I’ve had better weekends
‘Berluddy hell’, said Hubby yesterday morning, ‘it looks like the wind could reach 100mph this afternoon’
‘Shit’, said I, ’I'd better go kiss my greenhouse goodbye’.
Oh, how we laughed. Then later there was an enormous crash, and we kind of stopped laughing. Here’s the view from #2′s bedroom window.
Hubby was in the shower, cleaning our new foster dog (see below), so I called D next door in a panic: ‘quick! can you come round and help me? The greenhouse is on the move and it’s heading towards the cars!’. Bless him, he donned his waterproofs and whizzed round. Well, between us we managed to manhandle it off the oil tank, but it nearly took off with us hanging on, so in the end D held it down while I drove the front wheels of the car over it. That stopped it. Seriously, the wind was so strong it was nearly knocking D clean off his feet. Amazing.
I spent about an hour and a half picking up broken glass this morning and I’m nowhere near finished. Some of the shards are like little needles and they break as soon as you touch them. I just think we’ll have to resign ourselves to not letting Bert walk down that side of the garden. Ever. All Hubby’s hard work, too. And I was planning so many exciting things this year – sweet little baby plum tomatoes… Thrifty’s home-grown hot little chillis… peas straight out of the pod… I could cry.
Okay, so it was held down with bits of concrete slab, and buried about two inches down in the soil. I know we should have used stakes or something, but we thought it was well bedded in and to be honest, a wind strong enough to lift whole, full wheelie bins and hurl them about the garden as if they were cardboard boxes is not going to be stopped by a few stakes. Ah well, back to the drawing board, then.
In other news, we have a new little foster greyhound: a little black girl that Irene, the ISPCA lady down the road got returned to her because it ate all the new owner’s chickens (I mean, duh, greyhound? chickens? Have a word with yourself, pal). She doesn’t have a name and is currently being called ‘Zero’ as in size zero because she’s so bloody skinny. She’s very cute and well behaved, though. Bert’s not overly impressed but doesn’t mind as long as she stays off his sofa.
God, but I’m pissed off though. Bloody Cavan. Bloody weather.
The wind we get is why we got polytunnels. Some days I fully expect to see a big plastic parachute go sailing over the house, but it never happens, and they’re surprisingly warm inside, especially in the middle. They’re not half so pretty, but they ARE half as expensive.
Meanwhile, if I see anything blowing across our place that looks like it might belong to you (Bert or Zero perhaps?) I’ll catch it! LOL I hope your week turns out better than your weekend.
Thats a sad and sorry bedraggled greenhouse Mrs.
Need any more chiili seeds?
Grandad never lost his greenhouse !
TC: I’ve said this a few times today already but just for the record: we’re NOT keeping her. I don’t care if she’s cute, or if we feel sorry for her, or if she NEEDS us. Bert is far and away enough dog for one household. Phew. I feel better now!! Nope, I only planted a few thanks. Got the rest still in the envelope, thanks though.
Moon: See above. Absolutely not. Anyway, I thought we’d established that he bats for the other side?! No, Grandad never did, but then he never lived in bloody Cavan did he?!
It’s easy knowing you’re not a native though. I passed three pensioners in Virginia sitting outside their houses in teeshirts and shorts. The elders revel in this sort of thing down our way, because they’re ‘hardy’.
Are you going rebuild the greenhouse?
I just bought Mr. DBM a book on chickens. Seems like three would be plenty. Unfortunately, the size of coop needed for just three would pretty much take up half our garden and since I am still refusing to give up my garage, I suppose we will just have to wait until we can find a bigger garden. Oh well, good things do come to those who wait, don’t they? Eventually? Please?
Poor Zero. Stupid owner .. brilliant move: get an ex-racer, don’t feed her enough, and introduce her to your free-range hens. Great idea, I don’t think. Sheesh, some folk are stupid. *Shakes head*
I left my kids for 10 minutes with a friend of ours yesterday… bless him, he’s not so good with kids, and he was putting together a load of shelves for me but I figured 10 minutes would be safe enough.
On the way back up the road, didn’t I find that a giant oak tree had fallen across the road with no way of driving around it??!?!
I spent 20 minutes frantically breaking branches with fellow neighbours until a small path was cleared… I must have seemed a bit of a maniac in hindsight. Oh well.
Stupid storm.
On the upside, you get to do it again. An entire spring and summer of planning, sweating, swearing and smiling. So I commiserate, but also envy you just a little.
AND . . . hoover the garden to get the glass up!!
How old is Zero? Has her “plumbing” been rearranged?
[...] on Blue Monday. Economy’s up the creek, we’re all aching with various flus/bugs/etc, the weather shows no sign of getting better and I can’t remember the last time I went to work/came home in hours of [...]
Baino: I know – it all seems a bit extreme. Flying greenhouses and wheelie bins seem more suited to Tornado Alley rather than Cavan!
Wee One: I know, I’m desperate to see whether it’s still there. Susan reckons polytunnels are the way to go though…
TMcD: Ah, and they warned me too, the locals. I ignored their warnings and see where it got me? I already got a ‘beware flying glass’ text from one of the smug sods.
DBM: God, I hope so, it’s the only thing that’s keeping me going! No, it’s trashed. I’ll deffo be looking into poly tunnels though. AND chickens! Although maybe Zero will have to be rehomed first.
Jay: I know. Duffer. And she’s SO skinny – I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so teeny. I’ll try and get a decent photo today. x
Rach: Gosh, you’re very close – didn’t realise you were only in Navan. ‘Twas a scary ol’ day wasn’t it!
Quicky: Funnily enough, he doesn’t seem that bothered by her. One growl so far and that’s ‘cos she tried to encroach on ‘his’ sofa. But they slept together last night (platonically, natch) and seem quite chummy.
Tara: Oh, you’re such a townie – cementing indeed! Ooh yes, the t-shirt would definitely help! Must be very exciting over there today x
And stop it, you sound like the kids: ‘can we keep her, can we? can we? huh? huh?’.
Megan: Exactly. I did about an hour and a half yesterday, and then about half an hour today and there’s still tons to pick up. Never ending
K8: bloody hell. Nothing like being separated from the kids to make you a bit desperate! Great big tree fell across the boat road yesterday too. The garage is nicely full up with logs again
Cortes: I like your style: an eternal optimist, much like myself
Susan: Good point. I did wonder about hiring some sort of industrial hoover. Re Zero, her tattoos are right ear: DN left ear: DKS, I think, although they’re a bit wobbly. I looked her up on greyhound-data.com. DN seems to be 2005. It can’t be DM because all the tattoos are 1984.
Aidy: Yeh, it’s a sad sight alright. Still, onwards and upwards, eh. I blame Hubby – we could have moved somewhere nice like the Caribbean!!
If it’s any consolation, we’d a drama too (although not on the same scale as yours). The wind blew off an outside part of our velux window in the kitchen and we’d water all over the floor, the hob and the presses. My other half had to get up on a ladder through the window to fix it – we were like drowned rats by the time it was sorted.
How absolutely gorgeous is Zero. I want her!!! Please send her by DHL to me immediately!!
Pleeease don’t tempt me!!
[...] speeding), but hey, give me time. So staying on things green, I finally decided after the great flying greenhouse debacle, that I should force myself back in to the garden. And yes, although I accept I’m not [...]
[...] was a lemon meringue pie and beef stew and dumplings kind of a month. The greenhouse blew away and I felt all growed up after hosting my first family Christmas. February was perfect for [...]