Rainy day jobs

A somewhat unanticipated consequence of this year's shortage of rainfall is the growing backlog of rainy day jobs. You know - those things you put off doing until there is really no excuse.
I am sure we all have them, but here are a few of my Rainy Day Jobs which are now starting to back up:
- sorting out the toy cupboard
- ironing
- going through children's wardrobes to find out what still fits them and what new stuff they need
- putting that spare timer for the irrigation system onto ebay. (Anyone want it? Make me an offer...)
- children's art projects (I am rubbish at them - Him Indoors is much better at these but every now and then the girls really want me to help them)
Only when all other potential activities have been ruled out will I turn my mind to any of these, but this year they are just not getting done. I blame the drought.
Or is this just another excuse for slovenliness...? You decide!

Water management plans

I think I have devised a water management plan that will enable us to recycle water and keep the veg plot watered with as little fuss as possible. I did a bit of this last year using a water syphon to extract the water from the girls' bath, but I have to say it was a bit of an effort at times as water being available to use didn't always coincide with me having the time or energy to do anything with it.

Here's one example of my antics (and their short-comings) last year. The subtle refinement for this year will make use of the green wheelie bin to store the water until I am ready to use it. The wheelie bin sits right underneath the bathroom window (I know this only too well because every time I used the syphon last year the hose pipe got stuck in the handle of the bin, necessitating endless trips up and down the stairs to sort it out).
You may well be wondering why the green bin won't be full of garden waste and compost awaiting collection. My thinking is: given that we now have a wormery there will be much less kitchen waste to compost; lawn cuttings will be taken to the allotment to use as a mulch; and anything left over which does need composting but isn't suitable for the wormery also be bagged up until I go to the allotment and put in the compost bins there.
So the plan is that whenever necessary I will syphon the bath water down into the green bin, where it will wait until I need it for watering whereupon it will be syphoned out either to use with a hosepipe (until they are banned???) or a watering can. This will also give me a water source in the front/side garden, significantly reducing the distance that I have to carry full watering cans as both our garden tap and water butts are in the back garden.
I think that's a plan. If you are wondering how you will cope if the drought continues and are not sure what on earth I mean by a water syphon, here's one for sale at Nigel's Eco Store. I'm not sure I paid quite that much for mine but then I didn't buy it during a drought. Happy watering!

Drought

Our first visit to Belton House this year has really brought home to me the reality of the drought that this region, at least, has been in since last summer.
I have never seen the lake at Belton looking like this before. The water level normally extends to pretty much the point from which this photo was taken. The lake is, quite simply, half empty whilst at the lottie this morning it felt more like walking on sand because the topsoil is so totally dry.
The water situation is starting to feel serious. At least at home I have water butts to capture whatever rain we do get, and the means to recycle bath water once they run empty. Keeping the lottie watered will be a whole lot harder.
Back in the garden I have been unable to resist getting started. Trays of salad leaves, coriander, kohl rabi and mange tout are awaiting germination in the greenhouse, and I have also started off 2 trays of onion setts. I have always planted them straight into the ground before, but am trying it this way on the basis that I can at least keep them regularly watered here.