Gardener's Perks

At seven o' clock this morning, when we were fast asleep, the bedroom door opened and in came little Miss B, bouncing with energy and keen not to waste a minute of Granny and Gramps sleepover time! She's so independent these days, was dressed and had cleaned her teeth before we'd properly woken up. She remembered not to be too loud so that she wouldn't wake her little brother. It was late morning before we left (exhausted but happy). 

Then we spent all afternoon gardening. Loads of brambles and overgrown wild-style roses cut back, along with nettles, thistles, deadly nightshade and more. When I'd finished, my sleeveless cardigan was covered in sticky goose-grass seeds. I counted them as I removed them later: 128 altogether! 

Before I came in, and after Mr PP had mowed the lawn, I remembered to go and see if there were any raspberries left to harvest. The pot I took was too small to hold just over five ounces of them (146 grams) - so they were what we had for pudding today, with ice-cream.

The title of this blip reflects how often some interesting little critter will emerge in the process of garden maintenance. Today it was - if I've correctly identified it - this little dark bush-cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera). The slightly raised ovipositor shows it's a female. Here she is in the tub of weeds and deadheads before I moved her back into the flowerbed.