Summer bits and bobs.

[Clive.]

With tea, 'Hunter's Chicken' a la Co-op, I had some carrots, 'Nazareth'..they were some quite tiny outgrades and were lovely and sweet.

Another Queen apple has just been chopped up to test and to go with another pint jug of Loch Ness blackberry...and this week the apple pips are half brown, so given that progress over the week I reckon a proper pick, from the south side, might be ok next weekend. So despite their ready looks they are only marginally early.

Even though the Red Arrows are based in this County, we don't see them that often. Sometimes they route out East from base and coast out Skegness way and run down the East coast as they route to the South...have seen them twice over my work location on this route this year.

It has been 'Airbourne Eastbourne,' 14th -17th, so hence their time in the South, an event I visited once, back in the days when I used to visit the South Coast from time to time

C.

[oldherbaceous]

Glad your Swift Sweetcorn was so good Clive…. Soon be picking my tasteless Bantam!
Had a lot of old, small aircraft about, but none of the big boys.

Only just got around to looking at the August issue of the KG Magazine, seems there have been big changes….firstly Steve, going, now Emma and Tony are moving on….hope the magazine is now going to still be as good as it was!

[oldherbaceous]

Is all your building work completed now, Westi?

[oldherbaceous]

Well that’s the end of the mornings being light when I get up, needed lights on this morning…..another year flying by!

[Geoff]

Yes we've noticed the moving sunset this week. When we look West there is a ridge that rises North to South so it exaggerates the change of sunset time, if you understand me.

[Clive.]

...and also flying by....

Did I say that I don't see the Red Arrows very often....well I'd just sat down by the work bothy for my cheese sandwich at 12:30 and there they were...in their two formations heading back to base from the coast...



..and yes, kitchen light on in the morning for breakfast time...but I'm enjoying the cooler days...much better for hedge trimming..

C.

[Westi]

I'm already looking at the timetable for the next morning bus, it's OK at the moment as it is light by the time I get down to the plot & although a bit dark currently waiting for the bus, the stop is right opposite a garage which is open 24/7 with lights a blazing. I'd say I only have 4/6 weeks max, but fortunately I am pretty much on top of things. I don't mind going down a bit later but it does limit my time working on there as no change to the pathetic bus time table; but of course it will also be cooler so might slow down the weeds.

General chores today with everything ticking along nicely, just a bit of weeding & clearing some plants that have not appreciated the heat & bolted. I could do with the council fixing the main bus route home though, only a mile or so added on to the walk home but I certainly feel it after a session on the plot.

[Clive.]

Huge combined flock of long-tailed tits and blue tits noisily flitting about the trees today...to add to the Autumnal feel.

C.

[retropants]

a chilly 12 degrees cycling to work at 7.30 this morning. I wasn't prepared for temps that low! Cold toes.

[Westi]

Having great fun with the fox again popping in for a look around! Fortunately the sonic repellers at the front & back of the tunnel are keeping him out of there but he just went down 1 side & tried that way ripping the cover a bit. He pulled the bags out I keep under the staging outside the shed & just had some fun tearing them up. They have been under there folded up to take muddy stuff home when needed for years & never held food stuff or anything so entirely for fun! It's getting a bit tedious now with his damage & mess so I think I will get some more repellers for covering the whole fence line. An expensive option but not when you factor in the time it takes to pick up all the ripped up bits of plastic.

Other than that a fine day! I sorted out all the back corner with the fruit trees now the wasps have gone (again), did some pruning & cut the branches into bits to fit in the big rubble bag, weeded underneath the trees & gave them an extra big water. They are still full of fruit though so will be raking it again. Nearly all the raspberry canes taken out to have the same treatment, so just some weeding there. Then back to getting the re-sows in; had so many fails so bought some new seeds. I appreciate some of this is just hot weather but baby plants get the upturned bottle waters so never dried out. Maybe the seeds are getting cooked in the box in the shed but we've had hot summers before without the seeds misbehaving, whatever I had a gift voucher to be used by end of August.

[Geoff]

We've had lots of butterflies this year then we spotted one we've never seen before, a pretty large one. Looked like one in my 1955 Observer's book but it shouldn't be here. Sent it off to a few agencies and got this message back :
"You're correct with your identification of a Fritillary species. It's a Silver-washed Fritillary, probably a female. This species was fairly rare in the UK until recent years when it's numbers and range have increased significantly. It's a large butterfly and is mainly found in woodland, although it can occur away from there occasionally. As your location is at the northern end of its range your record may be significant. Therefore, it would be worth reporting it to the Lancashire branch of Butterfly Conservation".
Explains why my book didn't expect it here. I reported it but haven't had an acknowledgement.

Screenshot 2025-08-23 100807.jpg (32.98 KiB) Viewed 661 times

Meanwhile our second brood of swallows have left the nest.

Screenshot 2025-08-20 173522.jpg (19.13 KiB) Viewed 661 times

[oldherbaceous]

When will we get some rain…..heard a tractor down the road, trying to work the land, it was certainly making the old girl work hard….and I am on about the tractor and not the driver! lol

[Clive.]

We've had a drainage chain trencher working nearby last week and it's been making that rattle some.!

Late border herbaceous is now suffering , good job the dahlias are still doing their stuff and some repeat roses coming back online....and the sometimes despised golden rod and the tall rudbeckia Herbstsonne keeping the yellow corner going...

...and this morning it was really quite cool....went in for lunch...came back out into heat once again. On arriving home just now it was markedly refreshingly cool stepping in to the house .


C.

[Westi]

I'm really missing the plot & just know that my watering I did on Friday is not enough as it's warmed up again & the drippers etc will be spent already. The tunnel should be fine as I turned down the dripper hose in there a bit but expect the butt is nearing empty. I have Strulch down on all the precious crops as well. I would normally walk down just for one day at least to water, but the extra distance I am covering getting home with the bus diversion has pulled the ligament in my foot again & I doubt I'd survive the walk down & back, especially the overpass bit. The main road is now closed until the 2nd September so the diversion remains for a while yet so best not push my luck!

Anyway fingers crossed the crops survive, not been as hot as it was & looks like some light rain on from Tuesday onward; (maybe)! Bus back on normal timetable as well Tuesday & even though the extra miles remains getting home, none will include the overpass & is pretty flat!

[Clive.]

Sweetcorn 'Incredible' as part of tea tonight.....'Incredible' it may be but sadly it was't...maybe it was a fraction under ready, from the plant, not from the culinary dept's efforts.....I was eating it for testing and evaluation purposes, not just for tea ...but Moonshine and Swift were better..

Oh, I've gone and mentioned sweetcorn again...!!

C.