It's a beautiful day in Texas today, too... at least my little corner of it. We are expecting our daughter and grandson to arrive today from Austin and I can't wait for them to get here. I keep looking out the front windows even though they aren't expected until around 4 p.m. (It's just after 11 a.m., but if I keep looking maybe they will magically appear. )
Good Morning everyone on this Beautiful sunny warm Easter Sunday.... It's another glorious day here, hotter than southern Spain who have rain currently... We're forecast to have mid 70's today.... and yesterday was 77 degrees.. we went out to visit a Norman Bailey fortification mock up which is situated on the original site of Norman Castle, close to where we live.. although we'd never visited before thinking that it really was just something for kids, but in fact it was fun to have a look around..... I'll post some pics when I get the chance, but in the meantime you can see it here.... https://mountfitchetcastle.com/ Anyone doing anything much today? .... ...
More snow today. It has been snowing almost every day for the past week. Although not unusual for here and it keeps the wildfire danger down, I am getting tired of winter and ready to get on with spring....
The weather has broken, and, while it has still been below freezing every morning so far, the days are once again sunny and in the 50s F. I finished the orchard pruning and grafting yesterday with my wife's assistance, and I passed some of the left over scion wood to one of my sons this afternoon. We also removed some of the "armor" that we use on the trees to protect them from mice and voles during the winter. Nothing is really budding out yet, but some of the buds are beginning to swell. I hope no one here is affected severely by the storms that have been crossing the country--tornadoes in the south and snow in the north. Maybe @Ken Anderson will be touched by the next storm, and he can resume his favorite activity--shoveling snow!
Thanks for the congratulations Holly, my life is a tad less complicated now, having completed my room conversion and coming to Russia yesterday, where I will be until the end of June: though in saying that we are flying to Samarkand in Uzbekistan at midnight tonight for a weeks vacation. Cathy has moved about 4 miles across the river to the west of Worcester, so not far away and we will still see each other frequently. The Buddhist idea came from Katya, because though it's easy to get married here legally (around $5) because of the hostile environment in the UK these day, the home office may not like a Russian citizen being married to a British subject, and could possibly cancel her 10 year visa which she uses to visit her family, for fear of her staying in the UK, this would be tragic of course so we have put that on hold. We are staying the night in an Airbnb close to the Registan in the old city, before the following evening catching the sleeper train to the ancient town of Khiva in the north of the country. I arrived here to a sunny unusually warm day here in the 70s but today while still sunny it's in the 40s thankfully Uzbekistan is in the 80s and sunny. The Registan
Afternoon all... It's a kinda middling type of day weatherwise here .. it's 3.30pm and the sun is just beginning to show, been cloudy all day... Last Saturday we were gardening and clearing a whole pathway of large pebbles (fist size).. to make way to lay a new concrete path, . It was heavy work and with my history of back pain I should never attempt stuff like that..and the inevitable happened and my back went out.. very badly!! So..to save the very long and painful story..I'm having to use 2 walking sticks to get around since Saturday..lots of Painkillers and muscle relaxants (both my doctor and physiotherapist have been involved) .. much standing and lying down rather than sitting.. and unable to do anything much around the house .. Can't get out because I'm unable to drive... ...so I'm stuck in the house apart from a gentle walk around the block or up and down the garden.. *sigh*
Sorry you are having such a hard time @Holly Saunders! Muscle cramps? Magnesium supplements (if you can get them there) help me a lot with the cramping but it is not perfect. I only use the muscle relaxants when I cannot function. Same with opiate painkillers. I empathize, and we who have partial disabilities have to learn when to quit bending and lifting.... It smelled like spring when I took the dog for a walk this morning. It rained all night, and now the sun has come out with a few clouds in the sky. The trees look like they are beginning to break dormancy so allergy season is around the corner. I am still doing a lot of messing with seedlings and plants. Our plant sale is in a little over 3 weeks.
It's not cramps Don..it's excruciating spasms that take my legs from under me.... so I have to use the walking sticks to pull myself up from a sitting or lying position, or I'll fall to the floor. I should know by now to be more careful because I have several herniated discs in my lower back, and I'm usually very careful to not lift anything heavy and to keep my back straight when bending down, but I got carried away trying to help hubs with the heavy lifting, and just completely overdid it..never again!!!! My physio told me that the time has come for us to get someone in to do the heavy work in the garden, because this damage to my back is completely not worth it......
Thank you Beth.... I'm trying my best!! I need to get this fixed soon, I'm travelling to Spain in just over a month so I have to be well by then...
.I knew there was trouble ahead when you stated. Pebbles as fist size! Those are not pebbles those are rocks. Am so sorry though, you are miserable I know. Doctor up , lay low and get well- you have that trip to Spain and we need more pictures