It was a weekend of cows

I had a very short weekend this weekend as I had to work an extra day, but I really decided I really wanted to make the most of the time I had free. In an unusual twist cows featured widely. Friday night was a bit of an unknown quantity, I decided to go along to drink and draw at the Museum of Classical Archaeology in Cambridge. They were open as part of the museums at night events. For some reason I decided to draw from the girl with doves and a cast of the cows from the pantheon whilst I was there. Possibly, because it was situated in a quite corner but with some lovely window light. The glass of white wine was more than passable as freebie. Although I new nobody there and did not get to strike up any conversations I had a lovely time immersed in drawing.

I took this image on my phone of both my drawing work and drink and the plaster cast subject I was drawing. I love how this blending app on the i-phone allows you to make a very good double exposure image.

When I was on my way to the museum I noticed that the young cows and bulls were out grazing amongst the cow parsley on the Llamas land near the Cam I knew I wanted to go back and have a go at photographing them.Sunday evening I got my chance and although the light was a little against me I enjoyed myself I might have to return in the next few days just to get the image I was after. I learn't loads but I was a little fearful of the beasts knocking me over while I was crouching down and photographing.

This week is busy, tomorrow I am running the Royston Photowalk as part of Voluntary Arts Week. 

 

Just catching up with myself at the start of the year

Enjoyed baking these today, chocolate orange cupcakes, the boys have been anticipating these for a couple of weeks and I finally found time to make them.

The new year started and cranked up to full speed before I had chance to breathe. I had considered posting my plans for the year and the resolutions I hoped to to achieve but I haven't even planned thought them through yet. My word for the year is try,  just because I need to try to do some things a little differently and take opportunities that come along. It is so easy to say no I can't do that. Hopefully this is going to be fun.

I also want to try to blog more but like other years that might not happen any differently.

Today, I decluttered my seed stash and went to seedy Sunday. I did not swap my seeds as I want to keep the sowing plans fairly simple. I was not as resilient to temptation as I thought I could be. I have planned not to grow tomato plants this year from seed, however I have bought some Thomas Etty brandywine black tomato seeds. So easily tempted I am sometimes!

Have any of you tried using these?

I am thinking of growing herbs in them possibly on the garage wall might be nice to be able to step out of the kitchen and grab some herbs to bung in the meals.

Also had my first visit of the year to the plot this weekend a quick but productive burst of time, its good to be back at the plot.

Sharks and mushrooms

Weekends are so cluttered at the moment, they whizz by and nothing really seems to move forward. I have to weave some fun things into the mix or I couldn't step on to the weekly merry-go-round again. But boy is it getting harder to squeeze some joy in.

This weekend we have had to complete the shark 3D model a homework for the 7 year old and for me it seems. If you are the parent of school age children my best parenting tip (I don't have many to offer) is to invest in a hot glue gun. It pretty much sticks anything together, and is especially good for modelling cardboard. The shark fins are attached this way to his papermache body, and my child is wonderfully impressed. I don't really have time for such imposed crafting mixed with all the other things I want to do with the kids but hey ho, you just have to embrace it.

Today the youngest and myself dropped going to rugby, for a long anticipated fungi foray. I have never done this before and did an organised event with the Herts wildlife trust at Mardley Heath, I can recommend it. We found so much and the people on the walk were so friendly and kind to Huw the only child on the event.

When Huw left nursery he was given a Fungi spotters book because he often found mushrooms when out on a walk and it is a love that has stuck so far.

I was amazed by the variety that we found (above is just one basket of the group) and the knowledge of people in the group was excellent. We even had a smell of a sulpher knight.

Here are some of my favourite pics of the day:

Glistening inkcap (possibly)

 Amethyst Deceiver

Jelly Ear

Huw learnt today that mushrooms had gills and he also painted gills on to his shark model, a weirdly well tied in range of activities for the day.

Bees

I have been watching in the hive on the bbc and I have to say I have learned loads about bees. I really enjoyed the filming of their flight and coming in to land.

So this week when I had 5 mins at Wimpole Hall amongst the border plants of the walled garden I tried to photograph bees. I was using a lensbaby so the image would have a very shallow depth of field and that is where the difficulty starts. It was breezy. The plants and bees rocked in and out of focus. I had lots of bits of bees on images. The bees themselves move fast as they go about their work. 

