October 2015 Back to September
Thursday 1st
5 to 18 to 7°C. 4.47kWh 900W max. Misty cloudy morning with some sunshine in the afternoon.
Pat continued to do what I should be doing, this time cutting back the herbaceous border, while all I could manage was to clean some more labels.
Some of the perennials I sowed last week have germinated, quicker than I expected. Once they have got to the first pair of true leaves I will start to plant them out into cell trays. Pat is making sure the tops are off the propagators during the daytime; we don't want them damping off.
Friday 2nd
2 to 18 to 5°C. 6.46kWh 1.6kW max. Very cold overnight and the mist hung around till mid-morning before clearing to a sunny afternoon.
My leg finally has started to feel better, only hurting in a small area at the top and only cramping very occasionally but I still can't bend it enough to easily put my socks and shoes on and I still can't trust it with my weight.
Saturday 3rd
3 to 13 to 5°C. 1.99kWh 300W max. Misty with some light drizzle in the morning, remaining still, damp and dreary throughout the day.
It would have been a good day for sawing and splitting firewood but you need two sturdy legs for that. The only thing worth mentioning is we went for our annual influenza vaccination this morning.
Sunday 4th
6 to 17 to 10°C. 8.43kWh 1.6kW max. Mainly sunny though a little windy in the afternoon and evening when the started to rise from a low of 7°C. Rain is forecast for tomorrow.
Started transplanting some of the perennial seedlings into 12 cell trays starting with Eryngium and Verbascum.
Noticed some of the early Brussel Sprouts are startingt o swell on the stems. Pat is still picking more bunches of grapes and also started on the Russet apples she can reach.
Monday 5th
9 to 20 to 16°C. 2,2kWh 200W max. Very windy and overcast with a warm slightl damp southerly wind.
Tuesday 6th
13 to 17 to 12°C. 3.22kWh 1.8kW max. Sunny intervals and heavy showers (9.6mm rain)
Wednesday 7th
11 to 15 to 5°C. 2.43kWh 450W max. Dull and breezy with some morning drizzle. Now cool and clear; might even be frosty by the morning.
Thursday 8th
4 to 18 to 10°C. 6.43kWh 1.6kW max. Sunny intervals with little breeze making it feel quite wam for October.
I have bought a new chair for my office with much better back and thight support. Hopefully it will help to cure and prevent a recurrence of my sciatica.
Between us we managed to shred most of the herbaceous border debris and start on the hedge clippings. Pat passed it to me from the pile, I pushed it through the machine and she moved it crushed and shredded onto the compost heap.
Friday 9th
3 to 15 to 10°C. 8.63kWh 1.5kW max. Cold misty start but soon cleared to a sunny day till late in the afternoon when it clouded over.
More shredding though there is a limit to how long I can stand on one leg. So after about an hour or so I left Pat to carry on on her own.
Saturday 10th
7 to 14 to 10°C. 2.82kWh 700W max. Overcast with north easterly breeze making it feel quite cold.
Spent most of the afternoon trying to unblock the drains. Eventually discovered it was the outlet syphon from the septic tank to the land drain which was blocked. It really needs digging out and giving a proper clear, there is probably a tree root growing up it, but that will have to wait till my leg is better.
Sunday 11th
10 to 15 to 9°. 4.63kWh 1.1kW max. Mainly cloudy with a few sunnier intervals but with a cool easterly breeze.
Pat went out for the day walking with Sarah and Kirstin in Derbyshire where the weather was better than here. I stayed at home and didn't do anything outside. My exertions yesterday were too much for my leg which stiffened up again overnight and I didn't think it was safe to go outside without Pat to rescue me if I got into difficulties. Nevertheless it does seem to be slowly getting better but the muscles in both my legs, particuarly the right one have shrunk quite a lot over the last few weeks to the point where the skin on my thighs is wrinkled.
Monday 12th
7 to 14 to 7°C. 4.64kWh 1.2kW max. A repeat of yesterday's weather.
Planted out a few more perennial seedlings. Not much else I can manage.
Tuesday 13th
7 to 15 to 8°C. 5.43kWh 1.2kW max. Similar weather.
I have decided that the only way to get my leg better is to completely avoid putting any strain on the groin muscles which seem to be the cause. So for a few days I am going to be extra careful to not put myself in a position where this muscle gets any strain on it. If that means avoiding going outside to do anything other than walkiing on crutches up and down the drive then so be it. In the long run it might waste less time.
Wednesday 14th
9 to 14 to 10°C. 4.3kWh 1.2kW max. Similar weather but with a more northerly breeze.
