I won't be doing much on the lottie this weekend except feeding the worms. H has a bunch of her Manchester buddies coming for dinner on Saturday and stopping over. It will be nice to see them. It has been a while since their last visit. I have to run over to Newall to drop off my seed potato order on Saturday morning. I also have to drop some seeds to a lottie member and the Insurance receipt back to the Society's Treasurer and H wants me to make some Soda Bread. I might get it ready before I go out so it proves whilst I am running errands. It has also been lashing down this evening so the ground will be too wet to dig. At least I will not be wasting fair weather doing non-allotment things.
I got some freeware off the Internet to recover my data off the PC that crashed. I put the old hard drive in a spare PC, which was a complete pain. The mechanics of fitting the drive and hooking up the various leads was easy. It was the faffing about the jumpers to make the new hard drive be recognised as the the slave unit that tested my patience. The recovery software has been running for three hours and says it has seventeen to go! I won't stay up for that.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
A Very Good Weekend
This weekend has been very productive. My PC broke down during the week so Lucy did not have Internet which a major catastrophe. However all was up and running by Saturday evening. Steve discovered a source of horse manure few weeks ago on Freecycle. We went round and introduced ourselves. The pile had been maturing all summer. There must be a good few cubic yards there. Steve had been down a few times since the initial meeting, filling bags for distribution round his various plots. I, being so much more lazy, considered how the manure could be moved in bulk. I resolved to convert my bike trailer into a muck trailer. I bought a couple of sheets of plywood and some varnish. Steve furnished a couple of lengths of "L" profile light gauge steel. I had a rummage in the screw box and found half a box of screws left over from a previous project. I spent a pleasant morning on Saturday cutting up plywood panels and screwing them together to make a box without a top. I went over to Massey's for some 10M Nuts, Coach bolts and Washers to bolt the new trailer box to the chassis. After a little pondering whilst stood in the hardware isle of Massey's I came up with solution to make the end panel of the trailer removable. Despite the intermittant showers and it going dark early I managed to get the trailer converted and varnished. I gave Steve call the same evening. We agreed to meet on early on Sunday morning for a visit to the poo pile.
The trailer always towed nicely but with the additional weight of the timber it no longer bounced over any slight ripple in the road surface. When we arrived at Colin & Angie's, we're on first name terms now, I pulled up next to the pile. Five minutes later Steve and I had filled the trailer. We were not being greedy. I was not sure my car would pull the trailer from a stand still given that we were on wet grass, my car is not a 4x4 and the trailer probably weighed a third of a ton. Steve filled up his multifarious bags. Colin came out with cup of Tea for each of us. Very welcome indeed on a cold, damp Winter's morning. I should have not worried. I got away without a problem. The trailer made an impact on the pile. Steve and I went our different ways resolving to meet again at my house about 12.30. My trailer of poo went straight on the front garden. That is a job that is finished for the time being. It is time for the worms to do their thing. In a couple a week I can turn the manure into the soil and plant the bulbs I have in the shed.
Steve was on Dad duty. My girl was still in bed when I got home. She is fifteen, that's what we do, she says! The local council have made an offer to supply anyone with a choice small Crab Apple, Rowan, and Hazel trees and native Bluebell bulbs. I went to collect my selections. It was a bit of a laugh because there were lots a people looking a bit disappointed. The "trees" where in fact second year seedling so were no more than a foot tall. Being the winter the "trees" were hibernating so the folks were heading back to their cars with either two thin twigs or a twig and a dozen bluebell bulbs. Bluebell bulbs are only the size of grapes so the freebies were never going to over load the cars. I am not sure what they were expecting.
We went back to C&A for a second load. Same again, me with a trailer full and Steve with his bags. This load went up to the lottie. When building the trailer box I found the chassis has a device that lets the trailer tip. We tried it out. It was rubbish. It did not tip very much. I took the trailer up to C&A. That is where is to live. C&A are going drop the manure straight in the trailer and give us a ring when it is full. That is efficient for both parties. Steve and I get a regular supply of muck and C&A get to keep a nice clean yard. I guess some of the surplus veg will find it's way to them as well.
