Temptingly early Spring Bits and Bobs.- 2017

[Pa Snip]

Hi Tiger,

Those who have got to know me over the last couple of years know I don't settle for "light Variety". All or nothing, that's me.

In that case Pawty had better watch out as Pa might be arriving imminently in his wellies to help shovel that great pile of manure. He seems to have quite an addiction to it !

Cheeky Primrose, cheeky

[Ricard with an H]

What a day, still peeing down at 9.30 am so I called the log delivery asking for a 12.30 delivery and he was happy. By the time he arrived we had one of those lovely sunny spring days we all want to get out and do something.

We all like a few photos so here is part of my day, by the way, thats a £75 load and Beti is helping.

[robo]

Very rare day it was dry until 3 ish then we had the usual downpour ,but at least I managed to get a few things sorted ,tomorrow I'm hoping to Finnish the paving I only need half a dozen flags but they need cutting that means taking the genny and cutter as it's our 47th anniversary I will see how the boss feels in the morning ,the specialist thinks my wife has bowel cancer this month up to now has been a nightmare Tuesday she has to go for a second scan life is hard at times

[peter]

Allotment Shop duty 10-11 al dry, do the weekly shop on the way home and at the checkout what do I see?
Yup, a rainy car park.

As it was drizzle Max and I made the best of it.
Mowed the allotment path and our top handkerchief lawn aka Maxs toilet.
Added five barrow loads of wood chip to my stash from one of the piles in the park.
Took Max home and set a mahoosive bit of galvanised angle iron in concrete as the start of a retainer between the site track and one of my two plots. I also have some mahoosive perforated galvanised shelves/wheel guides which will slot in.

Max

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[Westi]

Well phone didn't tell porkies after all & sun even came out for a bit & it hit a balmy 13 1/2 degrees. Mulched the 2 red raspberry beds, took longer than I expected weeding the grass out as it was inconveniently right under the bushes & the strawy muck I use for mulching had been rained on & very heavy to fork and wheelbarrow back. Dug, fed & limed a couple of beds for some cabbage & cauli plants I bought at Lidl's - it's OK I remembered the kitten crunchies I went in for!

Biggest issue was the rats though, loads of droppings around & they had dug up some of my First Earlies & had a wee nibble, fortunately not around the chitted ends, they now have chicken wire over them & I have bought a bait box & bait to sort them rats out,well when delivered anyway. We had a plot holder with bad hen hygiene about 50 metres down who was asked to leave, unfortunately my neighbour who is scrupulous in his welfare of the chicken is the next closest, so they have migrated down my way. Gross & disgusting, but fortunately I have sealed up the shed so at least not going in there anymore.

[Geoff]

Max looks like a friend for my four paw drive excavator.

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[peter]

Max looks like a friend for my four paw drive excavator.

He's five and we got him as a one year old rescue, who'd not been socialised much, if at all.
He is now letting strangers stroke his head, but blanks most dogs.

[Geoff]

Daisy is approaching 16 months and she isn't fazed by anything; everyone and everything she meets is her new best friend be it person, dog, sheep, car, tractor etc. The first dog we have had from a puppy rather than rescue.

[Geoff]

What have I done?

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[Ricard with an H]

I;m wondering if we over-socialised Beti, she is so-so keen to meet new friends, dogs, humans, cars and tractors that she has been growled at by dogs for being to keen, shouted at by us for jumping up (The command is, "Get-Off) and shouted at for buzzing around cars and tractors rather than avoiding them because she thinks they contain people who want to fuss her.

She is hefted to our property area but if we get a walker going by along the track she runs for them squealing and woofing, same with the postman or post lady because she get treats.

I'm hoping this is to do with Cocker Spaniels being juveniles for much longer than other dogs.

Geoff, when I saw the Met Office picture you posted I thought you had engineered it. (Smile)

[robo]

Geoff that cloud over Anglesey has moved it's now over Merseyside

[Ricard with an H]

And Pembrokeshire.

We started sunny but are now under a cloud though I am almost as high as the Presell Hills. I think we are 80 metres with the beacon above us at 100 metres.

[Stephen]

Well I got to the allotment twice over the weekend, I'm ashamed to say for the first time this year. I have spent a fair time clearing everything from the house, having new carpets everywhere, then putting things back (in different places). i have treated it like a huge decluttering exercise (yet to be completed), A big box of books to Oxfam clothes and nick-nacks (or are they knick-knacks?) to the local hospice shop, a good sofa bed is ready to go to my sister (not much used but now too old (regulations) to go to Emmaus).

Saturday was lovely weather and really rekindled my enthusiasm, which had dwindled over the winter (I got back in time for the rugby). On Sunday, I went in the afternoon, after the morning's rain, so it was a bit colder and I really noticed the extra water in the soil (slow draining despite the slope).

So lots of willowherb pulled up but vast numbers of seedlings still to eliminate. A lot of Jerusalem artichokes harvested.

[robo]

The first of the asparagus are ready for cutting we were going to have them for our super but I forget to bring them home

[oldherbaceous]

I feel a little sunburnt today, Geoff......