Cancellations and delays

My post-flu jab sniffles having not really left me since last October, it was almost a relief when they developed into a well-engineered man flu, of which I'm over the worst, I hope.  Meanwhile, we've cancelled a meeting in London with Annie and postponed a couple of meals with family and friends, and I'm starting my way into the 100-day cough that always attends such things.  Martyn's cold is now starting - but he makes less of a fuss.

Still, between us, we moved a ton of rockery rocks yesterday the 25 metres from the driveway to their temporary stockage place on the terrace, and were relieved to find today that both pallets and the wire cylinder, the latter squashed, fitted in the back of the Egg for their trip to the tip.  This has all to do with Mr Capability Bishop's latest project to restore the stream and waterfall, following his herculean labours on the pond last year.

The local wildlife is being in parts charming and in others annoying.  The badgers are digging up the grass again, so I've been out there after dark a few times to administer the conventional discouragement agent.  The foxes seem somewhat, shall we say, loose at the moment, and something else has coped crappiously just outside the back door, so I'm doing rather a lot of shit-shovelling at the moment.  (Makes a change from doing so figuratively at the hobby....)  On the positive side, the blackbirds seem to be feeding young in the hedge at the back, and I'm pretty sure we have blue tit tenants in one of the boxes.

Various seedlings are coming along nicely in the sitooterie, having rocketed away in the heated propagator.  As regulars know, over-wintered potentilla, penstemon and cistus cuttings are doing well, and we have more iris sibirica splits than you can shake a stick at.  Most of the fuchsias we planted out are starting into growth again, and the five new plug plants are thriving.  The spuds are chitting along nicely in the garage, and I'll get the climbing courgettes started in the next day or two. 

Tomorrow HM Prime Minister will give notice to quit the European Union.  And the best the Daily Wail can do is post a photo of her and the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, comparing their legs.  I can't help feeling that this sums up the mentality - if that isn't an overstatement - behind the vote that led to tomorrow's suicide note.  I gather that Le Pen is saying that her victory in the French presidentials would achieve the demise of the European Union and of 'wild' globalisation, as well as the unmasking of multi-culturalism.  She is tipped to lose to an ex-socialist moderate populist in the second round.  But these days, who knows?