Flipping heck I’m a good healer. Less than 2 weeks on from post hole knockergate the remains of the wound that required 3 stitches is barely visible, and the stitches were only removed last Monday. So I am available (at the right price) for the laying on of hands, palm reading and all manner of quackery.
Talking of quackery, though I think that geese honk rather than quack, I thought that you might like to see the above photo that I took early last week at Moyns Park of a pair of Egyptian geese perched on the top rail of one of the paddock fences. I thought it quite unusual to see them in such a position, I have never seen any of the numerous Canada geese that annually flock to the Estate and take up residence to do such a thing. They were mingling with the much larger black and white birds for a couple of days, but I haven’t seen them since. I had my ‘proper’ camera with me in the van to try to get a good shot of the large herd of deer that grazes out in the park every evening, but so far the light hasn’t quite been right, so I will keep trying.
Frustration grows. The run of dry days was broken today with an annoying amount of precipitation falling (6.4mm), returning us to square one. With time pressing on now I am no closer to being able to get on to the land to prepare it for planting, I fear a very delayed start to the growing season. Meanwhile the grass is growing like topsy and really needs a cut, but the wet grass will just clog the mower up so I need to wait for another spell of consecutive dry days. I think that I could have done it at the end of the week, but what with packing and delivering boxes and preparing for the market and then attending it I just didn’t have the time. On getting back from Wyken yesterday I went to check on the mower, only to discover that my petrol can was empty…what a dolt!
Meanwhile in the propagating greenhouse the benches are filling up with seedlings in various stages of growth. I have pricked out the tomatoes once and will have to pot them on again soon, with a view to planting the first of them in the main greenhouse by this time next month. The same goes for an early variety of cucumber. It will be a calculated risk, but unless we get severe late frosts they should be alright (fingers crossed). The earliest sown lettuces are almost ready for planting, but I will set those out in the polytunnel as they will be cut before I need the space for the maincrop tomatoes. The mice have not yet discovered the mangetout peas in the tunnel – I hope that I am not tempting fate. Spring greens in the tunnel and greenhouse will be ready to cut in the next week or two.
Nothing of any significance has changed in the shop this week, there are still cauliflowers, kale, and purple sprouting broccoli, and nice red cabbages. Apples are Crimson Crisp, a nice firm apple with an interesting flavour. There are blood oranges again, but I suspect that we are nearing the end of their season, regular oranges will go on for longer.
I’ve had an exhausting weekend watching rugby. I didn’t get to see the impressive Italian’s see off the Scots, but I listened to it on the radio. I’m pleased that the ‘Azzurri’ have been competitive this 6 Nations, for so long it has been inevitable that they would win the wooden spoon, but this year Wales are in the hunt for that – sorry (not sorry) Betty 🙂 My expectations were extremely low for England going in to their match against Ireland, but miracles can, and did happen. It was a thrilling game. I do love international rugby. Perhaps it’s because there is so little of it relative to football that it remains something to really look forward to.
I’m all behind this week so I am going to leave it there. Let’s hope for more spring weather like we had yesterday, the sunshine really lifts one’s spirits. After the market I went in to Bury, and wished that I hadn’t. The roads were choked with traffic. The reason? Primark! Ruddy Primark! I just do not comprehend the mentality of sections of our society. Apparently there was a long snaking queue of people waiting to get in to the shop on the day that it opened. Give me strength!
Phil