what summer?

Although we can't complain compared with northern hemisphere people who have had the worst snow falls in decades, with all the resultant disruption, here in the South Island we have had a cool and damp summer. Many grey days, that reminded me of English summers, and so untypical of NZ. Since school went back last week, the weather was a bit hotter and sunnier, but still not the days of over 30 degrees that we often get now. I have had poor use of my pool, as even when the days were warm the nights were cold. It did reach 28 degrees last week, but back to about 23 now.

I have started training for my 4 day bike trail ride in April. I have a nice comfy bike with suspension, but I remember from my last attempt to ride bikes about 12 years ago that I have arthritis damage in my thumbs. Normally I never notice, because I don't do anything to upset them, apart from the occasional knitting. I need to get the handlebar grips rotated to a more comfortable position. My local half hour trip is all on sealed roads and I don't need to change gear, so that is a doddle. My years of biking as a kid and at Cambridge were on a bike with no gears, so it is not instinctive for me.

Creativity is taking a back seat at the moment, with work so full on. I am hoping to finish the hydrangeas in the next two weeks. I like it, but I'm getting to the end of the interest phase.

I've been re-reading Melanie Testa's Inspired to Quilt, and would like a couple of shots at doing something with organza overlays. I decided against the FFFC this month, as fractures don't do a lot for me, and I was so short of time.

No photos - should be getting my camera out and taking the garden in progress. One new bed is planted, and I sprayed the next one with roundup this morning, having refined the shape by mowing round it. I am excited, since very little in my garden is my original design. I have modified the planting in some parts, and redesigned a couple of places. Where I have done the new beds, I am very much happier than with what I inherited. The flowering cherry trees are becoming a severe pain with their roots breaking the surface, and suckers reaching 6 or 7 metres from the trees. I have about 14 trees that must be 10 years old now. No one needs that many!