INDOORS 67

The bike alley was in poor shape, with another bit of wood fallen off in the winds. Finally, on Halloween, I got round to fixing it with a piece of former flooring from the toilet. I tacked it over the hole....

It may not last long term, but it will do for now - hopefully 1-2 years, until my savings recuperate from the bathroom renovations due in November. November has now arrived and it is time to get excited about having a fancy posh bathroom in 2-3 weeks time, ready for Christmas at the latest!

This is what our current room looks like - a before shot - from the upper hallway. Looking around in clockwise direction from entry - there is so much that needs doing - sigh - it is definitely not a job I could tackle solo, or even with Liz giving me a hand!

Currently, the bath is between 25 and 65 years of age, unknown, but the bath board is at least 45 years old, as the turquoise decor under the white coat of paint was around in my early childhood. The metal painted towel rail over the bath is rusted and flaked and I will be happy for Liz to take that to the tip. Sometimes used to dry laundry - as demonstrated here - during wet weather, its sole usual purpose is to hang the bath mat between uses. Our new bathroom will mean we can throw the bathmat out too - yeh!

The grouting around the bath and between the tiles is disgusting - and does not come clean. The 'new' over-bath shower sprayer is around 5 years of age but already looks stained and decades old. Some parts still shine when wiped with a baby wipe or vinegar water - BUT.... UGH sums it up.

The plug attachment area is also gross - holes covered in bluetack, where the former plug was before falling off. Moving around to the basin/window area - I like bright pink curtains, BUT I do not like green el cheapo plastic tiles, partial window surround whites, the basin, the pipes.... Yeah - I will be glad to see that all go!

The basin is from the house origin, dating back to 1953 - and were I to appreciate living in a museum, perhaps I might not want it removed and replaced with a shiny new porcelain basin and vanity unit. I would rather have the modern look however, and opt for a 'clean and clutterless' look. I will be happier with a shiny basin I can keep clean rather than a 65 year old relic that won't come clean however hard I scrub and with whatever cleaner I use - from vinegar and baby wipes thru bathroom gel and spray, to enamel scrub and sodium bicarbonate on a scourer!

OUTDOORS 41

October has begun, and within the first week I decided to clear the tomatoes at the plot. If I waited, I might get an extra 1-2 dozen, or might not - but we had already had one night where we almost had a frost which had caused the stems to begin to turn and I decided to pull them - having had 2-3 hundred fruits from my plants already this year.

I also brought the chili and lemongrass plants home after harvesting the former, to overwinter in the poly tunnel. Here you can see I also had one capsicum plant!

Taking a wander round the partially cleared for winter poly tunnel, you can see how I still have a half dozen tomato plants hanging on thru October, along with a couple buckets of spuds, and the chilies and lemongrass I will be overwintering. On the other side, its cleared and I have soiled up containers ready for February/March seed plantings - I just need to rip out the bindweed!

Down the plot, you can see the front is tidy and planted - garlic, broad bean, shallot in most of the plain mud, with a few onion and 2 other plants transferred from other places in front of the leeks and Brussels sprouts. Round the corner, you can see the next lumps - raised beds, cabbages, kale, more cabbages, leading back to the raspberries. Half the soil is dug over and half is not - yet.

The fruit corner has been tidied up - 4-5 gooseberry bushes and a blackcurrant removed to the freebie patch and up for grabs - to be replaced by blueberry bushes. I have two which I moved into the new patch - and there is now room for 4 more! Rhubarb is dying down for the year and will get a dose of horse muck when I next get there at the same time as a muck delivery.

Finally for today, I brought home some kale and Brussels sprouts from the plot - along with leek and cabbage I should have something home grown to keep me going thru til the close of the year - and I have been informed there will be a Brussels sprouts shortage this Christmas! (NOT for me!!)