I went down the lottie for a second time. This time was to feed the worms. when I got home H had a nice bottle of red warming and was preparing Tea. Irish soul food, bacon, cabbage and potatoes. The cabbage and potatoes courtesy of the lottie.
The trailer always towed nicely but with the additional weight of the timber it no longer bounced over any slight ripple in the road surface. When we arrived at Colin & Angie's, we're on first name terms now, I pulled up next to the pile. Five minutes later Steve and I had filled the trailer. We were not being greedy. I was not sure my car would pull the trailer from a stand still given that we were on wet grass, my car is not a 4x4 and the trailer probably weighed a third of a ton. Steve filled up his multifarious bags. Colin came out with cup of Tea for each of us. Very welcome indeed on a cold, damp Winter's morning. I should have not worried. I got away without a problem. The trailer made an impact on the pile. Steve and I went our different ways resolving to meet again at my house about 12.30. My trailer of poo went straight on the front garden. That is a job that is finished for the time being. It is time for the worms to do their thing. In a couple a week I can turn the manure into the soil and plant the bulbs I have in the shed.
Steve was on Dad duty. My girl was still in bed when I got home. She is fifteen, that's what we do, she says! The local council have made an offer to supply anyone with a choice small Crab Apple, Rowan, and Hazel trees and native Bluebell bulbs. I went to collect my selections. It was a bit of a laugh because there were lots a people looking a bit disappointed. The "trees" where in fact second year seedling so were no more than a foot tall. Being the winter the "trees" were hibernating so the folks were heading back to their cars with either two thin twigs or a twig and a dozen bluebell bulbs. Bluebell bulbs are only the size of grapes so the freebies were never going to over load the cars. I am not sure what they were expecting.
We went back to C&A for a second load. Same again, me with a trailer full and Steve with his bags. This load went up to the lottie. When building the trailer box I found the chassis has a device that lets the trailer tip. We tried it out. It was rubbish. It did not tip very much. I took the trailer up to C&A. That is where is to live. C&A are going drop the manure straight in the trailer and give us a ring when it is full. That is efficient for both parties. Steve and I get a regular supply of muck and C&A get to keep a nice clean yard. I guess some of the surplus veg will find it's way to them as well.
I went down the lottie for a second time. This time was to feed the worms. when I got home H had a nice bottle of red warming and was preparing Tea. Irish soul food, bacon, cabbage and potatoes. The cabbage and potatoes courtesy of the lottie.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
The last good day of Autumn
The weather has turned much colder over the last week with sharp frosts. Saturday was dry and cold. The weathermen say it will rain on Sunday so I decided winter digging was in order. I am writing this on Sunday so they were right. The patch that had pumpkins is the target for now. Usually the pumpkins grow so well they smoother the weeds. Not this year. The bed is fourteen foot wide. The pumpkin area was twelve foot long. I got togged up, ipod plugged in, wheelbarrow positioned and trug for the stones placed in a handy spot. It was slow going. The soil is covered with Toad Flax which requires quite alot of picking from the soil. There were a few Dock but they were quite small. Although I have dug this plot over several times, big pebbles keep coming up. It is all grist to the path's mill. The path is filling up nicely.
The new website "A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down" inspired me to get my Trangia out of the shed. For those who don' t know what a Trangia is click HERE. I usually take a flask but there is nothing like a nice steaming hot cup of Tea, however you can not make tea without tea leaves. In my rush out of the house I left the tea bags and milk behind. I just boiled up the water and just had it like that. Nevertheless on a cold day after working up a sweat at digging the hot water was welcome and warming.
The Trangia is a smashing gadget. Mine runs off Methylated Spirits. We have had it for years. The little kettle holds enough water for a big mug of tea or two cups. From cold to boiling takes about four minutes. You get two pans and the lid makes a frying pan or a lid for the pots. It is wind proof and safe. We used it when camping. We used set it up in just inside the flysheet. It made the tent lovely and warm. I might start staying at the lottie through the winter when the day is fine to make the most of the daylight and dry days. I can make my diner and brews on the Trangia.
