Mid winter
This week: Health update; Mid winter; Orchard plants; The end of another year;
This weeks blog is going to be short. Much shorter than the usual eight to ten minutes read, for the simple reason that I have done very little!
Health update
The problem I have is that I don’t know how I am supposed to feel!
I don’t feel particularly well, more as though I am only firing on three cylinders – which in a V-6 engine is not good. I have no one to ask, only anecdotal comments, that people feel completely renewed after having a stent fitted.
Most certainly I do not…
I’m getting better slowly, but I don’t feel anywhere near “back to normal”. The only thing which tastes normal is toast and I have little appetite. This will take three months to return to normal, or so I am told.
I’m taking all the medications and being sensible, but my energy levels are very low.
I guess it will just take time.
Mid winter
I’ve always known that I don’t like winter and here we are today on the 20th December, at the shortest day of the year.
That means that from Monday the days will start to lengthen again.
Mostly the days have been sunny recently, and when the sun shines, it is warm.
Coming out onto the patio one morning this past week, as the sun reached the dew laden wind protection around my citrus trees, steam was rising everywhere.
The orchard looked quite ethereal, shrouded in steam.
The problem is that in mid winter, I only get sun from 08:40 to 12:40, a bare four hours.
It is just another reason to look forward to the lengthening days of January…
Orchard plants
The Narcissi I planted outside the kitchen window in September are at their best at the moment.
It is a joy to see these harbingers of Spring, every time I walk past.
Throughout the orchards, the naturalised Hyacinth plants are now poking through the soil.
Although it will still be a few weeks before they are in flower and their scent fills the air, it is another sign that the end of winter I in sight.
Going out of my small gate, onto the old Donkey track, I was surprised that I had disturbed four Turkish Geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus.
The wood on this gate is starting to rot and they had been hibernating together between the various pieces.
I left them in peace, as it is not really warm enough yet for them to be out and about.
I have been keeping a close eye on my winter collards.
The November rains have done them good. However, I really need to get in between them with a Dutch hoe to attack the weeds.
The end of another year
As Christmas approaches once again, with two public holidays this next week, followed by New Year the week after, I have decided that the next blog will be the first of 2026, in a fortnight on Saturday 3rd January.
In between time, I will still be taking my exercise, escorted every time by one or more of my felines, however as the days are short and cold, I’ll not be spending much time outside, so will have little to report.
Someone seems to have told them that I can’t be let out unsupervised, so I am accompanied everywhere I go!
Wherever you are in the world when you read this, from the summer sunshine of the Antipodes to the monster snows of Northern Wisconsin, and all points in-between, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New year. NCG