Used duck bedding everywhere

We paid a visit to the allotment at the weekend. The main reason for the visit was that a few changes of duck bedding were still at home in dustbins and we needed to get it into the compost bin. The trailer was loaded and off we went.

It was far too muddy to do anything and we were only there for a short time but I had a chance to inspect what we had abandoned in the Autumn.

It was a great surprise to find that we had sprouts which were ready for picking (except I forgot to go back and pick them). It was a bit of a struggle to get under the collapsed brassica cage but the spring cabbage were still doing well, there was some overgrown chard and some kale that also need picking.

















There was also a patch of carrots that should have been dug months ago but it looks like our resident bunny has been helping himself. I spotted him but couldn't find where he was getting in or out. I dug the carrots that hadn't been touched but thought it only fair to leave these for him.













There are things that we grow on the allotment which I still can't understand why. I suppose they are mainly for ornamental purposes. One is chard, the other is globe artichoke. The plants grow huge, there is so little edible from them but they do look pretty, so they will stay. A sign that spring is on its way is that they are shooting like mad and will soon take over half a bed.











Another sign that spring is on the way is the rhubard. I love it when the buds first appear and the red leave unfold. This is another plant that will soon take over but at least it is tasty. We still have a few bags left in the freezer from last year so we had better hurry up and eat that to make room the the 2010 vintage.

As I can't drink alcohol and Nick won't tough a drop of it, I think wine will be off the agenda this year so I will have to look for other uses for rhubard. My brew of rhubarb leaves as a spray for pea moth and thrip certainly works so maybe a new tub of that will have to be made. It smells nearly as bad as the comfrey tea but they both work so i will just have to keep holding my nose.

Nuthatch and hyacinths

One of the few pleasures in life at the moment is timing putting the kettle on for a cup of tea and the Nuthatch arriving for his daily feed.

I am worried that I am overfeeding the birds as he is getting bigger by the day.

This week is the first time I have seen starlings feeding and they are so amusing as their sense of balance isn't great and they really do underestimate their own weight as they seem to spend more time falling off things that hanging on.






More of my supposedly white hyacinths are in full bloom and the kitchen smells wonderful. I can't understand why I am getting such a range of colours though as I am sure I would only ever buy white ones. Strange!

Happy ducks

There's a duck in the garden - what am I gonna do.......

At last the ducks have been brave and ventured out into the garden. I may have been something to do with the Hansel and Gretel style lettuce trail that I left though.

They did a bit of mowing of the grass and a lot of quacking before running back to safety and a quick swim before bedtime.

Remember 8 January

I remembered today that I had some pictures, taken with my phone camera, that I hadn't looked at. This was taken on 8 January when we were unable to get the car out but it was a crisp sunny day so we went for a walk to Tesco and sat in Costa Coffee watching people skid and slid around. There was a slow thaw in the sun and the icicles in the shopping centre were amazing.

I just hope none break off while someone was walking underneath.

There were a lot of people around who obviouly had the same idea as us as the car park was empty (mainly becuase you couldn't get to it with a car).

Those were the days!

Visit to the allotment

As the sun was shining we took a trip to the allotment to inspect the snow damage and see what we could harvest.

The main damage was to the brassica cage which had been flattened on one side with thick metal poles bend double with the weight of the snow on the netting roof.

The cabbages, broccoli and sprouts underneath seems to have survived but it will need a lot of work to get the cage into a usable state again.

Very happy ducks now as Nick spent last weekend putting their houses back together. They were obviously unhappy sleeping so close to the door but now that they have a living room and a bed room they can get away to safety. It has made it much easier for me to put them to bed as they don't panic and fly out when I am trying to shut the door.

The next job is to get a proper gate made as it still looks like a building site with the bit of scaffolding net pinned up and broken breeze blocks holding it down. We are hoping for some nice weather over the weekend so that we can get a bit of tidying up done. When I say 'we' I do of course mean Nick with me watching!




The Nuthatch is a constant visitor to the garden and seems to know when I fill the feeders. He is a bit of a bully and pushes the blue tits out of the way when he wants to get his share.








I haven't been near the sewing room for ages but the other night I decided to a bit of clearing up and found a little strip of bits of fabric trimmed off something else so I sewed a back on it, folded in three lengthways and sewed a phone cover for my new phone. It is a tight fit but, when she called to see me yesterday, found that it was a perfect fit for Katy's so she inherited this one and I will have to make myself another about 5mm wider.

