22nd July 2008
Without wishing to sound boring the weather is starting to get on my nerves now. Will it stop raining and will the clouds part to let us see some blue sky. One can only live in hope.
Had my first new potatoes this week and they were absolutely delicious. There’s quite a lot so should keep me going for a few weeks. Which is just as well, as there is not much of anything else? The pigeons ate the gooseberries and the lettuce and tomatoes need a little more sun. I can’t actually see any tomatoes yet just lots of flowers. The mushroom experiment has yielded nothing either but I guess I’ll have to wait till the autumn to see if it has been a complete failure. The trees though are magnificent this year...tall and green and so full of health. Even the ones the squirrels munched all the bark off.
The pond is 2/3 green from the growth of water plantain, marsh marigolds and water mint. The branches of the willow arch over the water and it all merges into the soft, green duckweed that grows over the surface. The whole scene is of the greatest tranquility amid the green, freshness of water. Hundreds of black flies cross over the surface whilst I imagine the tadpoles nearing completion waiting in the water below to emerge in the coming months.
I walked up to the top of the hill but I have to say came down very much faster as horseflies eyed me up greedily, some even making forays onto my flesh but luckily no bites. I watered the tomatoes and the flowerbeds (such as they are), but then the midges came in a cloud of biblical proportions to put the skids under that idea. It is so wonderfully, magical here sat here listening to the wind chimes with the breeze softly making the trees sing. Everywhere I look I see the treetops sway and I feel so at peace. I am and shall be at peace for however long I remain sat here at this moment in time in my green heaven carved from a barren hill and may it remain ever so that nature can comfort so wherever I shall be.
Apart from that it’s all rather quiet at the moment just days of work. I had a nice meal in Leeds on Saturday with the group that is going to Las Vegas in November. Nick didn’t come to Leeds but he went on the razzle with a friend to Manchester and had a great time. Then got up early and played a tennis match on Sunday morning. I think he might be a little bit fitter than me!