Saturday was a very early start. H, Miss L and I were in Manchester for 10am. I was was invited to the motorbike thing. Click HERE for my BMW blog entry to find out what went on. H and Miss L went to Altrincham to see one of H's old friends. My Dad ran them into town and they got the Tram there and back which is treat in itself. By all accounts lunch was fab but the town is not what it once was. We stopped for tea with my brother after the event and then went to to my parents on the way home. We go home about midnight. It was a very long day but everyone had a good time.
I said the H that I had to meet Steve to talk about the new lottie on Sunday at ten and that I would be straight back. Humm...well it did not quite go like that. I did speak to Steve and he did go home but I thought I will just clean up the Beets that had gone over. Well turned into cleaning session on the Chard rows as well and a dose of weeding to boot. The Beets and Chard root were bagged up after the leaves had been cut off and put in the compo bins. The Beets and Chard are too hard for my compo bins so they are going to the recycling bin at the tip. The cleared areas had to be titivated to make them level for the next crop. Whilst in the middle of this the new Lottie member turned up and came for a chat so it was closer to midday than eleven when I got home. Since H had gone for a walk I bagged the rubbish from the back garden and glass from Mo's and went to the tip.
When I got a back I had a brew and went to Mo's. See previous blog entry "New Spaces". Whilst I was already half drowned I set to cleaning H's car. It was filthy. No sooner was that done Miss L wanted a lift to her boyfriend's house in Newton Burgoland, but I have just cleaned the car! Whilst in Newton Burgoland H and I had a look round. The village has some lovely buildings. On the drive over Miss L was telling us how we should get a small farm were I could keep a few pigs, chickens and Bees, a field for veg and another to let for grazing and I would benefit form the horse manure. Miss L has thought about it. However I would have to maintain my current job! A little bit of everything in a quaint farm house setting. This was not going to be any easier life for me but Miss L would have a studio, H would have her big farm house kitchen, Arga and pantry and I would get the out buildings, live stock and an office. What she was describing was subsistence farming. O'il jus' git mi pitch fork an' git mi gaiters on Miss an'o'il be with you directly. It sounded idyllic. I just need a couple of million pounds to realise it.
When we got home H put the loaf in to bake and I set about turning the pigs liver into something edible. I hate Liver, always have. Steve and Mr Internet gave me a couple of recipes. Since I had over a pound of the stuff I tried two recipes. I will let you know how they taste and if they kill anyone. That took up the remainder of the afternoon. I made Tea, the northern meal, for H and only then was able to have a nice sit down.
Did I say that my half a pig was delivered late last the week? It was. The shed is a boon when you have seventy odd pounds of Pork to deal with. The shed is still holding a temperature just above freezing. We had a couple of chops as a taster and they were smashing. Next up cider cured bacon, air dried ham and freezing for the remainder of the cuts after they have been boned. Anyone fancy a couple of pigs trotters for tea? All the pig prep has to be done this week along with a Fencing match on Tuesday, it is Pancake day too on Tuesday, H birthday on Wednesday and preparation for the Allotment meeting, planting seeds and not forgetting going to work. Lucky the nights are getting longer.
Monday, February 23, 2009
New spaces
It has been a very good week. I have adopted a new green house and I got approval for the developments on the new allotments.
My neighbour Maurice [Mo] passed away last year. He was a very keen gardeners but could not do much in his later years. We met at neighbourhood do's and discovered our shared interest. He showed me his domain and I would take him up to my allotment for a slow walk round or I would pop round for a chat and a glass of wine. As the weather get better more people are about the estate. Just recently I bumped into Mrs S, Maurice's better half, who offered me the use of Maurice's greenhouse. I did not need to be asked twice. I took up the offer. I was given free reign to do whatever I wanted. Mrs S and her daughter were clearing the garage and garden during the half term week. A skip had been hired and was sitting on the drive. I popped round one evening after work and dismantled the rickety shelving and generally tidied up. The skip was handy for the bits a bobs that needed binning. I went round on Sunday and washed the glass down, inside and out. I got soaked as tried to wash the inside of the roof panes. I managed it in the end but I could not get to the outsude roof panes. They are not that dirty.
