I know. But there is just so much to do before I wing away. After spending a week simply being exhausted, I've decided to pace myself better. I've done a test pack and need to do some shifting about. I may finish the pair of socks I'm knitting before I leave, so I've pulled out another couple of skeins of sock wool. They are light and squooshable. My GP had all the paperwork straightened out for my meds and I came home with a shopping bag full and a bill for $400.

Meanwhile we bypassed spring and are in 25C, breezy sunshine. I mowed the lawn after I had an idea about how to get the mower to start easier. I left it out in the sun for several hours and it started on the first pull. Used the clippings to mulch the strawberries (all in bloom) and the potatoes (first leaves up). The asparagus at left is one day's cutting and there will be that much again tomorrow. My grafted apple tree has blossoms on one of its twigs but the dwarf heritage ones just have leaves. I need to lay a new drip irrigation hose through the asparagus and meandering around till it comes through what is now spinach and silver beet to meet the one coming from the potato bed. This is the time of year I love my garden and it is really hard to think I'll be leaving it for 2 of its best months. The wisteria is blooming and I cleaned out a lot of ivy around the front of the house (and I broke out in a rash on each arm despite long sleeves and gloves). The house-sitter says she doesn't mind gardening so it should at least be tidy when I get home. Since I'll be planting later I might try corn which I usually don't have room for. Let's hope we don't have drought as bad this year; we've had irregular rains but rains nonetheless.

The warm weather and open windows have made the Imp full of beans and she woke me up about 15 times in the night. She is now dead to the world in her cubby and could barely rouse herself for a meal of grass. I want to come back as my cat.