A Day of Two Havles

Part one of the day was to met one of the plot holders to collect a second hand Picnic table, the sort you see outside pubs. The screws had pulled out of the cross braces so the whole thing was decidedly wobbly. we dropped it off at the lottie. I had my drill with me so half a dozen decking screws later the picnic table was rigid once again. It now has pride of place on the big patio. The old bench was smashed up for fire wood. Actually I dropped it whilst moving it. It fell on to single leg, twisted and folded up. No one will be unfolding this collapsible bench.

A couple of tonnes of rubble was dropped off at the lottie with the idea of filling up the ditch left creating the border to the car park when digging out the land drains. I set to . It was hard work but I got the rubble spread out in more or less an even layer. Everyone must have over dosed on the lottie yesterday as it was only Martyn and I to enjoy the bird song and sunshine. I went down to my plot and did a bit of digging on bed 4. It is half completed now. Bed 2 beckons. The beds will need a bit of top dressing before the Peas, Beans and Curbits go in.

Martyn "found" some Cauliflowers on his plot. I had one. The Purple Sprouting Broccoli is get near the end. There is probably enough for two more diners. The Timperly Early is up so I bagged six sticks. Stewed Rhubarb for tea tomorrow. With my little hoard I went home for a spot of lunch.

Part two was to go to garden centre H had spotted on her commute to Tamworth. H wants some Lavender as it is her favourite herb. We found the place without any trouble. It is a independent garden centre. The plants looked really healthy although some items were quite expensive, well more than I was prepared to spend. The car park was full so it did not seem to matter to most of the customers. The Lavender was on offer as was the Rosemary so we had four of the former and two of the latter. I was went looking for the seed stands. I am short of Sweet Pea and I wanted some more Broad Beans and French Beans. They had a very good selection including the Seeds of Italy supplier. H was made up because she had bagged another garden Gnome. As with all her Gnomes this one has been christened. His special name is "Newton Regis". H will tell you, if you ask, that Gnomes will not disclose their "real" names so they have to be rechristened. Being benign characters they do not complain so long as real thought has been given to the new name.

Whilst I was perusing the seed stands we could hear quiet organ music and faint singing. The tunes were easy listening tunes from the past few decades. H came scooting over to say she had found the source of the music. Adjacent to the garden centre was the Cafe. In the cafe was an old boy tinkling the ivories of an organ and singing along. Unfortunately he did not know all the words so the words drifted away when he got to a tricky bit. A bit surreal. H plonked herself in one of the garden furniture displays so she could hear the piano man and keep an eye on me whilst I faffed about. H had put the Gnome, we now know as Newton Regis, on the table whilst she contemplated a suitable name. One of the staff came over and asked if she was OK. I reckoned he thought H had given her minder the slip.

It is sad to admit but I spent an inordinate amount of time over choosing a new watering can. The one I have in the greenhouse I have had for years but I broke the rose yesterday. It was never any good but it was not broken and I just had to organise myself when I needed to use it. The trouble is that when seeds are sown they need watering. They need watering once they have sprouted and for as long as they are in the greenhouse. The old can meant I had to take things off the shelves to water them. Because the shape of the old can did not lead itself to the tight space between the top shelf and the roof. The spray of the rose was too fine so it took ages to water everything. The fine spray also meant it could deliver a quick soaking to the seed modules. The big watering cans are too heavy and can wash away the compost and seeds if I am not careful. This new garden centre had all kinds of watering cans. I found the one I liked but then had to torment myself to part with the money for it. I justified the expense by saying it would help do the job more quickly, it was the right weight of spray, it made of metal so it should be robust and only being a gallon in volume it would be easy to control and not too heavy.

We had a pleasant ride home through the Warwickshire countryside and counted ourselves lucky to be leading this life. When we got home I went up to the Greenhouse and planted the seeds I had bought. I had bought mix of old scented Sweet Pea. The Broad Beans were just put in the seed box to wait their turn in the succession. I planted the French Beans straight away. For reason I have forgotten I had this idea the French Beans were always dwarf in habit. I found some climbers which I am chuffed about so they were sown straight away. H spent a few quid on Dahlia tubers or Delilah's as H likes to mispronounce it. I found some big pots at the back of the greenhouse that will suffice whilst they get started.