Perfect weather for cutting hedges, sawing and splitting firewood and diggin over empty vegetable beds. Unfortunately I can't do any of these and by the time I can it will probabably be cold windy and wet.
Thursday 15th
11 to 13 to 11°C. 3.06kWh 900W max. Another day of morning and evening mists, still air and occasional glimpses of the sun around midday.
Friday 16th
11 to 13 to 11°C. 1.63kWh 250kW max. A very dull still day.
So dull I decided to switch on the propagator light over the perennial seedlings to ensure they can grow at least one pair of true leaves before the winter.
Saturday 17th
11 to 13 to 12°C. 1.65kWh 400kW max. Another very dull day with some light drizzle in the morning and a short brighter period around midday.
Had the first Brussel Sprouts with our dinner today and we are still picking grapes.
Sunday 18th
11 to 11.7 to 11.6°C. 1.12,kWh 200W max. Even duller. As you can see the temperature between day and night hardly varied.
Pat started moving the taller chrysanthemums inside the polytunnel before the rain forecast later in the week arrives. I sitll can't help but I am slowly getting more mobile.
Monday 19th
12 to 17 to 14°C. 3.41kWh 1.1kW max. A better day with some sun in the morning and feeling quite warm for October.
Planted out some more perennial seedlings, mainly Aquilegia. Pat finished moving the chrysanthemums and brought some more tomatoes and peppers inside to ripen.
Tuesday 20th
14 to 17 to 14°C. 3.8kWh 600W max. Another cloudy day but still quite warm for October.
Despite the warm weather the Ash and Poplar trees have started shedding their leaves and the Maple and Copper Beech in our neigbours garden have taken on their autumn hue. Another job I should be doing, sweeping leaves, is being done by Pat.
Wednesday 21st
12 to 16 to 14°C. 1.38kWh 600W max. Started raining around midnight and continued with light rain or heavier showers till lunchtime (8.1mm) with a short brighter period in the afternoon.
Thursday 22nd
11 to 14 to 6°C. 2.79kWh 1.6kW max. Cloudy day with one short sunny interval in the afternoon. Feeling colder.
Pat managed to take the fine net off the fruit cage on her own making me feel even more useless. I will make it up to her sometime.
Friday 23rd
4 to 12 to 9°C. 1.85kWh 1.2kW max. Clear overnight but clouded over by morning with a single glimpse of the sun mid-morning.
Saturday 24th
9 to 12 to 5°C. 1.02kWh 200W max. Started raining just after midnight and continued most of the night with dark cloudy skies and light showers during the day. Cleared after dark..
Sunday 25th
1 to 11 to 6°C. 3.19kWh 1.2kW max. Slight grass frost in the usual places in the surrounding fields but doesn't seem to have affected plants in the garden. Followed by clear sunny morning, clouding over in the afternoon.
Monday 26th
6 to 13 to 11°C. 2.92kWh 1.3kW max. Mainly cloudy with two sunnier intervals in the morning and at lunchtime.
Pat finished shredding the hedge clippings for the time being. I wish I could cut some more.
Tuesday 27th
11 to 14 to 11°C. 1.18kWh 500W max. Cloudy and mild with some rain late in the afternoon and early evening.
Transplanted some more of the perennial seedlings, Helenium and Echinacea. The cold night two days ago has done for the coleus pots in front of the house so Pat started moving them so we can replace them with Wallflowers which are now flowering in the polytunnel. Now is a good time to put them outside so they can aclimatise before we have any more frosts.
Wednesday 28th
9 to 13 to 10°C. 1.42kWh 800W max. Another mild cloudy day.
Over the past few days the lower part of my right leg has started to swell and feel numb so I went to my doctors this afternoon. As I suspected he thinks I might have a DVT so has sent me for and ultrasound scan on Friday morning. meanwhile I need a daily injection of tinzaparin as a precaution.
Thursday 29th
11 to 14 to 9°C. 1.08kWh 200W max. An even greyer day.
Went to the doctor's for another injection. If they do find a DVT I might need these for some time. Hopefully I can take a supply home to use myself if this is the case.
Friday 30th
9 to 17 to 15°C. 2.81kWh 1.1kW max. Rained overnight, becoming brighter and very mild in the afternoon.
The good news is I don't have a DVT. The bad news is that the sciatica is not getting better and I will just have to wait for it to do so. Meanwhile Pat continues to move the summer bedding and replace it with chrysanthemums, wallflowers and polyanthus.
Saturday 31st
11 to 15 to 9°C. 2.29kWh 600W max. Another cloudy and mild day.
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