Day 15; Home James

FRIDAY 2ND AUGUST



It was strange pulling sailing into our home port early and not being woken by a sunrise through the cabin window at silly-o-clock in the morning. Moving back into lower latitudes almost feels like we've jumped into a different season.




The weather was still read hot even at 7am in the morning but docked in North Shields waiting to disembark it felt very different to our last 14 days.



Disembarking was surprising smooth and we were through the Tyne Tunnel and home by 8:45 am. As we got out of the car the front garden looked like a jungle and the back garden was no different. The grass has grown quite a bit and the weeds between the paving cracks are a little garden in their own right!



After unpacking we headed straight off to the allotment in the hope for tomatoes and cucumbers for salad for lunch. Well there were tomatoes but they are still all green, and a couple of huge cucumbers but the soft fruit has gone berserk. 3lb of blackcurrants and still more to come, with almost the same for raspberries. I see some serious jam making taking place in the coming weeks.



The first sowing of peas and sugar snaps are just about over although the 2nd sowings are still producing and after he'd finished picking the raspberries No1 woodworker made a start on those. There were just too many to pick them all so we picked what we'd need for the weekend and decide how to tackle the rest tomorrow. Same for the broad beans which are just about over now.



The potatoes, onions and garlic all need lifting but that will have to be tomorrow's job. Everything else is looking well and we even have a couple of kabochaswelling in the sunshine.



After a trip to Asda to get the essentials we headed back home for a quiet afternoon. I took up my usual position asleep on the sofa in the green room with the patio doors open letting a gentle warm breeze blow over me. No1 Woodworker commented " I wonder when we'll get our first visitor". I replied that that wasn't a strong possibility as we had already phoned Mam and Dad to say we'd be round later and No1 Brother and Sister-in-law were still on holiday. Wrong!



I was awoken from my deep sleep with the sound of the door bell and laughing as someone started banging on the window and door knocker. There they all were Mam, Dad, No1 Brother and Sister-in-law.



We sat out in the garden in the heat of the afternoon Sun trying hard not to burn when No1 Brother's phone rang and youngest Niece and partner asked where they were. When then found out they were at our house with the rest of the family, they turned up too. So we had a lovely surprise family get-together.



After everyone departed No1 Woodworker and I just slumped. I continued with my nap which was now an early evening nap and No1 Woodworker checked his thousand and odd emails before we settled to watch Gardeners World.



There was talk of harvesting and planning for next Spring and I felt even more acutely that we were in a different season. As it began to get dark about 9:30ish we commented how only a couple of days ago we were watching the sunset at 11pm.



The holiday has been absolutely amazing and we've seen so many different thinks it is almost an assault on your senses compared to our usual holidays where although we see visit lots of places they are all in the same geographical area and so all have the same feel. I'm so glad we still have a full weekend ahead of us to try to re-acclimatise. I think it will take a bit of adjusting to get back to normal.
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