Thrilled to be home!

It may just be for the weekend, but what a feeling being home is. Away from the overcrowded, busy, stinky, polluted, unfriendly, sullen, tiring (ok, you get the idea) city.
I wake up knackered but very happy this morning at a ridiculously early hour after about 4 hours sleep. I arrived in Manchester at 11.30 pm and my brilliant friend picked me up and drove me home. The bus was pretty good really. Quite comfy and the time soon passed with music and a book and just looking out of the window. It was full and I can see why at these prices. It was, a bit late (which is why my friend picked me up) but Friday bank holiday evening, what do you expect. I had to wander around the garden in the dark when I got it but it was a very bright moon (as has been explained here by 2 men and a little farm) and I could see bits and pieces. So by the time I had wandered, been so happy to be home and looked at everything, it was about 2 o'clock, so bed was long overdue. Of course I woke up at about 6 this morning with this overwhelming contentment. The sun was shining and not a hint of the rain that I expected. So all the curtains were opened and I had the joy of seeing my garden in daylight. I will take some photos later so that I can blog about them slowly over the next London stint (and remind myself how lucky I am).

The most wonderful sight was the Berberis tree that was identified by lots of you for me a few weeks ago. It is a glory of orange flowers and looks absolutely stunning. Most of my seedlings are still alive, although some look a little sun starved. I made the choice to leave them not in the sunniest window so that they wouldn't dry out, but some of them have a slight anaemic look. I will try a different place when I leave next time. My peas are peeping out of the soil outside and my roses are all growing, my new apple and plum tree has leaves, as do my fruit bushes and yes, my grass is long and weedy. If the rain holds off, I will get the chance to cut it today.

Today I will just enjoy being here and then later this evening, when my best friend finishes his nursing shift I will be taken out for my birthday celebrations (my birthday is next Friday but I won't be here then). My lovely friend had also left me a birthday present set out on my table, a lovely set of cheerful blue and white plates (I think he was fed up of my mismatched tableware) and some tea towels (again, laughed at my holy old towels).

So now to make the most of my time here. It is going to be a good day!