It wasn’t the kindness of strangers, because I have known the couple in question for donkey’s years, but nonetheless it was a gesture that was so very thoughtful and kind that it rather nonplussed me. These particular customers are by no means regular, as they do not often get the opportunity to collect their order from the farmers’ market at Wyken, but when they do order it is always a biggun. Well yesterday they came to collect their boxes of vegetables, and following payment I was handed a sealed envelope and told that it was a little present. With that the customers disappeared and I continued to attend to other visitors to my stall. Later on during a lull in trade I revisited the envelope and read the inscription on it – “towards the van”. Upon opening it I discovered a donation of cash towards the repairs to my van! It made me feel befuddled, I wasn’t sure what to think or do. When writing here about my various misfortunes I am never looking for financial assistance, I would set up a ‘Go Fund Me’ page if I was that desperate. No, I tell you my hard luck stories, along with when things are going well, just to inform and involve you in my little enterprise, not to tug at your heart or purse strings. You already support me by placing your veg orders with me, that’s enough. However, following an exchange of correspondence during which I expressed my wish to return the donation I was asked to accept it in the spirit in which it was offered, I graciously accepted. So often the discussion is about the negative elements of our society, but this was an example of kindness and generosity that is still alive and kicking, and which restores one’s faith in human nature.

The story above also proved to me that I am not sitting here for hours slaving over a hot keyboard every Sunday for nothing – some people actually read this!

The main photo is of a very bold and confident hen pheasant that is one of a gang that hangs around beneath the bird feeder. This one in particular comes running to meet me when I approach the feeder with my bucket of seeds, whereas the others all hang back at a safe distance, not coming forward until I am on my way back to the potting shed. As you can see from the picture, she comes very close to me – in this shot she was no more than a hand’s length from me, but she has not yet taken seed from my proffered hand. If I persist I think that she might do one day. My group of 3 Mallard ducks have been a constant presence in the past couple of weeks. I suspect it’s the same 3 as last year – 2 males and a female. Last spring they stayed around for the whole of the mating season and she hatched her duckling in a clump of nettles inside the garden.

My eyes are still not good, but this week the left one is worse than the right. My theory is that it is related to sawdust getting in them during apple tree pruning, but I haven’t ruled out conjunctivitis or blepharitis, it just seems coincidental that I first experienced some discomfort after a pruning session. I might pay the pharmacist a visit this week. When I last did some pruning early in the week I wore safety glasses, but still bits were getting in my eyes, so yesterday I bought a pair of goggles from Screwfix that are close fitting. I won’t enjoy wearing them, and I will look like an extra from the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, but it will be better than streaming pink eyes. Unfortunately rain stopped play from mid week, because whilst I could have pruned in the rain I decided to down tools and retreat to somewhere dry… some might think me wimp-like for making that choice, but that’s the beauty of being self-employed. As you can see from the photo below the piles of prunings are growing, but the ground is too wet to get the tractor mounted wood chipper close enough to munch them up.

We’ve got some exciting (and welcome) additions to the shop this week, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, and a return of cherry tomatoes, nice eh? There is no watercress this week because I discovered that last week’s batch was actually grown in Spain, but I had not been informed of that, and to all intents and purposes it was presented like the stuff grown in Somerset, which I have complained about, so until I receive an assurance that I will only receive Watercress grown in the west country I will not be getting any. I am not suggesting that the stuff from Spain has anything wrong with it, it’s more to do with feeling misled. There are baking potatoes and red Cara, but not Marfona or salad potatoes this week. You have a choice of regular carrots or the multi coloured ones, and washed parsnips. Seville oranges have finished now but the rest of the citrus remains available. There are still Spartan apples from Kent.

If we are to believe the Met Office we have a few dry days ahead, at least until Thursday, which provides a welcome period of respite following yet more flooding, which is now very boring. It’s March from Friday and that’s usually a month when a lot of the bed preparation takes place, but it will be much more difficult this year unless we have a prolonged dry spell. My fingers are crossed.

Have a good week won’t you? At least the days are drawing out. Oh, and the peach tree in the greenhouse is now in full bloom – always an uplifting sight.

Phil