Well Laid Plans

Mushrooms

Hmmm the mushrooms are not really going according to plan! There is what looks to be one mushroom just breaking the surface but no other visible evidence of any more. They take 25-30 days to grow and its been at least 20 already. John suggested that I wait a bit longer before starting over again. Maybe my impatience is getting the better of me. At least this way we'll know what does and doesnt work for them. The next batch will be going in the hut and were hoping they'll stand a better chance in there.

And Yet More Plans

I spent a good deal of time yesterday drawing plans for our chicken coop, and researching how to care for rescued battery hens. What it all comes down to is how they cope with the stress of their new environment. The first week will be the hardest as its getting them adjusted to better conditions, different food and more freedom. Were all excited and have been thinking of suitable chicken names.

Sick Tomato

A while ago we planted out two tomato plants which were out of a pot of three. Once they were planted the third was left outside in a pot, with little soil to cover its roots. After a few days we decided to replant it, but didnt really have too much hope that it would recover. Every time I went in the greenhouse I gave her a little extra attention and it wasnt long before she started to get colour back in her leaves. We planted her out yesterday and she looks amazing. I never thought id see myself getting sentimental over a plant, but it felt like such an achievement that I cant help being proud of how well she's done.

Just A Quick One

Just a Little Update

We had'nt really planned on doing much at lotty on Sunday, so we went to the garden centre in the rain. After finding dark patches on one or two of our tomatoes we thought we had blight, but after a little bit of research we found it was only Blossom End Rot. So now we need to keep an eye on the PH levels in the soil and use feed only on two waters a week. Not that we were far off before.

Seeds

Were still trying to find seed potatoes despite knowing that were probably a bit too late for it. But whilst we were looking for them at the garden centre we found seeds for purple carrots. For anyone who doesnt know, carrots were originally purple, but have been cultured over the years to produce an orange veg. I dont know why, maybe they're more aesthetically pleasing when they're orange. Im not a big fan of carrots in the first place, but i'll eat anything that comes out of Lottington.

Shallots

Whilst standing in the hut doorway, John noticed a bunch (not sure what the name for a group of shallots is) of shallots that looked to be jumping out of the ground at us. Well of course how could we resist pulling them up. We took them home, along with some beetroot and had some lovely cheese, onion and beetroot sandwiches. Even the Blur, who, having tried raw shallot still had some in her sandwich. I was saying to John yesterday, she's gonna be one healthy child with all the good food she's eating and the space she has to run around in.

Back To The Drawing Board

Its nearly nine o'clock and blogging has been a nice little distraction, but I think I better get my head back down and finish my chicken coop plans. Iv found it harder to plan than I was expecting, but its not looking too bad. Hopefully it wont be long before I can put a picture of the coop and chickens on here.

Fires and Food

And The Work Goes On

Having only arrived only few minutes before 10:30, I then had to rush down to the gate to let John in. Would be a simple enough job but with both our mobiles off or with no credit we ended up at different gates. Eventually the three of us were in the same place at the same time, and work could ensue. So off for digging again (you think id be bored of it by now, but im not.) We planted sprouts out a few weeks ago, but I put another couple of rows out now that they're a bit bigger. This time to avoid them being eaten by pigeons they've been covered by wire, which is easier to work with than the poly tunnel. John got to work cutting and strimming the grass whilst also preparing our fire. We thought, as we needed to have a fire it may as well serve multiple purposes, and brought along bread, bacon, tea, coffee and milk. It might not seem like much but they tasted amazing. But what was even better was picking potatoes from our oldest patch and cooking them on the fire. It hadnt even traveled 1/4 mile from their patch to our mouths.

Planting With The Blur

Blur had decided that she'd like to plant cucumbers so after a rummage in the seed tray (I brought some asparagus seeds along) it was off to greenhouse 1. There id prepared some trays of seed compost and we were set to plant. Well that is until I opened the packets to find two cucumber seeds and one asparagus seed. Should have checked first, they got planted none the less, we just have to hope they grow.

Nearly A Whole Meal For Nothing

My hope has been that we could have a whole meal for nothing more than a bit of hard work. Not quite a whole meal but 90% of our dinner came from Lottington last night. Potatoes, ratatouille made from our own courgettes, garlic, red onions, and white onions, a bit of our garlic for the ham left over from Friday nights dinner, and our very lovely beetroot. John also cooked the spinach perfectly.

Chickens!!!!!