The greenhouse which in my world is red, is full again. I have to plant out more of these seedlings. This is the state of play today:

Weather Forecasting

You may recall the episode where I forecast the weather. Here is a picture of what we woke up too.


Today everyone said it was going to rain. As I shovelled in 20 Centigrade of heat I said there was no chance of it raining before nightfall. 6pm the black clouds became dense, the air oppressive, wind kicked up and the heavens opened, slowly at first and then with avengence, huge droplets of rain. I had just finished watering the new fruit trees so my timing is still a bit off.

Advanced Pottering

I decided to H take out for the evening. I booked a table at the Mews Restaurant for 8pm on Saturday night. The occasion was that H and I need been seeing each other for twenty eight years. We were very, very young when we met, mere children [ahem]. I was blind sided by H requirement for a new outfit for the occasion. The requirement was to fit in the the next stage of my training too. I had to go with H to Derby to find the outfit. We got there early so the shopping centre was quite empty. It did not suit me at all. H tried to make it interesting by distracting me with the idea I need a new suit for work. Luckily for me H found what she was looking for within an hour and I made my escape back home.

I met Steve at 1pm for mini-veg bed building. It went well. we ended up nice bed 12x5 foot bordered with planks and not a cross word between us. I made the border and Steve got his mini-tiller busy. The soil came up better than I had expected. Steve decided it would look nice with bark chipping borders between the beds and being almost of the same mind we went off to pilfer a barrow load of chipping from the monster pile nearby. It has to be said it does look well. We then had a quorum with the members on site to decided if we could spend the necessary of the club funds to buy enough planks and pegs to make a further three beds. After a rambling debate the members agreed it was a good idea and should be done. Guess who has to get the materials?

Saturday was the warmest day of the year so far. Whilst I was at the lottie almost every member was busy on their plot at some stage in the day. Some lotters [person who has a lottie] were on their second visit of the day, play being interrupted by lunch. I had a chat with everybody 'cos that's what Secretary's do. I made my points, cajoled others and supported the flagging members.

I had to leave at 5pm to get ready for diner. I had been at the lottie since 1pm and done nothing on the plot. I grabbed my spade at about 4.15 and went off to continue the job of turning the ground over in bed 4. I had to do something for myself. It is a good job it is easy to do. The clock in my ipod signalled "times up" so I gathered my stuff and left the lottie to the remaining lotters.

Dinner was very nice but a bit over priced. It was good to be out with H on our own. We usually have diner with other couples which means the blokes talk about bloke things and the women, women things. H and I chatted about living in Ashby, Miss L, Englishness, Theatre or rather the lack of it [a problem for H but not for me] and our respective works. Both H and I have new jobs. H has new classes and my job is evolving which has it's own pressures and uncertainties.

We got home to find Miss L waiting up for us. What time to you call this?!

That Wind is Still Bitter.

Back on poo duty on Saturday morning. Shall we say the weather was "bracing". Steve and I are continuing the orchard by piling up muck along the southern boundary. This weeks trailer full added to the total. Another three or four loads we see us up the big poo bin. I got a bit carried away on Saturday, after the trailer was taken back to the stables. I went back to the lottie a decided to move a a few of the bricks that and been dumped by a thoughtful plot holder. I set the pallet level against the poo corral and stacked the bricks. I thought I would just do the bricks with full frogs. For the uninitiated a "frog" in a brick is the recess on one or both bonding faces. Anyway I figured the frogged bricks would be lighter than the solid bricks that were in the pile. I flung the broken bricks on top of the pea gravel covering the French drain. Once the frogged bricks were stacked the remainder looked untidy so I shifted those as well. It was quite satisfying get the bricks stacked. I really have to get out more!

I nipped back home to go into town with H. It is becoming a habit. A habit I think I might have to stop. The farmers market was on a H wanted to get some chocolates. The chocs are hand made with no preservatives so they have to eaten within days. Not a problem for H. The choc stall was next to a butcher's stall. Whilst waiting for H, I perused his board of fare. His speciality was Dexter cattle. I figured I would have a taste so I bought two Dexter burgers. When we got home it was still a bit early for lunch. Live dangerously I thought and made lunch from the burgers. A couple of nice brown buns with a leaf salad, some fried onions , sliced Tomato, a blob of Mayo on H's and the seared burgers on top. Very nice. The Dexter tastes different of "normal" beef and very nice indeed. It is very purple when it is cooked but not bloody.

