3. I have Thomas today.  Colin won a raffle prize for 3 days fishing on the river..... further up from the club waters, normally an expensive beat. He was working yesterday so gave someone else the day & also this afternoon  He is fishing himself this morning & all day tomorrow.  So I'm back & forth here as I get a spare minute. I have a "foldie" bag which is great.  It is smallish but fits my. Kindle, phone,  tissues, money etc.  It can be worn as a bum bag or as an across body bag which i prefer.  You can't cut the straps as they have metal running through them.  The zips lock into place when closed and it has these protective slots for cards so nobody can clone them....perfect for holidays and also for London. How are you getting on with the vases? I agree about the regular food, so difficult to spot anything in these gardens.  You stalk a plate at 5 hours and still get a mouse. Sometimes i go to the wildlife guide and every garden advertised has regular food. I even have regulars who have SF & organic out when questing but go back to regular food when they're finished and these are fairies who never used regular food before it became free. Rant over :-)

2. I know exactly what happened in Alan's marriage.  He was living the life of a single man,  going out to football,  curling etc whenever it suited him and leaving Laura, who was working more hours than him to deal with all the housework, shopping, gardening (except for grass & hedge cutting) as well as runnjng the girls here there & everywhere. She had to give up things like her kettlebell classes because it cooincided with his football & he wouldn't compromise so he only has himself to blame. Although I'm very fond of him I wouldn't like to live with him and I'm pretty sure his mother must be dreading having him back in her house again.  Lynne says he barely speaks to her & she feels like she's walking on eggshells all the time. She's had a few weeks break as he was here for a week then he did house & dog sitting for someone else. I just hope she doesn't throw him out! 🤣😂

Hi Linda, sorry to hear about Luigi but better that he didn't suffer. Its always devastating to lose a much loved pet though. Does Emma still have another cat? How are all yours doing? Thankfully Lex is here every day,  usually several times although he has no set routine. He just appears. Im pretty sure he's still visiting someone else as some days his coat is just beautiful as if someone has spent ages brushing him.  I don't mind that as long as they don't keep him in their house.  I think he'll miss me when I'm away though.  We go to Glasgow on Thursday morning, stay in the hotel at the airport overnight & fly out on Friday morning at 0720. We can check our cases in on Thursday night & I have booked priority security for 0600 plus priority passport lane when we arteries back in Glasgow next week. I didn't know there's was such a thing but I'm hoping it might speed things up so we will be able to catch our bus home in time.  There are later buses but I would prefer to get home sooner rather than later as we set off for London the following morning. I'm not going to freeze my garden.  I'll grow a few plants that take longer to get RFH in preparation for the Llama & Hippo vases alt

Open

ty 4 the spot and your visit

2. The 4 hens are getting along fine now. Chicken jail worked. Alan said he only got 1 egg a day, some of which were soft shelled & he told me to get grit & oystershell, both of which are in their own separate dispensers under the shelter in the pen. They were fully topped up before we left & still had plenty in them when we came home. Alan left on the Saturday & Ben came to do the dogs etc on the Sunday and found 10 beautiful brown eggs under the silver birch tree in the pen beside the coop all of which had to be discarded. The youngest hen had just started laying & had chosen to lay outside & not in any of the nesting boxes. However that is also now resolved & yesterday and today we have had 4 eggs each day, no issues with soft shells at all. I honestly think Alan talks a load of nonsense at times. He also said he hardly saw Lex but I saw him on the cameras regularly sitting outside waiting to get fed. In the end I phoned Yvonne & asked her to go down & put out food for him which she did when Alan had left for work. I cant say anything to him in case he takes offence but I wouldn't ask him to do it again. And I took great delight in taking a photo of the 10 eggs plus the containe

Hi Linda, I reopened today although I was in 2 minds whether to bother or not - to be honest I don't miss FL at all when I'm not here - but I decided I would open & see if I could fill another few spaces in some of my bouquets. I think it's going to be a slow process though. We enjoyed the wedding & had a lovely week in the Uists. The weather was fabulous for 4 days, glorious sunshine & lovely and warm although a constant breeze off the Atlantic but I much prefer that. The other 2 days were overcast but still warm. We managed to see everything in the 4 good days. There are 7 islands in total, most of which are connected by causeways now but we had a short 40 minute ferry crossing over to Barra & Vatersay  which are just breath-taking. Miles of deserted white sandy beaches & turquoise sea. On a sunny day you would really think you were in the Carribbean. So that's all the Outer Hebrides ticked off the list. I had a lot of washing & ironing to catch up on as Alan was here & had the girls as well for a few nights. I'm now trying to get organised for going to Croatia on 17th plus pack a backpack each for Colin & I to take to London. I'm home about 2200 on 26th & away first thing on 27t

3. I a just going to download the music & do the CD for dance class this coming Thursday & also the following Thursday that I will be away. I also have to get the dogs out & fed before picking Colin up at 2030. So I will say bye for now & hope all is well with you x

2. I was really disappointed (and a bit shocked actually) to read the reward for doing all these gold vases which have taken a lot of time & resources was the ability to build your own bouquet! Really! I think I've built about 35 of them now & the "reward", if you can call it that, feels like a slap in the face. I feel it was a lengthy time consuming challenge which deserves a little more recognition & a better reward. I feel 4 vases all at once is too much but I have built all 4. Seeing as I had the Wombat/Sugar Glider plants already for my Tiger vase I decided to concentrate on the harder vases to begin with. I have ruled a few out but won't be able to do much with them until I reopen in June. I'm getting my feet done tomorrow, my nails done on Wednesday, Thomas is here on Tuesday, we still have to go to Colins Mums as well even although we will be seeing her all weekend as we are taking her to the wedding. Jacquelyn is coming home on Thursday & we are supposed to be going out for afternoon tea so I am trying to get organised as much as possible today & tomorrow x

Hi Linda, I know you're busy just now but just a quick note to let you know I will be freezing my garden this coming week, probably Tuesday or Wednesday. We are going away on Friday. We have a wedding on Saturday & then taking the ferry over to South Uist on Sunday & staying in a holiday cottage. We won't be home until late on 31st May so I probably won't reopen for a few days until I get all the washing etc sorted out. Alan is coming to stay in the house & see to the animals. He will have the girls for a few nights as well so I will have all the beds to do as well as our own holiday washing when I come home. I have offered to help someone out with Top Roo which is in my GH so if I am frozen if/when she needs it I will reopen for that. And if, in the next day or 2 I spot something for any of my vases which requires a RFH plant I may stay open & plant for that but I'm not doing well with them at the moment & don't have the time to hunt x