Hi Hoe..

H came with me. The visit to the lottie was supposed to be for testing the new Hoe or Swoe as it is rightly named. As you see from the picture it is shaped like a sand iron golf club. It is made from hefty gauge stainless steel and comes with a 25 year guarantee. The shape is supposed to help you work round plants. We will see. I have knack of clipping plants with the blade of the hoe.

I put just the necessary in the back of the car, Swoe, boot and the fork. When I got the lottie I found a ton of horse muck had been dropped on the plot near the muck bin. H and I decided to look about the lottie first. It is a dismal sight. The prolonged wet spell has drowned most things. Then a fortnight of sun which has baked the soil. Even the weeds are struggling but not enough to stop them and something is eating the plants. Despite this the first two sowings of Peas are ready to crop which H set about with a will. I, on the other hand felt it necessary to shift the horse poo. But first I loosened the Onions and bent the necks over to start them drying. Even as I did this thought to myself the dry spell is over. I am not careful I will loose the Onions to rot.

The poo bin was half full already so using the fork I set about the poo pile. The tines are too far apart.for shifting dry horse muck. I eventually found a spade on one of the allotments which was just the job the clear up the poo. When the bin was full I got in and stamped in down a bit more. After three or four poo pressing sessions the tipped poo pile was neatly contained in the poo bin.

I emptied the 40 gallon drum that acts the site's brazier. I used it last so it had a couple of inches of ash from the weeds and wood that I had burned. I tossed some of the ash on the poo pile, some on the compost heap and the remainder in one of the plastic compost bins. Next I set about the dock pile and put the worst offenders in the black compo bin to get it going.

It was getting dark by now. H had a basket full of Petite Poit pods and had tried out the Swoe. The ground was rock hard yet it made a impact. I had a go round the sweet corn. It seems to work but it flexs a bit. It might be just because the ground is like concrete and I am on the other end shoving like something possessed.

I heard myself say to H that I would not do any more weeding until we had some rain to soften the ground. I asked for rain!! I woke up this morning to find that it had been raining during the night and, indeed, was still was raining, if only lightly. Fencing tonight, picking Plums on Wednesday, going to Devon again on Friday. That only leaves Thursday evening for weeding. I can wait.

As soon as we got home I shelled the peas. I got about two pints. H has a recipe for Pea and Mint soup so guess what for tea tomorrow? There are still lots and peas at the lottie so if I can get to them before the beasties there will be plenty for the freezer. I saved the pods and put them in the freezer to make a pea pod Burgundy when I get a minute.