The new website "A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down" inspired me to get my Trangia out of the shed. For those who don' t know what a Trangia is click HERE. I usually take a flask but there is nothing like a nice steaming hot cup of Tea, however you can not make tea without tea leaves. In my rush out of the house I left the tea bags and milk behind. I just boiled up the water and just had it like that. Nevertheless on a cold day after working up a sweat at digging the hot water was welcome and warming.
The Trangia is a smashing gadget. Mine runs off Methylated Spirits. We have had it for years. The little kettle holds enough water for a big mug of tea or two cups. From cold to boiling takes about four minutes. You get two pans and the lid makes a frying pan or a lid for the pots. It is wind proof and safe. We used it when camping. We used set it up in just inside the flysheet. It made the tent lovely and warm. I might start staying at the lottie through the winter when the day is fine to make the most of the daylight and dry days. I can make my diner and brews on the Trangia.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Cider or Vinegar
My fifteen gallons of apple juice, from the mammoth juicing session, was split into two five gallon bins and the rest put in either Demi-johns as wine or bottled and frozen. The demi-johns are bubbling away as wine in the making. The juice that was bottled is in the freezer. The odd bottle that just went in the fridge for immediate consumption has started building up pressure. That's a clue it is starting ferment. I am getting through it. It taste sharp and fruity with a slight fizz.
The juice in the big bins is a tail of two pressings. Both bins had their lids put on and the air locks fitted at the same time. Both bins were put into the cool shed. Nothing seemed to be happening judging by the water level in the air locks. After a couple of weeks I snapped open the lids to see what was going on. One bin had a nice froth on the surface of the juice. Upon tasting it tasted like cider. The other bin had a gelatinous scum on the surface of the juice which I fished out. There was also an acidic aroma. Upon tasting there was a hint of acid. Is this going to be another vat of vinegar? After a little negotiation with H the bins were allowed indoors into the corner of the dining room. I left the bins for a week to warm up to room temperature. That corner of the room hovers around 64 degrees C. The cider bin picked up and start fizzing more vigorously. The vinegar bin just sulked. I thought I have nothing to lose, I mean who needs another five gallons of weak cider vinegar? I made up a whole sachet of general purpose yeast in warm water and got it started. Then I poured the activated yeast into the vinegar bin, refitted the lid and airlock and retired to a safe distance. It was a difficult two days to keep my nose out of the bin. I checked the airlock but no movement. On the evening of the third day after dosing the vinegar I had a test. The juice smalls fruity rather than acidic and you can see the gas bubbles fizzing to the surface. The juice tastes like cider but different to the other bin.
Following my highly scientific experiment I have come to the following conclusions:
a. The lids on the bins are not air tight.
b. The type of apples that are made into juice have different properties.
c. Relying on the apples to provide the right sort of yeast might not be a resilient plan.
d. The temperature of the shed is not right for cider making. It needs to be colder as in the fridge or hotter as in the dining room.
The juice in the big bins is a tail of two pressings. Both bins had their lids put on and the air locks fitted at the same time. Both bins were put into the cool shed. Nothing seemed to be happening judging by the water level in the air locks. After a couple of weeks I snapped open the lids to see what was going on. One bin had a nice froth on the surface of the juice. Upon tasting it tasted like cider. The other bin had a gelatinous scum on the surface of the juice which I fished out. There was also an acidic aroma. Upon tasting there was a hint of acid. Is this going to be another vat of vinegar? After a little negotiation with H the bins were allowed indoors into the corner of the dining room. I left the bins for a week to warm up to room temperature. That corner of the room hovers around 64 degrees C. The cider bin picked up and start fizzing more vigorously. The vinegar bin just sulked. I thought I have nothing to lose, I mean who needs another five gallons of weak cider vinegar? I made up a whole sachet of general purpose yeast in warm water and got it started. Then I poured the activated yeast into the vinegar bin, refitted the lid and airlock and retired to a safe distance. It was a difficult two days to keep my nose out of the bin. I checked the airlock but no movement. On the evening of the third day after dosing the vinegar I had a test. The juice smalls fruity rather than acidic and you can see the gas bubbles fizzing to the surface. The juice tastes like cider but different to the other bin.
