Music for tired gardeners

Today I put the auricula theatre back up. It’s now behind the lowest of the three terrace raised beds. There’s no plants on it yet but, in time, it will look all lovely and floral.

I thought it was going to be a really quick and easy job but, of course, that wasn’t the case. First I had to navigate the spindly branches poking over the fence, then manhandle the theatre over the bed. Once I slotted the legs behind the bricks, I realised it wasn’t going to sit properly because, on one side, the leg was sitting on a bit of errant concrete. This called for the big guns.

Years ago, when I dug a test pit down the back, I came across a long iron bar. At the time I suggested it was probably a land marker. Anyway, I’ve hung onto it thinking it might, one day, come in handy. It did, today.

Using it like a spear, I managed to break away enough of the concrete for the theatre to slot into place. Then, using a shovel to support it, I screwed it into the fence. All done with only minimal swearing.

The other big job today was the receipt and set up of our new sound system.

I’ve researched the best music streaming equipment over the last six months and taken on board various suggestions from people and finally settled on the Sonos. I was going to get the Sonos 3 but, after talking to Tim the Electrical Engineer (he’d just installed a whole Sonos system in a big house) the Sonos 5 would fill the extension with good, solid sound. I ordered it on Monday night and it arrived today.

For something that delivers such a big sound, it’s remarkably small though very solid. And it was very easy to set up and get working, once I’d downloaded the app to my tablet and phone. Throughout the day, I kept catching myself reaching for the non-existent remote to then realise everything is controlled from one of the two devices.

It didn’t take long before I had music streaming out beautifully. Then, of course, I had to index our music collection. This took considerably longer and required a bit of work on the laptop in my office. Still, eventually it was complete and we now have all 30,000 tracks available, whenever we want them.

Another brilliant thing about the Sonos 5 is that it streams from the Internet as well so if you are a Spotify person, you can listen that way or you can listen to radio from all over the world, or you can just listen to the music on your smartphone or tablet. This is quite handy if someone visits with some music on their phone that they want you to listen to. Set up Sonos and away you go. Big sound, the way it was meant to be heard.

I know I sound like an ad but I’m completely sold on it. Love it!