Phantom of the storm

Our community company has benefitted from grants, donations and sponsorship from a number of organisations and individuals, to whom we are extremely grateful. Some are more particular than others when asking how we spent their cash. And some have strict guidelines on when it must be spent by. Today, we were right up against the wire! We had been waiting on artwork for new signs in order to place a final order to use up the funding. It was promised last week, then yesterday, but after some panic emails and phone calls, it arrived eventually this morning. The order was placed over the phone and a receipt obtained by email by midday, just in time to send off our return.

Panic over, we ventured out into the field to cut back an old hedge and do some tidying up. It was very cold and overcast and blips were the last thing on the mind -perhaps we could have taken a shot of the pruned hedge! The sun made a late appearance just as we were finishing and was the reminder required. Searching around the garden, we spotted the twisted stalks of this old clematis that adorns the pergola in the side garden. A previous lean-to pergola rotted away and collapsed one windy night a few years ago. We thought the plant was done for but, after carefully extracting the rotten post from the entwined growth, we were able to lay the whole plant on its back and then pull it up and over the newly and more substantial pergola. Not only did it survive, but it is positively thriving and we are always reminded of the incident when we notice the phantom post that used to go up between the stalks. We look forward to next month when it should be in flower.