Following my highly scientific experiment I have come to the following conclusions:
a. The lids on the bins are not air tight.
b. The type of apples that are made into juice have different properties.
c. Relying on the apples to provide the right sort of yeast might not be a resilient plan.
d. The temperature of the shed is not right for cider making. It needs to be colder as in the fridge or hotter as in the dining room.
Monday, November 12, 2007
A Nice Cup of Tea
I found a new web site over the weekend. I have added a link to it in the column on the right of the screen. The site is called "A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down". As I get older I find myself agreeing with the sentiment of such sites. My radio pre-sets are tuned Radio 2, 3 and 4 and sometimes I even tune to Smooth FM. That tells you something.
I think I will have to expand the scope of my blog to cover such things as Tea and cake.
I think I will have to expand the scope of my blog to cover such things as Tea and cake.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
No digging this weekend
Last weekend was a sort of weekend off. Our old friend Rolf, old in the sense of having known him a long time not old as in being the wrong end of too many summers, married Gill at Haigh Hall in Lancashire. We travelled up on the Saturday morning for the service in the afternoon. We set off extra early to make sure we arrived in time. It was a prudent measure. The A50 had problems and the M6 had two problems so it took over three hours for a journey which should have less than two. It was a moving ceremony not least because both families have had to deal with tragedy in their time together. Rolf and Gill were over flowing with love for each other. There was not a dry eye in the house as they said their own special vows to each other.
The day went very well. Hazel and I met friends from Hazel's time in banking. Rolf & Gill still work in banking in Manchester. We also met our long time best buddies Liz and Chris. Haigh Hall is high on the side of the valley over looking Wigan. It was a clear night which was great view over the Douglas valley to the fireworks from the Bonfire parties below. Altogether it was a smashing day & night. We were taken back to our hotel for a peaceful night. Breakfast was a buffet arrangement so Lucy and I were able to pig out on Pancakes, Maple syrup and lashings of Tea.
The drive home was uneventful but long. We chose to avoid the motorway as it was a very foggy morning. We drove though my old stomping grounds in Newton le Willows, Cadishead, Irlam, Salford and on into Manchester. The city looks very different to city I left eight years ago. The changes had begun back then. A legacy of the IRA bomb in the city in 1996.
After we got home and had a spot of lunch I popped over the lottie to drop the food scraps onto the worms. Whilst I was there I sawed a plank to size to create another lift on the front of the big compost bin. The bin has really heated up since last week when I dumped on the dried pressings from the Cider making. I am looking forward to the weekend for a bit of proper winter digging.
The day went very well. Hazel and I met friends from Hazel's time in banking. Rolf & Gill still work in banking in Manchester. We also met our long time best buddies Liz and Chris. Haigh Hall is high on the side of the valley over looking Wigan. It was a clear night which was great view over the Douglas valley to the fireworks from the Bonfire parties below. Altogether it was a smashing day & night. We were taken back to our hotel for a peaceful night. Breakfast was a buffet arrangement so Lucy and I were able to pig out on Pancakes, Maple syrup and lashings of Tea.
The drive home was uneventful but long. We chose to avoid the motorway as it was a very foggy morning. We drove though my old stomping grounds in Newton le Willows, Cadishead, Irlam, Salford and on into Manchester. The city looks very different to city I left eight years ago. The changes had begun back then. A legacy of the IRA bomb in the city in 1996.
After we got home and had a spot of lunch I popped over the lottie to drop the food scraps onto the worms. Whilst I was there I sawed a plank to size to create another lift on the front of the big compost bin. The bin has really heated up since last week when I dumped on the dried pressings from the Cider making. I am looking forward to the weekend for a bit of proper winter digging.
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