I'm blogging early tonight

And for two reasons too. Firstly, seeing as how this is my last night here for a while, I'm going to have an early one. And secondly, I had tea early. And that was because I was round at Bill's for a while setting him up as he is going to be doing the communication for the Anglo-Français Group while I'm not here, and by the time I was back from Bill's it wasn't worth coming up here to relax for half an hour.

Tea was nice as well - I used up all of the leftovers. So it was two large spuds, an onion, some garlic, some mixed veg and some mushrooms. And while the spuds were boiling, the rest was frying and then it was all fried together and covered with mixed gravy and spices. and I'll eat that again.

While I'm away, Liz says that she will keep an eye on the garden once or twice in exchange for the thinnings, and so I thought that I had better do a map of the garden so that she will know where everything is, now that it's all finished.

There's just one empty bed and that's for the leeks that are hopefully growing in a seed tray. Mind you, the leeks that I planted in the open soil have taken, and they are coming up now.

In fact some of the stuff is doing really well while the rest is taking its time, although I seem to remember that this is what always happens.

Anyway, I sowed some more carrots, parsnips, sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and beetroot, and that will be my lot. When I come back, I'll just have to see what didn't take and plant some of that. And the chicory in the new potato bed and that will be it apart from weeding.

I raked and hoed the two cloches today and in the small one I planted (in their pots) all of the shrubs and bushes, so that they will be ready for when I come back.

Apart from that I've been doing stuff off my list today. As well as the water heater the dump load will be powering 250 watts of light - 5x50 watt bulbs. This is useful because I have the potential to charge up about 700 watts on the dump load circuit and there's already a 500-watt water heater element there. So the lights will help to complete the load. and 5 bulbs means that if one blows, then it won't be too much of a problem. Light bulbs and water heater elements are good because the will take a graduated load - it's not all "on and off" like, say, an appliance might be.

I'm nothing like ready really - I can't find the spare camera battery or the charger that I take on voyages with me, and lots of other stff. But it's too late now. I have my tickets, passport, money, camera, dictaphone and Moose, and when I've recorded my rock music programme tomorrow I shall go with what I've got and that will be that.