Lock-down Day 330

Mewthos isn't quite himself. Not last night and not this morning. Last night, he didn't even come to share my dinner - though, when I placed a piece in front of him, he ate it happily. He also still favours his right leg, often keeping the left off the ground - I have a feeling, he may have either run or jumped and aggravated it. Faking injury is not a cat trait - quite the contrary. Injury = vulnerability, and they are prey to more animals than they are predator to.

This morning he also wasn't his usual Mew-larm self. I'll see this afternoon, whether I need to worry, or whether he just feels bad to have given me so much fear! They all felt it, when I was frantically looking for him - and cats are sensitive, look at how upset they get, if they accidentally scratch me!

Either way, something did happen last night, I'm pretty sure. Though I have no clue what. He also had a lot of black jacks in his fur, even in his face! He is eating, though, and he is active - though just not his usual enthusiastic self. I'll keep an eye on him this afternoon and see. I'm not too worried, though.

I ... uhm ... well ... you see ... I kind of got a little carried away, online shopping. Gardening products. See, well, since I'm now almost done with that jungle lawn ... I'm ready for progress! And ... well ... I've held back for so long, I kind of have this need to make up for that time lost! I just so badly want new things to grow! Fast! Ha ha! And ... well ... there are so many things I would like ... and I left them all behind. Even today. I just shopped things I will really use.

It started out innocently enough, looking up how to measure humidity ... and then I saw that hygrometers are not really that expensive - although they don't have the capacity of keeping record. Data logging, it's called. I have only the thermometer I got decades ago, when I visited Hout Bay - and I'm wondering whether that's actually still correct. As I said, it doesn't seem to go below 30 ... though, on odd occasions, I've seen it drop to 28, 27. And I would like some means of comparing. And it would be nice to know whether it's just me (aka many paws) or whether it really is insufferably humid where I now live.

So, you see ... really innocent! I just popped it into the basket, to check out next time I place an order. And that's how it started. Next, I looked for a sickle - I had looked at various means to tackle jungle grass, and that's the one I settled on. Also not expensive, so ... into the basket.

And then I then found myself looking through all their gardening tools and things ... and they have some really useful items on really good specials, at the moment! Like, a Seedling Cloche at 60% discount! And, a Grow Arc at 58% discount! Both these are basically like little greenhouses ... means to grow herbs, even vegetables during the winter. I've looked at things like that for a long time, again and again, and they were always, always too expensive for me. So ... you can't really blame me, can you?

I also added a few small items, like rose fertilizer ... and then I saw a 4 in 1 soil meter! It measures moisture, acidity, light and temperature! The light and acidity is what hooked me ... 

I still have to check it out - giving myself more time to think, before I pay. But ... I'm pretty sure I'll take the lot!

I also added a weed guard. That's basically a sheet that lets water through, but no light. You can place it a little under ground, around plants that don't tolerate weeds. Some of the seeds I've got are for plants whose root system can't tolerate weeding - I've held them back, because I have no place for them - it'll take me several seasons before any place in my garden can be safe for them. But with a weed guard, I can go ahead! Oh, I could use newspaper ... but ... well, I don't get any here, so I have only the newspapers left from my move ...

I don't want to buy any 'guaranteed weed seed free' soil, either. I was considering filtering some soil, to use - run boiling water through it ... but a weed guard would solve that problem! I though of using the cat treat boxes, too ... but nothing really said 'this is it!' as much as this weed guard mat thing ...

Back at home, the sun is out, so I can't mow the lawn. Instead, I grab my stuff and weed the partition under the Jacaranda tree - the tree is shading the whole area! It's the only place in the shade. I've been mowing those weeds, just to keep them looking short, which - of course - just strengthens them. So, it was good to have the opportunity to pull out what would come out. Won't need to mow that area tomorrow.

When I was done, I looked for another area to tackle ... but nothing really attracted me.

Mewthos didn't move more than 5 meter from the house! He didn't go anywhere near the gate, not even cross the lawn! He stayed close to the house the whole afternoon!

Then Smeagol showed up, came strolling down the driveway going straight for his bowl ... I heard warning mewls and next thing a 2-cat-ball came tumbling through the carport! Literally, Mewthos and Smeagol interlocked so tight, they looked like one ball, rolling cat-over-cat across the carport onto the lawn, tufts of white fur flying through the air! I had to not just menacingly advance on them, but screech before they would separate!

I have no idea who started it - I think Mewthos attacked Smeagol. Having enjoyed good food all his life, he's bigger and stronger than Smeagol. Smeagol retreated to the dog hut ... until I called mippies inside, then he could finally go and eat!

As much as I'd love to give Smeagol a home - Mewthos has to come first. I can't have him fearing rejection from me ... I can only try to nudge them into getting along. But I can't admonish Mewthos for defending what's his. Whether he's defending his home or his human ...

I've paid my order - delivery due in a month! Yikes, that's a long wait! Not a problem, though.

I'm going to have to come up with a better way of watering my seeds out on the veranda. Directly from the hose pipe - no matter how small I set it - is too strong. The seedling flatten ... then die. I've brought my little watering can out front - now I'm filling the can from the hosepipe, then watering with the can. Maybe I should get one of those buckets standing in the partition outside my bedroom, I can keep that filled and just dip-fill my little watering can. I'm afraid, I've already lost 2 batches of seeds ... The Thyme and now the Morning Glory!

It's really sad, one day you see a pot green with sprouts, next day just soil ... no trace of the seedlings! I'm guessing the soil isn't good enough - doesn't retain water as much as seedlings need. Not to worry, though - I already have a plan! I did rush the sowing ... just filled all the pots with any ole soil ... 

I've taken the steel table out of the garage, I'll put that up on the veranda, put the drop sheet on top to protect it from water, and then I can place the peat seed thingamajigs on there.