The greenhouse is made of Aluminium, is 6 foot wide and 12 foot long. It is about eight foot at the apex. It has a sliding door on the end and two big opening lights in the roof. Down the side against the fence is a really good staging that runs end to end with a couple of smaller shelves on the wall. That will hold all my seed trays. I have cleared the other side so I have a flat level area 12 foot long, a bit over two foot wide and six foot to the eves. I can put lots of pots along this side. I figure that will be my Tomato area. I think I will have a go at Peppers or perhaps chillis now have a bit of space. Mo's greenhouse is in a better position than mine relative to the sun and it's surroundings. On Sunday despite the wind which was still quite cold and greenhouse was really warm. I figure that in the summer the main house will shade the greenhouse from the full power of the sun during the afternoon but get the sun from first thing.
The greenhouse even has a water butt with the gutters plumbed into it. I feel an irrigation system coming on.
My neighbour Maurice [Mo] passed away last year. He was a very keen gardeners but could not do much in his later years. We met at neighbourhood do's and discovered our shared interest. He showed me his domain and I would take him up to my allotment for a slow walk round or I would pop round for a chat and a glass of wine. As the weather get better more people are about the estate. Just recently I bumped into Mrs S, Maurice's better half, who offered me the use of Maurice's greenhouse. I did not need to be asked twice. I took up the offer. I was given free reign to do whatever I wanted. Mrs S and her daughter were clearing the garage and garden during the half term week. A skip had been hired and was sitting on the drive. I popped round one evening after work and dismantled the rickety shelving and generally tidied up. The skip was handy for the bits a bobs that needed binning. I went round on Sunday and washed the glass down, inside and out. I got soaked as tried to wash the inside of the roof panes. I managed it in the end but I could not get to the outsude roof panes. They are not that dirty.
The greenhouse is made of Aluminium, is 6 foot wide and 12 foot long. It is about eight foot at the apex. It has a sliding door on the end and two big opening lights in the roof. Down the side against the fence is a really good staging that runs end to end with a couple of smaller shelves on the wall. That will hold all my seed trays. I have cleared the other side so I have a flat level area 12 foot long, a bit over two foot wide and six foot to the eves. I can put lots of pots along this side. I figure that will be my Tomato area. I think I will have a go at Peppers or perhaps chillis now have a bit of space. Mo's greenhouse is in a better position than mine relative to the sun and it's surroundings. On Sunday despite the wind which was still quite cold and greenhouse was really warm. I figure that in the summer the main house will shade the greenhouse from the full power of the sun during the afternoon but get the sun from first thing.
The greenhouse even has a water butt with the gutters plumbed into it. I feel an irrigation system coming on.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Thaw
The snow has abated but it remained quite cold for most of last week. Slowly but surely the temperature has increased which allowed even the most solid snowman to melt away. Consequently the ground at the lottie is soaking. It is far too wet to work. It is not too wet for the Pigeons to eat though. There isn't a single brassica standing on the unprotected plots. The repairs I made to the netting last week seem to have worked but the damage is done.
I did have another job to do. The Society was able to buy some planks, pegs, screws and weed membrane which I cobbled together to make a series of family beds. The family beds are 7 x 1.5 metres and are intended for those folks that would find a whole allotment too big or just want to try gardening. The membrane covered the mud between the beds. As it happens we have several tons of stone handy to make up a path between the beds. Steve gave me a hand to lay the path with the stone. The planks define the edge of the beds and path but are intended to act as raised beds as well. Given the state of the sopping mud on which the beds lie it just as well the beds will have soil added otherwise Rice might be a more appropriate plant rather than Cabbages. I was covered in mud by the end of the few hours it took me to build the beds. It was rewarding though. It is always good to do something with your hands.
