Just Talking About My Day...

Blackthorn Winter has arrived with a vengeance...it's cold and it's raining...I'd wanted to plant out some veggies I bought yesterday but gave up and came back indoors.

Never tried those baby veg. plants before...you can get practically anything...even Sugar Snap peas and Parsnips. I chose carrots, beetroot and broad beans...all to be put into tubs rather than the ground...that way I can keep them weed free and look after them far better than if they were out in the garden itself.

Absolutely adore broad beans, but the supermarket never has fresh ones for sale...their beetroot is tightly wrapped up in plastic and the carrots are two foot long and don't taste of much.

Bought some herbs as well...chives and fennel and some flat leaf parsley 'cos that's supposed to be terribly posh and much better than the curly...already have plenty of the curly sort anyway and a rosemary bush that's run amok...thyme grows in the crevices of the stone wall around the old pigsty and I keep the basil indoors...

And we bought a garden bench seat...it was one of those seriously cheap sorts that'll probably fall to bits in the winter unless Himself dismantles it and puts it in one of the barns...

Yesterday afternoon was so hot that Michael...who is the manager of the garden centre, had just put sunscreen on the cat's ears...she's white all over and he said last year her poor ears were burned when she fell asleep in the sun...when I saw her she was washing herself enthusiastically...I didn't point out she'd probably washed all the sunscreen off and he'd wasted his time...she sat on the counter and purred loudly while he scanned the plants I was buying.

Malachi came this morning...I was all over excited thinking he'd brought the portable concentrator...but he'd just brought some more portable oxygen bottles. Malachi is a total sweetheart, though I think I'm wasting my time lusting after him...I suspect he is probably gay. But he does like trawling around old graveyards apparently...

He changed the filter on my concentrator...didn't seem to be too appalled by the amount of dust that was clogging it up...he said that it was inevitable with the air vents being so close to the floor.

It's slightly warmer now though still drizzly...the slugs will be out in force tonight.

[knitter]

I think the rain is heading this way, so I managed to plant my broad beans on my allotment. I have only managed a few visits this year as my breathing has been bad, but I can park my car on my plot and keep my nebuliser on the front seat. Hopefully the rain will water them and I will soon be picking those beans while they are still small.

My grandfather always wanted his money's worth and would wait til the beans were huge with those black scars on top. Remembering him today as he fought in the Dardanelles in WW1.... a hundred years ago.

I hope you manage to get your plants in soon and safe from the slugs...I have seen some slug pellets made from sheeps wool...expensive tho.

[Hidden in reply to knitter]

There can be no-one left now who fought in that awful War...just the relatives.

I like broad beans when they are tiny and tender...wouldn't have cared for your Grandfathers!

You have an allotment? They are few and far between in Ireland...

Hope your weekend is good xx

[redted]

It sounds as though you have had a busy day, put your feet up and have a hot chocolate, why do your days always seem interesting when mine are very humdrum,I go to the supermarket and the only words spoken are " do you need any help packing" I go to the veg shop and I ask for what I want with a smile and a please,but all I get is my brown paper bag,and a thank you,must admit it is a busy shop.then I walk home through the park,lots of people with children in the play area,one or two people walking into town in the opposite direction to me,but no one speaks,I smile and nod,so I arrive home,welcomed by the dogs,hubby arrives 20 mins later,but it is Friday and he plays bowls,so a quick shower,and he is gone.

[Hidden in reply to redted]

The Irish do love to talk...my stepdaughter is always totally taken aback by complete strangers stopping to chat...she says that'd never happen in the village where she and son-in-law live...they don't even know most of their neighbours...

It's sad isn't it...and makes you feel lonely.

Have a good weekend...do something really nice...just for you xxx

[redted in reply to Hidden]

My Son has just arrived from Germany,he comes over once a month,but he too has gone out now for a meal with a couple of old uni friends, but we are going to spend the day together tomorrow,going into our nearest City,for a mooch round and no doubt we will have lunch.

[Photogeek]

Hi Vashti good to hear about your veggies. Yes the Irish love to talk the hindLeg of a donkey . Dublin was overcast and the rain could be on the way . We have to grab

The sun whenever we can.

Have a good weekend and look after ' himself' as well . Lol . You must live

On a farm , talking about pig stays and barns, I better do the Lotto.

Hannah x

[DozyDormouse]

You do make everything an adventure and I do like adventures. You would do fine in my little Sussex village. We all love to chat. I wouldn't say we were nosey but......

☺ x 🐀

[hufferpuffer]

Good Evening Vashti, sounds like you had a busy day, I love this time of year and the swallows have arrived this last week. It's great planning the garden, the spuds are coming up already so I was glad it started raining after reading your post I went out with the organic slug pellets huff xxx

[Bernardbreather]

We slow started today, except for the boys of course (3 and 5 years old). We got to the weekly farmers market and l

picked up a woodfired currant spelt loaf and not much else.

...This report just interrupted by need for my writing device to take pics of boys with bedtime sparklers on the lawn before bed. Will post a pic...

After markets we dropped her off and all boys went to Anzac day march in town, commemorating the gallipoli landing. My great uncle was at the landing and showed me the now flattened bullet that his breastbone stopped just short of his heart. He is long dead now. They had an aboriginal smoking ceremony as part of normal speeches, uniforms, bagpipes and bugles.

After that we dropped into bringabong, a cafe I roast and sell our farm's coffee to. He wants thirty kilogram for next week when our town swells exponentially for the cannabis reform rally. Just google Nimbin and you'll see what I mean. I never touch the stuff. Although medicinal, low THC oil may come in handy.

Still mucousy (since Easter), but a gorgeous day and helping up at the main farm house to distill lemon myrtle oil in a 1000 litre still boosted me. It has the highest citric acid content of any plant and is heaven to work with. We also dry the leaf for tea. It is indigenous to our area.

After that I wrote a facebook message to the council mayor because of the walking danger to kids on the old bridge near Mulgum ceeek. She is really mod and uses a smart phone always. She wanted to know the name of the young woman who played the bugle at the service today. She was top!