After talking to a man from another plot the subject of chickens has arisen again. He bought 12 chickens from Lincoln at not much each. We had planned on rescuing battery hens, so now we have more information its time for me to start planning to build the coop. Im not sure where to start but fingers crossed, with a bit of research it'll all come together in the end.

And I Thought Digging Was Hard Work

Badgers

After all the hard work over the soil to plant cabbage and broccoli we had a little visit from what were assuming are badgers. My nice smooth weed barrier now looks like its been in a horror movie. Quite why they picked that spot in particular I'll never know. The seeds seem to be intact and are now covered with the wire that we all know is there but fall over anyway. Maybe next year John, the Blur and I will produce our own springwatch, at least we know we have something to film.

Aside from that one hiccup most things are going well. The corn is getting big and has shoots and maize. I repotted one of our melons, and also put out a few more of our sunflowers. They held up well over night. John seems surprised that the melon outside is doing well. The only setback is a few of the tomatos have devopled black marks on the bottom. Im still to look it up but John says its probably blight.

Hedge Trimming (or Massacre)

For weeks now Johns been saying that we need to cut the hedge. We didnt get to lotty until after tea, so it was a big job that had to be done quickly. Having never cut a hedge before I didnt really know where to start. But after the first few snips I was well away. We worked from each side of the fence and met in the middle. We ended up with a huge pile of sticks ready for the fire. It was fun talking through the hedge, and having a laugh as we went. When all the cutting was done, John banged a pole into the ground and tied the face pole to it as the fence had been starting to sag. Its been a very busy week at lotty and we've all worked hard, it looks fantastic and with us all working hard together hopefully it'll stay that way.

The Drive Home

We took a long drive home so John could show me whats at the end of the tram line for when I venture that way. We ended up driving through the countryside, and as we turned a corner there was a deer in the road. Unfortunately I couldnt get the camera out in time to get a picture, but with the badgers and deers it was a bit of a wildlife fest.

Time to go and start the day. I'll be taking lots to lotty today so we can make bacon sandwiches on the fire (which given John cut down tree stumps and the hedge trimmings it looks to be a big one.) Coffee and food always tastes better when its done on one of our fires.

A Flying Visit

Sun for the Sunflowers

Now for days the sunflowers have needed to go out, and everyday iv sat at the top of lotty trying to find a suitable place in the sun for them. Well I finally made a decision and planted them next to Mels apple tree. If you've ever seen me try to dig up bricks from around lotty you'll know why I opted for stones instead, though it looks very pretty encircled by pebbles. Each of us had 3 sunflowers which John and the Blur planted with spaces between in their pots so they were relatively easy to separate. Not me, no, I planted mine in the same hole, so when it came to planting just one I had a bit of a problem. Needless to say the only option was to rip them apart, it'll be interesting to see if its survived its rough handling.

Mushrooms and Melons

Just to update, I planted a cantaloupe melon outside recently, not sure as to what would happen as its a tropical fruit and not best suited to our climate. Well so far she has survived, she had a little bit of a wilt to begin with but perked up after a day or two. We have more planted inside but for them to fruit they'll have to be hand pollinated, im hoping that the bees will do the job outside if we get to that stage.

As for the mushrooms, im not sure what to think. There were lots of spores initially which seem to have disappeared now. There's one mushroom just under the surface, but no more that I can see. At the time of planting we had no manure, so used blood, fish and bone instead. This may be why they're not growing as they should be, i'll give it a week and if there's no more visible mushrooms i'll start over using the manure this time.

Pork Cobs

Just as we'd finished the sunflowers and started to pack away John arrived with the pork cobs. Mmmmmm Pork Cob Thursday is a great addition to the week (though im not sure the Blur thought so.) Thanks for the Cobs John.

And Finally

The tomatoes are getting fat, so give them a week or two and they'll be ready to eat. It looks as though it wont be long before were relying on Lotty for a fair percentage of our food, which is a relief as im fed up of trying to decide which of the supermarket veg is worth eating. So what if our inside courgettes are a bit lumpy and bumpy, I'll bet it tasted better than anything you could have bought, especially in Johns bolognese.

A Bit of Hard Work

First Things First

Aside from the peas which were planted on Tuesday all of our seed trays are full of life. We have a rule of picking 20 weeds from the carrots a day, but I got a bit too into it and did the whole lot, im hoping my swedes will get the same attention now, as the small weeds are much more frustrating than the bigger ones which are easier to pick.

