Sunshine

And yet another gloriously sunny day :-)

If you're reading this from a country that habitually gets good spells of sun, and has a proper "Summer" then I can only urge you to think about everything you've ever read about Scotland's weather - which is all true, by the way - and then imagine how wonderful this warm sunny weather is for us and why I feel the need to talk about it every blog entry!

So today is a Bank Holiday and that meant D was off work too. Since we'd used up nearly all the bird seed in a futile attempt to quieten the hens yesterday (they hooted and buKAWKed for nearly 5 hours as they all wanted in to lay at the same time), we headed up to Dobbies in Stirling to get some more. Interestingly, I've just thought that we could have gone to the one in Livingston but it never crossed our minds... Hmmmm...

So as usual when surrounded by so many plants I lose my head a bit and decided that their offer to buy four perennials for £10 would be very useful and we could pretty up the front garden. Now of course, back at the casa, I realise that there isn't really the room but I'm sure I can squeeze them in somehow!

I also had a brainwave that enabled me to buy some veg plug plants. The carrot seeds are taking *forever* to germinate (it's probably the dry weather) as is the kale. So I bought some plug plants to provide a crop while the seeds grow and mature, thereby providing a continual cropping. Clever, huh?

So this afternoon we adjourned to the Allotment and while D watered (no hosepipes allowed, only watering cans) I got on with planting out the chard and leek seedlings I'd grown. Also sown some fennel and since I've decided that the peas I sowed are duds, some different pea seeds.

Tomorrow marks the first day of my holidays - my sick leave has now officially ended but I had a few days booked for a trip to Belfast that never happened. So I'm on holiday and it feels... remarkably similar to the last few weeks... I feel I should be doing something "holiday-like" but to be honest I think it'll be like every other day. Maybe going back to work will be good to provide a contrast and let me appreciate holidays more!

Thursday I have decided to go to Aberfoyle and the ospreys. The weather's to change, and D's working from home, so I'm relieved of house and allotment duties. As well, it's the Scottish Parliamentary elections, and a day away from the media coverage seems like a very good plan!

It's been disappointing to see the UK Government's plan to remove the burden on local councils to provide allotments if there's a demand. It doesn't affect Scotland, but it does seem short-sighted when the benefits are so great and there is land which is waste land and is fulfilling no other purpose. Let's just hope that sanity prevails...