When Jackie heavily pruned a bay tree in our front garden last autumn, some of the branches escaped into the untended jungle next door.
This morning, I decided to do the decent thing and remove them. I cut them to size and filled one of the gravel container bags with them. Later, Jackie and I donated them to the Efford Recycling Centre, along with another bagful we had collected during the week. We only came back with a large cut glass bowl.
This afternoon we visited Mole Country Stores where we bought a new post for the uprooted side gate and three bags of Landscape Bark. This outlet hast vast areas both inside and out where can be acquired most garden materials I can think of, and quite a few I wouldn’t have known about. Among other goods, the outside yard alone displayed
stacks of timber stakes in all shapes and sizes;
house coal;
Irish Moss Peat;
compost, topsoil, and landscape bark.
The company also caters for equestrian needs, such as harness and bedding. Unless someone is breeding very large rabbits, I imagine
these bright orange carrots are intended for horses.
As I make my way through my eighth decade, it is only time that travels faster than it did in earlier days. Certain adaptations have to be made. It was when my arthritic right wrist, perhaps suffering from this morning’s exertions, made me aware that I could not lift my share of the Landscape Bark bags that I was reminded that I am not quite the man I was.
The offer of help from two beautiful young women was therefore gratefully accepted, and I did my best not to feel embarrassed, but to stand back and enjoy it.
Back home, it was almost warm enough to sit down with drinks. Instead, we wandered around with them.
Daffodils lining the Heligan Path have a marked, pleasant, scent.
We dined on Jackie’s excellent lamb jalfrezi, succulent savoury rice, and vegetable samosas; followed by chocolate sponge pudding and custard. While The Cook drank Kingfisher, I finished the madiran.