Getting things fixed

Today’s guest picture is another from Paul. He was happy to see that cricket had started again after the lockdown.

As a day, this was one that did not get entered on the credit side of the great ledger of life, although it did have some redeeming features.

First, the less attractive part: after breakfast, I had to take the car down to the garage in Carlisle to get a slow puncture fixed. As it was pouring with rain, the drive down wasn’t much fun and walking round a village on the outskirts of Carlisle while I was waiting for the work to be done was rather gloomy too. This picture sums up the weather quite well.

I found this promising bridle path to explore but it gradually got more and more wet as I went along, and in the end I would have need my dookies, flippers and a snorkel to make progress. As I had none of these, I turned round and went back the way that I had come. A call from the garage to say that the car was ready rescued me from the rain and I was home by lunchtime.

The redeeming feature of the morning was that the garage didn’t charge me for the repair.

The weather improved during the afternoon but the day didn’t as I was suffering from toothache and it got steadily worse as time went by. In the end, it got so bad that I rang up the dentists and to my surprise the day produced its next redeeming feature. I got an appointment to see a dentist tomorrow in Annan. I don’t think that they are doing any treatment but at least they should be able to find out what is causing the problem and give me advice on what should be done.

I did think about going for a cycle ride as it was quite calm when the ran stopped, but the toothache sapped my will and the furthest that I got was out into the garden. Mrs Tootlepedal checked on her carrots…

…and was surprised that her purple sprouting broccoli was sprouting…

…as it was not due to sprout until next year.

Both carrots and broccoli made a welcome appearance at our evening meal.

While I was out in the garden, I had a look around.

In the veg garden, Mrs Tootlepedal has some very healthy mustard growing. She is very keen on mustard.

Runner beans are looking promising with some beans forming and plenty of flowers.

And looking at the fence along the side of the veg garden, I could see contrasting clematis. One high…

…and one low.

In the flower gardens, the Indian Prince looks good from every angle.

…and the lupins have produced some good secondary shoots.

There are a lot of blackbirds about, both young…

…and old.

Then I went back in and felt sorry for myself (so that nobody else needs to) until I was cheered up by an evening meal of cauliflower cheese with potatoes, carrots and broccoli from the garden. Mrs Tootlepedal is thinking of giving up growing peas next year and perhaps trying cauliflowers instead.

The weather kept on improving as the day went on and after our meal, I went back out into the garden for an ‘evening light’ shot…

…or two….

…or three.

I thought that that would be all my photographic activity for the day, but while I was taking a break from writing this post to go and have a moan about my toothache to the long suffering Mrs Tootlepedal, she pointed out that there was a new moon in the sky. I went out to have a look…

…and was impressed by a vapour trail getting a tweak from some lofty breeze and catching the very last of the sun.

At this point, the day’s last remaining redeeming feature appeared in the form of a curled up hedgehog on the drive. I didn’t like to disturb it with the flash so this was the best that I could do.

Mrs Tootlepedal came out and while she wondering if she should move it to somewhere more hospitable, the hedgehog woke up and scuttled under a hedge.

As something has been eating the hedgehog food that she has been putting out, Mrs Tootlepedal is delighted to find that it is probably a hedgehog that has been doing it.

I watched birds during the afternoon. I was pleased to see a goldfinch and a redpoll…

…among a host of sparrows…

…one of which is the flying bird of the day.