How many weeks in lock down? Time fly's by. But only because we keep so busy

How many weeks in lock down? Time fly's by. But only because we keep so busy

But it is now six weeks.

Pulling Hair Out Stock Vector Images - Alamy

And we have just hit over 20,000 deaths, and l am sure we are going to unfortunately see many before we are clear of this virus and things get back to some normality.

Signed up for the NHS volunteers and became a first responder, but as yet l haven't been called upon to do anything. Even signed up for the Argyll and Bute volunteer group, but once again nothing has materialised. 
They possibly think l am too much of a liability, being nearly seventy. A age is not necessarily a guide of a persons ability, health and fitness.

On the upside, it has given me plenty of time to get to grips with finishing off little jobs around the house. And with the weather being so kind, it has enabled the two of us the incentive to sculpture the two areas around the house. Turning a building site and tipping zone into some semblance of a garden.

Moved trees and bushes along with wild garlic into the front hidden garden. Its an area that has very little sun, retains the moisture, so should be good as a woodland glen. 
As we skimmed off the moss from the back garden we moved it into the hidden garden, along with moss covered logs.







The back of the house overlooking the Clyde Estuary was a real mess. Compacted clay, stone and rubble.
So the first few jobs were to try and get levels, remove debris, stones and weeds. 
We had plenty of seeds in stock, so decided that it would be nice to get a belt of wild flowers in and vegetables to supplement our  nutritional needs.

I did sow lettuce into modules and kept them warm and moist. But after two weeks we hadn't seen any signs of life. perhaps it will need a few extra weeks.

Front bed dug out and rotivated to make some form of tilth to sow the wild flowers into. Which was another episode. The rotivator started on the second pull. Good old Briggs and Stratton. Unfortunately we rand out of petrol and the clutch cable broke. 

Fortunately, our neighbour, Ian came to the rescue with a gallon of fuel and a universal cable. Left both at the front door, to maintain social distancing.


Initially we built two large raised beds, using old scaffold boards that had past their original usefulness, being too unsafe.


We had to then source enough compost to fill both beds. All garden centres were closed, and no'one would deliver. So it was down to the stables with trugs for aged manure, which we layered with leaf mould, shredded paper and earth that l dug from under the bank.



People have been out into the hills over on the other side. From all account, someone had a BBQ that set the hillside alight. The smoke was clearly visible.




Back to the beds, sowing vegetables and digging the site to try and get a level. Want to build a fire pit.







Five days work has produced a good starting point. 
The weather is staying good, although Mr Weatherman forecasts rain soon. So we need to get back into the garden and sculpture the remaining areas of the building plot.
We are still not agreed to the exact format, but it will come eventually. I have produced a few drawings with a planting scheme, but Judith prefers to allow it to develop.

Glorious morning, the birds are out tweeting away, two of our deer are mooching around in the wood and our male pheasant is still trying his best to woo a female.



Low clouds on the hills over the other side in Ayrshire 



View of the Isle of Bute in the foreground with Arran behind and the Ailsa Craig to the left


Primroses popping up in between the bluebells. Did manage to get the strimmer out to tidy the area around the pond.
We ended up with masses of stones as we levelled the front garden, so we put them into the far end to make a beach. Allowing the smaller animals and birds to access water.







Coronavirus: Captain Tom Moore gets Royal Mail birthday postmark


The 99-year-old war veteran who has raised £29m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden has been honoured with a special postmark.

Royal Mail will stamp all letters with the message to celebrate Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday on Thursday.

All stamped post up until Friday will be marked with: "Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020."

Royal Mail said it was "honoured" to issue the postmark.

World War Two veteran Capt Tom, from Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire, has extended his challenge to 200 laps after he completed the first 100 laps 14 days ahead of schedule.

His initial £1,000 fundraising target was broken in about 24 hours and he has now raised more than £29m for the NHS.

Royal Mail's Capt Tom Moore postmark





  Latest updates 26/04/2020

210 Countries and Territories around the world have reported a total of 2,995,636 confirmed cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 that originated from Wuhan, China, and a death toll of 207,020 deaths.




U tube, email, Facebook and other media seem to have a myriad of inventive videos to put a smile on our faces during these troubled times.







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