Been busy

Not updated the blog for a few weeks, so will now try and catch up with a few retrospective posts.

I made a big error in buying my other half an Archos for his birthday. This is a most excellent gadget which will let him view DVDs and listen to music on the train. Only problem was that he a bit of a technophobe, so I have spent evenings ripping DVDs and then compressing them so he can watch them on his way home from work and have therefore not been updating my blog.

Anyway, today was a lovely day - just the right amount of sun and a cooling breeze. So I achieved a good three hours up the allotment digging over what was the broad bean patch to make an area for the winter onions.

As you can see the sunflowers are looking good. If there was a prize for the tallest sunflower on the allotment, then I would win it. I also was pleased to see one of these - if you look closely you will see it is a sloworm. The lads off the estate usually take them - but this one was sunbathing in a bucket. I did disturb him and move him into the compost heap - just incase it did decide to rain.

The bad news is the brassicas. The caterpillars have left me just stalks. I did spray them last week with derris, which I hate doing as I try and be organic - but that hasn't worked. I must get some washing up liquid and give that a go.

Strawberries? (retrospective)

Well this was a surprise. A strawberry in mid-August. I re-planted all my strawberries this year and included some I had grown on from plug plants so I am not sure if they are a late variety or just catching up. They were a variety unknown to me called Elan which apparently do produced strawberries into the autumn.

Rain, rain and more rain (retrospective)

Today I had to take refuge in the shed from a heavy shower. The rain has soaked the ground making my heavy clay a big effort. The bottoms of my boots soon become clogged and need scraping every 15 minutes or so making it a real chore.

Can you see at the bottom of the photo a tiny doll's head. It is one of the many odd things that I did up on the allotment. Bits of bottle, lots of clay pipe and buttons, but the china doll is the best "treasure" so far.

I attempted a count of the pumpkins today. It is a bit like trying to count the Rollright Stones in Long Compton. My parents used to take me there when I was a child. Folklore states that you can never accurately count them. I don't think I ever got the same tally twice.

Well I might have 6 pumpkins or there might be 7 - it is difficult to tell.