Zoo Day.

The weather has been a mix of everything today, from cool showers to blazing sun.

I had a very early start this morning, up and about by 5.00. Morning jobs done early including washing the windows after the seagulls had left their calling cards. I frequently wake between 4.00 and 5.00 but I may go back to sleep after I've taken my morning meds unless ..... it's bright and sunny and I'm full of energy, or ..... one or other of my aches makes sleep impossible, or ...... we're expecting builders early though they often don't arrive until 9.00 if at all. Today was mainly because I don't like being in a rush if I'm going out and of course today was zoo day. I did wonder if the rain would put a halt to my weeding and indeed when I began I wore both fleece and a light rain jacket but then the sun came out bringing lots of heat.

Today I completed the weeding of the flower bed I've been working for the last few weeks. One of the other regulars had cleared away the top growth of the weeds on that side and I just grubbed about digging out all the roots left in the soil. I thought that we need to plant up area quickly before the weeds return and as this is a space which needs something quick growing (and cheap) my suggestion of mint was thought to be suitable. Better still the person I put this to has mint growing in her garden and will bring some in next week for me to plant. I'm also thinking about montbretia of which I have plenty though I'll have to check it's not toxic to animals or especially the birds which wander around.

I moved on to weeding under some of the other shrubs around the place though I had to be careful as I kept unearthing red ants' nests. I've still got a mark from last week's bite.

The zoo is getting quieter and quieter each week. The vet's visit led to the zoo being denied a dangerous animals license (possibly influenced by negative local officials) and now all the primates have gone including I fear the marmosets who were tame enough for the public to have 'meet the animals' encounters with them where they were taken into the pen and fed the marmosets by hand. It looks as if all that will be left will be the domestic animals and a limited number of rescued 'wild' animals.

Once I got back home I threw my work clothes in the washing machine but by the time the washing was done it looked as if it would rain so I didn't put it out on the line until much later so now it's finishing off on the ceiling airer in the utility room.                                                                                    I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the sitting room curtains. I machined the hem on the first curtain and then my attention turned to the outer curtain. The natural wool blanket is a cream colour and when the light shines through the two curtains my pristine white curtains have a golden glow. I thought that if I lined the blanket curtain with heavy white cotton sheeting it might reduce the clour which it has done though not as much as I had hoped. But on the up side once the curtains are drawn it looks a lot better from the outside to see white cotton rather than a cream blanket. 

I was surprised to find that one of my orchids bought reduced at Tesco's nearly 2 years ago because it had finished flowering had suddenly put out all these flowers.

I'm blogging later than usual because Peter is watching the England vs Denmark game. At least the Danes don't cheat like the the Italians (pretending they have been fouled and lying on the floor wailing in agony until the ref ignores them when they get up and join in once more.)