Digging at Last

Now for some reason, dont ask me why, I have an inherent need to dig. So it was with great enthusiasm I got my chance yesterday. After pulling up the lambs lettuce which had been well eaten despite being covered by a wire net frame, i got do work digging over the soil. I never thought id hear myself say it, but the soil looked absolutely fantastic. To keep the weeds down I planted cabbage and purple srouting broccoli through the brown weed barrier. Im not sure this was a great idea but we shall see how it goes. I also planted more carrots in the old potato patch, and somehow managed to come home with seed packets in my pocket.

All Hands In

Whilst I was in my own little world, John and the Blur started to tackle the raspberry bushes which were more than a little overgrown. They made a lovely frame to hold up the plants. By the time id finished they had started on sorting the weeds and I made my way over to help. You'd have to have seen it to believe how much work there was to do. I thought the marestail was a pain to get rid of until I started to untangle the bind weed from the raspberries. Whilst me and John tackled that, the Blur took the weeds from me and carried buckets full of the stuff to the compost heap, she also made sure we were well stocked with green garden ties.

We all worked so hard and didnt finish until gone 7 o'clock, but to see the difference was amazing. Ok so it may not be the biggest achievement in the world but iv never been so proud of us all, we worked well together, and the feeling is very satisfying.

Chinese

I was going to make us a nice dinner with the potatoes we'd picked but it was a bit late by the time we left Lotty. Instead we grabbed a chinese on the way home, and it was well deserved. Thank you John and Blur for all your hard work. Your both amazing!

Sweetcorn Corner

Team Work
As iv said before I never really paid the sweetcorn much attention until I returned this time and can no longer overlook it. On our daily tour yesterday John noticed one of them had a shoot growning, so not long now until we have fresh sweetcorn. Im hoping the others will follow suit very soon as 2 ears of corn wont stretch very far between three people. I'll be keeping my eye on them now I know what im looking for. Corn corner was the focus of our attention yesterday, and all three of us helped with the weeding (John did the biggest weeds, I did middle sized weeds and the Blur picked off the tiny ones.)

Blur and Lotty
During the time Karla (the Blur) has spent in Lotty she seems to have picked up a few things. Watching River Cottage Springtime she was able to recognise alot of the veggies from their leaves alone, and as time goes by she is willing to try more of the veg that we have. I actually got her to eat spinach yesterday which is an achievment. It just goes to show the benefits of growing your own, if id taken her to the supermarket and asked her to try some she would have turned her nose up.

Sunflowers and Trees
Today I have decided its time to find the sunflowers a good spot and plant them out. Im hoping Karla will help, put a trowel in her hand and she's usually happy (especially when its to dig up potatoes.) We also thought it would be a nice idea to plant a tree together which we can watch grow while we grow (not in the adding children sense) as a family. Now all we need is to decide what kind of tree. Though we havnt come to a firm answer an olive tree is pretty high on the list.

Holes All Round

Settling Back in Gently

Iv had a few days to settle back in at Lotty now, and suddenly watering is just not enough. Ok, so there's weeding and picking veg for our tea to do, but strangely I have an insatiable urge to dig! I planted a another seed tray of peas, so between those and Johns we'll not be short of peas for a good while yet. As for the digging, the sunflowers are desperate to be planted outside so I may have an excuse to do some.

Holes

Another day of helpful smoking, but only for the benefit of making holes in the black weed barrier sheet. We now have 2 more rows each of leeks and cocktail spring onions, which I will be pickling as soon as I have the chance to. I came to the decision of planting one melon outside. We have 2 in growbags in one of the greenhouses and 2 which are still in trays. Whether or not the melon is happy out is still to be seen, but if you dont try you'll never know, and its all experience for next year.

Whilst I was off in my own world of planting, John and the Blur were fixing punctures in their bikes. It was lovely to look up every now and then to see them working well together, and the Blur learning what she needed to do.

Tea Time Treats

Knowing there were a few potatoes just poking through the soil I picked up some chicken to go with them. There were also some beetroot and courgettes asking to be eaten and we went home with quite a lovely looking tray of food. Now if I thought it looked lovely on the tray, it was nothing compared to how good it looked and tasted once John had worked his magic on them. Ratatouille made from the courgettes, fresh beetroot and potatos. Apart from chicken bones all plates were clean by the end of the meal, and I dont know about the other two but id have eaten it again if id had the chance. Thank you John.

What a Difference a Week Makes

Return to Lottington Stanley

So a weeks past since I last visited Lotty, and hasnt it changed already. Somethings seem to be the same until you look a bit closer, others are noticable from the second you step through the gate. Like the corn for example, despite being the first thing you see as you walk in, iv never paid that much attention to it until this weekend, its no longer possible to over look having grown at least six or seven inches if not more.

