Frustration with weeds

 These lovely days have me outdoors trying to get the garden settled before the dratted black flies swarm in. I think they call them MIDGES in the UK. They swarm around your head and you don't feel them bite. At the end of the day you look at yourself in a mirror to be greeted by black and blue blotches and blood all over exposed skin. They love scalps and ears and eyes. They were out in droves today, but thankfully not biting yet. Within a week they will be driving man and beast CRAZY.

The flower garden at the side porch is over run by that awful herb/weed called creeping charlie.  I got the bright idea to dig it all out. After about an hour I determined that was a lost cause. Instead I tore down the short brick wall holding back the nice soil. Tomorrow I will dig out the plantings I want to salvage and move them to a nicer spot. We will get the grass grow back and keep mowing right up to the side of the porch.

There are so many beautiful birds serenading us out here. The warm days make sitting out on the back porch with that first cup of tea pure pleasure.

I had a chat with my virtual family doctor today. I'm scheduled for an appointment for ultrasound and a meet up with the flesh and blood surgeon. This gall bladder business is driving me batty. It's getting to the point that I'm afraid to eat for fear it will stir things up. I had a nasty episode of pancreatitis a few years back that landed me in hospital. At no time was I told that my gall bladder issue was the probable trigger....until today. If you don't know the questions to ask it seems like they aren't going to be to forthcoming.

Last summer a visitor broke the sliding screen in our back door. We bought one of those magnetic things to get us through the rest of the season. We haven't got around to ordering a new screen yet so I went digging for the magnetic curtain. When I was rooting around in the mitten bin for it I found a bag of yarn that I promised to my neighbour way up the top of the road. It seemed like a good day to harness up the dog and walk up to her place.  It's a kilometer and a half to her house, so we were up to three by the time we got home again. That distance (a little over a mile for you folks on imperial measures) felt like ten kilometers! We have to stick to a plan and get back in shape.