Billy Young's Blog - Posts Tagged "weeds"

Magz had to take my daughter to the doctor’s yesterday. Tammy was complaining about a pain in her side so we thought it best to be safe. Well it was in her right side so we thought it could be her appendix, we were wrong. Unfortunately she was sent to the hospital for x-rays and blood tests as she seems to have inflammation of her hip bone. They also found that she seems to have stopped growing which is unusual for fourteen. She has to go back to the hospital at the start of next month to see the specialist who may have some answers. The thinking is that it may be the start of rheumatoid arthritis as it runs in my family. I only found this out recently as my sister has it and she was able to tell me that one of my aunts has it to. I hope it isn’t, after all what parent wants to see their child in pain? You just wish you could take it from her, sadly life isn’t so simple.
I’ve been battling the dreaded weeds in the garden this week. It’s one that week all lose for they always seem to be back almost as soon as you have cleared them. I have a real problem with Japanese Knot Weed at the little patch where my fruit trees and strawberries are. If you’ve ever had it or suffer from it you will know how hard it is to deal with. All I can do is carefully remove it as best as I can and try not to disturb the roots to my plants too much, not much more I can do really. That reminds me I never told you that I managed to fix my mower last week. Yeah, I got some decarb fluid that seems to have done the trick. It’s even running good, better than it has for years though it still gives an odd cough now and then. Maybe some more fluid might sort that, who knows? Worth a try though.
I have also had a problem with cats digging up one of my tubs. My son suggested tin foil as cats aren’t supposed to like the sound when they tread on it. So I tried it only to find the moggies around my way don’t have a problem with it. In the end I had to use netting to save my carrots from being totally wiped out. At first I thought it was my son’s cat but Calum is still adamant that is Blue had nothing to do with it. Still in the end I stopped them from doing any more damage so no real harm done.

After last weeks misadventure concerning Calum this week has been much more peaceful, though it has been the usual hard graft at work. It has been very warm for this time of year so it has given me some gardening time, mainly weeding and tidying up after the winter storms. I was pleased to see that my strawberries have spread out around my fruit trees. Magz is looking forwards to a bumper crop this year. I also planted out some potatoes in my bags as well as peas into one of the tubs. I know there is always the danger of frost for a few months yet but I’ll keep my fingers cross it won’t be too severe. I have coriander and two types of basil on the go indoor for now which I shall wait for a few weeks till they are better established before slowly taking them out doors during the day to acclimatise them before putting them out permanently. I go on holiday from work next Thursday for a week so I can use that time to go to the garden centre to get tomatoes and more veg for my pots. Some extra compost would be a good idea as well.
I’m looking forwards to the break from work. It will give me the time to recharge the old battery as the saying goes. It may even give me the chance to get my head out of the clouds and start another book. You know the one that has been sitting in the back of that dark corner where I dumped it last year. I really do have to let it out or it may keep popping up in my dreams demanding to be written, hehehe. Well I can only hope. This weekend though I keep it where it is and do some more gaming after some battles with the weeds.

Magz’s laptop has reach the UK and we are just waiting on the card coming through the door to pay for the import tax. It should come tomorrow or Monday, I hope. That way Magz will have her computer by the end of next week and I shall have my new SSD. Of course it will mean that I will then have to reinstall everything to the new drive. The extra space will make it worth it though because as I have said before I’m fast running out of space on my present SSD even though I only use it for Windows and the essential programmes to protect my system from all the nasties that roam the big web. It is amazing how much space is used when all the updates start downloading.
I’m looking forward to some time in the garden this weekend provided the weather plays good. I did replant the corn indoors as there was still no sign of the ones I planted out doors. And the good news is the corn I have inside is now growing nicely. I’ll give it a week in the house before hardening it by sitting out during the day. That way it will get used to the cruel vagrancies of the elements before going out full time which should help it get off to a good start.
If I do manage to get out into the garden then I have some weeding to do around my strawberries. Yes the great war of the weeds has started again. Millions of gardeners around the world are out ridding the soil of the native plants that try to find a home amongst flowers, veg, and fruit they are so lovingly trying to nurture.

