Articles by Mickey fez

I had a little shopping to do and when I returned Zazzles had to stick his head in to check the contents. Milk was the last item out and in the time it took me to put it in the fridge just behind me Zazzles had vanished into the bag. I grabbed my camera to take a snap and of course Zazzles being the poser he is had sat up for his photo. I managed to get rid of some more of the garden rubbish today and the Wheelie bin is full again. I will start work on the remaining bushesin the next day or so…

ON tuesday night,a rare warm one Zazzles appeared and vanished at great speed into the kithen clutching a mouse in his mouth,I folled and caught up with him just as he dropped it.I grabbed him and locked him in the living room before he could pounce again. Then I was on a mouse hunt,I found him,a little field mouse cowering in a corner. I picked him up and on examining him found no injuries so checking the garden was a cat free zone I released him into the long grass behind the remaining Gooseb…

Yesterday and today have dispelled all hope of a longer dry spell with icy cold rain and a big drop in temps I snapped a couple of shots of Hedgy last night. They were taken from above as the last thing he needs when foraging for food is some wassock firing a flash into his eyes you feed the pointy end by the way

Last night Sooty and Zazzles alerted me to something in the garden,I went to look expecting to see the local feline bruiser padding about but instead I spotted a dark familiar shape. It was the return of Hedgy hedgehog. He is later than last year maybe the recent spell of good weather has keep him roaming. I fed him with cat food and gave him some fresh water. It's good to have him back. This morning it was cold and dreary but about lunch time the sun finally broke through so I was off into the…

I chopped the rest of the blackcurrant bushes down today,another gloriously sunny day by the way. As you can tell by the photo now the hard work really stats. The gooseberry bushes are a tangle of brambles and grass. I will attack the bushes first with my very sharp hedge clippers but not before I receive the pair of gauntlets I have ordered. These plus an old pair of thick denims and a pair of goggles will complete the outfit as I join battle with the spiky monsters. The tubs are there to pr…

Another glorious day here. After cutting the grass yesterday that cats as usual tried to transfer as much as possible into the house so after filling and starting the washing machine the next job was to vacuum the living room and mop the vinyl floor in the kitchen. by then the wash was ready do I hung it on the whirly to dry.I took it easy then until lunch time before taking the recliner out and having a coffee. I noticed a butterfly on the Buddleia and managed to take a snap before it flutter…

We had wall to wall sunshine today so I mowed and strimmed both back and front gardens. A lovely warm morning and a good job done and I had the rest of the day free. I wasn't very productive unless sitting in a recliner counts. The temps got up to a very pleasant 21-22c that's low to mid 70s f very good for this far north at this time of year. Ellen has been away for a few days and she brought me a little trinket back and here it is.

After some heavy work over the last few days my back rebelled on Tuesday so I rested completely. Today feeling much better I applied the root killer to the fruit bushes. The method for trunks and roots under 6" across is to mix a satchet with a litre of water and spray in over the plants. I have no spare sprays at the moment so I improvised with an empty milk carton and a spare lid. I punch small holes in one lid and sprayed the plants then put on the intact lid to keep thind watertight. I have…

The good weather has gone and the rain is falling steadily. I have a big job to do indoors today so I don't mind so much. With the sun getting lower in the sky and shining onto my computer monitor I need to move to the other end of the room. This is a big task moving furniture and generally cleaning the areas I haven't be able to get to since spring. I will be busy for most of the day as it is laundry day as well. We had a visit from Arron,Gemma and Mia yesterday which was nice. The cats thoug…

Another lovely sunny day here so I decided to start work on the fruit bushes. These are the tools I used. This big bush was cut down to size with the very sharp hedge clippers. When I got through most of the foliage it turned out this was three bushed not the two I expected. That brought lunch time up after which I rested in the lounger for a while before starting on the root system with the bushman's knife as you can see it is more saw than knife except the blade folds away. I had…

After a cold blustery day yesterday today dawned nice and warm with hardly any breeze. A perfect day to get busy in the garden again. I got rid of the remains of the decking boards into the now empty wheelie bin and started on the frame and side strips. I had 8 6ft lengths so I took my trusty handsaw and cut them into 2ft lengths, perfect for the bin. It will take two weeks to clear them but things are moving forward again. I decided on a brew and a pipe and sat for an hour soaking up some ve…

We had a lovely sunny day today which came as a pleasant surprise. I spent a lot of time in the garden and resisted the urge to do a few jobs like sawing wood and weeding. It was a really relaxing day,the cats kept me entertained and Ellen joined us for a while although her position was laying on the ground catching some rays. As the afternoon wore on I decided to reward my lack of effort with a beer,that's when I noticed the cats under the recliner in the shade. All in all a very nic…

This is what happened when I left my recliner to make a brew . This is what happened when I pulled the dead flowers from this planter but left in the compost. This is what life is like in Cattown Weather report this morning,the forecasters got it right the rain is hammering down which is a bit of a bugger after the good weather I have enjoyed since returning from Jenny's. Still I do feel a little smug because I have the garden all trimmed and looking half tidy.

A full morning in the garen starting at 9 and finishing just before midday saw the grass front and back cut and strimmed,so if the rain does come tomorrow I'm ready for it. I have a couple of new photos of Mia Lilly she is turning into a cutie

After an overcast day yesterday the sun returned at full throttle today. With the wheelie bins now empty I started clearing rubbish again. I got the rest of the brambles into the garden wheelie bin, I also knocked some planks off a piece of decking that was laying on the mound round the side of the house,that went in the wheelie bin for rubbish. Satisfied with my morning's work I had Cumberland sausage butties for lunch then butchered 4 chicken thighs added onion,garlic,paprika,ginger and pepper…

We are still basking in warm sunny days here. Yesterday I took a leisurely stroll to town and did some shopping the old fashioned way. I enjoyed it and found some good bargains I can't get on line. Today after a lazy morning I carried on clearing the mess round the side of the house. The brambles I cut have dried up as have to ones on the garden rubbish bin so I took some more through and filled the bin up. It will be emptied on Wednesday and I hope to get the rest of it stowed then.I am not d…

Another lovely morning here and a walk to mother's was on the cards. I set off over the bridge and onto the channel side walkway,round the first bend Black Combe came into view looking colourful in the morning sunlight. I put the camera on full zoom and took a snap of the big climb summit a mile of steady climbing away,it doesn't get any lower over the years. I climbed up to level 2 and at the end of it weighed my options, Turned right for a flat run through town. Or up the steep steps…

Round the side of the house behind where the shed used to stand is a tip of all sorts so I decided to start on it yesterday. I manged to clear a path alongside the fence to the back wall I filled the large wheelie bin and this is left over. Today I cleared a lot more of it. The pile of branches has now grown,it's too green to burn at the moment and the garden rubbish bin is full so it will hanf aroubd for a while. Tomorrow I will delve into the large mound and see what it is hiding,…