Monday.

 

Autumn colours taken from a back bedroom window.

I spent this morning adjusting the lock on a flintlock musket that wasn't functioning well. After treatment it was doing its duty perfectly, chucking a fat spark right into the middle of the pan. The owner was very pleased. Although I know he doesn't intend using it, it's always nice to have things in good working order. After lunch we motored over to our small plant nursery in the next village to buy winter pansies for the hanging baskets. They don't really flower well in winter, but usually give a lovely show in spring. I've been intending to put in one more fan trained fruit tree and found what I wanted there. I don't buy them fan trained, but buy the correct sized tree and prune and fan train it in situ. The small tree I found is a fig tree - a 'Brown Turkey Fig'. It's the right size, and more or less the right shape, and I have a gap on the south facing wall of the garden, which should suit it. The nurseryman advised me to dig a deep hole for it, and to put in a bed of rubble to contain the roots. On the way home called in on a friend who has been unwell. He's a keen gardener, and gave me the same advice as the nurseryman. He also gave me (which was more to the point and very good of him) enough rubble (old brick and stone) to do the job - later in the week, though, I think, if the weather holds good.
Time for bed now - goodnight all.