It is still really cold so no lottie. Instead I tackled the eight demi-johns that sitting at the back of the dining room for the past few months. I had two demi-johns [DJ] of Rhubarb wine. One of the Rhubard DJs is not very nice so I binned it. The other Rhubarb DJ was really nice so I bottled it off. I have been tasting the Limoncello this past few weeks. I have been restrained and there is some left to bottle. The Strawberry, Plum, Pear, Grape wines and Mead need racking. Racking is when wine is transferred into another demi-john from the current one. Racking or racking off achieves a couple tasks:
1. It leaves behind the dead yeast cells and other debris to gather at the bottom of the demi-john.
2. Clears the wine.
3. Ensures the fermentation has finished
4. Removing the old yeast keeping the wine from tainting
5. You get a chance to taste it.
6. This the point where sparkling wine can be made.
The wine made from my lottie grapes has a great colour but is not ready for drinking. The racked wine went backed on the shelf in the dining room. The bottled Limoncello and Rhubarb have been put into the shed.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Who you looking at?
It has been snowing all week. There was nothing that could be done at the lottie but H and I went over to check it out and fill up the bird feeders. Today, Saturday, the snow is thawing so it is wet and slushy. I dug up a couple of Leeks for tea. The soil is not frozen and looks in really good shape. The spouts are looking well as are the Broccoli and Savoy cabbage.
Whilst trundling up the lottie drive H spot a bird of prey sitting on a fence post. It just sat their eyeing us. It is not usual to see a Buzzard or Kestrel sitting on a post but the bird was not either one. I got the bird guide out of my bag and flipped through the falcon section. Even without the guide it was unmistakable a Peregrine falcon. H and I sat there looking at this striking bird, looking at us, until it had enough and zoomed off.
When we got home we set up a few bird feeders in the garden and filled them up. We have been seeing the usual small birds but we also seen lots of Long Tailed Tits. I made a beef stew using veggies from the lottie. I made some suet dumplings to go with the stew. This was the first time I had made dumplings from scratch. I will be having them again.
Whilst trundling up the lottie drive H spot a bird of prey sitting on a fence post. It just sat their eyeing us. It is not usual to see a Buzzard or Kestrel sitting on a post but the bird was not either one. I got the bird guide out of my bag and flipped through the falcon section. Even without the guide it was unmistakable a Peregrine falcon. H and I sat there looking at this striking bird, looking at us, until it had enough and zoomed off.
When we got home we set up a few bird feeders in the garden and filled them up. We have been seeing the usual small birds but we also seen lots of Long Tailed Tits. I made a beef stew using veggies from the lottie. I made some suet dumplings to go with the stew. This was the first time I had made dumplings from scratch. I will be having them again.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Up, down and up
I had a look in on the Land Rover people the other day. I have been promised to have Degsy back before Christmas. It has made start thinking about how I am going to fit out the tub. I have been checking out the Land Rover over landing websites for ideas on fitting out.
On the downside the central heating packed up sometime in the early hours. I had to get at the boiler to find out what was wrong with it. After much rummaging I got the front panel. The pump was not running. I rang a few heating engineers. Only one rang me back. He suggested that the condensate pipe might be frozen up which would be backing up the condensate and tripping out the system. It sounded like a reasonable idea. I pulled off the hose inside the boiler. Water poured out. I had a look at the outside pipe and found it frozen solid. I managed to clear the pipe of ice. Guess what? The boiler kicked in after a few minutes. I had a brew whilst to see if the boiler kept running. It did. H was pleased.
On the downside the central heating packed up sometime in the early hours. I had to get at the boiler to find out what was wrong with it. After much rummaging I got the front panel. The pump was not running. I rang a few heating engineers. Only one rang me back. He suggested that the condensate pipe might be frozen up which would be backing up the condensate and tripping out the system. It sounded like a reasonable idea. I pulled off the hose inside the boiler. Water poured out. I had a look at the outside pipe and found it frozen solid. I managed to clear the pipe of ice. Guess what? The boiler kicked in after a few minutes. I had a brew whilst to see if the boiler kept running. It did. H was pleased.
