Yesterday was positively spring-like here and in my head I put aside at least a few hours on the plot. Tescos (without petrol!) done, I changed my clothes and headed out. Dig over the green manure ready for the potatoes; sow the first spring onions; sort out the fleece to warm up the bed for the first carrots and beetroot; dig a bit; weed a bit….I had it all planned out and a flask of coffee to see me through.
But the shed wouldn’t unlock. The combination padlock wouldn’t budge. I lined up the noughts (not very inspirational I know) again, nothing. I went back to the car for the WD-40, nothing. Ten minutes of fiddling and it still wouldn’t unlock. Vague memories of it being twisted round when I locked it last time finally convinced me that my three noughts had been reset to some unfathomable combination and I was firmly locked out.
With the warmth of the sun teasing me I knew I could do nothing there without first gaining access to the tools inside. I went back to the car again and drove home to get some money before traipsing off to the nearest DIY shop for a new latch and lock.
Back on the allotment with a screwdriver and the new bits and pieces it quickly became clear that this wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d first thought. Without a drill I had to use my penknife to make some sort of guide holes, as of course the new ironmongery wasn’t the same size as the old ones! I managed to thread one screw half-way in but eventually managed to get the new latch ready for its new KEY padlock.
So, with at least an hour of my time gone, I quickly dug over the green manure – still squidgy in the middle – and sowed a half row of spring onions before I had to leave to pick up daughter.
Not quite the day I had promised myself, and I never did get to drink my coffee!
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