Showers make my feet look dirty!

I've always preferred baths to showers - you can sink into a bath. At my flat I used to, as a small nod to water saving, have a shower once or twice a week in summer. When I moved here I didn't have a shower so was able to enjoy my baths with a clear conscience. When I finally got round to having the bathroom done I had a shower installed in the bath and started with a shower and hairwash twice a week. Then I started to increase the number of showers and, unless very stiff or needing to use aromotherpy oils, I've got used to having a shower. Problem is my feet! When I have a bath I use a body scrub on my feet and ankles. When I have a shower I don't, and dry skin builds up on my feet and makes them look slightly grubby - embarrassing when my yoga teacher comes to move them! I did try putting the body scrub on my feet before my shower, but it makes my feet liable to slip and I daren't risk it again. One bath a week with attention to my feet is not enough, so having got used to showers I am going to have to up the number of baths!

Not alone with paper burning problems

I have a wood burning stove. I have it on this evening. It took 2 goes to get it going, the first time the newspaper burnt but nothing caught. At least it was better than one evening last week when it took me ages and try after try to get the fire going, and it only got going enough to start heating up the stove when I was off to get ready for bed! There is the occasional evening where I have problems getting even the paper to burn. Went for a walk with friends yesterday, one of whom, Tina, also has a wood burning stove. Pleased to learn that sometimes she has the same problem! However, I am glad I've got it. I have been slowly (not wanting to upset my back) sawing up a pallet that was dumped by the church up the road. My kindling is twigs, either from the birch trees up the street outside, or fallen from my neighbour's ash tree, or cuttings from my neighbour's shrubs which he drops over the fence for me. This satisfies my inner hunter-gatherer!

peat-free luck

HomeBase at the weekend only had 60 litre sacks of potting compost, too heavy for me to lift and would wreck my shopping trolley getting it home even if I could. Day off today, so off to B&Q and they had two types of potting compost in 20 litre bags, one peat free, so I was able to choose that.

So often the desire to be green can be thwarted by the lack of a car!!!

Urban birding

Great article about urban birding

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/apr/15/urban-birdwatching-david-lindo

Back survived yesterday's gardening

Yesterday I potted up the indoor tomato into its final pot. I potted the cucumber and the 8 outdoor tomatoes in to their tempotary pots. I potted the 6 strawberry plants into the planter. I emptied the oldest perennial weed bin on to the beds where the tomatoes and the courgettes will be. I emptied a black compost bin, put it all back, watering layers as I went, in the hope it will now rot down some more. I also did a little sawing of slats from a pallet. I did some weeding, particularly of bindweed coming under the fence.

Then I went on a cycle ride and did some yoga before I went to bed.

And my back feels OK. Hopefully it is not delayed reaction and it hits me tomorrow.

I've been cleaning windows this morning, and hoovering behind the furniture I moved to get at the windows. And housework is so bad for my back!

Wren in the garden...

..singing away.

When one considers the number of cats who visit my urban garden (even if the woman with the 17, 20, 30 - depending on which neighbour is telling me - cats has now moved) I am delighted with every bird I see.

Ne'er cast a clout till May be out

We need the rain, but I'd rather it wasn't so cool. I don't think it safe to be sowing my April seeds just yet, despite today's sunshine.

I did go off to B&Q to get some tomato plants. The new offices don't have window ledges for me to grow tomatoes from seed as I have done for the last 2 years. Although I don't put the plants out till May, I wanted to get them early as the plants are not looked after properly in the shops. Even this early in April, some of the trays of tomato plants were looking decidedly sickly.

I got one heritage variety Black cherry for indoor growing "sweet, juicy flavour". Then 2 Heritage Golden Nugget "balanced acid/sweet flavour", 2 mini Italian plum "exceptional flavour" and 4 x Gardener's delight "flavourful. I also got one outdoor cucumber and 6 Darselect strawberry plants along with a glazed planter.

I'll pot up the outdoor tomatoes into slightly bigger pots this weekend and, if the weather isn't too bad, get the strawberries into the planter.

Third puncture in 5 weeks

Yesterday wheeled the bike out of the house to go to kayaking only to find the front wheel flat. So hastily wheel it into the kitchen, unload the gear, get the folding bike out of the dining room into the hall, reload gear, and off I go.

Tempted to just take it to the bike shop again, but eventually got the better of my lazy side and got the bike upside down only to find I couldn't undo the nuts to get the wheel off.

This morning wheeled the bike round to the bike shop to find it closed. Wondered if their other shop would be open so wheeled it the mile and a half there to find the sign that showed that shop doesn't normally open on Sundays anyway.

Hope I will have time to get puncture done Saturday afternoon as I find folding bike doesn't get up the short, steep slopes by locks and I would like to get out on the bike several times over the Easter weekend. It also keeps slipping its gears.

The main bike has the fancy tyres, but you never know about the punctures you would have got - just the ones you do!