Crazy

It's sometimes difficult to be factual on the weather but the data kept by our PV unit shows that in April we have already produced more electricity than in August 2017 although still a day to go and August had one more day.

Had we known, we could have set the pool up in the first week of April but never thought it would be so warm. Even when we finally did so around 18th, didn't connect the pump to the solar heating system as we thought it couldn't last. Now the water is already at around 18°C despite the cool nights and Angie has been in for the last few days. Briefly, it has to be said and she is the type that complains when the water gets above 20°C saying it's no longer refreshingly cool. I, on the other hand, need around 30°C before I will dip a toe in. We haven't even put on the pool cover that can be seen in the Blip. It is now several years old and breaking up badly. We should have replaced it last year.

Last year we got the pool in operation in the last week of May. Angie bought trays of petunias a few weeks ago. I thought she was crazy but she put them in the unheated greenhouse and a week ago planted up the containers. We normally say one should wait until after the Ice Saints in mid-May. 

So today I concentrated on getting the vegetable plot sorted. It was abandoned all last year. I had simply spread loads of muck from the horses in the autumn of 2016 and left the patch to the chickens who in the meantime have done a great job scratching around except for the areas where the nettles got a hold. And to my cost, there are a lot of nettles.

It was hard work and with the heat and sun blazing, I had to keep taking breaks. Despite spending the whole day on it, I didn't quite finish and will have to reckon that there will a lot of weeding to be done during the summer. Would be nice if I could find a way to let the chickens in the enclosed area to at least keep the unplanted areas weed free. As the extra shows, they enjoyed helping today. Please ignore my broken fork - supermarket special offer a few years ago and today the second fork broke off.

Thinking McKinsey & Co practically, the vegetable garden is not worth the effort or I should invest in a few gallons of Round-Up. However, I do have to try and show my daughter that the old man can still grow the odd organic lettuce and just like in her huge wonderful vegetable plantation, stuff like Round-Up doesn't have a chance of being used.

I hope the weather in the UK improves soon. Ours is due to now deteriorate and the 14-day forecast doesn't look as good as the last fortnight of April. Some rain forecast for tonight which we desperately need not just for the plants but also to wash away the mass of yellow pollen that is everywhere. It has been so bad that one can't hang out clothes to dry but luckily we do have an excess of electricity and can use the dryer.