On Loud Music, Gardening, Retirement and Giving the Cat her Pills

 My word, doesn't time fly?! We're nearly at the end of June! We've already had our heat-wave in the UK, so we can get on with enjoying the wind and the rain as usual, but in our t-shirts and flip-flops.
 It's just coming up to 6pm here, and I appear to have a reject from Glastonbury playing a birthday bash at a house behind me. And it's very annoying- not because the music is too loud (actually, it is quite loud), but because I recognise most of the songs, but can't for the life of me remember who had the original hits. Fortunately, this lot are quite polished and able musicians, so other than distracting me from what I ought to be doing (because I'm googling to find out who had the hit with the song), it's not bothering me.
 Life, as ever, has been busy, despite my husband retiring last February (it has yet to occur to the OH to run the hoover around once a week, though he has found out where the hoover lives, so maybe it's just a matter of time and a few hints). I live in hope of coming home to dinner already started, the attic being sorted (and mostly disposed of), but then, I live in hope of winning the lottery, and that's probably not going to happen, either.
 The P&J turned 18 just before the election, and was somewhat peeved that he just missed his chance to vote for the first time. Mrs May will never be forgiven for it. There, there, I tell him. Don't worry, you'll get your chance soon. That nice Mr Corbyn will make sure you do.

 The mammals have been in the wars- particularly the cat, who now has high blood pressure, which may or may not have an underlying cause, and is on tablets. Oh, the joy. Half a pill a day- thank you, whoever invented the pill-popper! And D L Keur, who told me about them. She's due back next Wednesday to see if there's been any improvement (the cat, not Ms Keur). Yes, there has been, thanks for asking; today she had eaten nearly 2 sachets of cat-food by lunch time. Sheba cat-food mind. We've been going more and more up-market in order to get her to eat, and we seem to have hit the mark with Sheba. A bit of me can't help wondering if it isn't just a ruse on the cat's part.
  The kitchen garden is coming on. We've had all the strawberries, and the birds seem to have had most of the blueberries. The blackberries are turning and the spinach and rocket need replacing as they have now bolted. I regret to tell you that that the Chinese cabbage didn't make it, having been almost devoured by slugs one night while my back was turned. I let it flower before I pulled it up, so it had some happiness before it went to that great compost heap in the sky.

 There looks to be some decent onions forming now the summer solstice is past, and I know for a fact there are some potatoes, providing we can get them up before the slugs discover them. They've just finished flowering (the potatoes, not the slugs), so we should be able to start digging them up soon. There's quite a good chance of getting another crop in, if we're quick enough. What am I saying? We? Me, I mean.
 The carrots and parsnips I planted in one one of the planters are looking healthy, and the peas are already podding and some could be ready for picking next week. I picked my first tomatoes this morning and the first pepper has appeared on my -um- peppers. I have a lot of peppers this year. And aubergines- though the latter are only just flowering.

 The courgettes (two plants) are being grown in the greenhouse this year, and already have three lovely flowers. The cucumber has rallied and is climbing, and when I've got some space, purple sprouting broccoli will be going out- for next year.

 The beetroot is only just getting going, mainly, I think, through being over-shadowed by the potatoes. Now they are dying back, the beetroot is rallying. So, overall, the kitchen garden seems to be doing well and should be expanded in the autumn. And, yes, it has been a lot less stress and bother than having the allotment. And, I have to say, more fruitful, by the look of it.
  I won't make any promises of speaking to you soon, so I'll see you when I see you. Now I'm off to give the cat her pill. So, where did I leave my gauntlets...?
   Meanwhile, here's a picture of Meg, who is currently barking at nothing, and... a picture of a plant holder I made from an old pallet and some old planks. Thank you Charlie Dimmock for that.