Joy, my new neigbor had decided to get herself a companion in the form of a Labrador. She went onto the internet, and found some breeder, but the cost of one puppy was astronomical. My granddaughter Kristani, one terribly passionate and sometimes indiscrimanate lover of all animals, heard about joy's wish for a Labrador, and she phoned me with the news that at the spca kennels in Humansdorp, they have a lovely ten month old, fully trained  Labrador, whose people moved to Australia, and couln't take him with.I told Joy about it, she gave me one very fierce stare, and said : "thank you, but I will get my own dog!" Self felt very bad, only wanted to help her and the lovely ten month old pup!
During the past few months I had ample time to get to know Joy's traits and funny sides, the sides we all have. She is fiercely jealous of all her posessions, and when she spoke to me about her veggy garden, and I thought to give her some advice, me having tried and failed, and tried and conquered some, she pulled herself up to her very skinny height of about five one, narrowed her eys, and said: "Halo-o-o! MY garden!" So self retreated hastily to lick my stung self confidence. Never again would I try and be helpful.
She and Ronalee started off quite hands around the bladder, as we say, it just doesn't make as much sense as when said in Afrikaans, and Ronalee, who do not have many friends came daily, bringing plants, and fruit, and veggies. I was glad that Ronalee had taken her under her wing, as she was very knowledeable about what grows here, and what not. But the love affair did not last very long, and the daily visits started getting less and less. I wonder if she also said to Ronalee what she said to me!
Apart from some strange ways we get along really well. Thing is, I myself can also be a bitty strange sometimes! Not in the same way though.
Today was a lovely sunny day, and I started off in the garden with much gusto, but less energy. But as the morning wore on, and I cleared all the clinging Morning Glories that had sprung up while I was away and was intent on strangling all my plants, I felt better and better, the exercise doing me really good. I was very passive for the last month while in Cape Town, although I had given Stephan and Trienkie's garden a make-over. Will have to get fit again, but when the wind blows sleety rain around the freezing plot, I just do not want to go out and get fit! We have very cold and wet winters in this area.
It is now time to plant broad beans, beans and all the brassicas, and I just have to get rid of the weeds. While I was away they had a field day, and my veggie plot, that I try and keep free of weeds, are overgrown with pesty little weedies! The pumpkins are still producing, and at the moment there are four fair sized ones growing fatter by the day. But coming home after a long absense might be a bitty bad on seeing the weeds, but oh, the scene welcoming one when you turn off the main road is just breataking!