Monday, March 15

The March winds doth blow

Last week, March certainly lived up to its reputation of being a windy month. It was a week for hunkering down, so gardening was once more on hold. We can only hope that the winds played their part in drying out the soil on the plot, although as the wind was often accompanied by some quite heavy rain showers the drying effect may have been cancelled out.

The only gardening activity was, Martyn erecting some trellis to hide the garage wall.

The trellis has been waiting patiently, as it was a job that had been earmarked  for completion over winter. Now we just need to renovate the border in front of it which will necessitate the purchase of more plants - oh dear!

Elsewhere in the garden more miniature daffodils are adding to the spring display.
More hellebore flowers are adding colour too but in the windy conditions it's tricky taking a decent photo.
I find the centre of the flowers really fascinating.

Our bird donated daphne is covered with fragrant flowers. I'm glad that I didn't weed out the unidentified 'weed' when I first spotted it several years ago.
Once they form, I'll need to make sure that I gather up the poisonous berries before Ruby is allowed near. Everything that can possibly go in her mouth is fair game. She is even likely to pull the berries off the plant before they fall to the ground.

I'll also be keeping a close eye on the aucuba berries, although they are not as toxic as daphne berries, they can cause an upset tummy.
It's quite scary, just how many of our garden plants are poisonous which is why Ruby isn't allowed in the garden unaccompanied.

She's had a go at a tub of wallflowers on the patio but at least one individual, that is out of reach, is determined to thwart her. 
I'm afraid that there is no allotment activity to report on and we have no harvest to show you, but we did use plenty of vegetables in last week's meals.

On Monday I made some spicy tuna fishcakes. A small amount of our potatoes went into the fishcakes which were accompanied by sauteed potatoes, savoy cabbage and our first picking of broccoli.

Thursday's meal used more of our potatoes and some carrots. As we don't seem to be able to grow swedes, I had to buy one and I also used some of our frozen peas to make a sort of turkey cottage pie with a twist.

Friday I made a vegetable biryani based on this recipe. I used onion, carrot, frozen peas and French beans along with bought red pepper and mushrooms. This was served with one of, Martyn's homemade naans

Sunday, I made an orzo dish that used some onion and carrot. I didn't follow the recipe exactly as the amounts given for ingredients weren't helpful. How much exactly is a packet of cherry tomatoes? Then it used a mixture of cups and ounces. As a basic recipe it could be adapted using a range of different ingredients.
There were a couple of visits that we had to make last week.

Wednesday, it was back to the vet for Ruby, for her booster injection and annual examination
She was ready and looking forward to a walk until she realised where we were heading. I had to carry her through the door as she refused to go into the porch and wasn't at all happy when I left her there to be collected by the vet. She couldn't get out and into the car quickly enough when I collected her. About an hour after the injection, she worried us as she just wasn't interested in anything and just wanted to curl up and sleep which is most unRubylike at that time of day. She looked generally unhappy. I rang the vet to check whether this was normal as it seemed a rather extreme reaction. I was told to give it four or five hours and keep an eye on her. A good sign was she perked up when food was on offer but just long enough to eat it. She wasn't really back to normal until later that night.

I also had an unwelcome appointment, mine was with the opticians which I hate. Give me the dentist any day. Being so short sighted, I hate doing eye tests as I panic and then feel so stupid when I can't read the letters on the screen. I can't have a scan either as the machine can't cope with my prescription. It makes me feel freakish. Fortunately, I always see the same optometrist who understands me. Happily, there was no change in my eyes. Hospital appointments are far worse as I am dealing with strangers.  I have a hospital appointed just over a week from now but it's a telephone appointment which to be honest seems to be a waste of time when they can't actually examine my eyes or do pressure tests. I guess this is the world that we live in these days. At least I now have something to report back to the consultant

Anyway, let's hope for some better weather this week and as always stay healthy and safe.

Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett

27 comments:

  1. Ruby acts just like a kid. She sees you picking off berries and she copies your actions, but she is not yet discriminating enough to know the differences between then.

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    1. She just picks up anything, Jane. She is addicted to socks and shoes. If we have a tissue in our pocket that is fair game too. Like a child she doesn't always respond to NO.

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  2. Vaccines can sometimes knock you out a bit - I'm glad that Ruby perked up without incident. I'm also glad that your eye checkup went fine - when we have issues with anything, getting those things checked out is always nerve-wracking. P.S. I too hate it when recipe measures are vague. I mean, what exactly is a handful, bunch or medium sized so & so? Do these recipe writers not have scales so they can give us some idea what they are talking about?

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    1. I guess it was more a worry as she hadn't reacted the same way after her first vaccination and to be disinterested is not in her psyche even when she is sleepy.

      It is so annoying - a thumb of ginger - my thumb is only small, half the size of Martyn's. One carrot? have they ever seen how varied carrots are? It must be difficult to someone just learning to cook at least we have some idea of how much to use.

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    2. Here's an instruction from one of the links that might confuse someone learning how to cook: STEP 1 Boil the kettle. (Cooks gotta have fun. Right?)

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  3. Goodness, is Ruby a year old already? I know you haven't had her from birth, but even so. I don't know where the time is going. Archie is often the same after a visit to the vets or groomers, it's as though he's sulking and will only come out of it when he's punished us enough, temperamental thing he is, haha. I've had quite a few telephone consultations since the start of the pandemic. To be honest I'm quite pleased with some doctors appointments that I don't have to go to the surgery, I've known what's wrong and what's needed and a two minute phone call is all that it's needed. I much prefer it than going in to see a doctor wasting my time and theirs, however, I'm with you on things like a hospital appointment about your eyes. It's not as though they can do much over the phone, what a waste of time for everyone involved.