Ice cold
It is really cold at the moment. I was a bit weak after the meeting of the Allotment Society AGM on Friday night. So cold in fact we had snow and then frost. I had a look at the lottie but it was frozen solid so nothing to do there which was lucky. Sunday was no better weather wise. Bitterly cold but clear. After bacon buttie; without brown sauce!?!, I am going to have to speak to the quartermaster about comestibles, H and I went for a walk. We walked over to Hicks Lodge to have a look at the new cycle centre. It is still under construction. We had a walk round the lodge. There was a air frost Saturday night so all the trees, bushes and grass were covered in a haw frost. The weak sun did not melt the frost so it was quite pretty. We ended up at Horace's Seat as usual. The clear air meant we could see for miles and its was really quiet as well. It was Sunday morning, the snow was keeping folks at home and the snow was cushioning the cars wheels.
On the way home I decided to do a few outdoor jobs when I got there whilst I was dressed for outside. I tidied up the shed and the greenhouse. I was given a few quality planks a while ago and had put them in the shed. One of the planks was a 10inches wide cill board. I cut it to size to fit the threshold of the shed. I organised the tray of spuds, the baskets of onions and Butternut Squash. Then to the greenhouse. It took a minute to get through the door. A well aimed boot broke the hold of the ice in the runners. I just had to clear out the moldy onions. Red onions just don't keep. I took the stems of the Garlic. Then put the Garlic and shallots into two baskets which, eventually, hung up in the shed. I put a few of the trays I left outside into the greenhouse. It is very slightly warmer in the greenhouse than outside so I hope the plants I have started will make it through the winter.
I came in the from the cold, had a sandwich. Then tested the Lemoncello. It was not cold enough so I put the glass on the decking for half hour. We like ice cold Lemoncello.
On the way home I decided to do a few outdoor jobs when I got there whilst I was dressed for outside. I tidied up the shed and the greenhouse. I was given a few quality planks a while ago and had put them in the shed. One of the planks was a 10inches wide cill board. I cut it to size to fit the threshold of the shed. I organised the tray of spuds, the baskets of onions and Butternut Squash. Then to the greenhouse. It took a minute to get through the door. A well aimed boot broke the hold of the ice in the runners. I just had to clear out the moldy onions. Red onions just don't keep. I took the stems of the Garlic. Then put the Garlic and shallots into two baskets which, eventually, hung up in the shed. I put a few of the trays I left outside into the greenhouse. It is very slightly warmer in the greenhouse than outside so I hope the plants I have started will make it through the winter.
I came in the from the cold, had a sandwich. Then tested the Lemoncello. It was not cold enough so I put the glass on the decking for half hour. We like ice cold Lemoncello.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Weeding
Following a good breakfast which included some very nice Black Pudding, I loaded up the Landy for a trip to the lottie. This week the weather has been quite cold and we have had a couple of very foggy and damp days. First job at the lottie was to reinforce the bottom of the back panel of the big compost bin. The bins have been in place for six years and are starting to wear. I screwed on a thick plank of wood.
Next I went round Bed4 pulling up the Sweet Corn stems. I also pulled up all the Sunflowers. They had dried back some time ago. I had thought I would collect the seeds to feed to the birds. However the birds have been smart enough to help themselves. I put the Sunflower and Sweet Corn stems in the bottom of the new compo bins. I then skimmed off the top couple of foot of the old compo bin into the new bin. In due course I will dig out the compost from the old bins and put it on the plot in some deserving spot.
The weather was holding up, still cold, damp and a very low flat sky. I went round Bed4 and the path down the side of the bed spot weeding. The weed of the year is Chickweed with Nettle as a close second. It was any easy enough job to spot weed the few Dock and Nettles. I had cleared the Chickweed as I pulled up the Sweet Corn stem at he bottom end of the plot. As time was pressing and the weather was slowly deteriorating I left the rest of the bed under the chickweed. Later in the evening I was watching a progarmme on the TV about foraging and guess what they were harvesting. Yes, Chickweed. I could feed an army on my crop. I think I will have to try Chickweed as a food.