I like the image above due to the back lighting but it will not do as the wings are out of focus. It's proboscis (?!) seems to glow amber.

Frankly, my chance of a last minute entry into the country file calendar competition have been dashed.

I will however, try this again on a still day.

It is all change

I have kept it under my hat for a week or so in case I broke my good luck.

I had considered giving up the plot and was on the edge of being drummed out of the allotment club with such a unkempt plot. It is the case that plot 16C is no longer mine, and that is the end of an era. It has been an era that I have loved at times but it has been an era that has had a lot of growing lows too. I have found it hard to manage recently and I thought I would have more time as the kids grow older. The truth is they are becoming more work and the weekends are filled with lots of their activities.

However, I have been given a swap with another plot holder and I am down sizing to 2 and a half poles which to me is a far more manageable prospect.

So plot 2D2 here we go.

I am so excited.

wire birds

Sometimes you just see something that you know you need to try to do, around the end of last year I saw a magazine with a robin on it made of paper. On reading I realised that it had a wire body inside. I did not buy the magazine when I saw it. However it created such an itch in my head that I had to scratch it.  Then I couldn't find the magazine again the itch became irritating but I managed to track down an online edition for my phone.

I'm not sure that I like reading such magazines on the small screen of my phone but that is all I have got (avoiding tablets at the moment)

Having read the article I have not returned to read the instructions since. I then struggled with should I try to do a real or a more imaginary bird. So I gave in an decided to just go with the flow.

I made 2 linked balls of florist wire. I am not sure how sturdy they are, may be I should have packed the wire tighter. I then did two legs as per the instructions and twisted them into the body ball of wire.

Covering the bird with paper is very self explanatory. I used the pages of an particular shop's home catalogue with its good quality non shiny paper. It was the wings that I found unclear from the instructions so I just went my own way and I am reasonably pleased with the results. The question now is weather to put some beads as eyes or not. Not sure if I will make any more of these though we will have to see, the itch may have been scratched.

It's been years since I had my hand stamped

Today I went to Seedy Sunday in Trumpington and they stamped my hand on entry, last time that happened I think I was going into a night club in my late teens. It was busy with lots of people but there was no dancing that I noted.

I swapped some seeds for the following:
Some Hokkaido pumpkin seeds.
Allium seeds they were in the flower section really hoping that they will be interesting. 
Plus,some oxalis tuberosa tubers which were in the flower section, but these actually turn out to be some sort of yam. Not what I expected and I am not sure about them, but I might just bung them into the soil at the lotty and see what happens. Any info would be gratefully received.

The Trumpington allotment group (not my allotment group) were selling seeds, I had a recommendation to try the Cherokee trail of tears climbing beans, so I got some of those.

I donated a small amount to the heritage seed library for some broad beans 'Gloucester Champion' and 'Mrs Lewis' purple podded climbing French beans. I hope to sow the broad beans soon. It will give me a succession crop from my autumn sown ones that are doing well at the moment.

I also bought some Thomas Etty seeds; Turk's Tuban squash which I have grown before and a lettuce called 'drunken woman'. How could I resist a name like that during my 'dry' January attempt?

I have sorted through my seeds and have placed everything I hope to grow this year in a tin grouped into months, the sub dividers are plastic bags as its a chocolate tin not a bespoke seed tin. All the squashes are grouped together for indoor sowing. I am going to try to sow direct mostly this year. I need to resist the temptation to sow too early so I am ignoring you all went you say that you have sown already etc.

The only seeds I think I still need to buy are parsnips as you need them fresh. I also fancy some sunflowers but in pastel shades but I don't need those really. If I continue with the idea to turn some of the plot over to cutting flowers I need to put my mind to what I want.

I am still uncertain as to whether to grow potatoes this year if I do it will be a last minute thing.

If you want to go to seedy Sunday next year at Trumpington it is on the 25th January 2015.

The first visit of the year

I haven't been to the allotment for a while, December is a difficult month with all the build up to Christmas mostly related to the kids social lives. There is no time at all.

