2025 - What I did today

Today was my birthday so as a birthday treat to myself, I went trout fishng! 

I kept the first trout I caught (which as usual was the smallest, and we are only allowed to keep one!) I then caught and released unharmed another four trout one of which was huge and strippied my line right back to the backng line. All caught on a small brown beetle simulation dry fly from the surface!

A wonderful and memorable few hours fishing and I managed to get a sun tan as well!

You kept that quiet!! Happy Birthday, Vinny. Sounds like the perfect way to spend the day (for someone who likes fishing. )

Happy birthday for yesterday Vinny. The trout must have known you'd caught and kept your allotted one, the big ones knew they were safe.

Yesterday was P's hernia op. We travelled 25 miles to find it was cancelled due to a malfunctioning sterile air conditioning unit. They tried to ring but didnt until we had left the house. P was not impressed. Today they called to reschedule for later on this month but we couldn't accommodate that (decorators and plasterers in) so it's sometime in June now. On the bright side P will be able to finish my digging and able to hump furniture around for plasterer.

Poor P. Don't work him so hard. He should be taking it easy.
Today, I potted up some cauliflower seedlings - not sure why I sowed them as I've never grown a decent cauli.
Also planted 3 more sprouting courgette seeds - that's 4/100.
Pulled up lots of Sticky Willy, which seems to be taking over the soft fruit corner. The dogs keep bringing it indoors on their fur. Lots more brambles cut down and bunged in the garden waste bin for collection tomorrow

Planted out a few more flowers in the cutting bed yesterday. Not sure I’ll get to the garden today.

Potted on some toms. Trying to figure out which ones to keep, give away, scrap, etc. TBH scrapping is unlikely, knowing me.

Went to the allotment while everyone else was productively engaged. Planted some Romanesco cauliflower and green broccoli, some Noblessa achillea and trailing nasturtium. Watered and staked the things that were already out there. Did a bit of weeding to try to stay relatively on top of the bindweed.

Planted two more sprouting courgette seeds - there are 62 left, I over estimated how many there were!
Potted up some cabbage seedlings.
Shuffled tubs around the GH ready for some more tomatoes.
Last year, I put a collection of mint plants in pots on the rockery, thinking they would be contained (big mistake!). One of them is very vigorous and has escaped the pot and spread. I've been cutting it back - haven't found the pots yet! Its not a particularly nice mint either.

Planted out sweetcorn and CFB. Direct sown more CFB. I had a spare sweetcorn so put in a large pot and stood it next to others.