locked down gardening

(Will it work indoors?)

It’s hot today.

I’ve put on my shorts.

(That’s the jug I learned to read on.)

They’re not exactly holiday shorts.

They’re from my school days. I haven’t grown much since then.

Anyway, it’s not a holiday today.

There’s work to be done.

First I’ll phone the hospital.

I do hope Bimbo’s getting better.

Well, it’s good that he’s not getting worse.

Now, it really is time I chose a book for the Book Club.

It has to be about bears.

Teddy’s wondering which Winnie-the-Pooh story to choose.

Lopsy said we must all read The Winter’s Tale, but I think she was just showing off.

Shakespeare doesn’t really write much about bears at all.

Not brass nor stone nor parchment bears, not one.

Well, that’s enough about books for today.

But you can read the book about Horace if you like.

I don’t recommend it.

I’ll choose my Book Club book tomorrow.

Time for some tidying.

Every time I look in this box it seems to have more stuff in it.

And that’s after I’ve put at least half of it away.

I’ve found a bean.

I wonder if you can grow beans indoors?

Oh! I heard the letter-box.

A post-card.

But I’m not allowed just to pick it up and read it.

Ruffy says I must leave the mail on the door-mat for a while, or else wear the virus-proof gloves he gave me.

And actually I don’t really want to die quite yet.

Ruffy’s given me lots of these gloves.

They come in fives, and you just cut one off when you need it.

Let’s get this postcard into the light, and see who it’s from.

It’s from Snowy and Bunce.

I haven’t seem them for ages.

They’re farming down in Outermost Wessex.

Oh look, it’s a picture of their farm.

They grow every possible kind of leaf.

Now, can I read Snowy’s writing?

Oh yes, it’s quite clear.

Very nice to hear from them.

I hope they find someone to help with the fruit-picking.

I wish I could ask them about growing beans, but they’ll be out in the fields.

I know – I’ll phone Madame Cholet and Reindeer.

You should see their garden – it’s an arbour, an oasis, a bower.

What kind neighbours I have!

Just as well I forgot to empty the tea pot.

Now to plant the bean. They said two inches deep, but that would be underneath the flower-pot.

Nothing much is happening yet.

I’ll just phone and see if that’s normal.

I’ll wait for the bean to grow. And I’ll wait for Bimbo to get better. And I’ll wait for lockdown to end.

Anyway, that’s enough tidying for today.