I'm feeling decidedly pissed off at the moment.
I don't like winter. It's cold, it's damp, and often foggy throughout the day. Even my long daily walks have become tiresome without the company of my faithful old pal, Bok.
The Moles are reeking havoc on Haddock's Paddock (above), Haddock's itself lies uncultivated, and the few winter tasks that still await my attention remain undone. I have little enthusiasm for anything at this time of year.
My hours are spent wandering around with a pair of secateurs in my hand, occasionally painting some bleak landscape, or sawing logs for the woodburner. When outdoors I seem to be permanently in gumboots, scarf, and gloves.
Elsewhere in the big ugly world, politicians are causing my blood pressure to rise in unprecedented leaps. Even being as deep in the countryside as is possible these days, I am still bombarded with news of foul murders, dangerous nonagenarian motorists, and common Z listers' ice-skating abilities (or lack of).
I need talk of sunshine, garden parties, and girls in summer dresses. I want to throw myself into 28C pool water, cook lamb chops on the BBQ, and pick ripe tomatoes from the garden. I'm a July baby, and my blood is tinged with sunshine.
It'll be May before I start my 2019 veg' growing campaign, and June before I start swimming again. In the meantime I eat body-warming soups, scour the meteo pages for suitable washing days, and wander aimlessly deciding which tasks to avoid first.
For me there are only two important parts of the year; summer, and waiting for summer. The latter always seems to drag, whilst the former rushes by.
57 comments:
I feel the same ,and it is not the weather.
I hate this time of year. I really should de-camp to Martinique or Guadeloupe for the winter months.
No garden parties but we have summer, endless hot dry days, have just eaten a delicious tuna salad with home grown potatoes, beans, courgettes, cucumbers, beetroot and TOMATOES. Perhaps, instead of returning to the U.K. you should head down under as things keep growing over winter.
Take heart in the increasingly longer days of sunlight. Spring wouldn't seem nearly as lovely without the winter months before it. But a good long weekend getaway in a warmer climate is always a good idea. :)
Almost anywhere would be better than here at the moment; it's miserable.
I used to do exactly that; it was amazing how just a few days away, somewhere exotic, could lift the spirit.
Could you visit friends or relatives????
For very sad and unexpected reasons you and Lady M are free to travel and stay away for a lenght of time without having to worry about rushing back. Perhaps it's the time to pack a couple of suitcases and go where the family is in warmer climes.
It’s freezing, literally, here. I planted my red onions yesterday. This year I am testing two methods. I have planted Red Baron sets yesterday, and I have planted Red Baron seeds in pots in the greenhouse to plant out later. They will go in the same bed with the same soil and level of horticultural ignorance.
I will start giving the garden furniture it’s second coat of teak oil and plan the contents of the rolling kitchen garden and greenhouse, ie 4 raised beds, each one about the size of a decent grave, and a few pots.
Nothing like a good moan to get the system working. As my father used to say, don’t worry when the troops are moaning, it’s when they stop you have to worry. I am doing battle with the actuaries of my pension scheme and that is enough to crush anyone, particularly as they have the ombudsman on their side, apparently a contract is not a contract and a lot of what it states are just industry terms and not relevant. It does wonders for the blood pressure too.
When is Lady Magnon due back from Thailand?
I prefer to stay here. Otherwise my Hermit credentials would be spoiled.
Lady M is in Thailand, but will be back quite soon. We have visitors next month, so I expect we'll be kept busy.
I grow Red Baron, but shan't think of putting them in before about April. I still have a box full from last year.
I'm not sure. I know she's quite anxious to get back quite soon; she's been away for a long time, and wants to get back to 'normality'.
Think about getting yourselves another dog. I know it is perhaps too soon? Months after our dog died, I revisited my lapsed blog, my heart went out of so many things. Yours was the last comment, which up until then I hadn’t seen. It gave me so much comfort. We are still without another dog and the time is coming where my heart needs to be filled with the love of a canine chum. Their love isn’t seasonal, so good for blood pressure too! Only saying...
LXX
There's always email for a chat.
I heard today that this is Blue Monday, or the most depressing day in the calendar. I too feel like that, and I normally try to enjoy Winter. I can't be arsed to do anything, or at least do it with enthusiasm.
I have to admit I quite like the cocooned feeling of winter and I loath the heat. Spring is the best time for me, so full of promise - and it will be here soon enough. Just off to take myself out for a nice breath-freezing walk. Oh, and I see you have a troll advertising "lady friends" in Mumbai! There's a thought!
The UK has a miserable long winter. Don't kid yourself it would be better here. It wouldn't.
