Mammoth update part 2 (garden and other bits)

I caught Andy's bug after return from Lune Valley. Whereas he had a cough, I got laryngitis and couldn't speak for nearly a week! You can imagine how happy Andy was at this time! I went into hospital to have my facet joints injected and was very lucky they did the procedure as I was running a temperature. Oops I told them the laryngitis was down to hay fever, I think they saw through that. However, as my airways were clear they went ahead. My back was good for a few days but then not so good. Having been back to the consultant I am now booked to go in the week after Dogs in Need for another procedure, this time to have radio frequency lesioning which is where the nerves are killed off semi-permanently. I last had this done 11 years ago and it gave me a number of pain free years so fingers crossed it works again. They won't do this procedure until they have first tried the injections.

The garden has been hard work this year as we had neglected some tasks last summer/autumn. We have had to give in a get a bit of help. Julie who occasionally trains with me has been twice now and her project is the long border. So far she has had two sessions on it and needs one more to finish clearing it out. Then she will help us plant it with perennials in the autumn. I hope it will look beautiful next year.

Above: the overgrown border and with no structure to anything!

Below: after two sessions by Julie, just the last third to go which she'll tackle after we get back from DIN

You can also see yet another chore - a new shed roof is needed!

The other major chore in the back garden is the side opposite the long border. As you can see it is very overgrown. I know the colours look lovely but beneath that growth is our beautiful old brick wall and we do like to be able to see it! All that growth sticks out by over a metre and encroaches the lawn. Andy tackled that side himself with a little bit of help from me.

Above the overgrown greenery and below, we can see our lovely wall again!

On top of this Andy has cut all the hedges in the agility area and in the front. We love our beautiful garden but it is a lot of hard work for sure!