Of Mice and Spiders

At last I've found a way of disposing of the Terry's Chocolate Oranges I get in profusion at Xmas. I don't dislike them hugely, I just get a bit fed up of them, so take them to the allotment for an emergency sugar surge. Carelessly left one unwrapped last week and found it today, significantly smaller and with mousey teeth marks on it. Meeces, you're welcome!

Less welcome was the spider which had made a nest in my [allotment emergencies only, got to be pouring with rain before I wear it] cap. Big, nest, big spider, and of course only discovered when I put the cap on and it ran round the top of my head. Hey Ho.

Who nicked my Darwin Fish?








I bought one of these last week. A really neat and elegant statement of belief, from www.darwinfish.co.uk , and put it onto a nice clean car on Sunday. By Wednesday, GONE!!!!

And it had spent Monday & Tuesday in a secure car park. Unless evolution has speeded up dramatically (mutants?) and it's gone off for a nice walk by itself I have to conclude some toe-rag has nicked it.

Or has it been too provocative a statement for a passing Fundamentalist?

Still struggling with a bad back but this time it's my own stupid fault. It had been improving all week and had a good pummeling from the chiropractor, then I foolishly tried to move a cast iron Chiminea and it all went twang again. Hey Ho.

Rather restricts allotment activities - in fact all I managed was to dig up some leeks, although I did have to dig my way in to the plot. Recent heavy wind & rain meant a pile of soil & leaves 18 inches high against the gate. Needless to say, there's been no sign of The Inconstant Gardener since well before Xmas. But, three bright spots on which to remark:

three plots surrounding mine which were derelict when I took this one are now well advanced in the recovery position

my garlic is sprouting well

and so is the rhubarb

First post of the new year, and it's actually nothing to do with the allotment. Although I have got this year's sald potatoes now (Nicola, chosen by Kate). But that's it - the allotment is a mudbath at the moment and attempting to do anything will simply make it worse; well, that's my excuse. But the Seeds of Italy catalogue has come so there's lots of fun to come with that. Think I'm going to buy a Passata maker, to avoid wasting surplus tomatoes.

And I've been out onmy bike too - 13 muddy miles on the Transpennine Trail, which has hurt my back so now I'm hobbling.