I do use milk as a base, so ... whatever.

And then I got busy in the garden. I mixed in the compost and placed the bulbs - unbeknownst to me, Tynx dug up the bulbs and placed them next to the hole! Ha Ha Ha! I firmly placed them back where they belonged and explained to Tynx that this is gardening, not playing hide-and-seek! I didn't have space for all the bulbs, but most of them are in the ground. I'm hoping my landlord will put on the sprinklers tonight, so that everything can get a thorough watering!

I decided not to add any seeds to the beds where I planted the bulbs. Well, I did throw the Cosmos seeds, but nothing else. Let's first give the bulbs a chance to grow, see how much space they want and THEN I can add seeds!

I thinned out the Brussel  Sprouts somewhat - they were bunched too closely together. I hope they survive! The melons are doing awesome!

There is a meager looking Spekboom behind the parking bay. It has leaves, but isn't covered in thick green foliage, like the others. I also noticed that this type has a way of 'shedding' the tips of it's branches. Weird, I know! They sort of dry out and drop off! At first I thought it was a problem, but every branch drops it tips in winter! And now, in Spring, it is in bloom - white flowers! Not the usual pink ones, but white!

I did a lot of work today, I planted the Strelizia - and understood just why it didn't seem to be growing: the roots filled the entire pot! I sowed Celery into that pot. Then I took the carnations out and sowed Oregano in that pot. I made a little round bed in the garden, near the tomato pots, and planted many of the basil in that little bed. I'd like them to grow into a big, healthy bush! Oh, and I'd also like to free my pots! The basil has done so well - it grew in every pot I had moved it to. And now it's getting so big, I can't sow anything else in the pots. They still have two pots to themselves - let's first see how these ones do.

So, that freed up two more pots and I sowed Spinach in one and Gooseberries in the other!

I ended up spending quite a bit of time in the sun - my back feels quite hot and I'm told it is fiery red! I've also got a bit of a headache - I sure hope I didn't catch sun stroke! I did make a plan later, though. I put a wet towel over my back when I worked in the sun.

I've cut up the strawberries and put them in the freezer - I still have to do the bananas and the meat I bought yesterday. I've just looked in on the cheese - and it's a little disappointing, it only needs another hour, but it's all just thick liquid, not the thick layer I had last weekend. Possibly because this time I used fresh milk? Maybe add more buttermilk? I'll do some reading!

Oh, I also sowed some maize! In my veggie bed, where I had pulled out the Nasturtiums. I sprayed that entire bed with the soap-oil-water mixture to try and discourage the ants there - I hope it works! That ground is now so full of soap, you could wash your dishes in it!

I was able to get everything done, that I hoped for. Everything I hope to harvest is in the ground - now I just water, wait and see! My landlord put the sprinklers on tonight - even though clouds moved in and it looks like rain - and I was able to give everything a thorough soaking!

But the best part of my day? Having a chat with my nephew! It was his birthday yesterday and he replied to my message today and we had a lovely conversation!

After all that work today, I was really hungry. I fried myself the Texas Steak I had bought yesterday as a treat. That thing is so big, it filled my frying pan completely! That's my biggest frying pan! And you know what? I ate fully half of it! I must have been really hungry!

I remember, years ago, when I stayed near Hartebeespoort Dam, I also used to fry myself a Texas Steak every now and again - at that time, I was going on 100 kg, and I'd finish the whole steak in one meal! I used to fry it outside on my Skottel. Why not now? Well, I lent that Skottel to a friend ... ex friend now. Sigh. Anyway, I've got a lovely griddle cast iron frying pan now, which works just as well - also on gas. So, I don't feel the loss ...

And now I'm really tired. Hopefully I'll have a better night tonight. Last night, I fell asleep just fine ... and then had a really awful dream! I dreamed that a beautiful chocolate brown and white puppy was wandering across the highway ... the one outside Johannesburg, coming from the Free State. I stopped the car, got out and was just about to hold up my hands to stop oncoming traffic when the beautiful, sweet puppy got run over! That image shocked me awake and I couldn't go back to sleep. I have no clue where this came from or why I would dream such an awful thing ... I hope I never have such awful imagery again!

But for now ... sleep.