22 May

The warm weather has worked wonders on the garden, though part of that has to do with our being motivated to get out there and work. Our three trays of antirrhinum seedlings are now planted out, and some of the rudbeckias as well. There's no method in our madness: another tray of seedlings reaches the point at which it needs planting out, and we then decide where to plant them. Some of the perennials we started last year are beginning to look promising, so we're planting them out in amongst the annuals so that there will be less bare ground to fill in years to come: aubrieta, alyssum saxatile and achilleas so far. Some of last year's lupins, thrift and echinaceas are looking quite promising, and the aquilegias are now pretty well established. Alpine phlox plants that we bought last year are now in flower, and it looks like we didn't lose the gaillardia after all. There's something else shooting from its base up in the rock garden, but I can't remember what it was....

We have bought another water butt, over twice the capacity of the first one, which filled up pretty quickly when we had some rain and overnight dew. The smaller one is now outside the back door where (when we get some rain) I'll be able to draw water for the staging nearby. Oh, and for the spuds, which are almost ready for another earthing-up. Interesting to note how much better they do in plastic tubs that don't wick away the moisture like the terra cotta jobs. We need to get some netting up on the fence to support the beans, which have germinated like mad things.

The wildlife is thriving. The tadpoles are doing pretty well despite attrition by blackbirds, and there were five frogs in the pond yesterday. Wouldn't be surprised to come down one morning and find a further batch of frogspawn in the pond. I counted three water snails as well yesterday, and a newt. Goodness knows where they all come from. Perhaps the frogs carry in the snail eggs on their skin from the big pond up the road.

Given all this preoccupation with the garden, you won't be amazed to know that we have booked a long weekend back here in the middle of our French summer sojourn. We're doing it by train, changing in Lille on the way home, and Paris on the way back out again. There's long-term parking at the stations in Narbonne and Montpellier, reserveable in advance, so we'll probably use one or t'other. I wouldn't be surprised if the door-to-door times are shorter than for the corresponding flights. We determined last year that Gatport Airwick is The Place Not To Be in August.

Although I made some progress on Thursday with the current daub, there's still work to be done on it, and I got home from class feeling thoroughly stressed. So relaxing, painting, they say. Don't you believe it. It is blood, toil, tears and sweat every inch of the way, from the daunting blank canvas to the point at which you decide to stop fiddling and slap on the varnish. I must have a masochistic streak, I guess: but once I'm finally happy with a piece, the reward is clear. And the quicker I work, the better the result, I think. Must try to flog a few.

Been nobbled for a three-day yewf trial next week. Definitely my swansong in the said court. As a condition of agreeing, I've got out of my June yewf sitting, replacing it with a sitting in the chair at some sort of adult court. Knowing my luck, it'll be council tax, fare-dodging or TV license default.