Half mast

Today I was curious to check for evidence of mass mourning of the Duke of Edinburgh, so I incorporated a wander past the Palace of Holyrood on our post-breakfast walk. I was relieved that the only indication of the death was the flag at half mast on the palace itself, and three other flags similarly hoisted outside the parliament building.

Back home again, and after the Monday morning supermarket run, I finished de-garlicking the border that runs from our pond to the rockery-to-be. Then, with Mr hazelh, I gave the wall next to the shed a second coat of tabasco paint.

The father of one of my upstairs-but-one neighbours was working in the garden next to ours while I was pottering about. He was building a compost box for his daughter, though running short of wood. I was really pleased to be able to help him out by calling Mr hazelh into the garden and asking him to pass one of our spare pallets over the wall. This started out as a gift. However, it soon became a swap for an exciting addition to our garden that is likely to arrive tomorrow. Watch this space!

With soup supplies running low, early this evening I put some spicy squash on to brew while I rode my exercise bike. Then I ate my dinner, and beat Mr hazelh at Carcassonne.

I also spoke to Mummy hazelh and my not-so-little sister. They have taken advantage of the lessening of coronavirus restrictions in England to spend a few days at the house on Holy Island.

If this was not enough fun for a single day, it was then time for my book group meeting on Zoom and the rare occurrence of everyone enjoying the book: A thousand ships by Natalie Haynes.

It is exactly one year since I looked out at our overgrown garden in misery and Paddy offered to come and help me to sort it all out.

Exercise today: walking (15,549 steps), gardening, 30 minutes on the exercise bike.