I was starting to wonder if some of the tomato plants would ever come to fruition, and at a glance I assumed we'd be waiting even longer. That serves me right for not giving them a thorough inspection. There are eight new tomatoes on one plant alone, still green and tiny but if the other tomatoes are anything to go by we'll be eating them really soon.

Seeds, Sprouts and Shoots

From Johns updates I had been slightly disheartened that the seeds we'd sewn were not growing and i'd started to wonder what I could do to help them along a bit. So, imagine my surprise yesterday when I find shoots in all but a few planters. Even the mystery seeds have put in an appearance, and im now even more convinced they're carrots. Iv tried to plant foods that iv previously claimed to not like to see if growing them myself makes a difference, fingers crossed it does as I would love to be able to use everything we have. Whilst I was away John had to build a polytunnel around the sprouts as they were being eaten by pigeons. I had a quick peek in and though there hadnt been much change at least one of them looked to be doing well. Unfortunately during Sundays wind the plastic was blown off, im hoping that when I get there today they wont all have been eaten.

Terrible Memory

There really has been so much happening, I know what iv written today is not nearly half of what it should be. But on the plus side, apart from the odd weekend I'll be at Lottington daily and the updates will be at a more leisurely pace.

Withdrawls

Looking Forward

Its been nearly a week since I last visited Lottington and have had to survive on Johns accounts of progress and photos that he's taken. It's only a few days now until I am permanently entrenced in the place again, and it'll be fantastic to see for myself how well it all is.

From Johns Mouth to My Computer

Its very hard to remember all thats been relayed to me as there is always so much happening. To start with greenhouse 1, the tomatoes are doing well but im unsure if iv been updated on the sick tomato plant. I hope that it has continued to heal as it was trying so hard the last time I saw it. Mystery seeds have not come to anything much as yet but like all things growey I have faith in them. The sunflowers are in need of more space and will be planted out as soon as possible.

Greenhouse 2

The place for all that can grow in a bag and for ill and newly sewn plants. Although outside courgettes have been quick to produce veg the ones inside were slower off the mark but im happy to hear they are now catching up. Im trying to think of reasons as to why the seeds in there are as yet to sprout. Being that alot of them should have been sewn earlier in the year this may be a factor, but the weather not being so great at the moment should have evened out the chances.

Outside

Swedes and crappy pumpkin aside, the outside crops are all doing well. Again the weather being as it is, what we have out is probably getting a little bit of everything it needs to thrive. The only real problem is pigeons, though have been informed by my brother CDs hung up around the crops should do the trick. Luckily I have just gone through my collection and have a stack of CDs just waiting to help out in that department. Now I hadnt heard much on the mushroom front for a while so I was happy to hear today they are really coming along now and the top of the soil is covered in spores. They have around another 20 days before they are ready.

Working Together

I have missed working with John around Lottington and have wished I could get some of the harder tasks completed whilst John is at work to ease his load. Come Saturday I will stand with John by the hut and look over what we have, make our usual walkabout, discuss planting options, have random conversations, and go home tired, happy and together. My itchy feet will be pleased they have something to do once again.

Herb Pots

Mini Lottington

Whilst Im away from Lottington proper, i'll be doing my tiny part still. So there is a use for GU glass pots after all. Having been given a bag of them to bring home I have bought a few packs of herb seeds and i'll be growing them here. Its not quite Lottington Stanley, but im going to try and make it a mini Lotty on the Hill.

Watering

So after a busy morning I arrived at Lottington yesterday afternoon only to have to leave half way through the obligatory walkaround. We were supposed to be getting growbags from B&Q but by the time we'd looked around a few caravans and eaten KFC there wasnt really any time for Lotty shopping. We did finally get a proper look at veggie heaven, even if it was another flying visit. All but pumpkin two are thriving outside. Im hoping that John will stroke and talk to the spare tomato the way that I have been as she seems to like it and I know she's doing her best to get better.

Spores

I had a quick look at the mushrooms and the spores are growing. Iv left specific instructions for them to be lightly watered every few days, moist not wet. I love mushrooms and cant wait to see if they work in a barrel, only 20-25 days left to wait and see.

A Lesson Learnt

The last week for me has been very productive at Lotty. I have learnt alot, experimented, been proud, worked hard and enjoyed everything iv done. Its has given me reason to get up and do something, and just because I cant be there doesnt mean that im going to stop and do nothing. Its over to John now to keep Lottington Stanley well blogged, and me well informed. But i'll be back soon, and i'll be all the better for it.

