It has been a crazy busy weekend – Saturday, while not actually outdoors, was working with a lovely, but often unknown, autumn fruit – the quince. Not everyone has heard of quince; it’s a pear like fruit, that can’t be eaten raw but when cooked turns a beautiful pink colour and has a lovely delicate flavour. In recent years I’ve… Read more »
Today’s early start didn’t quite go to plan. On going turning the key in the car at 4.30ish this morning, nothing happened. The car boot was unfortunately left open yesterday and my new battery was flat. Not a problem, after having issues with my old car battery in the summer I’d bought a battery pack with enough of a kick… Read more »
Saturday was somewhat damp. I had arranged with Dad to meet up to pull up tree roots from the inside of the barn. The tractor made it easy: While just pootling about, the first skein of geese came over, wandered over to the field, and a second came over. So I moved my gun from the car and put it… Read more »
No fixed plans this weekend led to starting a job that’s been planned for at least 3 years: clearing the side of the barn. This included brambles that are ancient, elders that have grown through the wire of the barn and old fencing/fruit frames that have been tangled up with both the brambles and the elders. We wanted to pull… Read more »
My third trip out was a mixed experience. After me rushing back after work, we settled down at high tide in what is usually quite a remote creek. J decided this was a good time to play with decoys – somewhat tricky to set when you haven’t got your waders on! The sunny weather and still long evenings, meant para-gliders… Read more »
Mosquitos. That’s my main thoughts about ponds in summer. Last autumn we discovered a pond in a very overgrown part of the wood and set about clearing round it (including the 40 year old brambles that covered at least 20 square metres on one side), to try to encourage ducks in. We did clear round it, and then summer came… Read more »
I’ve decided to leave this heading that WordPress automatically creates as it seems apt. I wanted to start this blog to coincide with a new hobby, one that I always vowed was not for me due to the traditionally very early mornings. But 1st September found me waking to my 4am alarm, stumbling into some clothes for my very first… Read more »