I had a chat with J, one of the other plot holders. I think I have only seen him once this year. Whilst we were chatting the little birds were fliting about. A huge Kestral flew across and alighted in one of the tall trees in the hedge. Then, along another hedgerow flew a Jay. You don't see many of them but since the tree have dropped their leaves the birds are more visible. That was the lottie expedition done. When I got home I unloaded the Landy as it has to go back the Steve. H was still out so a had a look at the bike.
Next I went round Bed4 pulling up the Sweet Corn stems. I also pulled up all the Sunflowers. They had dried back some time ago. I had thought I would collect the seeds to feed to the birds. However the birds have been smart enough to help themselves. I put the Sunflower and Sweet Corn stems in the bottom of the new compo bins. I then skimmed off the top couple of foot of the old compo bin into the new bin. In due course I will dig out the compost from the old bins and put it on the plot in some deserving spot.
The weather was holding up, still cold, damp and a very low flat sky. I went round Bed4 and the path down the side of the bed spot weeding. The weed of the year is Chickweed with Nettle as a close second. It was any easy enough job to spot weed the few Dock and Nettles. I had cleared the Chickweed as I pulled up the Sweet Corn stem at he bottom end of the plot. As time was pressing and the weather was slowly deteriorating I left the rest of the bed under the chickweed. Later in the evening I was watching a progarmme on the TV about foraging and guess what they were harvesting. Yes, Chickweed. I could feed an army on my crop. I think I will have to try Chickweed as a food.
I had a chat with J, one of the other plot holders. I think I have only seen him once this year. Whilst we were chatting the little birds were fliting about. A huge Kestral flew across and alighted in one of the tall trees in the hedge. Then, along another hedgerow flew a Jay. You don't see many of them but since the tree have dropped their leaves the birds are more visible. That was the lottie expedition done. When I got home I unloaded the Landy as it has to go back the Steve. H was still out so a had a look at the bike.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Seeds order
Today my seed order turned up today. Thirty odd packets of seeds. I had a brew and perused the packets to work out what order to plant them.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A Big Week
It was a big week at work last week and I am exhausted. H and I went to Derby for the day on Saturday. We went to look at the Silk Mill museum. Click HERE for the website. It was small but quite good. We then had a walk round a bit of Derby we have not seen before.
Sunday was Remembrance Day. H and I went to Ashby to take part in the service at the war memorial. This was the first time H did not take part in the parade. H and Lucy were in the brownies but of course Lucy is not at home this year. After the service we came home. I did a bit of housekeeping. I watched the last Grand Prix of the season whilst I had a spot of lunch. Vettel won the Grand Prix and the championship. After lunch, and the Grand Prix, I packed up the Landy and went the lottie.
The weather was a bit cloudy but it was cold, damp penetrating cold however ten minutes of digging manure out of the bin and wheelbarrowing it to the other end of the lottie soon warmed me up. I also dumped a couple of barrow loads on the newer Rhubarb bed. I figured I would empty the big compost bin into the now empty manure bin. However I did not figure on the bottom planks of the manure bin being rotted through. I left the bin empty in the hope the uprights will dry a little so a can add new planks to replace the rotted ones. I filled up the bird feeders then did a bit of weeding round the paved area. The light was fading but as the sun dropped we were treated to a blazing sunset.
Sunday was Remembrance Day. H and I went to Ashby to take part in the service at the war memorial. This was the first time H did not take part in the parade. H and Lucy were in the brownies but of course Lucy is not at home this year. After the service we came home. I did a bit of housekeeping. I watched the last Grand Prix of the season whilst I had a spot of lunch. Vettel won the Grand Prix and the championship. After lunch, and the Grand Prix, I packed up the Landy and went the lottie.
The weather was a bit cloudy but it was cold, damp penetrating cold however ten minutes of digging manure out of the bin and wheelbarrowing it to the other end of the lottie soon warmed me up. I also dumped a couple of barrow loads on the newer Rhubarb bed. I figured I would empty the big compost bin into the now empty manure bin. However I did not figure on the bottom planks of the manure bin being rotted through. I left the bin empty in the hope the uprights will dry a little so a can add new planks to replace the rotted ones. I filled up the bird feeders then did a bit of weeding round the paved area. The light was fading but as the sun dropped we were treated to a blazing sunset.
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