Seeds and a Clean

Shopping

After John finished work yesterday we popped out to pick up a few things. We were hoping to get some more grow bags and some seed potatoes for the new patch but unfortunately there were no potatoes to be found (as yet.) We did get more sheeting which we seem to use alot of but it does help to keep the weeds down. The whole allotment is looking fantastic and green, you could just sit and look at it all day long if there wasnt so much to do.

Seeds, Re-Potting and Paths

After a good few trips to get wood chips to make a path (mostly by John) the new potato patch is looking great and is now just waiting for the seeds to be found. I moved a couple of plants (not sure if they're chillis or peppers) to bigger pots, planted a few more runner beans and cleaned up the top greenhouse a bit. Its funny that a few days ago greenhouse 1 was looking slightly sparse and now its full again. I can see that there may be a few new patches to be dug although some new veggies can go in as older plants are pulled up.

Happy

This week has been lovely and the more I do and learn the more I appreciate the food that has come out of lotty and the amount of work involved in producing . Iv found something that I enjoy and love I can get lost in what im doing. One of that nicest parts is when John and I stand together cuddling and look down the allotment at everything we've done!

Pork Cobs and Rain

Walkabout

Although everything still looks good there was not as much action overnight as there has been previously, which I only say as there are not so many new visible veggies. The runner beans we put out yesterday have all grown new leaves, the spring onions are all intact after the rain despite my thinking they could be washed away at the slightest hint of water. Patrick pumpkin hasnt fared so well but its only been out a day and I have faith that it'll perk up when its ready to.

Experiments

Our collection of seeds has outgrown its current box so I thought it was time to find them a new home. A very quick job until I found loose seeds at the bottom of the planter and wondered what they were. Ok so I could have looked in all the packets to see what they matched, but no. I thought it would be more of a surprise to plant them and see what happened. I think theres a possibility they could be carrots but im probably way off.

My second experiment was to make a sun reflector out of foil to see if it might improve a plants chances but having extra sunlight. My initial thought was to try it on one of our spare tomatoes which isnt looking too healthy (its getting better really especially after a few encouraging words from us both.) I changed my mind only because the pot was too big for the foil that I had. So after a bit of a think I chose 2 of 4 random pots all containing the same plant as more of a tester. Its now a matter of waiting to see if they grow any better or worse than the 2 unfoiled pots.

A Bit of Digging Never Hurt Anyone

That could be a bit of a lie. It hurt slightly but determination won out in the end and we now have a new potato patch. Like most of the jobs iv done at Lottington this week I am very proud of what I have achieved. Its hard when you realise that the results of the effort you put in arnt immediately visible but you know that sometime soon you'll be eating food which you know has been well cared for and tastes sooooooo much better than anything you could buy in a supermarket.

Making the Most of the Time I Have

The conversation which came up today is that tomorrow is Friday and I have to go home to Bristol. What am I going to do with myself all day long when theres no lotty to visit or blog to write. I will be looking forward to coming back, 90% so I can see John 10% because I know everything will have grown and it'll all look different. Were off to get more grow bags this afternoon as the melons will need to be rehoused soon, were also out of blood, fish and bone (not the most appetising meal but the veggies dont mind so much.)

Pork Cobs

I was glad I hadnt had breakfast before I left home this morning as John popped in with Pork Cobs. What can I say Pork, Stuffing and Apple Sauce Mmmmmmmmmmmm, thats the way to my heart. Thank you very much John, not only was it amazingly good to eat it was fuel I needed to get the potato patch dug and raked.

Surprise Potatoes

Whats New

Everything is looking good. The courgettes and tomatoes seem to double in size overnight at the moment. The veggies that we planted out this week are all now doing well and looking healthy, Im still trying to remember what some of the other plants are but im getting there slowly.

Work to be Done

Where do I start on what needs to be done. For the first time iv gone to lotty on my own and had more than just watering to do. I finished the path around the new patches and then started on some weeding (which wasnt as bad as usual as I made myself a chair of sorts). Lottington is full of marestail which is one of the hardest weeds to pull up as they have huge roots. But I was surprised when along with the roots of that bloody weed I pulled up a few potatoes. Its the youngest patch of potatoes and the plants are nowhere near as big as in the other patches but the potatoes were all of a decent size.

When John arrived he decided that it was time to plant out more veg. He pulled up two of the lettuces that never seem to be doing the best and prepared the soil for more planting. After showing me how to do the spring onions (which requires us to smoke so as to put holes in the black) I spent ages putting the tiny things in. They look too small to be allowed against the beans they were planted with.