Wasn't too sure what was going to greet me today, the weather has been mild and weeds could be growing wildly, there is also the thought of a swimming swampland exisiting and I always fear vandals and thieves have visited me. I was pleasantly surprised. I need to hoe some of the small weeds in places and know which areas need to be dug again soon, I think I can have it looking presentable if I put the effort now; weather permitting. So it is cardboard and manure sourcing in the next few weeks. While the brambles have died back a bit, it is time to attack.

The wind has blown down the fruit cage poles and Huw's play house. Easily fixed I think, other people on the site lost their shed roofs.

My broad beans are up and looking good. The garlic and onions are holding up well. Thank goodness for my autumnal efforts I think they will pay off well.

I am amazed by my wallflowers they seem to have bounded forward (need to hoe here!) . I so hope to plant other flowers at the front of the plot this year as my cutting garden area.

My first produce is likely to be this broccoli - how exciting and the label said harvest from February, it is on track for that.

2014

Happy New Year everyone.

It is time to look back at a year and hopefully towards another year.

There are many things that I have wished were different in 2013 but I cannot change that. I wished it had been slower but how can you do that with out the power to control time itself. I did some great stuff which I never blogged about, often because the moment had past or I was a little too shy to share, artwork etc. That was one of my big frustrations with the year. 

I hope to change that in 2014, just to blog a little more. If I go to some good events or workshops then I will push myself to post about them.

Rather than have restrictive resolutions of restraint I'm going for things I would like to do in 2014.

• I would like to make my own frocks and thought it would be nice to have 5 for the summer. It means dusting off and servicing a old electric sewing machine and may be a tall order so 1 dress would be good.
• I would like to try time lapse photography.
• To grow some flowers at the allotment so I can have cut flowers indoors.

We can measure success at the end of the year but if I don't achieve it and have done other things then that will be fine too. However, all I need to do over the next few days is get a visit in to the allotment, fingers crossed that it is both dry and light when I have some time to do this. Must pay the allotment rent too.

What do grasshoppers do over the winter?

I think about a lot of random things when I am pottering at the allotment. Today I realised that I didn't know what grasshoppers do over the winter, do they hibernate? I came home and found out. Sadly all the little fellas that hop out of my way as I pull up weeds and clear old plants will die. They rely on their eggs hatching next year to keep the population going.

I have been working very slowly and steadily at the plot to keep it in order. I hope the plot inspectors will notice my efforts. I have see crazy internet weather scares of snow in October and here I was, hoping for an Indian summer. What ever is thrown at us I am hoping to get some onions, garlic and broad beans in over the next month. I think I might be able to achieve this.

My gladioli plants have only just decided to flower but they do give a little end of summer cheer. I also think my wallflowers have germinated which will be great for next year as they are flame red.

I have planted some sativus crocus today I think they are the ones that produce saffron but will have to wait till next autumn to know.

As for the grasshopper photo I am quite pleased with it as was taken with my mobile phone just a few weeks ago. It is a bit of a sport now for me trying to capture insect photos on the phone. Ever since we did a bit of a butterfly hunt in the borders of the walled gardens at Wimpole Hall in the height of summer. I can recommend it, the kids got some great shots (not that they have their own mobile phones yet)

Bluebells

OK, I haven't been to the plot since before the last bank holiday. So the weeds have sprung into action they are now capable of swishing around my armpits.

I managed to get some help from OH to strim with the petrol strimmer the one I have trouble with. Interestingly he has splurged some of his cash on a rechargeable strimmer which he feels I might be able to use more easily. Is he trying to get out of doing the strimming long term I ask myself. Still never look a gift horse and all that.
The other gift horse is that my bonfire (nearly as tall as me) has disappeared from the plot no sign of it being burnt. So a bit of a mystery and I am not complaining.

This week the boys and I are going to make a scarecrow for the allotment association competition. It is the open day at the end of the week and I hope to spruce the plot a little bit too.

My peas have begun to grow and I sowed the next succession of seeds today looking forward to eating some peas soon.

After three hours at the plot today I broke off to go to Pryors Woods in Stevenage to catch the bluebells before they disappear. There was an extensive carpet of them, so beautiful.

cabbages

I have not blogged much about the allotment this year. I feel like I am going to jinx it. Today was a landmark moment for the year we planted out our first plants, red cabbages. I had a little helper who was very good.

