Dry.

Today I dug the holes for my new washing line poles. I had to revise my positioning plans as there were concrete slabs along the wall on the left where I had intended for one post to go and I didn't fancy having to smash through a slab. I moved over to the other side and investigated the small area of soil around the rhododendron. Before I could even think about digging a post hole there was an enormous tangle of bindweed roots to remove. When that was eventually done I realised that there was small flowerbed (full of ivy roots) on the level below that would be easier to dig in. The instructions with the pole said the hole had to be 50cms deep and 20cms wide which proved to be bigger than I had anticipated and brought me down to the subsoil level.

I planned for the second pole to go somewhere in the narrow space between the back wall of the garden and the fence of the garden beyond. I don't know who the space technically belongs to or if it was originally a footpath but now it looks to be a bit of abandoned ground. So over the ladder I went and dug out another deep hole. The ground level behind the wall is much higher than the garden, a bit higher than the bottom of the painted part of the back wall. If I used both parts of the washing line pole as supplied my washing would be about 10ft up and I would need the ladder to put it up and down. Instead I shall use just one of the sections bringing it to about a foot higher than the back wall. 

I'd bought some ready mix mortar for the post holes but the first hole used up the whole bag. Really I've taken a bit a chance with the mortar as the temperature is already dropping to below 5C and we're due for even colder weather going down to -1C so I shan't rush to set in the second post socket. I've protected the first hole with soil and an upturned bucket so it should be alright.

 Another pretty sunset.