Backyard today

Posted on November 3, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Colours, Flowers, Frost, Garden, Gardening, Hanging baskets, Plants, ShelteredLeave a comment

I’m still waiting, on the 3rd November, for my hanging baskets to get knocked off by the frost. October was the fifth wettest since the 19th century. And it was wet, and windy. A couple of ex hurricanes blew over us, the sky stayed battleship grey for a lot of the month. The wind makes our windows whistle and moan in the kitchen if its from the South West, and the noise moves to the front of the house if the wind shifts to the North East. That’s why the plants do well round the back, they are in a little sheltered micro climate. So I’m waiting to see what happens tomorrow… And not just in the garden!

Snapdragons 1st November 2020

Posted on November 2, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Flowers, Life, Nature, Photo, Pink, Plant, Snapdragons, Summer flower, Walk, WeatherLeave a comment

On my walk yesterday I saw two lots of snapdragon still flowering the and some pale pink ones next to them. These are summer flowers, usually gone by now. Thus was up a high hill, at the side of the pavement next to the road. Impressive survival skills.

My hanging baskets are still surviving and if they haven’t flopped after the cold tonight I will take some more photos of them. They can’t last much longer. Soon the leaves will be gone and the flowers will be dead. Let’s hope they last a while longer.

Rain and shine

Posted on October 26, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Flowers, Gardening, Life, Mild, Rain, Showers, Sunshine, Weather, Wet, YardLeave a comment

It was hailing earlier, then a great shower of rain and then the sun came out. That sort of weather when it doesn’t know what it’s doing… Leaves are still on the plants and flowers too. Mainly because it’s been cloudy at night, keeping the heat in a bit. The lowest temperature I’ve seen was about 5.2°C in the middle of the night.

My hanging baskets are looking a bit bedraggled but we will see what happens over the next few days. Life cycles round, winter arrives later every year…

Sleep

Posted on October 22, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Aching, Cold, Creative writing, Dreams, Halloween, Insomnia, Mystery, October, Short story, Thinking, TiredLeave a comment

Eyes open, staring at the ceiling, or eyes closed and flashes and patterns inside my eyelids. Curling tight in a ball, shivering with cold. Why did I turn the heating off? Pulling the duvet over my head, hoping the warmth of my breath will bring feeling back to my hands. Its only October but the temperature has dropped. So many nights without proper sleep. Pain and worries mingle, darkness does not enfold me in its arms, but instead picks on my mind. It hurts me, darkness extends into the future. Dawn arrives later every morning. Enveloping me in misery. Stay up, keep the lights on. Speed the night through watching TV.

Only days till Halloween, what is waiting for me? Noise outside again. Is there anyone there? If I could sleep I would be oblivious to it. Oh what can I do?

Rose

Posted on October 18, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Cold, Ending, Failing, Flower, Frost, Growing, Pink, Rose, Waiting to fall, WinterLeave a comment

One rose left

All others gone

Pink and delicate

Fighting the cold

Decay all around

Starting to curl

Fade away

Waiting to fall

To fade

Till always

Inevitable end

Swan, Westport Lake

Posted on October 17, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Cold, Exercise, Geese, Longport, Need to relax, Swan, Walking, Want to walk, Westport lakeLeave a comment

Longing for a walk round the cold lake, away from people, stretching my legs, getting exercise again after a month if tonsillitis. I’ve got to escape, get out, get away from crowded stores.

Fresh air, beautiful sky’s and landscapes. Snow White swans, warm down covering them, to survive the winter. Out to feed them, and the geese. That’s what I want to do. Soon…

Cold chills

Posted on October 9, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Autumn, Blue, Bright colours, Cold, Frost, Grey, Poem, Poetry, seasons, Spring, Waiting, WinterLeave a comment

Something cold

Something blue

Strong winds

Cold showers

Gale force time

Leaves off the trees

Strewn on the ground

Kicking them round.

Run through the mounds

Of yellow and gold

Reds and russets

Spiralling down.

Crisp and clear

Frost on the way,

Sparkling blue skies

Or raining all day.

Overcast with clouds

Grey and misty

Fungi are found

Surrounded by mystery.

Soon will be winter

End of bright colour

Till spring

Comes again

In showers and bluster.

Morning glory flower

Posted on October 7, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Flower, Germination, Morning glory, Plant earlier, Plants, Sad, Time, Trumpet shaped flowers, WetLeave a comment

They are just about hanging on, and starting to develop flowers! The rains coming down most days and is starting to soak the soil too much. If we get a frost it’s going to destroy all the plant cells, and then, no more tender plants like these. The thing I’ve learned? Plant the seeds a month earlier, get them warm and germinating and get them out in the sun a month earlier too.

Just wrote to my MP

Posted on October 5, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Cold, Homeless, Life, MP, Nowhere to live, Pay taxes!, Sad, Terrible, Unfair, WetLeave a comment

Dear XXX MP
Why have I just had to give my takeaway meal to a homeless woman by xxx bank in xxx tonight. Why is she sitting there with a wet duvet, in the cold. Articulate and desperate. Crying.
She didn’t ask for our help, she was just desperate.
Why do I need to take pity on someone? Be a good Samaritan. Why isn’t your damn government doing something Christian to sort things out?
Oh we can’t afford it? But you damn well won’t charge taxes to the rich!
Yours Sincerely
Xxxxx Mallaband-Brown

But I shouldn’t have to write this. Our MP doesn’t seem to be in touch with the local population. I don’t even know if she lives here. When she was first elected she answered my emails, then one of her staff answered. Now I expect silence. In the meantime people are suffering. If I’d had somewhere for her to go I would have offered her somewhere to stay.

Back yard today

Posted on October 4, 2020October 4, 2020 Posted in UncategorizedTagged Art, Back yard, Begonias, Cold, Flowers, Gardening, Microclimate, Plants, Surviving, Wet, WindyLeave a comment

It’s still looking good despite the heavy rain we have been having. At least its meant that the hanging baskets have been getting watered. I think we have a bit of a microclimate so the area doesn’t get as cold as in the main garden, but it does get the sun when it shines in the afternoon. Hopefully everything will keep going for a while longer. The begonias have bee spectacular this year!