Diversifying from the Bilge Pump In Bath (currently on pause due to the ongoing Broken Bath Shower situation) & Washing Up Tub With Handles, we now have Extended Washing Machine Hose To Garden & Bucket In Shower grey water Keep Plants Alive & Kate Climate Anxiety Reduction strategies in play!

Lime tree honeydew plus manual wheelchair equals very sticky, very grubby fingers! Lovely shade from the trees so worth sticky fingers though.

Yesterday, the tandem was a good way to transport trees. Today, the van is in use. Right tool for the job (but I’d love to have a percussion-transporter e-cycle!)

Trees by bike. Three dogwoods to complete the “pretty winter stuff” collection for the front garden. Looking forwards to having crops of yellow willow and red dogwood to weave!

Passivhaus & heat recovery ventilation bonuses nobody mentions: Really easy herb drying. Clothes drying also, & no mould. But this week, celebrating the bonus parsley!

Nice gardening problem:The self-seeded parsley is crowding out the lavender (under the fig). Looks like I need to dry lots of parsley!

Disabled persons railcard rules have changed! Still a huge postcode lottery, but it’s a bit better: Blue badge holders and Disabled bus pass holders can now get Disabled persons railcards- I got mine today - only applied yesterday!

Yep, I’d brought minions! Husband is 6ft 2 and non disabled. Lifted the gate off its hinges. Then couldn’t rehang it alone - so minion 2 helped realign hinges. I couldn’t actually have got through any of the 4 other gates unaided, either - just the aid required for this one was rather silly!

I tried a tramper scooter today! It was great, even with top speed set to 2-3mph - “promenade” not “brisk walk”. Handled very muddy ground. Didn’t handle the kissing gate, though. Would be lovely if the places that hire these things made the walks they tell you you can go on #accessible …

Ivan the Invacar! I’ve just splashed £2.22 on “Ivan the Invacar and the Cave” The question is, does this count as work, and should I therefore not be reading it on Saturday? Also, is that £2.22 legitimate expenses?! #Accessibilty #disability

Effective action against obstructive pavement parking is desperately needed. This was my daughter’s school run earlier this week!

Hmm. Looks like rail booking might have gone a bit loopy this weekend ahead of the new timetable tomorrow. This was the only train Derby-B’ham this morning that wasn’t “full”. First class ticket only available. 8 carriages. Kid2 reported finding 3 other people on the train. Oh dear!

New discovery! I appear to have got away with fixing a puncture by filling the inner tube with sealant and pumping it back up again! I’m ridiculously chuffed about this. Also still slightly nervous it might not hold the whole way across London this morning…

Sustainable drainage feature nearly finished! It’s only taken 2 years… “If we do this, the drive won’t end up as a lake when it rains & you won’t have to cycle through mud all winter” was a great excuse to motivate teens & husband to dig, but honestly I just wanted to grow pretty wet-ground flowers…

Figs (outside) and grapes (unheated greenhouse) still ripening. In the midlands. Climate change? What climate change?!? Aargh! (I am enjoying the fruit, but…)

Turns out figs can ripen in October, in the midlands. This has not happened to us before! Good thing that having this fig tree has trained me to like figs… or something…

OK, took me a bit longer than expected to get this finished - but here’s my new-from-old pannier - complete with buttons from my grandma’s button jar! All reinforced and ready to hold my lock, mending kit & folding crutches. #cycling #disabled

Good deed of the day: Cutting overhanging branches obstructing a busy path. Turns out a backful of steroids is all I need to be able to use light tools! Told off by 1 person, thanked by 2. #ActiveTravel #Maintenance #Access

I’m a bit overexcited about this: Our council have new bin lorries- and they’ve got low cabs! Wooo! Big win for road safety. Going to be much nicer walking/wheeling & cycling around these. Thanks Derby! #ActiveTravel #disability

Today, I have succeeded in raising the ghost of my 25-year-old, very loved pannier. New fabric, old hardware should last some more years. Tomorrow- full reanimation out of traditional ghostly Old Sheet - it’s going to be Pink! Really enjoying puzzling out how to end up with what I want for this!

“Close Encounters of the Kerb Kind”? Symptom - mysterious regular bumping from rear wheel with worrying increasing size. Fortunately curable with a new tyre. Not really sure how this happened though - We’re not regular kerb-hoppers or vigorous riders. Wonder if it was a manufacturing defect.

There I was, thinking our current living room setup of piano obstructed by bike trailer with a bass clarinet on it was relatively unusual!

Me, repeatedly including this morning: “there are no pens in my bag, I’d better remember to put one in.” Me, this afternoon: “What am I stabbing my fingers on? Why are there all these spiky things in here? Which fool managed to put 7 pens in one small bag side pocket without noticing?!” Oops.

Here’s the best limbo tree on a different bit of the route! It’s now the full asphalt path width (there’s an extra bit of setts but it’s too bumpy for me to ride on) and branches when dry are now maybe 1.2m above the ground. I’m contemplating bringing loppers on the school run…

It’s the season for path maintenance. Local NCN route today - & it’s time for the regular reminder that the brambles & bushes need cutting back *as well as* the soft grass and herbaceous plants! Nobody wants to walk, wheel, cycle or run through thorns.

On the down side: Climate breakdown killing loads of people, harming many more, age of extinction, loss of biodiversity… On the up side: On track for amazing grapes this year. Sadly the second does not even close to make up for the first.

Kid just took this photo at a nearby building site. We’re feeling that “site team, please don’t be so incompetent you kill each other, ha ha ha” is a worrying either asa “funny” sign or as a bar to be setting for safety notices on a construction site?

Little miss has “behaviour charts” at school regularly. Feel this one encapsulates the sheer futility of charts/stickers etc with a person who doesn’t yet understand cause & effect except very concrete & immediate. Fortunately staff are great & provide lovely constant support. #disability #inclusion

Look at the amount of flexible space on this train! And there are actual seats near the wheelchair spaces & more than one wheelchair space so I could- whisper it- travel with friends and family! Nice one Northern Rail

Simultaneously feeling sorry for the people affected by serious incidents which closed roads in Derby Mon & Weds this week, & glad I was cycling not unnecessarily driving both days. Pretty sure I’d still be at the station if I’d driven today. Or taken the bus. Instead, mallow flowers & orange juice!