Long, lazy weekend...

Monday was a Bank Holiday over here.


Some people like to have a nice long, lazy weekend, relaxing in the early summer sun, soaking up a beer or two.


Others like to treat it as the time to do some major work on the garden, getting it ready for summer.  It is a traditional time for planting up those final flowers, digging ponds, fixing decking and arches, etc.


This makes it a busy time for A&E departments, of course.


On Saturday we moved Mr Chuffington into the front garden, which is more wild than the back garden.  The change in environment is very dramatic from him, as he used to be on a paved area with much less interesting stuff to do.  He seems to be having real fun with it, rummaging around under bushes and in the grass, and marking his territory. 


So, on Sunday morning we bit the bullet and set about digging another, bigger pond for the fish.  The big fish (including Lonesome George) will move into this one while the smaller pond becomes a nursery pond if they spawn again.  Last year they had babies and we took some indoors for safety, but they gradually died.  After we lost the last four the tank was cleaned and refreshed.  We bought three more fish, which died within days.  With this final defeat, we have decided to go strictly outdoors for our fish.


The new pond quickly took shape, and on Monday we bought the liner, fitted it and filled the pond with fresh water.  We will be giving the new pond a couple of weeks to settle (and will be moving some water across from the old pond so that it gets some life in it) before we move George and Co across.


Had a moment when I thought I would be on my way to A&E.  I was loading clods of earth into a hand truck to be moved to the front garden when I took a step backwards.  Only my foot caught on something, causing me to just topple over backwards.  Luckily I landed OK, suffering nothing more than a small graze on my back and a bruise on one buttock.  Nothing a nice hot bath couldn't fix.

Update for anyone who is still hanging around here...

Well, the last couple of months have been busy, routine, and with a fair dollop of stress from various sources.


Number One Son has been working through to the end of his Masters, having a bit of a crisis along the way, thinking that what he was doing wasn't up to standard.  His grades are coming back and although some are below his usual (not necessarily his own fault IMO) they are still enough to get him in as top of the year.


He comes home soon, for ever apparently!  Time to sit back and see what he wants to do next!


Our daughter became disillusioned with where she was working, so is now applying to go to a local University to study Forensic Science.  This means that she can live at home while she studies, which will be both nice for us and a lot cheaper for her!  Hope she gets a place!


Our younger son, Arnie, is in the middle of his exams, and has also had a bit of a crisis, not thinking that he is being taught everything he needs to know.  A ton of self study later and he is doing OK, feeling that things are going well now.


Roll on summer, eh?