A really lovely day.... I managed to speak with my friend Edwina at last after several failed attempts, and I agreed to go and see her this morning. I cycled towards the Millennium Bridge as she lives in Dringhouses, and then realised that this morning I'd be able to visit the Allotment shop, which is open on Sundays from 11 til 12. To get though the kiss gate with my bike and trailer I had to uncouple them, but it only takes a minute.... Once on the allotment, I met Amanda, who was trying to carry a heavy sack plus something else, and she plonked the sack in my trailer. But a minute later, whilst walking along, a chap with a wheelbarrow with a flat tyre passed us, and he asked me if I had a pump. Which I did. I had to change the fittings round, and even then it didn't fit as the valve on the wheel was pointing in a skewed direction, and the pump wouldn't fit on fully. Amanda had by this time gone on her way, so I wasn't able to continue the conversation with her.
The shop had just opened, so I renewed my annual membership (£2) and bought 3 lots of seed potatoes for a pound a kilo, and some sweetcorn seeds, squash seeds and some onion sets, and that all came to about £7. So I stowed them in a pannier and carried on to the Millennium Bridge, over the racecourse, turned the trailer over on a corner with some uneven ground, which damaged my new back mudguard (boo hoo) and when I'd sorted that out enough to continue, I cycled up to Edwina's house, which was easy to find as I'd memorised the map.
She has moved back from Manchester where she's been working (as a Police Officer) as her mother has died, so she's doing up the house. The garage is going to become a living room, and she's built (or had built) a large wooden building in the garden, to house the garage stuff. She wants to put in some shrubs, to clear some brambles and bits of concrete, and tidy up, and to possibly put in or help put in a path and some gravel. Then she asked if I knew anyone who wanted a petrol lawnmower, so I suggested Freecycle, and over a coffee, I helped her register for that. She had a skip outside her house, with two nice logs in it, so I asked if I could have them. There was also a bit of copper sheet, some lead, lots of ferrous metal and various other bits, and she was happy for me to take a load to get it recycled.
She also wanted to get a compost bin or two installed, so I cycled round to a friend who is moving and has two recently installed bins that she doesn't want to take with her, and has asked if I can find a buyer. However, my friend wasn't in, but a message later got a positive result. I'll buy the bins, uninstall them and transport them round to Edwina's.
I cycled back over the Millennium Bridge, called in to see Richard, and picked up a box and a bag of goodies for the compost, and scuttled back home, for a late lunch.
I managed a bit of time in the garden after lunch, after Gardener's Question Time actually, and loaded up some stuff into the Compostumbler, including a roadkill duck, and found a load of worms to give to Will tomorrow to re-stock his wormery, and riddled some rich mature compost which will end up down at County Fresh.
I came in at 5 as I needed to get myself tidied up so I could get to David's for 6pm, as I was due to do my first bit of care-work for him this evening. He lives near Stonegate so I went into town via Foss Islands Road and Monk Bar, and turned left at the Minster. He was looking forward to going to City Screen for a coffee and a chat with Carolyn, whom he hasn't seen for a little while. She's helping him get a care assessment. An Austrian bloke and his two cute kids came to sit near us, which was a nice distraction.
After an hour I pushed David back to his house and he explained how he liked his meal making... soup and vegetables. I did exactly as he had instructed and he said it was lovely. I also washed up and tidied a bit. I finished at 8pm, and came home. Before having my tea, I cycled round to Jamie's to give him the money for the logs he's offered me, and a copy of 'The Curious Incident', both of which I think he was happy with. Well, cash is always welcomed! And a free book isn't to be sniffed at either....
I had a 'use it up' tea, the leftover linguine and veg from yesterday and the leftover couscous from the previous day. It was a reasonable meal.
So, a good day... topped off with a celebratory 700th edition of The Sky at Night which was very entertaining.
The shop had just opened, so I renewed my annual membership (£2) and bought 3 lots of seed potatoes for a pound a kilo, and some sweetcorn seeds, squash seeds and some onion sets, and that all came to about £7. So I stowed them in a pannier and carried on to the Millennium Bridge, over the racecourse, turned the trailer over on a corner with some uneven ground, which damaged my new back mudguard (boo hoo) and when I'd sorted that out enough to continue, I cycled up to Edwina's house, which was easy to find as I'd memorised the map.
She has moved back from Manchester where she's been working (as a Police Officer) as her mother has died, so she's doing up the house. The garage is going to become a living room, and she's built (or had built) a large wooden building in the garden, to house the garage stuff. She wants to put in some shrubs, to clear some brambles and bits of concrete, and tidy up, and to possibly put in or help put in a path and some gravel. Then she asked if I knew anyone who wanted a petrol lawnmower, so I suggested Freecycle, and over a coffee, I helped her register for that. She had a skip outside her house, with two nice logs in it, so I asked if I could have them. There was also a bit of copper sheet, some lead, lots of ferrous metal and various other bits, and she was happy for me to take a load to get it recycled.
She also wanted to get a compost bin or two installed, so I cycled round to a friend who is moving and has two recently installed bins that she doesn't want to take with her, and has asked if I can find a buyer. However, my friend wasn't in, but a message later got a positive result. I'll buy the bins, uninstall them and transport them round to Edwina's.
I cycled back over the Millennium Bridge, called in to see Richard, and picked up a box and a bag of goodies for the compost, and scuttled back home, for a late lunch.
I managed a bit of time in the garden after lunch, after Gardener's Question Time actually, and loaded up some stuff into the Compostumbler, including a roadkill duck, and found a load of worms to give to Will tomorrow to re-stock his wormery, and riddled some rich mature compost which will end up down at County Fresh.
I came in at 5 as I needed to get myself tidied up so I could get to David's for 6pm, as I was due to do my first bit of care-work for him this evening. He lives near Stonegate so I went into town via Foss Islands Road and Monk Bar, and turned left at the Minster. He was looking forward to going to City Screen for a coffee and a chat with Carolyn, whom he hasn't seen for a little while. She's helping him get a care assessment. An Austrian bloke and his two cute kids came to sit near us, which was a nice distraction.
After an hour I pushed David back to his house and he explained how he liked his meal making... soup and vegetables. I did exactly as he had instructed and he said it was lovely. I also washed up and tidied a bit. I finished at 8pm, and came home. Before having my tea, I cycled round to Jamie's to give him the money for the logs he's offered me, and a copy of 'The Curious Incident', both of which I think he was happy with. Well, cash is always welcomed! And a free book isn't to be sniffed at either....
I had a 'use it up' tea, the leftover linguine and veg from yesterday and the leftover couscous from the previous day. It was a reasonable meal.
So, a good day... topped off with a celebratory 700th edition of The Sky at Night which was very entertaining.