I did have another job to do. The Society was able to buy some planks, pegs, screws and weed membrane which I cobbled together to make a series of family beds. The family beds are 7 x 1.5 metres and are intended for those folks that would find a whole allotment too big or just want to try gardening. The membrane covered the mud between the beds. As it happens we have several tons of stone handy to make up a path between the beds. Steve gave me a hand to lay the path with the stone. The planks define the edge of the beds and path but are intended to act as raised beds as well. Given the state of the sopping mud on which the beds lie it just as well the beds will have soil added otherwise Rice might be a more appropriate plant rather than Cabbages. I was covered in mud by the end of the few hours it took me to build the beds. It was rewarding though. It is always good to do something with your hands.
Result! sort of
The car passed it MOT with flying colours. I must be better at brake fettling than I thought. On handing over the MOT certificate the garage owner asked if I had had the timing belt changed. I knew that the timing belt was about due to be changed so I asked the chap at what mileage the belt was due for renewal. I thought 50,000 or 60,000 miles. If it was 50k it was over due. If 60k I was reprieved for a little while. The chap said that some Zafira's had timing chains rather than belt and they never needed changing but I knew was a belt drive. He came back with the info. Timing belt service interval 40k....doh! That will be £350 please.
Worldly wise at 12
I go fencing every Tuesday evening at a school in Hinckley. On the same evening there is a drama class for kids. The changing rooms are at one end of the corridor and the Gym at the other end. In the middle is the drama studios. Last Tuesday having got changed out of my civvies and into my fencing gear I walked down the corridor to the Gym. As often happens there was a gaggle of youths in the corridor, both girls and boys, that had been sent out of the studio to rehearse or devise a scene. As I walked past I heard one boy say " I like like girls, but like drama, it usually ends up as a tragedy".
Monday, February 09, 2009
Bloody Pigeons!
H wanted to see the lottie in it's winter clothes and we had some food for the birds. We dropped the car off near the lottie and walked up the drive. As I came up to the gate something did not look quite right. The Sprouting Broccoli was not so sprouty as it had been the previous day. When I looked the tops had been completely mowed off. It was not hard to work out the culprits since there was pigeon crap on some of the leaves and a scattering of feathers on the snow. The netting had some damage from flying debris in the gales. I had patched up the holes but not all, evidently. The birds had got in by the damaged netting and had tried to fly up and out though the good netting but lost a lot of feathers in the doing. It so happened that the damaged netting was right next to my neighbours cabbage patch which the birds had scoffed as well. The foot prints in the snow showed perhaps one or two pigeons had been strolling about looking for a lunch spot. Having had a starter of kale and cabbage on Pete's plot they then decided that the main course would be had next door at Chez McDowell. I am choked about the Broccoli. Where is your shotgun when you need one. A single action twenty gauge would do.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Two Degrees cooler
A long with the rest of the country, we in Moira, have had a week of snow. I was looking forward to going down to the lottie just for a look at the snowed in Lottie and make sure all was well since my last visit. I walked down to the lottie on Saturday morning and was there for 8am. The snow was deep and even as a walked up the drive. Despite six inches of snow on the ground I was not alone. There were cars in the car parks of the fishing club. They looked as if they had been there all night. As I walked up to the site's gate I could see the rabbit tracks in the snow. I was dismayed to find that the last person out of the lottie had left the rabbit flap up on the gate. The Rabbits did not need a second invitation. I followed the tracks into the new lottie area. The varmints gave up when he got twenty yards in. Nothing for him to eat and very exposed. Another set of tracks led from the gate, up the lottie drive and into the plots. The tracks led over Judith's, Ian's and Sandra's plot but nothing seemed to be touched. Mind you those plots are empty at the moment and it does get quite open from Sandra's plot onwards. Rabbit like cover or to be near cover in case they need to hide. No need to worry on that score it was to foggy for the Buzzards.
I trundled over to my plot had a look and had a look round. All seemed in order if frozen stiff. There was a faint whiff of cabbage in the air. I think it is safe to say that the remainder of the cabbages from last season have had it. I put the clean up of the cabbage patch on the to do list come the thaw. Despite the heavy haw frost the Robin came over to see if I had anything for him. I tipped out the few peanuts I had in my pocket for him.