Freshly fuelled I nipped off to the lottie again. I needed to get bed 3 finished. I plugged away. The soil is still digging as well as before. I got as far as the Spinach which has been over wintering. I have to decide whether or not to dig them out. They are quite squat and small. I took one home for a test eat. If they are tasty I will work round them. If not, the compo bin awaits. I checked the onions sets planted a week ago. The roots have started sprouting. The Garlic has made itself at home despite the wind and occasional frost.

My buddy gave some Gooseberry plants. I have no where for them at home so I resolved to make a bed for them at the lottie but where? I decided to get rid of the water trough. My trough is one of those plastic bins they use for cement on building site. It takes up room in front of the plot by the Comfrey patch. I did not have my drill or screws with me so I decided I would sort out a new bed as an extension of the Comfrey patch the next day. Sunday came round and it was bitterly cold. There was rain in the air and it had been raining overnight. I figured I could sort out my Gooseberry beds if nothing else. I was well wrapped up against the cold but as usual as soon as I got busy I got too hot. I stripped off a few layers and got stuck back in. The gooseberry bed came together after some banging and screwing. I bagged a barrow load of soil from the top of the lottie and a barrow load of manure. I mixing them up but I still short of another barrow load of soil to fill the bed. The Gooseberry plants are cosy in the greenhouse at home so another week won't hurt them.

Since the soil was a bit wet I decided to sort out the the edging to the end of bed 4. This end is on the right of the plot, just inside the gate. I decided to put two planks together to make the edge. For some reason, over the years the trench at his end of the bed just keeps getting deeper. It is about ten inched deep. Two planks is twelve inches. This should keep everything in order. I used the string in to set out the position, belted in four pegs remembering not to go mad and leave them high enough to capture the top edge of the top plank. I exercised some restraint a fixed the upper plank nice and level. Then I dug down on the bed side of the plank to give me room to fit the lower plank. The wizard turned up spell of plot fettling [pun intended]. I gave him a wave but got back to work. Presently he came over to borrow my barrow and on his return had a chat. It was blowing hearty and straight from the Urals by way of the North Sea. There is nothing round here to stop it and I was damp with sweat [a nice picture] from working. He must have seen me shivering so he did not not keep me talking long. The planking went easier then expected. I went up the long the side of bed 4 and pulled up the green manure that was regrowing, spread it out in the tench by the planking and chopped it up with the shiny new spade and then back filled the trench. I dug over small area just to level out the end of the bed. Another job done.

I forget the seedling onions last week when I was emptying the greenhouse. This week it was their turn to be planted out. I had started them from seed, in a tray. The onions were about three inches high so it was time for the great outdoors. Bed 3 now contains fifty Bedford Champion Onions. The over wintering brasicass had started to run to seed so I chopped them up for either the compo bin or the worms. The worms seem quite happy in their new home and seems have weathered the winter. I went home about one o'clock.

Over cup of tea I checked out my seed box. The greenhouse is empty again and all that has been planted out has released the seed trays for more seeds. Previously I had filled as many seed trays as I had free. Now I filled those that had become available. I set off on a planting marathon. H even brought me out a brew I was in the greenhouse so long. In this session I have planted:
Basil, Corriander, Sorrel, Parsley, Dill, Fennel and Sage. Do you see a trend? I also planted, Spanish Peppers, Rainbow Chard, Red Cabbage, Celeriac, Sweet Corn, Beetroot, two sort of Leek [Jolent & Mammoth White], Robinson Champion Cabbage, Peas [Feltham First & Lincoln] and Dwarf French beans. I have even gone for some flowers; Alysumm [White & Crimson], Snapdragon, and two sorts of Sunflower [Giant Single and Red Blaze]. The first sowing of Brasicass are nearly ready to go out so I need to get on with digging over bed 4. I might try for an hour on Monday and Tuesday evening this week to move the job along.

Two Times Five

This weekend has been fabulous. I have had two five hour sessions at the lottie and not enough rain to stop me working. On Saturday morning I loaded up the car with the Pea seedling from the greenhouse, chitted seed potatoes [Charlotte] and Red Onion sets [Red Baron] as well as the brew gear and various comestibles to keep the wolf from the door during the day. I had planned that Saturday would be a long day. As it was it did not quite turn out like that. I have had a very busy week at work with lots of travelling so despite the sun beckoning me though the curtains I still did not manage an early start. I made time for a good breakfast. After all it is the fuel for a good days digging. When I got down the lottie I got dressed as usual, plugged in the ipod and set up the wheelbarrow and stone bucket [a bucket for stones not a stone.....you get the picture] at the plough headland of bed three.

