Gate shopping

When we woke up this morning everthing was sodden from a night of rain and it was still raining. It wasn't going to be a day for gardening so we went to look at trellis fencing and gates for the enhancement and security of our estate - two farm workers' cottages knocked into one. The guy that my husband has asked to put them up, who incidently was gardening next door in an oilskin and old hat, had recommended that we look at two places the other side of Chester. The first place that we went to was a garden centre which sold everything but the kitchen sink and of course had the obligatory coffee shop. It was all rather cold and damp and soggy and to make matters more depressing they did not have the trellis that we were looking for. Whilst we were there I realised that it was a long time since I had been to a garden centre. I had forgotten just how entrancing they can be. Even on a wet day I am like a child in a sweet shop where plants and flowers are concerned but I had decided that we are not buying any more plants until the last lot we bought are in the garden. So it was back into the car and off to the next place, which was different and quite interesting. Apart from fencing and gates they also sold all sorts of things agricultural and equestrian. We have never lived in quite such a rural area and I had time to take it all in while my husband answered a call on his mobile phone. There was everything that you could want for a horse from garlic granules to horse shampoo. We looked a bit out of place, two not quite townies (I think that we are actually urbanites) next to the jodhpured and wind swept girl looking at straw. In the next aisle were the most enormous nails and nuts and bolts. Intended for a giant, I think. For the little people in the farm worker's cottage they have a small gate which is only for display purposes. It's too small really and they will have to make one for us. So that will be a wait of another five weeks. I am not setting any deadlines for work outside - our weather is just too unpredictable even if we have a workman who will work in the rain.