After the deep freeze

Then came the gusty gales.  The last 2 nights we have been battered by high winds from the north, we could hear the roaring sound way up in the Sierras during the day,  it sounds like a train is coming down our way and fast,  but although it was gusty during the day, it only really got windy after sunset.  And boy, was it windy.  Whistling through gaps in the old doors and window frames, howling down the chimney and rattling the wood burner tubo, it seemed to be all around us.  

We know from past winters where to stack chairs so  they don't blow away,  lay down the sun umbrella on the ground - it's too  tall for the shed -  but even so in the morning we always check everything is ok before we let the dogs go out exploring the garden.  In past years the gates have blown open, ripped off their hinges actually, but now they are reinforced so that can't happen.  Just lots of leaves and twigs everywhere to be swept up.  I should have left them really as the same thing happened 2 nights running so I could have saved myself a job.  The forecast for tonight has gusts up to 47 km/h - maybe I'll be sweeping again tomorrow!

In between the gusts, the sun has been quite pleasant.  Even to the point that I was outside this afternoon in a sleeveless top, but only for an hour until the next big clouds and cold gusts came.  The lettuces have recovered well but the broad beans are nearly all bent over and touching the ground.  Not exactly broken and I'm sure they'll carry on growing, I hope so as the peas need something to cling onto. 

The frozen geraniums are now brown and crunchy so there will be some severe pruning to be done when all this cold weather has gone.   The new growth at the base is ok, protected probably by the now frozen top growth.  

We haven't done much outside for obvious reasons in the last few days,  walked with Monty and Pip to Yator  to empty the mailbox,  picked and squeezed oranges,  frozen the surplus, moved firewood around to make sure there's always plenty in the nearest store,  John has found paperwork that needed filing and is doing computery things. 

The marmalade!   We have had hot  buttered toast with the new  lemon, orange and chilli one, which is absolutely delicious.  I would think that even if you were not a chilli person, the gentle warmth it gives you would still be  enjoyable.  Especially in this cold weather.  When we next go shopping,  sugar is on the list of things to buy,  then I'm going to make a complete batch of  it rather than just the one jar we did as an experiment.