Apart from writing my journal early and late, the entire hot, windy and arduous day was spent gardening. After the fish, doves and conservatory chores, I prevailed upon Ibbetts in Great Paxton to get my lawn-mower handle welded and bought a two-stroke blower with motor and impeller that helps with gathering the leaves. I clipped back climbers on the garages to facilitate the decorator’s task and then resumed work on the lawns until dark
Another hot and arduous day in the garden. I was awake very early and had my morning drink with Diana before spending some time on my journal before breakfast. I was hungry and pleased that Di decided to serve a fried breakfast today rather than tomorrow and the girls were pleased as well. Breakfast over, I tended the fish, doves and conservatory, cleared out the swimming pool filter and then went out to Ibbetts in Great Paxton to try to get my lawn-mower handle welded. I was relieved that they could oblige me by doing it while I waited, and I then decided to buy a "blower" to help with the leaves. This is a tool with a two-stroke motor and impeller that directs air along the ground to gather up leaves and rubbish into a heap. Another attachment then turns the machine into a vacuum cleaner that can then such all of the debris up into a bag!
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I was home in time for coffee and also managed to buy a copy of last night's paper with the ONSITE story in it. Another hot and windy day which was quite fun with the leaves falling as I was trying to do the garden! Before resuming my lawns, I had to clip back the climbers on the two garages so that the decorators could get on. They had three of them here today trying to get as much done as possible whilst the weather was fine and dry. The hydrangea on the outer garage east wall was easy but the hawthorn trees along my west boundary were matted with ivy and climbers and I got more splinters as I always do. All this done, I re-assembled the mower and tried out the leaf blower on the front lawn. It is useful to a point - particularly at flushing out the leaves from the shrub beds and wafting all of the leaves from the road outside into a rough pile for manual collection. It is much quicker than raking or brushing. It was already mid-afternoon by the time I was mowing the front lawn and then evening before I could get round and do the back lawn. I worked until dark again and had spent the entire day on my feet before coming in to get my journal right up to date this time.