Sun and sweetpeas . . . . .

The beginning of this week was extremely wet and cold – now the weather has changed to quite hot but pretty windy.    The sweet peas (which were late going in) are being well and truly rocked around on their supports and the runner beans, which are considerably taller, are taking quite a battering.  Last week’s rain does not seem to have done much to penetrate the ground : the stream running through the garden is extremely low and their is no moisture in the soil.  I have been watering the veggies again tonight.  Looks like the forecasters are promising another heatwave in the offing. . . .

 

 

 

We had a very busy weekend between us. GOS had a golf match on Saturday and I went to the County Show with a friend.    It was a glorious sunny day with a nice breeze so it wasn’t too hot for the livestock.; just ideal.   There was a tremendous turnout of wonderful looking  cattle and sheep for the showing classes and some friends had reserve champion with their ewe lamb, which was really good.   Although, I am not entirely sure who was walking who in the grand parade at the end of the day ;  the sheep in question is named “Mad Mavis” for good reason!  There is lots to see with all the domestic and craft competitions; I am always a sucker for the children’s “garden on a plate”.  And the show is the place to meet up with friends and neighbours;  you cannot  move from exhibit to exhibit without meeting someone you know. Plus, of course, there are lots of business with stands and loads of stuff on sale to tempt you.    I have done a little montage to give a flavour of the day. It was a bit unfortunate that this year one of the Main Ring attractions was a military field gun race (the sort of thing you see at the Edinburgh Tattoo), but, because of the close proximity to the animals, they were unable to let off the usual salvo of gunfire – so I am afraid it was a bit flat.  We ended the afternoon with lending a hand with course building and stewarding a mounted relay race, which is absolutely lunatic.  Teams of four mounted competitors are in a relay  race over various jumps and obstacles going opposite sides of the ring, but at one or two points will meet or cross over each other. Mad!

Wisely, as it turns out, I did not park on the show field.  When it came time for us to leave we were not caught in traffic and had a clear run home.  As visitors are coming out stock lorries are trying to go in to pick up – it can get a bit chaotic, especially if it s wet.

Then next day GOS and I had a couple of hours at a vintage car show held locally.

One of GOS’ other interests!  He is the proud possessor of a vintage tractor ( used) , cricket pitch roller (an enormous, magnificent beast  that sits in the barn) and a soft top sports car (used in the summer and went round Silverstone last weekend! It has a special annual outing).  The day he brought the roller home (ostensibly it was purchased to “do the drive” when our daughter got married here a few years ago; although,   it was not got working until well after the wedding!) I thought he was going to kill himself or somebody else.  He and friend forgot to put the jacks down on friend’s trailer when they rolled it off down a ramp at the back.  As the roller went off the back the front of the trailer went up and started to lift the 4 x 4 pulling it.  Luckily the roller was off before any damage occurred. Oh boy  . . . .

Must get on and type the house sitter’s list  and finish packing we are off to East Anglia in the morning  for a few days;  staying with friends. . . . .