It was just a normal Saturday. A nice early morning drive up to Wyken, a few hours of decent trading at the Farmers’ Market, pack everything back into the van and set off back to Moyns Park. Not more than 300 metres after leaving the car park the engine of my vehicle started to make a horrible sound, so I pulled onto the verge, opened the bonnet and had a look. Quite why I bothered to do that I can’t explain, because I haven’t the first idea about engines and how they work, but it’s the sort of thing that a man does, he lifts the lid and peers in. Anyway, it was clear that I needed help so I called my insurance company with whom I have breakdown cover. My location was identified and I was told that an AA person would be with me by 2.35, so less than an hour and a half to wait. Within 10 minutes I received a text message telling me that it was going to be 2.55 – here we go I thought. I was pleased to see the distinctive orange van heading towards me at 2.40 and was hopeful that magic would happen and that I would soon be on my way home. The very nice man asked me to turn on the engine so that he could diagnose the problem. There was immediately a sharp intake of breath and a sucking of teeth, followed by 3 words that I really didn’t want to hear, “that sounds terminal”!
It was clear that my journey under my own steam was at an end, and I was asked where it was that I needed to get to? There then followed a captivating performance in which the AA fellow opened the back of his van to reveal a neatly folded contraption. Upon the pressing of a button the thing sprung to life like something from Thunderbirds or Transformers, with arms and wheels opening out to create a two-wheeled trailer. Ramps, cables and straps were assembled and eventually my van’s front wheels were secured to the trailer and hazard lights were fixed to the back of my vehicle. I climbed in alongside the driver and off we set, arriving at my regular car mechanic’s premises in Clare about an hour later. It will be tomorrow before I know if the problem is indeed terminal, or whether it can be fixed. In the meantime I need to contact my insurer to see if I am eligible for a loan van while mine is out of action, otherwise I will have to hire one I suppose.
Away from all that malarkey I started pruning apples trees in earnest last week. I had forgotten what a long and laborious job it is, and just how enormous the pile of prunings becomes in a very short space of time. The plan is to put them through the chipper and apply them as a mulch around the stems of the trees to aid moisture retention and to return nutrients to the soil. This is particularly true when using ramial wood chips, that’s the new growth less than 50mm in diameter, these tender young branches are rich in nutrients that fruit trees need like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These nutrients are not only good for the trees, the photo below shows just how attractive they are to the very healthy local deer population – this is after a nocturnal visit a day after pruning.
The land has dried out quite nicely in the past week or more, so before heading back to the orchard tomorrow I am going to have a go at continuing the harrowing of the bottom patch. I had to abandon it when the ground froze too hard a couple of weeks ago, but I reckon that conditions will be good for resuming it. If the tractor picks up too much mud on its tyres I will know that I need to hold off a bit longer.
The seed sowing commenced last Monday, with trays of tomatoes, chilli peppers, sweet peppers, aubergines and lettuce taking their place in the propagator. Yesterday I removed the trays of lettuce as they have now germinated, the other things are slower to poke through, but it won’t be long now. I will get some early cabbages going, and chard in the coming days.
Amongst all of last week’s excitement over the Sea Eagle I forgot to mention that on last Sunday’s dog walk that took in the water meadows a pair of geese flew in and landed quite close to a family of swans that was grazing in the meadow. They were not that far away but I couldn’t identify what they were, all I knew was that they weren’t the usual Canada or Greylag geese, so I made a mental note of some of their distinguishing features to look up later. I consulted the books and online sites and discovered that they were Egyptian Geese. They are not rare, particularly in East Anglia, but they were unusual enough to stir my interest, and only half a mile from home. There have been more signs of spring amongst the bird population, with woodpeckers very active, lots of Skylarks taking to the air, and Blue Tits already showing interest in the nest box.
I have had to cast the net wider this week to titillate your tastebuds as local produce is currently at a premium. I am getting in some broccoli (calabrese) from France to go alongside Savoy cabbage and Brussels sprouts. I will be digging Jerusalem artichokes again and there are washed carrots and parsnips, leeks, swede, sweet potatoes, squash, beetroot. There is the choice of whole or half red cabbage. I haven’t ordered watercress for this week but will get some more for next week as it seems to have been quite popular. As for fruit it’s Spartan apples again, blood oranges as well as regular ones, which are larger, Clementines were variable in size last week, to hedge my bets so that I don’t lose money on them they will be in bags of 4,5 or 6 depending on their size when they arrive. Lemons are smaller so the price has been reduced.
Right that’s it from me. Keep your fingers crossed on my behalf that the news on my van isn’t too horrible. Who knows what I will be turning up in to deliver your order this week…because I don’t! Have a great week.
Phil