Deralict allotment

This is the allotment when we got there yesterday. It certainly looks as though it has been abandoned. Quite a depressing sight but it didn't take us long to get started clearing. As it was cold and dry the weeds came up easily and it was lovely diffing.

We only managed about an hour before it got too cold and was starting to get dark (about 3.45) so we packed out tools away and came home to a lovely warm fire which had been burning since about midday.







Back again today. After another hour it is a very different sight. We have cleared one side of 52 and as we are giving up 51 in the Spring we will just strim all the weeds back, take down the netting and frame and clear everything away. The other side of 52 should take us another couple one hour sessions and then we can make a start of 53.

A good job done (so far)

Getting bigger

My quilt is getting bigger. I intend to add one more round and stop there.

We are off to the allotment this afternoon as it is sunny but soooooooooooo cold. Update to follow although it won't be pretty as it is a long time since we have been there.

Keeping me busy sewing

I had a mad moment and joined an online sewing group to ultimately make this quilt. It starts with a block in the middle and then grows with 12 different borders.
















I had made the centre block that I found on another group on the internet. I am already up to round 5 and there are over 1,000 pieces of fabric. I have cut for round 6, 7 and 8 so more sewing over the next few days and regular updats to follow.

Which religious holiday is it?

Is it a Christmas Cactus? Is it an Easter Cactus? No..... it is an October Cactus.

The plant looked very boring one day and the next time I looked it had burst into flower. Strange considering it hasn't been watered for a month. Maybe the flowers were a plee to get moved to a place of prominance next to a supply of running water.

Little surprises

We haven't been able to get to the allotment for a while but I had been doing some tidying up in the garden and planting spring bulbs. I sewed some beetroot seeds in a pot so that we could use them as salad leaves but as the season progressed they got a bit woody so I consigned the pot to behind the shed. I dragged it out at the weekend and found a lovely bowl full of baby beetroot.

Eaten warm, they were a burst of taste and didn't quite make it to the plate as I had demolished the lot as I was skinning them.

The bowl was in a box of assorted item that came from an auction and it is currently my favourite bowl.