Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Suffolk_lass

It is bees for me today - still got four colonies to inspect and a couple to check back on. The warm weather means they will be collecting nectar as there is plenty around now with oil seed rape in flower locally. I shall need to be looking for space, evidence of disease, and making sure they have stores, good looking brood and plenty of bees

Mr Sl spent yesterday with former colleagues in London, visiting a number of hostelries including one or two Jack the Ripper venues. When I went to the Station to collect him the road was closed. I was due to be there 10 minutes early, so was able to warn him, but dog and I sat in the car in a dark side road over a mile away to see if he could walk through the blue police cordon. He could, phew! - as the alternative was a 20 minute detour for us in the car. The cause looked like an Audi overtook a transit at the moment the transit elected to take the cut round under the very low bridge. Mr Sl reported bits of vehicle all over the road and the police had closed it between the two roundabouts either side of the river, railway and station.

Meanwhile, I had a pottering day, mostly garden based. dug out several annoying brambles, and removed a trug-full of weeds (docs, nettles, thistles etc) from the gravel paths between the beds in the veg garden. I did not get around to planting the perennials but will be asking Mr Sl to help with these.

I did pot on some miserable little plugs that were finally delivered by post - mid afternoon by our postman, but they had been through Whistl and Parcelforce Worldwide and had plant passports - ordered from Devon. 9 days in transit. - I have requested a refund and removed the subscriptions that meant daily email bombardment. They were Dobies (actually part of Suttons). A very similar name to the garden centre I go to for coffee when Mr Sl is at outpatients appointments, and close to my cousin's house, that physical premises has a pet store that dog likes too (two bs in their name though), and very much a garden centre rather than the nurseries I prefer. That is where the money is though so all the nurseries are succumbing to redevelopment or housing.

Money wise I have shuffled the money from the TT savings pot into my bank account so that the humungous (truck purchase) CC bill is covered. It is going on the 13th, according to the email, but they have a track record of taking it earlier. Other than that it is just the anticipated payments out of the accounts this morning and another no-spend day. I do need to look at some money things - pay the wholesale difference in price for the larger solar battery due to be fitted tomorrow, look at a different phone tariff for me, contact tentacled ones as my tariff is ending on 23rd May and I don't know how to achieve what I want (I want to receive SEG credits in the summer combined with cheap overnight download from the grid to fill the battery in winter, so the running costs of our aga are reduced then, and we have a little more credit in summer). When I search the assumption is that I want solar or a battery installed.

Food and fridge - I finished the vegetable soup for lunch yesterday and had chicken salad for supper. I might make some soup in a minute and we could have the same again this evening, I need to keep it light and simple to shed the winter weight I always carry. So does Mr Sl whose cheese tummy is there again.

Have a good day and keep those purses shut!

Suffolk_lass

I have been round all my bees now and they are absolutely booming! I need to go and swap frames in a box that I gave a colony to draw - they will be a bit ansi this afternoon as forecast is too cool. I do need to go to one site where I keep a single colony with my mentee's bees. We need to do swarm control on his - split them so he is back to two. I might offer him the colony I have in a nuc still. They were happier when I checked since moving them to smaller accommodation. I have one monster colony to see to too. I can hardly reach the top! Lots of bees this week and just a little seed care in the garden.

Mr Sl needs a list too!