Shelter

The weather has been glorious in this part of the world for quite a while now; although we were all glad, I think, to have a little rain over the last couple of days. The BBC has been very exercised at the early flowering of a number species, especially down South. I think we have that story every year, except when things are disastrously late. Perhaps someone needs to explain to them how averages actually work. Did you know almost 50% of children are below average? Shocking!

Anyway, the adventure this weekend has been the construction of a tiny greenhouse, in which I hope to grow tomatoes and peppers. While the courgettes and pumpkins are generally butch enough to flourish in our unpredictable climate, I find tomatoes and peppers still yearn for a more Mediterranean state of affairs than North Yorkshire can realistically provide. So a greenhouse seemed the very thing.

It was all going so well. The man of the house constructed the frame yesterday afternoon with consummate ease, and we looked forward to loading the glass today. Then it got windy. I swear the ash trees in the garden are bendier than a bus in York.

It did not seem a wise move to start heaving panes of glass about. So we have indulged in other activities instead, such as demolishing the wonderful Victoria Sponge bought at the Malton Food Fair yesterday. It's a hard life.