Got confirmation of ILA funding this week. That will allow me to go on a course to qualify for an SIA badge. Basically it will let me apply for security jobs. Why didn't I do that straight away after getting the letter telling me I had the funding. Well the website that the jobcentre told me to go to for courses isn't the most straight forward. I did try to register but I hit the old frustration of trying to register. In the end I gave up after throwing my mouse a little hard onto the desk. Luckily no damage to the mouse. I really would hate to lose it because of rubbish sites as it is a really good one. I sadly will have to go back to the site and see if I can get onto a course. The sooner the better as it will open up more opportunities in the job market.
The weather has continued to be bright this week with only enough rain to encourage the grass to grow. It was only last week that I went out and gave it a first seasonal cut. Well it is needing done again. Maybe tomorrow as today I was out weeding with Magz her flower patch in the front garden. The rose bush we planted last year is doing well though at the end of season it will need a hard pruning. The pansies that Magz didn't pull up last year, as you may remember she did pull up most of them, have come back up. Magz wants more now. I will need to get another rose bush as well. Maybe some...
Well you get it there is a lot of thought needed to turn the patch into a nice annual show of flowers, without the need to replant each year. As long as we keep the weeds down, right.

I completed the SIA course on CCTV. Now I have to wait to see if I passed the tests. I do know I sailed through the practical side which meant that I didn't have to go in on Friday to redo it. Yes all the test were completed on Thursday which I was glad as it gave me yesterday to relax after the stress of the week. When I say stress really I just mean the pressure I was putting myself under. I was glad I did redo the whole course as I don't think I would have had a chance of passing without doing so. How do I think I have done? Well in the first test I think I may have just scraped it but I am more confident of the second. Now I have to wait though for confirmation of passing. Of course I could be wrong and failed somewhere though I don't want to think that way. I wish to remain hopeful. Until I do have the results I am not allowed to apply for jobs in the security sector according to the SIA site. Once I have the certificate proving I passed the course then I can move forward to get a job as I wait for my licence. I hope to get help for paying for it from the Jobcentre. My advisor did say they may help with the cost. After all £220 is a lot of money when you are looking for work.
Magz bought a holly bush this week which I was out planting in the front garden for her. I also put the tomato plants in the sack we plan to grow them in this year. I am impatiently waiting for the seeds I replanted last week to begin to show signs of life. I know it is a bit soon to expect anything but... Well you know. I will need to get out and do some weeding though. As usual for this time of year native plant life is on the march so the war of weeds begins again, hehehe.

Don't you just hate summer colds? I do and I've been struck down with one since Sunday. Unlike winter colds summer ones don't like to go away. No they just start to ease then slap you in the face to remind you that you haven't shaken it yet. Luckily they aren't that common. The last time I remember having one was a good few years ago when I worked in a chilled environment so you could say it wasn't a true summer cold. The first was when I was a kid and that one had me stuck indoors and not allowed out under doctors instruction. For me at the time it was like being in jail or at least how I would imagine it to be. The skies were blue and all the other kids were out enjoying themselves in the summer heat. All I could do was wipe the snot from my nose and watch them from the window. Well at least when I had the energy to pull myself from my bed as I remember sleeping a lot. This cold has been the same stealing me of my energy. I did feel better yesterday but today...
Because of this the garden has been ignored and yesterday when I did get a look I was shocked. The wild plants have overrun the strawberries. The tomatoes I planted out have died off and I will have to replant. In fact almost all of what I planted has for some reason failed. On brighter note my potatoes are doing well. As are my herbs which always seem to do well. And once I deal with the weeds the strawberries should give some nice fruit as they are in flower. I just need to shake myself free of this cold and for today's rain to pass as the weatherman promised and the war on weeds will continue.