Tricky day today. the weather is very changeable so how do I fit in allotmenting, Trailer and beekeeping. One decision is dead easy. No beekeeping today since the showers that cross the county are driven by thestrong cold wind. The bees will not appreciate being opened up today and I don't fancy being stung.
The peas I sowed two weeks ago are through. The trouble the pigeons treat them as a tasty morsel and have pecked at them. However there are so many of them the pigeons have not scoffed the whole crop. I was alarmed to find another lot of volunteer potatoes have come up across the pea patch. The weather this past week or two has really suited the weeds. They are massive. I had guessed the weeds would be thriving and the that pigeons would get at the peas so I went to the lottie with a plan.
Years ago a friend of mine gave a strimmer powered by a two stroke engine. I don't use it much but I figure I was going to need help to combat these weeds. The strimmer has a nifty trick. The shaft from the engine to the cutting head breaks in two. In means it will go in Degsy. I found the fuel can of pre-mixed petrol/oil an put the goodies in Degsy. I was got going to stay long so no need for comestibles. When I got to the lottie I parked up the trailer, put the strimmer together and fuelled it up. Just like someone looming over you as you are working the sky grew dark and in thirty seconds rain was peltting down from the sky. I had just enough time to get the engine end of the strimmer and myself into the Degsy. The squall lasted ten minutee and as quickly as the squall began it was over but the ground and weeds were soaking. I got the strimmer out and in a few pulls on the starter cord the sweet smell of two stroke exhaust and the shriek of the motor filled the air. I managed to get through one of the beds before the strimmer cord needed extending. Just as I finished the bed the strimmer head spat out the lastt of the cutting cable. I did not have any with me so that strimming completed for the day.
I have had some rolls of chicken wire and a roll of fleece stowed by the side of the plot for ages.Both the chicken wire and fleece are a pain because they are long and unruly to handle. First I had to weed out the volunteer potatoes and other weeds that had shown themselves. I rolled out the chicken wire and made a long tunnel by pulling up the centre of the sheet up and forcing the outside edges into the soil. The chicken wire did not cover the whole plot. The fleece is wide enough to cover the piece of plot the chicken wire could not reach. Rolled out the fleece and as predicted the wind wanted to blow into the next county. I managed to cut it to length and secure it without too much wrestling. These measures should keep the pigeons off the peas untill they get going properly.
On the plus side the spuds I planted are just through and the vines have come into leaf. One of the vines succumbed to the winter so I will have to get a replacement. The onions are doing well. The Gooseberries are fattening up. Just as I finished tucking the fleece in another shower past over and dampened more than just my spirit. The trundled the empty trailer back to the stable via the petrol station.
When I got home I made lunch for the missus who is unwell. I had five jars of Honey I found in the shed when cleaning it out last week. The honey was fermenting in the jars. I think this was because I did not bottle the honey straight away after extracting it. In fact I did not jar it for several months. I think the natural yeasts in the atmoshere got at it whilst in storage and started their alchemy. I emptied the jars into a jug and added some hot water then stirred vigorously until it was a thin liquid. I poured the honey liquid into a waiting demi-john. I had to do to batches of stirring. When all the honey was in the demi-john and topped it up with warm water. I popped the airlock in and sat back. I will leave it a week or so to see if the natural yeast will start a proper fermentation. If not I will add some wine making yeast and with any kind of luck I will have Mead for Christmas.
The last job of the day was to load up the strimmer spool with cord in readiness for another go at the weeds.
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