Slow progress is being made but I am scared that the weeds are likely to romp away any moment now and how will I keep up then? What looks like it is improving could be lost very quickly.

goodly spring of flowers

It was fitting that on the first day of spring I was going to a Cambridge Science Festival event  titled 'a goodly spring of flowers'. The event allowed us to have a peak at some of the oldest books in Cambridge University Library. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew there would be some botanical illustrations and that it would be interesting.

Liam had selected the books for us to view and guided us through them with an extremely informative talk.

The 15th century herbals we so fascinating you could smell their age just oozing from the pages. The thoughts about who may have owned them and how expensive they were to have in your possession at the time (and now!!) made you think about who had had their hands on the pages. (Only Liam was allowed to touch them this evening with his clean hands). As for the contents of the books, the medical advice within gave insight into thoughts about life at the time. They also hinted at travels and life beyond English shores. How they came into the University collection was as interesting as any other part of their history. 

The books we saw spanned the ages to the 17th century and the development of ideas and classification of plants. How the books were printed and the way that they were bound was a surprise. I had not realised that books were bought unbound sometimes and bound at later dates, they could be bought in parts or rebound later with extra pages so each copy could have a very different individual history.

What I liked the most was the character that the owners added to their books with notes and annotation the best of which was a drawing of a foetus next to herbal treatments for helping in pregnancy.

Incase you want more information about the science festival and its varied programme http://www.cam.ac.uk/sciencefestival/ 

Spring is it?

I'm feeling the change the excitement of the possibilities that spring brings. The weekend has been definitely warmer, but we are not out of wintry bit yet, we will dip back into the cold days I am sure. However the glimpses of sun have been glorious. 

I would have love to have posted a spring photo of what I saw in the sunshine this morning. Silhouetted against the voile drapes of the living room  were the branches of the shrubbery and a long tailed tit perched within them. I have never known them come up so close to the house before. Despite quietly and swiftly reaching for the camera it flew off before I could press the shutter

Managed to get a bit of digging done at the allotment this afternoon. I want to crack on with the sowing but I still have a long way to go with the digging.

A windowsill of seeds are emerging into seedlings, oh the possibilities.

Gift horse

There is a lot of talk about horses at the moment. I have to say I am so fed up of the poor food production standards I really don't believe that there is enough control in factories currently. I had a vege ready meal recently with a hard piece of something in it, I was told by the company that it was tested and is 'mineral clippings', frankly it had the shape and size of a mouse vertebrae. I drew my own conclusions. 

However I digress the gift horse that I have received that I dare not even look in its direction is one of clearance of the wild patch on the allotment. I have no chainsaw abilities but someone has done it!

I had done some digging in January and received for my industry a dirty allotment letter the first of the year I think. So I diligently went to the allotment today to put some work in so that I can plant some broad beans soon. When I arrived at the plot I was completely bemused. My two darlek compost bins were no where to be seen and it did not look like my patch. There was a large bonfire ready to  go on the one half of the plot composed of ivy and tree trunk etc. The ivy and tree trunk that used to embellish to the edge of the plot.

I panicked, does my plot have new efficient owners. I have paid my rent (for the year). It is my neighbours that have given up. I have not been evicted as far as I am aware. My tool store is still there. I am now confused, so use my phone to call the chair of the allotment association. He seem a little bewildered too, I state my position, he tells me my darleks are safe. He knows where they are and he has put them there for safety. That he thought that the plot was vacant and the council had told them to remove the tree bit. I informed him how pleased I was and that I hadn't expected that to be done for me. I can tell that he might not be too happy to realise that I am still about and intending to cultivate my plot this year.

However he says he will be burning the bonfire tomorrow. I cheerfully say that I will pop down to speak to him in the morning in person and reclaim my darleks.. I am secretly dancing inside that bit of the plot could now be controlled with a bit of luck. I am dreading tomorrow as I suspect there has been some awful confusion with the council and the plots and who has left but that is not my fault. I hope that they haven't got some one lined up someone for my plot or that they are going to to reallocate some of my plot to the neighbours one which is vacant. So keep your fingers crossed for me. I am hoping it is a wonderful gift horse, and I am off to ensure that I have lottery tickets as my luck seems to be in.

Shall I ?

It really has been an odd time for me recently with many changes. For the first time I have seriously contemplated giving up the allotment as I had totally lost heart during 2012. When the idea entered my head it didn't feel as bad as I thought it would. The annual rent is due and I have to make a decision. Yesterday I visited the plot and thought I hard, I knew deep down that I couldn't give up just yet. So I will pay the rent and continue some how.