John planted more peas which is a good idea as we seem to eat them everytime were there. I planted swedes and together we put out a few more runner beans and a pumpkin which iv named Patrick.

All Go

Now that the top greenhouse is a bit emptier its time to get the seeds out. 3 types of pepper, chillis, tomatoes and aubergines were planted in pots and as we pull up more outside we'll make way for them.

The spring onions are the first things iv grown from seeds and I cant wait to see them fully grown, I already have an idea as to what im going to do with them. Im very proud that I can do something like that.

I took a look at the mushrooms and didnt really see anything until John arrived an told me that what looks like mould is actually the spores, so it looks like the barrel is working.

Lotty Conversations

Not so much random conversations today but the suggestion that I go to agricultural college so that next year we'll have propper guidance on the best way to grow our veggies and how crop rotation works (I wish id listened during geography at school but its one of those things you think you'll never need to know.)

Rain

Im not sure how much will get done today due to the rain, but im hoping it'll help everything to grow after having a few really hot days. I'll be going up there soon cos I cant stay at home wondering whats happening.

Iv been looking at everything thats growing and trying to work out just how far all of the food would stretch!!

After having a good feed yesterday the tomatoes are all doing well, one doubled in size over night (im gonna eat that one when its ready). The pumpkin has grown a new leaf, and Karlas sunflower is still freakishly bigger than the others!!

We have been talking about what and where to plant things next year and trying to find a productive use for a large patch along the edge of lotty. The two main ideas so far are bread flour and biofuel crops. Although grapes is also a suggestion. Today was about watering and making paths around the two new patches we dug yesterday (this was after our daily walk aound to see whats new). I took lots of pictures and am just trying to find a USB cable so I upload them.

Beans, Potatoes and Sunburn

So back to lotty this afternoon, and no sun bathing this time (not that we needed to.)

There are lots of veggies ready to go out which meant digging up a new patch. It was my very first patch that iv dug myself and I am very pleased with myself even if Johns patch did look neater. Once the digging was done it was time to decide what to plant.

Beans

After taking a look in the greenhouses (lots in them but most still needed to grow a bit more) we decided the runner beans would be big enough. Whilst I sat and cut small bits of green plastic John made a trellis for the beans to grow up. The planting was a bit messy as the soil was much more crumbly than I was expecting, but we got there in the end.

Faffing)

Obviously we stopped for breaks during the digging, weeding, raking and planting and took a look at what had already been growing outside.

Nicola became irritated during these breaks, but it was important that we kept hydrated. During these "rest intervals" we would look at other things and talk, random "allotment chatter". Subjects included could you make ant skin pants (mmmm, soft and silky) and what would the process be?

Anyone with experience of making underwear from insect pelts should let us know ASAP.

Other topics included "How crap are you Nicola at removing bricks" and "What kind of pants are you wearing". Not ant pants and thats for sure.

Mmmmmmmm Yum!!!!!!!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, the potatoes and beetroot collected during all the faffing was amazing. Dont know what else to say about it, other than I dont want choccy biccys cos I can still taste Lotty food.
Along with the potatoes and beetroot (which id never eaten unpickled before and it smelt like sweetcorn and tasted sweeter than id expected) we had stilton, bread and a few secret ingredients with the potatoes. After all the hard work put in this afternoon we deserved every last bit on our plates.

Sunburn

Now that we're all showered and clean we've taken a good look at our tans. I do have a better one if I do say so myself, but then I do have more opertunity to be out during the day. I think I may need a bit of moisturiser (I'll smell like John then, yum again.)

TTFN

Well thats it for today, were gonna sit, smoke and watch Family Guy for a bit. I expect there'll be lots more to do tomorrow.

Mushrooms in Tomatoes out

Picola is back at Lottington and is feeling a bit in the way. John dug up a new patch for the tomatoes, peppers and a pumpking to go out. Was boiling hot and I was sweating enough just sat down sieving soil for our mushrooms, so it must have been 10 times worse for John. Have been in to check the tomatoes and do a bit of watering this morning though it would be helpful if I could have found a new watering can before I went. I did give myself half hour to sunbathe before heading home.

Its all exciting wating for the food to be ready, and everytime I go shopping I keep looking at the veg and being pretty certain that ours is going to look and taste a million times better, the potatoes did so im sure everything else will too.

Will be back there again this afternoon and the way things are going it will have all grown a bit since this morning. :)