I feel a bit afraid about you wandering around with secateurs in your hand, I am sure unnecessarily, unless you are a plant. Lol at dangerous nonagenarian motorists.
Buy yourself a puppy it will give you something to do and put your heart in the right place.
Fly somewhere hot for a long weekend Cro....
I always think that this is the time of year to do jobs indoors, sit and read, go out with friends and slob about a bit as it all kicks off in early Spring. Are you one of those people who feel guilty when they sit down and don’t achieve much Cro ? I don’t seem to have that trouble 🤣 Could you join a boules club or something ? XXXX
Why don't you get a polytunnel and you can garden and potter about even when the weather is bad?
If it makes you feel any better, with the windchill, it is -31 degrees here this morning. Winter is long. I understand. -Jenn
I think we'll wait a while and see; although that was my first thought.
Thanks Rachel.
I just saw that on the mid-day news. Strange coincidence!
I shall go out in a while and saw some wood; I deleted the Mumbai escorts. How do they find us!!!
I always find something to snip at. They've just had the injured woman on TV; the one hit by Phil.
We're thinking about it. Not sure as yet.
That would be nice.
I do like to keep myself busy, I'm not good at sitting down and doing nothing.
A garden shed would be better, with a BBQ and a fridge, ready for summer.
A lot of rain on the horizon here. If it was a good downpour overnight, I wouldn't mind, but it tends to drizzle all day long.
It's -39 here and I have shovelled snow all weekend. I can hardly wait for spring. I feel your pain.
Chin up dearheart x
You need a dog. Do you have animal shelters where you can find the one waiting for you!
Why not get a pup Cro? That would take your mind off world affairs over which you have no control anyway and the training would give you plenty to do. (teach it to sniff out moles)
There was a threat of snow here for this week, but I see now that it's gone. Thank goodness; I can't stand snow!
You say the nicest things. Thank you.
I have been looking, but I'm a bit reticent.
I'm undecided between 'freedom' and 'dog'; the two are incompatible.
I hear you, Cro. I try to have something to look forward to each week, but the joy isn’t there like it is in spring.
We just saw a juicy orange moon. Looked like a low wattage version of the sun.
You could download a walking app, mine is Bergfex, but there are obviously others. I'm having great fun with it. I like to see how many kms I've walked, the route recorded on the map, the graph of altitude, and not least how many calories I've used. It'll give purpose and challenge and reignite enthusiasm for your walks.
I was loathe to suggest another dog, when I read the post this morning, but as several others have done so I will add my voice to the idea. You are grieving for the loss of Bok and of course still for Monty, which of course will be one of the reasons you feel so " down" . When I lost my first dog, I had no heart for many of the things I used to do,( watercolour painting, jigsaws , crosstitch, to name but a few, and still haven't taken most of them up again.
I did however get a puppy, my gorgeous now 5 yr old schnauzer
only 8 weeks later and he has been my saviour! I know that approach isn't for everyone though. XX
Sorry you're feeling blue. Perhaps you do need to get away to the sunshine for a week or so. Or check out La Ferme de R'Escapees for a new companion. There's a pup out there that needs you.
'If you enjoyed this you might also enjoy (wait for it . . . ) Cro's dozen reasons to be cheerful'.
I'm spending winter walking and doing crosswords. And drinking hot punch!
No weather complaining then!!
I plant red onion sets, garlic, red broad bean seeds and leek seedlings in the autumn..what survives the winter grows well and gets past any spring drought ok
I couldn't agree more. Even though I still get up early each morning, I don't have the motivation.
I still enjoy my longs walks, but not as much as before. I couldn't see the Moon yesterday morning because of cloud, and guess what; this morning it's as clear as a bell. I seem to remember it was just the same the last time we had a blood Moon. Yes, crosswords help, but I'm yet to make myself hot punch. I haven't even broached my winter bottle of Single Malt yet!
No doubt we'll visit the local rescue centre quite soon. I've looked at their web site; they import a lot of dogs from Romanian 'Fur Farms'.
That's the one I've just mentioned above. Most of those poor dogs have been saved from becoming Hats or Coat Collars in Romania. Disgusting.
You have the freedom at the moment Cro, but you say you don't want to do anything but snip at things... Get the pup then worry about the freedom. Much better for you!
Jo in Auckland
It's my regular night cap. A wee dram in ginger and orange tea and I sleep like a log.
It is hard to get motivated at the moment. I've booked myself a couple of nights in a posh hotel. Hopefully the weather won't be too bad and I can walk in a different area.
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