Summer Bits and Bobs.

[oldherbaceous]

You sure know how to live it up, Clive…..

[Westi]

Took my first batch of the juice from the new kit down to the plot today. Was only a half bottle, but when diluted I still have some left. I gave the biggest drink to the 2 Rhubarb that had skinny stalks this year with the plan to give them a compost top up as well, but the bind weed has found the open compost & I had other areas that needed attention to this pest, so just a feed for now. Toms in the tunnel got some & a few other slow growers; we will see if any impact as the runners could do with a boost.

Outside flower beds got most of the attention today & I have a huge pile of bindweed as a reward & quite a few scratches trying to remove it from the roses. Food Bank benefitted from 6 courgettes which I swear were too small to take on Friday. All in all quite productive but a few interruptions, like the resident fox testing the defences around the neighbours chicken coup, unsure whether it was the chickens or the dog making the most fuss! I went to the rescue to check & the fox just stood his ground & stared at me before sauntering off. PS: Neighbour's chicken coup is like Fort Knox & the fox's test dig which was a few feet only revealed buried steel.

[Cider Boys]

Steady rain here again to-day that should further help my recently broadcast clover seeds to establish themselves. They were already showing over many parts of the pasture. Like many things in growing it's all about timing and I certainly was lucky when I spread the seeds some days ago that it decided to start raining. My eldest son took my sheep and lambs away to up on Exmoor to join his flocks as they have now eaten all my grass and done a good job tidying up the hedgerows and trampling in the clover seeds. I'm glad they have gone as some of the older lambs had developed the knack of crawling under the electric fences to visit my garden.

My kitchen garden is now doing very well thanks to the recent rain. I read with interest about the swarm of bees and I have often thought that it would be most enjoyable to keep bees but somehow have been deterred by local beekeepers tales of the many problems they face with bees that have occurred in recent years.

Kind regards

Barney

[Clive.]

Well, like last year it's rained on St Swithin's day....

We started off with a lovely September morning, misty across the fens, outside of windows misted up, cleared to gorgeous blue sky and warm sunny and humid, later greying over...but there's some rainfall now with more billed to come. Although when I checked Met Office just now in place of the rain or whatever symbols it just said.."No data"...have they thrown in the towel...or dare they not tell us it's going to rain.??

C.

[Westi]

Rain here all day, none particularly heavy so the beds should be nice & damp to a few inches & not too muddy tomorrow. Just going to finish some little jobs like collect up all my bind weeds piles from yesterday to die off in black sacks; but if sunny for a few days I will leave them to dry off on the membrane, need to tackle some little weeds popping up with the hoe & weed my open compost bed which the bind weed has also invaded & I don't want to be transferring it onto the beds when just spent so much time digging it out!

I have resorted to spraying it between my fence & the neighbours little DIY shack he has made for storing his bits & bobs as it built it too close & put so much 'Might need someday' stuff there he can't get down that side. He is happy for me to do that as it is also destroying his shack so that will help me loads controlling it when I dig my side's out.

[Clive.]

Proper raining now.. the washing just out the machine is in the drier in the old coalhouse...and the Met website symbols have returned....13 hours of two rain drop dark cloud....maybe when the symbols were absent earlier they were having a meeting to see if three rain drop clouds were the way forward

C.

[Westi]

Well no plot work as it did not stop raining until this afternoon. Clive I think my rain got the memo about the number of rain drop clouds so played it safe with a bit of all 3! Fortunately the sun got a bit bored with the antics & is now in charge & going to stay on guard for a few days so no more shenanigans!

[tigerburnie]

A dry day!! bright and breezy 18 degrees..............................................it won't last lol

[oldherbaceous]

22 degrees here….and 30 degrees predicted for Friday….that’s a bit warm for working!

[Stravaig]

I love cooking outside and we have more than one BBQ. But we've not had the opportunity this year Sometimes we've been back in Kent clearing out our old house and when up here it's just not been the right weather. I suppose that I could wear a thermal vest and those fleece lined leggings I liked in Kyiv.

We like our neighbours on both sides. I wonder if they notice the delicious smells wafting over if they might be interested in a plateful of scran. Hope so. I usually don't do the burgers, sausages thing - and if I did I'd make my own - I like to do Tex-Mex or Korean or even Thai. I'm very keen on Asian food.

[Westi]

Lovely day down here, warm but a sea breeze. Filled the butts before the hose chaos, but only got this warmth for a few days & it's not excessive like some summers. I had an early visit from my friend dropping off some bits in their clear out & all useful, especially the unopened packs of fertilisers all in date!

Then to my 'To Do List' & I did well as asparagus all weeded including the neighbours bind weed spread & now all tied in as well. Tidied the shed, took a good harvest & do you remember my moaning about no shows with my sowing; well they are all up now as well so creative use of any space I could find to grow them on. Mainly lettuce but the food bank will be grateful.

Final job was interrupted when the site fox decided he'd like to play with the dog! He's as bold as brass & out & about a lot & doesn't run away so I had a chat to him, obvs I don't speak fox but advised him not to think of coming on my plots, had to laugh as he'd just sat & looked at me like I was insane then continued digging around the neighbours spud beds, like 'it's fine Mrs haven't finished this one yet'!

[Westi]

It was hot today, little thermometer on the shed said 30C & tunnel was saying it was 38c inside. I put on so much factor 30 I was sticky & had little bugs & leaves stuck to me when it was time to go but it was lovely washing them off in the trug, cooled me down nicely for the sticky bus ride home. I was grateful the bus was one of the newer ones & not the ones with the plastic seats.

Plot one is completed fully; weeded, re-seeded, relocated extras, trimmed, a long water for each bed & looking good. Spotted some blight on my main crop spuds; not excessive & only on the outer leaves so just picked these off & although not likely to do much as already in residence I did give them a water with blight guard. Will be watching these closely as not quite big enough but a couple had fruit/berries on them so close.

While writing this I can hear the little disco at the school behind, along with the shouts of the kids on the bouncy castle as last day for them. Not for all the teachers though as the children from the infant school moving up come in next week for 2 days orientation & for teachers to assess their needs for when they start. Showers tomorrow & cooler. Give me OZ dry heat any day, at least the sweat evaporates!

[Geoff]

Well today was the day when the grandchildren left us for their new life in New Zealand. Just seen them all off on the airport taxi, no chance of getting them and luggage in my car, when I started reading about this worldwide software cock up (I always thought you never applied changes / upgrades you couldn't reverse). Thought d-i-l with two toddlers was going to have a terrible day but luckily Qatar Airways were unaffected so they are just approaching the Persian Gulf towards the end of the first leg. House seems very quiet without them and my wife having a rough time with chemotherapy.

[Myrkk]

AWW Geoff that must be so hard on so many fronts. My thoughts are with you all. I hope your wife is well enough soon so you can go visit the grandchildren in their new home, NZ is a beautiful country.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Geoff, so sorry to read all that, it must have left a massive gap in your life…..I hope things soon improve for your Wife too!