I had got quite sweaty walking to the lottie and hanging about in the below freezing temperatures was starting to tell. I decided to linger no longer and resolved to walk home back across the fields. I figured the farmer would have his beasts in doors during this weather. In the summer walking across the same fields was a bit disconcerting when you had twenty odd bullocks running about in a herd. No such problem today. I made my way up Norris Hill the fog cleared to leave a bright sun in a blue sky. The sun as still low down and had no heat in it but it was nice to see all the same. Have tramped half a mile or so, up hill and ankle deep in snow, I had a rest in the sunshine on the stile by the ruins of Norris Hill Hall. I looked back towards the lottie and understood for the first time why our plots are always a few degrees cooler than the surrounding area. There is a small un-named brook that runs by our plots and has made a valley between Norris Hill and Hanging Hill. The trees that surround the fishing ponds, into which the brook drains, acts like a dam trapping the cold air. Standing by the fence I could see across the fields back towards the plots but could only see fog where the plots should be with Hanging Hill Farm, which over looks our lottie, on the far edge just above the fog.
Working off the Ordnance Survey map there is about 30 metres difference in height between the lottie and Norris Hill. It looks much more than that in the picture above.
Since Lottie fettling was off the agenda for today I decide to service my car. It is MOT time soon. H made me a few brews and before long, three hours in fact, the car was sorted. It is amazing the difference plugs, oil and filters. I serviced the brakes as well. H helped me and we are still talking. That's progress. That done we went to Swad for a new frying pan. I managed to miss the hook on the display and dropped a frying pan from about five foot which banged and clattered against all the other pans onto the floor.The shop had about a dozen people in it. Once the noise died away there was a moment of perfect silence. I had a second go at getting the pan on the hook, managed it, paid for our goods and left.
I trundled over to my plot had a look and had a look round. All seemed in order if frozen stiff. There was a faint whiff of cabbage in the air. I think it is safe to say that the remainder of the cabbages from last season have had it. I put the clean up of the cabbage patch on the to do list come the thaw. Despite the heavy haw frost the Robin came over to see if I had anything for him. I tipped out the few peanuts I had in my pocket for him.
I had got quite sweaty walking to the lottie and hanging about in the below freezing temperatures was starting to tell. I decided to linger no longer and resolved to walk home back across the fields. I figured the farmer would have his beasts in doors during this weather. In the summer walking across the same fields was a bit disconcerting when you had twenty odd bullocks running about in a herd. No such problem today. I made my way up Norris Hill the fog cleared to leave a bright sun in a blue sky. The sun as still low down and had no heat in it but it was nice to see all the same. Have tramped half a mile or so, up hill and ankle deep in snow, I had a rest in the sunshine on the stile by the ruins of Norris Hill Hall. I looked back towards the lottie and understood for the first time why our plots are always a few degrees cooler than the surrounding area. There is a small un-named brook that runs by our plots and has made a valley between Norris Hill and Hanging Hill. The trees that surround the fishing ponds, into which the brook drains, acts like a dam trapping the cold air. Standing by the fence I could see across the fields back towards the plots but could only see fog where the plots should be with Hanging Hill Farm, which over looks our lottie, on the far edge just above the fog.
Working off the Ordnance Survey map there is about 30 metres difference in height between the lottie and Norris Hill. It looks much more than that in the picture above.
Since Lottie fettling was off the agenda for today I decide to service my car. It is MOT time soon. H made me a few brews and before long, three hours in fact, the car was sorted. It is amazing the difference plugs, oil and filters. I serviced the brakes as well. H helped me and we are still talking. That's progress. That done we went to Swad for a new frying pan. I managed to miss the hook on the display and dropped a frying pan from about five foot which banged and clattered against all the other pans onto the floor.The shop had about a dozen people in it. Once the noise died away there was a moment of perfect silence. I had a second go at getting the pan on the hook, managed it, paid for our goods and left.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Eduardo
Anyone in the UK will know that it has snowing like heck this week. College has been closed so Miss L has been at home. She has been good at keeping up with her work. I got home on Tuesday evening and was introduced to Eduardo. The new, but temporary, edition to the family is a snowman in the back garden. Eduardo is more of a snow head than a snowman. Miss L told me he had a recessive gene. His parents were sand dunes. Go figure!?
