A long weekend thanks to the May bank holiday. Everywhere else (most of Europe at least) celebrates May Day (International Labour Day) on 1st May. The UK holiday is on the following Monday so we always get a long weekend. As usual our weekends have a packed agenda.
First up "networking" as I call drinking with ex-colleagues. Up to 1400 of us worked for BT on the Care Records System programme (that is correct - one thousand, four hundred). I left about three years ago. One of my ex-colleagues arranged a reunion drink in the excellent Knights Templar, a former banking hall. Good to catch up with peeps.
Saturday it was down to Ringwood for dinner with old friends Bob and Lynn. The next day we went for a couple of hours stroll round Blashford Lakes, a series of former gravel pits now a nature reserve and bird sanctuary.
A well kept secret it was right on our doorstep when we lived down there and we never knew. It was only 2 miles away and we drove past it every day!
We stopped at a number of hides and saw all manner of birds. Not sure I could name them all but this one I was pretty confident of. Also a real close-up viewing of a great spotted woodpecker and a pair of goldfinch.
The walk from our hosts house and back took us along Dockens Water a typical New Forest stream complete with wild primrose.
Afterward we said our goodbyes and went off to Grayshott Spa for 24 hours of relaxation.
Over the 24 hours we had massages (two each), a power walk, Mary had a manicure and I did a Yoga class. We finished with a healthy lunch and then home to the cats.
I have been growing my own veggies for sometime now but I guess you are right about the urban garden. They are just large enough to let the veggies grow well. I am shocked about the state of potatoes because I have never really had a problem with them. Having a decent patch of land with plentiful sunshine and water is the trick. We live in the Welsh countryside and have always done so. Even though the kids have moved away to the city, me and my husband still keep our greens going. It is hard work though and now and then, we do hire help. Rather than losing a crop, we might as well get paid help. The results are always rewarding. The plants are mighty pleasing on the eye and all organic produce, makes me very proud. The kids love it too.
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