It means I have  to have a plan. Its going to be dig dig dig, no potatoes this year as I never get these in on time and it always seems to hold me up playing catch up. Also the sight of them over chitting on the window sill makes me so guilty every time I pass. So this year I will just concentrate on onions, peas, parsnips beans and squashes.  Revitalising the raspberry canes and strawberry beds. Might plant lots of flowers for cutting too.

If this doesn't work I will see if I can change to a half size plot next year.

We went on a family walk after my visit to the plot, muddy is not the word.  So I am a little concerned about how easy the digging is going to be.

Neglect is the word

I never meant for it to happen, but this year it has, my plot has fallen into complete neglect. When you are pressed for time and the only gaps you get are total washouts not a lot will get done. With such a wet summer it is always going to be a bit of a hard battle to get on top of the work at the plot. I was so disheartened with the thefts too it has been hard to get motivated since. The lack of car also made it hard for a chunk of this year too. These are not excuses but just how it has been. I have had those letters that all allotment folk dread.

I considered packing it in.

This weekend I have really cracked on at the plot. I have cleared a small patch and put some spring cabbage in. Made another small patch cleared (above) to make a replacement strawberry raised bed. The strimmer has been out too. I hope it is enough for them to see that we are trying. Also I enjoyed being there with just my thoughts again so calming. When the boys were there helping it was fun again we found hundreds of grasshoppers and a lizard.

It felt like it used to.

I often find the autumn better than new year for resolving to do things or starting projects. We have lots of change coming up so it is going to be an exciting time. I feel like cracking on with things and trying out new ideas. Bring it on.

Not the best year

It takes me to get to the first of July to decide that I am throwing the towel in on this growing year. Theft and endless rain have demoralised me.

At best the 2012 growing efforts have been this hedgehog from a well known fast food establishment, and that was grown by Huw.

My two tomato plants in pots have been lashed by the wind that there stems are twisted like a corkscrew willow.

I have waist high weeds at the allotment, I have decided that I will try to prepare the beds for next year now. I hope to start again in 2013. So I'm commencing  very early autumn digging . Somebody just needs to assist me with the strimmer. I have been waiting over a week for him to buy the petrol, going to need to get my nagging started.

I wonder if I can get to a flower show to restart my passion and greenfingers.

Removal

Well can you spot the difference between these to pictures? The first was taken on Thursday the day when I went to assess the plot and kick my butt into gear, so to speak. I've been on the brink of just hanging on in there at the allotment. I have been entertaining the idea very occasionally of  giving up. I think some observers thought that I had.


On Thursday, I had a hand delivered letter from the allotment association about the rent I thought it was a letter about lack of cultivation at the plot and on Friday breathed a little sigh of relief when I finally opened it. I took all day to get round to opening it. The kick in the teeth was on Saturday I received the dreaded letter in the post (they must have forgotten to hand deliver it with the other letter!). Sometimes you just know what is coming your way.


Anyway back to Thursday my raised bed was a little out of position as if someone had tried to lift it up. I adjusted it back into place. I thought it was a little odd and thought I would keep an eye on it.


As you can see from the second picture when I got there today someone had taken them away along with my rake that I can't fit into the storage box. I can't tell you how cross I am. I actually cried at the plot and thought that is it I will just stop.


However, I have planted out some broad beans and dug at the plot today. I may have a chance of using a rotavator and clawing back at things. This means I am holding on in for the moment. I have contacted the police and have a crime report number.


I don't feel happy. I wonder who did this and if they realised how they would make me feel. Is it hard not to wonder if it is a stranger or someone from the site.

Still here

Sometimes things are just too busy for me to post on here. The kids activity programme has been busy the last few weeks with events. I have managed to sneak off to the lotty and have done a little digging but there is loads more that needs doing. I can feel the itch to sow some of the seeds I have stashed. Spring is starting.

I have been very distracted from gardening too as I have been sorting out and printing my pictures for exhibiting. I have also booked myself onto a bit of a day for myself, I don't do spas but I did do a drypoint printmaking day this week. I really enjoyed it and felt reasonably happy with my output. Made a great change from my normal workday.