Peter, my immediate lottie neighbour, was busy repairing his fruit cage which was damaged in the gales. I cranked up the tunes and set off cleaning up the bed. Last week I stopped next to the over wintered Beetroots. The first one I picked up just squashed as I gripped it. Pretty disgusting. Thereafter I tested them before trying to pull them. If they were squishy I just dug them in. The soil was just right again for digging. It was only when I came across grass or chickweed that I had to slow down. I knocked off six square meters before it was brew time. Steve and I arranged that we would "knock off" for a brew at 11 o'clock. The time came, the barrow was full of weeds, nice timing. I wheeled the barrow down to the compost bins and tipped the weeds. I got the Trangia going and had a chat with Steve. We had the cars parked back to back so we just sat on our respective tail gates in something like comfort. J, the Flower Lady, popped over for a chat we have not seen her for ages. She has some family troubles over the winter. Having offered our solice, J went back to soil fettling and we went back to our brews. The brews had gone cold. Whilst chatting Steve and I had got ourselves excited about the prospects for the lottie's future so we set about our respective plot with renewed vigour. It was such a nice day even the Welshman made a appearance "en famille". It looked like the kids were being introduced to weeding by Mum whilst the Wizard ran the rotovator up and down his plot.

I had to go with H for pottering in Ashby plus to drop off Miss L. "I" wanted to go to the library. Me, wanting to go to the Library when there is a dry digging day available. I must be ailing for something. I also got to see Bill at Castle Garage to talk about a battery for the BM. With those two things under my belt I was able to do a little light pottering without two much angst. Home again for lunch juicy, smoked Bacon sandwiches and some Fig Rolls to follow then back to the lottie. This time I just did digging. It was relatively easy. I decided not to dig round the Celeriac but harvest them. We had with Sunday Tea. Celeriac mash, very TV chefy. The sun was starting to get low and my back was complaining which was the cue to pack up. I had cleaned up about twelve square meters to a depth of 275mm [ten inches]. I took a minute to stand back and look at my handy work. It looked great even if I say so myself, the bed all dark, level and uniform. Very satisfying. I picked some more Sprouting Broccoli. H was having chums round for diner so I made plans to disappear to the Chequers for the evening.

I had resolved that on Sunday I would plant all the things that I had brought down the previous day. I has also brought along the forty odd Garlic from the greenhouse at home. I thought I would get hard job out of the way first, planting potatoes. It was every bit as tough as I had expected but not without a certain pleasure. I am hoping the green manure will have an effect. The horse manure I piled on the bed after Christmas has improved the soil and it is teeming with worms. Always a good sign. I only got one and half rows down before a family turned up to see if they could bag an allotment. They were enthusiastic but it was not for the grown ups but for the lad. We have seen an interest from lads in vegetable growing. I had my first lottie with my Dad when I was about twelve. It was not a lottie that lasted very long, a season and a half, but it instilled something in me. I think there is a deep seated instinct to provide and husband the land. After a chat and taking of details I went back to the trenches. Not as muddy as Flander's fields, perhaps, but my own private battle. When finished the four rows looked really neat. The soil broken up by the digging looked very good. Next up was the Onion bed.

I figured I had not planted enough Sturon Onion [Whites] last week and those that I had planted were too far apart. After scuffling about in the soil I found the existing rows, laid out a string line, to keep me on track. I interplanted another two rows of Sturon. That gives me about fifty which is more like it. Next up was planting the Red Baron Onions. It was the usual business, bent over dibbling along the line. I planted up five rows with fifteen sets per rows. The Garlic was up next. These have been growing in boxes in the greenhouse since Christmas. They had very good root systems. When I turned them out of the boxes the Garlic smell wafted round me. As before I just planted them along the string line. I got them all into two rows. Then it was over to the Pea bed. I planted the seeding down either side for the line but I was running out of time to sort out the pea supports. The last job was to water everything. That took a dozen trips to the trough.