Monday, February 02, 2009
Retirement from duties
Today was a sad day. Today was the day when I finally accepted that my old rigger boots had actually come to the end of the road. I have had them for twelve years. We have been through lots together. Cold nights in the garage in Gorton repairing bikes for the next day's contracts. Building works on the various houses and for the past few years stirling work at the lottie. Always warm and with a good stiff sole for fork and spade work. The steel toe caps have even been used for wedging planks and flags up to the correct level for fixing. Great all rounders but a bit heavy for dancing. So long scuff, scratched, split seamed, bald soled boots and toe worn old boots.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Sunshine and snow showers
I got two bites at the cherry this weekend. It was poo trailer day on Saturday so I was at the lottie fairly early having collected the trailer. I did not have to take the trailer straight back so I left the muck in the trailer whilst I barrowed the contents of the poo bin onto the lottie. I did a bit of hand weeding before I barrowed the muck onto the plot. The muck did about half the plot. I hope the cabbages appreciate the work. Muck bin empty I chucked in the trailers worth of muck.
Since I had the trailer I decided to tidy up the lottie as a whole and take to the tip those things that I can not get in my car. It took no time at all to fill the trailer is which is a bit sad really. I still had some time free so I set about riddling [sieving] the soil out the weeds. During the growing year I put the weeds into my black composts bins. The plastic black bins get really hot and kill the weeds. I make a point of getting the weeds before they set seed. The trouble is I get so many weeds over the year, a by-product of good fertility, that I fill the all my available bins. I have four. When the bins are full I end up creating a heap which I cover with black plastic sheet. The sheeting keeps the heap dry and hot which help to cook the weeds. This is the time to year to recover the fertility from the compo bins.
I set up the wheelbarrow next to the the weed heap with a bag opened next to the handles then forkful by forkful the pile goes so through the sieve. What gets left in the riddle goes in the bag. I had to leave at noon but managed reclaim three wheelbarrow worth of soil. I tipped the soil onto the Asparagus bed. The bags of weeds were put in the trailer with other rubbish. Then it was off to the tip and then home for a sarny and a brew.
The H, Miss l and I had an appointment to meet with friend at Draycott. I was to pick up I print out of a wiring diagram for my BMW. My buddies has an big colour printer which make the reading of the diagram much easier. We had a chat and a couple of brews and came away again print out in hand. Once I got home I was able to spend the hour before it got dark fitting twin wall Acrylic sheet to the roof of the Greenhouse to replace the pane that was broken. Instead of replacing the single pane the shape of the Acrylic sheet dictated that I replaced both panes. The Acrylic sheet was sufficiently large to supply two roof sheets so I replaced two set the roof panes with a little to spare.
The day was bright and sunny but with a bitter east wind but I was working hard enough to work up a sweat. Sunday morning was just as sunny and the wind just as bitter. Over night I decided to finish the riddling of the compo heap. It yielded another five wheelbarrow loads. I tipped each barrow load on the Asparagus bed and when all was loads were tipped I raked it out. The riddlings gave me a three inch dressing over the bed.
The other job a had set for myself was to remove the remainder of the fencing and hedge by the new car park. I set about it with will. I parked the car in such a way as to keep the full blast of the wind off me. Before too long I had worked up a sweat.....again. The fence and hedge came out without too much bother. The Hawthorn stabbed me a few times as a sort of vengeance. As I filled up the bird feeders and was thinking that for most of the past few weeks I have been at the lottie by myself but today there was four other folks toiling away despite the biting wind and as we chatted the sky darken a great flurries of snow swirled about us and that was me done at the lottie for the week. Steve walked down his plot and disappeared into the snow.
