Saturday 23rd January 2010

I have had a cold for the past three or four days. Colds are so annoying, you are not really ill, but the symptoms are enough to make you feel sorry for yourself, and (particularly if you are a man), to want to just sit in your favourite chair and feel sorry for yourself, while reading the paper.

Today I awoke feeling a lot better, not 100%, but better. Plus the rain has stopped and it is almost bright outside.

Son-in-law Martin, has been getting himself an allotment. It is in Sunderland, just at the bottom of Tunstall Hill, about thirty minutes walk from where he lives. It looks as if it has been somewhat neglected, with at least two thirds of it covered in grass and weeds, not to mention an amazing collection of pieces of wood, old doors and sheets of plastic.

He took possession of his domain about two weeks before Christmas 2009, but ever since then it has been either snowing or raining, so it has not been possible to begin the task of removing the weeds, tiding it up and getting it ready for cultivation.

I had said to him that I would give a hand with the initial digging, not that I am an experienced, or even enthusiastic gardener, but it is good exercise, and I certainly need that to work off the Christmas excesses before my annual medication review, which is now due.

This morning he rang me to say that he, and to my surprise, Dana, were going to the allotment to begin the big dig, so I agreed to join them.

In the first picture, above, you can see a rare sight, Dana and Martin working in harmony to achieve the same task.  

When I spoke to Martin on the telephone to arrange to meet him and Dana at the allotment, I must admit I did expect Dana's presence to be in a "supervisory capacity".

But despite our teasing about her blocking out the signal to the radio when she bent down, she did work like a trojan.

Indeed here on the right, you can see a sight which I am sure most of you thought you would never see:-

A complete reversal of the roles, normally found in Ashwood Terrace. We have Martin skiving by talking to a fellow allotment holder, meanwhile......

Dana is not deflected from her task and labours on with her spade.

Martin of course has made a new friend, (Tony), who is kind enough to offer his advice on various things and it is not long before we are all talking like gardeners and discussing the merits of "potash" etc etc

For the doubters among you, who think Martin has only virtual friends, the above picture proves Tony really does exist.

I must admit, when I first saw the size and neglected state of Martin's Allotment, I did not expect crops to be grown in 2010, indeed I did not really expect any crops to be grown ever!

But in just two hours we have managed to clear about a sixth of the total area. The plan is to clear about a third of the total area and plant "things" this year, with the rest being gradually cleared and cultivated as and when time permits. After this mornings performance it does actually look possible.

After two hours of more or less solid digging, I feel fine, it will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning!

I return home to undo my good work by tucking in to bacon and eggs.

Then a quick check on the Internet and I am rewarded with a photograph of our latest grandchild in the making. Susana, our daughter-in-law, at roughly four months pregnant proudly shows off the developing "bump". She should be back in Houston this weekend, so we should be able to speak to her on the telephone.