As I was finishing up H turned up for Tea and to take stock of what is and will be available. We had a chat about stuff, watched the Buzzard wheel overhead. They made a better sight than the stunt plane that flew over earlier in the day and proceeded to do a display over a neighbouring town. H left with instruction about Tea time. We were to have slow casseroled Lamb, Celeriac mash and Sprouting Broccoli. Roundup turned just as I was about to move the smaller of the two Globe Artichokes. The Artichokes are such lush plants and took two years to grow it seems a shame to just throw them on the compost heap. You don't get away from Roundup without a full update of this world and I have not seen him for a few weeks, enough said. I tidied up, parked my barrow and left for home for what was a delicious tea. The lamb was a hogget rather than youngster. It was not fatty which is something that suits me yet it was tender as it younger counterparts and to accompany it a couple of glasses of sharp 07 Rhubarb. Cheers!

Timetable v Weather

During Friday lunchtime I compiled a list of the jobs I was going to undertake during the weekend and emailed it to H. H emailed a back that I only had 48 hours this weekend. The thing is I did not believe the weather forecast. Everyone in the UK gets excited at the prospect of snow. Mainly because we have not, as a nation, sussed out how to deal with it. My decision was to ignore it. I got up Saturday to a bright , sunny morning. I was was on poo trailer duty so disappeared at 08.45 to get the trailer and tip the contents at the lottie. Steve and I have decided to extend the "Community Orchard" along the southern perimeter of the drive so we are tipping the hot horse manure in a bund. When the horse muck has mellowed we can plant some more trees. We have eight assorted fruit trees in already.

Next up was a trip to the Newall potato men. Pete, the Secretary, rang me during the week to say my main crop seed potatoes had turned up. I needed some grow bags for my tomatoes so I figured I would save a trip and get spuds and bags in one trip. Instead of change I bought a few extra seed trays to round the buying up to a ten pound note. I popped home first to drop off my goodies and then went to Ivanhoe Feeds at Boundary. Boundary is a hamlet.

On the way to Ivanhoe Feeds for a spade I spotted H on way home from a walk. I asked if she fancied a lift. She decided to accept the lift even though I was not going straight home. I have not had a proper spade for years. I usually prefer a narrow trenching spade for digging. A small spade is like riding a bike in a low gear. The work is easy but you have to pedal faster to cover the same distance. I find it easier on my lower back. However I have rather a special job to do. The second quarter of my Pea bed has over wintered under Clover as a green manure. It has over wintered nicely but has now gone berserk. It is time to dig it in but my usual spade makes the work hard. I gave up after less than half a row. Ivanhoe Feeds do gardening equipment as well as horse nosh. They had two makes of spades, cheap carbon steel blades with plastic handles in two sizes and Stainless Steel blades with one piece wooden handles, again in two sizes. The carbon steel spades were 40% cheaper than the stainless ones but the stainless ones had a razor sharp edge. I figured the one piece handle might last longer than the two piece. I took a deep breath and handed over the cash for the stainless spade.

I had to nip home to drop H off and change into my lottie clothes plus have a snack. All that done I went to the lottie with the new tool bent on subjugation of the Clover patch. I took up position behind the spade, on the Clover, facing the broad beans planted last week. I stabbed the spade into the soil [and Clover] and right angels to what farmers call the plough headland, i.e the edge of the soil where the plough last cut which creates the line between the cultivated and the uncultivated ground. The blade cut into the soil about two inches but more importantly cut through the matted roots of the Clover. Next I put the spade into the ground about six inches back from the plough headland and stepped on the spade shoulder. With no effort it disappeared to the full spit depth. I leaned the handle back and levered a plug of soil plus Clover from the ground and deftly, if I say so myself, dropped the plug back into the hole from which it came but completely upside down thereby burying the Clover nine inches under the surface of the soil. The moisture in the soil was just right for digging. I started off slowly and rhythmically. Within an hour and a half I had turned over the whole of the area, something like twelve square metres. Flipping good going. More than once the breeze built and the sky went black followed by a huge snow or hail shower rolling across the plots. The hail was the size of peas. I jumped in my car for shelter. I called Sue, another fool like me digging regardless of the weather, to shelter with me. Sue had been trying to ignore the hail but it stung like mad. We chatted a little over the drumming of the hail on the roof of the motor. Ten minutes later it was all over and we resumed our self appointed tasks . I dropped six barrow loads of manure on the newly dug area. After all it going to house my legumes so it needs feeding.