When I got home H was busy making Marmalade. Things were was tense, setting point was imminent. I managed to knock over some sugar so I made myself scarce. I went to the Greenhouse. Sometime ago I managed to get hold of a few big plastic boxes. I filled them with compost from the old grow bags and some horse manure I had brought from the lottie. In those boxes I planted two Charlotte spuds each. I have a tray full of Charlotte's from last year in the shed which are chitting like mad so I was able to pick the best ones. The spare Acrylic made a nice cover for one of the boxes. Setting up the boxes helped cleaning up the Greenhouse. The roof repair has made a real difference to the temperature inside the Greenhouse. It just needs a good wash down to prepare it for spring.
Since I had the trailer I decided to tidy up the lottie as a whole and take to the tip those things that I can not get in my car. It took no time at all to fill the trailer is which is a bit sad really. I still had some time free so I set about riddling [sieving] the soil out the weeds. During the growing year I put the weeds into my black composts bins. The plastic black bins get really hot and kill the weeds. I make a point of getting the weeds before they set seed. The trouble is I get so many weeds over the year, a by-product of good fertility, that I fill the all my available bins. I have four. When the bins are full I end up creating a heap which I cover with black plastic sheet. The sheeting keeps the heap dry and hot which help to cook the weeds. This is the time to year to recover the fertility from the compo bins.
I set up the wheelbarrow next to the the weed heap with a bag opened next to the handles then forkful by forkful the pile goes so through the sieve. What gets left in the riddle goes in the bag. I had to leave at noon but managed reclaim three wheelbarrow worth of soil. I tipped the soil onto the Asparagus bed. The bags of weeds were put in the trailer with other rubbish. Then it was off to the tip and then home for a sarny and a brew.
The H, Miss l and I had an appointment to meet with friend at Draycott. I was to pick up I print out of a wiring diagram for my BMW. My buddies has an big colour printer which make the reading of the diagram much easier. We had a chat and a couple of brews and came away again print out in hand. Once I got home I was able to spend the hour before it got dark fitting twin wall Acrylic sheet to the roof of the Greenhouse to replace the pane that was broken. Instead of replacing the single pane the shape of the Acrylic sheet dictated that I replaced both panes. The Acrylic sheet was sufficiently large to supply two roof sheets so I replaced two set the roof panes with a little to spare.
The day was bright and sunny but with a bitter east wind but I was working hard enough to work up a sweat. Sunday morning was just as sunny and the wind just as bitter. Over night I decided to finish the riddling of the compo heap. It yielded another five wheelbarrow loads. I tipped each barrow load on the Asparagus bed and when all was loads were tipped I raked it out. The riddlings gave me a three inch dressing over the bed.
The other job a had set for myself was to remove the remainder of the fencing and hedge by the new car park. I set about it with will. I parked the car in such a way as to keep the full blast of the wind off me. Before too long I had worked up a sweat.....again. The fence and hedge came out without too much bother. The Hawthorn stabbed me a few times as a sort of vengeance. As I filled up the bird feeders and was thinking that for most of the past few weeks I have been at the lottie by myself but today there was four other folks toiling away despite the biting wind and as we chatted the sky darken a great flurries of snow swirled about us and that was me done at the lottie for the week. Steve walked down his plot and disappeared into the snow.
When I got home H was busy making Marmalade. Things were was tense, setting point was imminent. I managed to knock over some sugar so I made myself scarce. I went to the Greenhouse. Sometime ago I managed to get hold of a few big plastic boxes. I filled them with compost from the old grow bags and some horse manure I had brought from the lottie. In those boxes I planted two Charlotte spuds each. I have a tray full of Charlotte's from last year in the shed which are chitting like mad so I was able to pick the best ones. The spare Acrylic made a nice cover for one of the boxes. Setting up the boxes helped cleaning up the Greenhouse. The roof repair has made a real difference to the temperature inside the Greenhouse. It just needs a good wash down to prepare it for spring.
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