Lock-down Day 310

Ziva insisted I get up at six! She's really a remarkable cat, I'm really very lucky she chose me! She has grown so much - not in size, but in character. She's gone from timid, quiet lap-cat to playful, responsible and loving companion ... she is such a help to me, in keeping the other three safe and in line ... it's just remarkable!

Well, well, well! I let the mippies out and guess what? It had rained! Not much, just about 1 mm, but everything was wet and still dripping! Good thing I mowed the lawn when I could! I'm not sure what I want to do today, I'm still un-fuzzing my brain - with coffee.

Sun is out, so it could be a dry day today. I've taken a look around outside and I really think that clearing the existing beds, then making the bed along the wall would make the biggest difference.

Sadly, even that won't get the place back to 'as neat as when I moved in' ... which is really depressing me somewhat. All this work, and I seem to have gone backwards, not made any progress! Oh, some areas are looking better than they did, when I moved in - but the big picture still looks like I haven't kept up!

My new shorts are not yet dry - bugger that, I've put them on, anyway. The sun is out, they can air & butt dry!

Twenty to ten. Second load of laundry is on the line, and I'm in the garden. The weather forecasts rain tonight and 90% chance of rain most of tomorrow. So there's little chance of gardening tomorrow and I have to adapt. I started by clearing the driveway again, in front of the garage. It's still mostly clear, but some green stuff is trying its luck again. I put a stop to that! And then I started on the bed around the ponytail in the center ... lots of grass and weeds, which are coming out nicely, root and all. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm only here to make it look clean - not deep cleaning. There are lots of tiny weeds poking through - I just grab what I can, but if I get caught up picking them all, I won't get far today. The only deep-clean place is my succulent bed - the rest is just for looks. To make me feel good!

The difficulty really is, when it comes to the 'border'. Where does the bed end and the lawn start? Because what I optimistically call lawn is really just weeds and Kikuyu and that creeper-grass. Same stuff that's taking over the bed. Plus, an added downside: the sun keeps coming out! I've tried wearing my new hat ... but, as I feared, I don't do well with hats, ha ha! Not when I'm balancing on a rock, leaning forward to grab a root, then trying to pull it out without falling flat on my arse! I'll give the hat another try, when I've got some light weeding to do!

Around noon it started to drizzle, so I came in. After a smoke break, it had stopped, so I went back out. I finished the center bed - looks nice, now! Then widened the bed around the avocado tree, which didn't take long. Then I started on the bed around the ponytail next to the avocado tree. But the sun came out again and it really got too hot to continue working there, so I packed my tools and moved to the ponytail bed next to the gate - having finished only half that bed. When I had done about half of THAT bed, my head was aching too much and I came inside for a break. But the headache felt like an oncoming migraine, so I took my cocktail ... which made me sleeply, so I took a nap.

I had come in earlier to write my blog, but Mewthos was snoozing on my chair. Apart from the 'aw, cute' factor, with Mewthos, letting him stay has the added benefit of silence! Ha Ha, he has a really annoying mewl, so when he's quiet, I leave him! I saw that he'd twirled my jersey again, before settling on my chair.

I woke around four, an hours nap. And I was surprisingly cold! Outside it's overcast again - I could carry on working ... but ... I'm really, really hungry now. So I went out and packed everything away.

I meant to do a pasta dish, with a cheese sauce, but ... I was too hungry. Instead of a cheese sauce, I just cut up the cheese and mixed it with the pasta and brussels sprouts after they'd finished cooking.

I took another walk outside, and I'm really happy! It looks almost as neat as when I moved in. Of course, there are still the partitions to be dealt with ... I've done bits in each, and none complete.

The Pelargonium and the Geranium did not survive this last move, I'm afraid. It was simply the worst possible time, as they were both in bloom, when I moved. I cut them back, hoping to see some life ... I've left both stumps, in hopes of a miracle!

While relaxing in the bath, I considered what I should - or rather would like to - do tomorrow. I must bake bread for the week, and wash the dishes. Once that's done, though ... I think I'll carry on with the ponytail bed next to the avocado, as that's pretty much inside the lawn. And then I can start along the wall - that will take me to the first ponytail bed, all the rose beds, and once I've cleared all of that, there's very little jungle left to mow!

What if it rains? Well ... then I'll think of some indoor fun! Smeagol didn't show up today ... no cause for concern, though.