Barrowing done I weeded the Asparagus bed until a heavy shower turned into something more persistent and forced me home. There was not much sign a last year's Asparagus however I received my new crowns in the post on Thursday. I shall be eating Pacific Blue Asparagus in a couple of years time. On returnig home I went to the greenhouse. I positioned the grow bags in readiness for the Tomatoes. Given they are only an inch high transplanting wont be anytime soon. I filled the remaining trays and pots and watered them ready for a seed planting session later in the week. The vines were inspected again. The ones I thought were dead are starting to wake up, at last. I tidied up the Greenhouse, watered everything and washed the floor. H dropped a surprise lesson in pottering on me. So off to Ashby for a potter and a newspaper.

H pulled me up sharp because as I left the car park I was making a beeline for the garden shop for labels for my seed trays. H made me look in all the shops on the wrong side of Market Street, pass the time of day with the shopkeepers of our acquaintance and only on the return trip down the other side of the street was I able to get the labels. Then I was dragged across town to the Library. A result here. I got a book about Jack Hargreaves, an influence from my early TV years, and one about cooking by TV gardener Bob Flowerdew. Bob is a bit pretentious but he has some good ideas. I scanned his glossy coffee table offering. It is all fluff. It will be going back on Monday. This kind of pottering is over rated.

Not a bad day, pottering excluded. Over tea [Northern meal time not the drink] H ask me if I thought it would snow, as predicted by the TV weathermen. I said it was unlikely since there was not a cloud in the sky. I should have known better......Sunday dawned, predictably it had snowed over night, deep, wet and even. The snow scuppered my plans for the day. A new plan was needed. First idea, a good breakfast. H was in bed so I knocked up a full English but since I did not have all the ingredients I just had eggs [sunny side up], bacon crispy and a tomato [caramelised on the cut face] and glory of glories Fried bread cooked in lard. I have some lard from Pig fettling at Christmas. Add a steaming mug of tea and some brown sauce and you are in heaven. My buddy gave me some allotment related books on the Thursday. The first one "A view from a shed by Michael Wale" was devoured by Friday bedtime. The second "One Woman's Allotment" was polished off by Sunday teatime. I was glad to finish that one. The author really irritated me. Her friend, who does not get a name check, is more the article but I digress, I enjoyed my breakfast despite the that Women's Allotment. H came down and had a spot of breakfast. Whilst we looked out at the snow covered garden H asked what I was going to do for the day. Allotmenting was obviously curtailed. Before I realised what I was saying I asked if she wanted to go for a walk. H had the presence of mind to say "yes" before I could change the tone of the offer. Resigned, I got the boots out and got ready. H came down with her high tech walking gear on. I was still in my jeans and shirt. It was going to one of those walks, conducted in double time. "We" decided to take in the allotment in a wide circular walk. The day was bright and warm once out of the biting wind. So clear in fact there one could easily see the tall buildings of Birmingham on the distant horizon. We found a extension to the walk that took us by the new land fill...very picturesque. We had a look round the plots and my own. I figured I could be digging but I was committed to the ramble. H pressed her advantage home by suggesting we take in the Moira Furness. It was a bit further but we could have for tea and cake at the cafe. It was odd sitting in their courtyard with tea and cake [home made Cofffe and Walnut], protected from the wind and in the sunshine but with flakes of snow swirling about on a zephyr as the stiff breeze blew over the roof tops. We supped up and zipped up and set off for home. We went along the tram way and came out near the house with the Jack Russell's. They came charging out barking for all they where worth. I coughed very loudly which checked the dogs. They looked up and decided that we should not die today. As meek as lambs they trotted up to us a insisted on being stroked. I gave the usually brief and rough but friendly version. H gave them the full fat version including the talking to them as if they were toddlers. We were only a mile from home so we just set off up the main road. We commented on every house we saw and most fool drivers, no shortage of them today, until we were back on our estate.

It was only four o'clock so I decided that could probably sort out the shelf under the sink. More correctly, to put a shelf under the sink. I had all the necessary wood, screws and tools. A hour and half later the job was done, well except for a tricky panel at the very back. That needs more thinking about. Yet more tea. I sat down to make a concerted effort to finish the "Woman's Allotment". I did it and good riddance to her and Plots 64 and 70.

All in all a nice busy weekend. Major Brownies point scored in several different areas and a few additional jobs done to boot.