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    1. Ruby is 14 months old now, Jo she has been with us a year. She was fine for an hour after her injection - playing and her normal self then it seemed to just hit her. She has the groomer to contend with next week. She only enjoys the bit where the groomer gives her a treat when she has finished.
      At least I can tell the consultant that the optometrist said that my eyes hadn't changed and she also took the pressures.

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  4. Those winds and rain certainly curtailed outside activities. Glad Ruby perked up, it's such a worry as they can't tell us what's wrong. I know how worried you were. Good luck with the telephone appointment, it will be interesting and I'm sure you'll let us know how it goes.

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    1. I think we are super sensitive after losing Tivvy in January 2020, Deborah, I will report back.

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  5. I can sympathise with Ruby. I had my Covid vac yesterday and it made me sluggish too. I optimistically set out for a full day in the garden today and now wish I hadn't. But like you, the weather was so bad last week very little got done. I think this week the forecast is better!

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    1. I didn't have any side effects after my jab, Jessica. Mine was Pfizer which I've heard has more chance of side effects after the second dose. Whereas with AZ it's the other way around,

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  6. Maybe Ruby was exhausted because you couldn't stay with her at the vet. I am glad she came around. Puppies are worrisome in the garden because they chew and taste test everything. I felt whalloped by the second covid shot. I was down for a day. I couldn't get warm. It took all day before I was able to climb out from under blankets. ha.. Glad that is over. It is windy as can be here too. UGH... I am married to an Optometrist (retired). I am always surprised when someone thinks that it is a test of your wits to do the eye test. It is only a test of your eye strengths and weaknesses. That is how they determine the strength of your prescriptions. Now I do dread going to the dentist. It seems that it is so expensive. At my age it seems there is always something that needs "fixed", ie expensive. ha... Hopefully soon we can be in the garden with plenty of chores to keep us busy. Love the trellis. It will be fun purchasing plants for that garden bed.

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    1. I don't think that helps, Lisa but apparently it is a common side effect. We were worried as she was OK when she had her first when a few weeks old.

      It's not that my eye examination feels like an test - it's more how self conscious I feel knowing that the optometrists rarely have people with my prescription and some of their machines just can't cope e.g the scanner and some new high tech gadgetry. That's what leaves me feeling freakish. My current practitioner is great but in the past I have been subjected to some rather insensitive comments, My optometrist can zoom up the test card to give me more confidence whereas in the hospital it's just a piece if card and when I say that I can't read it, I'm treated to incredulity.

      It will be fun planting up new areas in the garden.

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  7. Our cat Holly hates going to the vet. She recently had her health check and injection and was very sleepy for a while afterwards

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    1. It doesn't help that since the first couple of visits when Ruby was tiny we have had to leave her in the porch, Margaret. Then when she was spayed she was kept all day. I also think animals pick up on the distress that other animals are feeling and there are usually some quite sick individuals in the hospital. Not to mention the stress levels of the owners.

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  8. I liked your tuna fishcake, Sue. I found the recipe and will cook them. Ruby is healthy now, that's fine. Glad your eye tests went well too.
    Hugs!

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    1. We enjoyed them, Nadezda I hope that you do too.

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  9. It's been wet and windy here too, but now and then we are getting some bright days. Your spring flowers are lovely. Tasty looking meals. It's a nightmare worrying what dogs might manage to eat! I'm glad Ruby perked up after her jabs and that you got the opticians out of the way.xxx

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    1. It really is a full time job watching what digs pick up in their mouths. i dread to think of what Ruby has eaten without us noticing.

      The wind caused a fair bit of damage on our site, Fortunately for us it had just upended our cold frame which isn't glazed so no real harm was done.

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  10. I hate eye tests too. My Ella feels the same way about the vet. Hope the wind dissipates. I always find strong winds unnerving.

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    1. At least I can just pick Ruby up when she refuses to go through the door, Bonnie. I guess Ella's a bit big for that. When I was teaching the wind affected the children badly. They were always rather hyper when it was windy.

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  11. Oh I will have to try out the tuna fishcake recipe Sue 😄 Glad to hear that your trip to the opticians resulted in the verdict that there was no change to your eyes. Having had a couple of telephone appointments with consultants in the last year I too am sceptical Sue as none of the usual preliminary tests could take place. I'm due for another one in the late summer but the consultant felt was most likely to be via telephone again �� Still a chilly wind here and not inviting enough to venture out except for a quick reccie and then straight into the greenhouse!

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    1. My appointment was more or less a general chat, Anna but at least I could feedback on the optometrists findings. My next appointment will be by telephone too.

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  12. Mmm, the Orzo dish is the one that attracts my eye and my taste buds.
    Your garden is looking lovely, full of Spring colour. That Ruby! She’s such a sweetie but needs to stop attempting to eat dodgy things!

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    1. The orzo dish was tasty, Belinda. I think Ruby has eaten something that didn't agree with her as she had a toilet issue.

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  13. Ah Sue, I do like and excuse for a border renovation and adding new plants. As for your daphne... that was a nice home grown present to get! Very nice 😊

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