Wednesday 4 July 2012

The sounds of summer

 (An oatmeal plait loaf I managed to bake last week).

I am just reporting in to say I am hopefully feeling slightly more alive today.  My breathing has eased.  How much is due to the cornucopia of medications and drugs I am taking and how much I can put down to inhaling Thyme essential oil in a sink of hot water last night I can't say, but I do know that the moment I inhaled the Thyme fumes (which made my eyes water!) they percolated into the nooks and crannies of my lungs and my breathing eased.  I breathed easily the rest of the evening and repeated this before bedtime.  I was still awake in the night with breathing problems but nothing like as bad.


I have not been idle whilst I have been laid up, and have now done more than a hundred rows on my Sweetpea Granny Stripes lap warmer for the winter.  I am debating whether to carry on with it and make it long enough to go across the end of the bed, but I think I will stop now and edge it.  I am just printing off some "how to's" from Lucy's wonderful Attic 24 blog.  I will start edging it today I think, and then I want to get started on trying my hand (and brain!) at a Ripple cushion.  Watch this space.


A close up, to give you a vague idea of the colours (though they blend better than this than under the stark brightness of my camera flash.)

Outside, our sodden summer carries on much as usual - rain, rain, rain, and slugs, slugs, slugs.  I have just about given up in the veg garden as nothing is surviving.  However, I DO have brilliant crops of Gooseberries and Raspberries (best ever rasps), and good pickings of Blackcurrants, the most Blueberries I've had, and crops on Redcurrants, Loganberries, Wineberries and Boysenberry.  All is not lost.  Just the Courgettes, and the Carrots, and the Runner Beans aren't looking good - lacy is the word I want . . .

Outside there is the steady patter of rain, sparrows chirping - they sound like they are passing the time of day as they rear their broods behind the facia boards.  A blackbird is singing in the paddock, and there is the soft moo of a cow to her calf.  The swallows in the barn are not happy with the weather, but in dry moments they sit on the power line and chat metallically, ending each refrain with two long notes, Dahhhh-Dehh with a slight question mark ending.

 If you would love to win one of Em's beautiful drawings of Dartmoor foals, please visit her blog Dartmoor Ramblings and leave a comment.  She has a wonderful blog and makes my heart yearn for the moor with every photograph.  Good luck.

6 comments:

  1. So glad the thyme is having an effect. I tried it a couple of years ago and was amazed at how effective it was. What a terrible time you've had with this infection - I'm so sorry. I was advised to drink a thyme infusion too but found it quite revolting!

    Isn't it interesting about the soft fruit in this weather. My gooseberries are fabulous and the redcurrants too, despite the efforts of the sparrow population. The raspberries are autumn ones so I won't know about them till later, but the signs are good in the foliage department.

    Lots more rest and I'll look forward to your next post.

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  2. It`s very good to hear you sounding more like your old self this morning.

    The colours on your lap blanket are very cheering on these grey days.

    We should have another feed of raspberries to harvest this morning, and some of the lettuces are looking lush and vigorous. I think we have a few salads to come before they bolt!

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  3. Interesting about the thyme oil, I shall suggest that to DH. Glad you're on the mend.
    I love your blanket, it's sure to cheer up the drizzly days.

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  4. Isn't it odd that while damp weather can make one feel bad, hot steam has a good effect. I think you've had enough, of both lung issues and cold rainy weather. Here the heavenly powers that be seem impervious to our groaning need for rain.
    Even the cats are limp with the heat and lay about.
    Interesting that your berry crps are doing so well--the spring rains of 2011 made oour strawberries mold. It takes great persistence to garden!

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  5. Glad to hear that the breathing is easing. Love that sweet pea blanket too. Looks just the thing to be doing while you are feeling underthe weather.
    As for the gardens - ours is doing reasonably well. Our runner beans are still being protected by glass so are quite good. Gooseberries are good too and I am at a loss to know what to do with them all.
    Slugs! Did you see that a giant Spanish slug has invaded our soil. I just wonder how it got here.

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  6. So good to hear you're feeling a bit better! I'd love to have some of your rain, lol Much like Mornings Minion it's wicked hot here - days on end of mid to high 90's and blazing sun. Parched and wilted are the order of the day(s). Watering is iffy as we're watered by well, so rain (or lack thereof) makes water use carefully considered in drought with little for plants. Even the lands streams are drizzles of water so no respite of extra water there either. And some wee beastie keeps digging up (tho never eating) my planings - just tosses them aside to wither to death. Must be after grub or worm or such. Thus plants are lost this year, but not thru rain/oversaturation as you are having. Oddly my rasps (wild) and blues wild) adore this heat and are looking spiffy! So I guess it's (as ever) loss on one hand, gain on the other, lol
    Your snuggle blanket is beautiful!
    Keep upon the path to wellness!
    Issy Faye

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