Ups and downs

First the ups. The weather here is spectacular at the moment. Clear blue skies, no clouds in sight and warm when you are in the sun. Good gardening weather and tomorrow I will be shovelling muck and top soil which has just arrived. And I now have 9 broad bean plants and several tomato seedlings of each variety. I've also planted carrots and cabbages in modules (no sign yet) and Jerusalem artichokes outside.

And the downs. Today I found my cat Archie, dead on the side of the road. This only an hour or so after finding out that an elderly relative I loved had died. Poor Archie must have been hit and killed instantly. He looked so peaceful that at first I thought he was asleep. And as my neighbour said, he'd been having so much fun here. My 3 year old is devastated. The 5 year old, philosophical. To be frank they have lost many people over the last four years, all from my family, and it's all too much for them and for me. But we go on and tomorrow we shall bury him in a bluebell wood. And spread some muck in our raised beds and continue to prepare for spring and summer. I shall miss him.