Wondering & hoping

I wonder who's going to turn up today. Angie, our normal care assistant, or Debbie, who stood in last week? I suspect the latter. Angie is due for an op tomorrow - just a minor one in the day ward - & she was intending to have today off to prepare herself & her home. However, with having last week off for the birth of her grandchild, she may not be allowed two consecutive weeks off & be expected to work a few days in the middle. In some ways I do hope so. I miss her & I'm keen to hear how mother & child are doing. I get on better with Angie than Debbie, but I can also understand her urge to make sure the home is shipshape before she goes off to hospital, especially when she's been told she will have to have at least one week with no lifting or stretching for fear of re-opening the incision, which will be in the back of her neck.

I had been hoping to do something about gathering in the apples & pears. The apple tree has almost been bowed down with fruit. The pear has a scanty production. (They always seem to flourish in alternate years - this year is the apple year.) We finally had a couple of dry days at the end of last week. I was beginning to think we could finally dare to cross the sodden lawn to get to the trees. However, yesterday it once more rained. What is more, gales howled around, so now I can see a fair amount of fruit sitting in the puddles at the bottom of the trees & on the lawn. Still, as long as we can get enough to see us through the winter months - we don't need many - that's all that matters. The birds & other wildlife, the very soil itself, is welcome to the rest.

We have finally managed to harvest a few tomatoes. Most are still very green but some have a more yellowy-orange cast. I still suspect it will be green tomato tarte tatin for us!