An early birthday present

Nick was allowed his birthday present early this year and it arrived only two days after ordering.

I bet you can't guess what it is (and no it isn't a small coffin for a one armed man)














He was allowed to open it when he got home so is now a very happy boy.

The start of something big

Today was Nick's first guitar lesson. He arrived home from the tip one day back in the Summer with a guitar that he had fished out of a skip and anounced that he has always wanted to play. After one class he realised why the guitar had gone in the skip in the first place so we will be off to the music shop at the weekend for an early birthday present.

By this time next week the class should all be able to tune their guitar by themselves and play Yellow Submarine.

Guess what the Christmas entertainment is going to be this year!

What a difference a day makes

Happy ducks today after the rain yesterday. Most of the snow is gone, although where it was piled up against the water butt is still quite a big heap.

As the ground had thawed, Nick made a start on shovelling the soil from what had been the raised bed so hopefully they will have a flatter area and will make more use of it rather than gathering in the corner.

I did leave the door open today and at one point they ventured out into the garden but soon rushed back in to the safety of their pond.

Emily is a very happy duck and spends all day floating around and swimming.

Confirmation

Definately a Long Tailed Tit.

More bird watching

I love the fact that every day we seem to get a new bird in the garden. The Blue Tits are so much fun to watch and look as though they could become quite tame as they still buzz around even if someone is in the garden.








The Greenfinches are still around and have tremendous apetites. You always know when they have been on the feeders but the smount of seed shell on the snow below. I wouldn't like to get my finger caught in their beak.

Talking of snow - we had another four inches yesterday so are back to everywhere covered even though a lot thawed the day before. The temperature is above freezing today so the ducks are happy again as we have been able to break the ice on their pond and top it up. It is a bit like a duck poo flavoured slush puppy at the moment but I am sure a bit of swimming will soon thaw the slush.






When I first saw these birds, I thought they were wagtails but as there was a group of six of them flying around and none of them were wagging their tails, I thought again and thumbed through the bird book. I have now come to the conclusion that they are Long Tailed Tits - which is very exciting as I don't think we have been home to any of them before.

Greenfinch

No sooner had I sat down when the greenfinch was back. He wouldn't come to my side of the feeder but I managed to see him through the hole in the middle.








While I was trying to get a picture of him a friend joined in a very politely sat on a branch. This one is no where near as distinctive in its colouring but I am still pretty sure it is a greenfinch.

The nuthatch was back but isn't king like the blue tits and great tits and doesn't stay still and pose.

While I was trying to get a picture of the nuthatch and greenfinch landed on the feeder so I will be watching out for him again later.









We had another inch of snow overnight. Angel has found that the only way to cross the garden is by hopping from one footprint to another.

Frozen Britain

This striking image, from the BBC website was taken by Nasa's Terra satellite on 7 January 2010 shows the UK covered in snow.

Forecasters have warned that the freezing conditions could last at least another week.

Last night temperatures dropped to -22C in the Scottish Highlands, -11 in Basingstoke.

How are these pictures connected

Long legged Tiger in the snow ......





















Tiger's mum making an angel in the snow ......













Short legged Angel in the snow

Bird watching

I know I keep going on about the new camera but it has brought a new dimension to bird watching above and beyond using my binoculars. Apart from the fact that it looks less dodgy to the house at the other side of the lane who must have wondered why I was always standing at the window looking into their kitchen.

Anyway, this is what I had the pleasure of seeing today. We had a nuthatch coming to the bird feeders but I haven't seen it for a few days so more pictures to follow when it returns.

Sewing again

I have tried my best to do some tidying up this week but everytime I go upstairs I find myself sitting down in the sewing room. I used the fabric that arrived from America and decided that I should leave it in squares to show it off. Unfortunately there were only 8 sets so I rooted through my remnant box and found a piece the same blue with brown flowers that filled the gap.




I finally got this one finished.









This was a load of spare squares and strips that I just through together randomly. Is is single bed size so if I even get the bed in the sewing room cleared of scraps it will be ideal for that room which is decorated in pastal shades of mint green and duck egg blue with hints of yellow.









I went to make a cup of tea and returned to find that a bored cat had found a cunning way to amuse herself.

Winter outside, Spring in the kitchen

It might be deep winter outside but it is Spring in the kitchen as the first of the Hyacinths has opened. It has a beautiful scent which fills the whole room.

I was sure that I had all white bulbs unless this one mutated when in store. It is a lovely purple.