More of a learning curve with seed saving!

I am as warm as toast and my hands are glowing - well tingling back to life actually having spent over an hour and a half in minus a lot of degrees in thick frost.

So you think I am mad do you? Or just plain eccentric!

Waking up early is getting to be a bit of a habit even with black out curtains! Funny how when I was at work it was always a pain to wake up and drag myself out of bed. Now I could lie in until mid day and it wouldn't matter, I wake up before dawn and am up before the dawn chorus!

I thought we had snow - the frost was so thick on the ground, when I took the warm breakfast out to the girls. Actually I think that it was a bit too warm as they were gingerly pecking at it as the steam was rising off it in the cold air. Nice milky porridge with shredded carrots, brussels, and potatoes.

Their water was frozen solid so it took a bit of chipping and hacking and boiling water to get it out. I should have emptied it last night, but as they were still up when I went out there, I thought I best leave it in case they wanted a nightcap - I won't make that mistake again.

A big mistake with seeds

Talking of mistakes, I dicovered this morning that I have made a BIG one. I was out in the garage, having a sort out, as you do just after 7am on a bitterly cold frosty morning, and my heart sank when I saw that all the beans that I had saved and stored in mesh ex freezer baskets had gone mouldy. I used the same method the year before - put them in the baskets to dry out and they were fine. But I did not store them in the garage, but in the shed. All I can assume is that because of all the rain we have had, the garage must get damp. I am gutted. All those hours spent carefully picking them and laying them in neat layers. I was so proud at my seed saving and planned to give lots away to friends as I did last year. I shall have to get on the internet and order more now! I was going to take some photos, but it was really too disgusting to post - as I know some of you have a look whilst you are eating your lunch. More for the compost bins.

The pumpkins in the garage haven't gone mouldy, but they did last year - so I am a tad bit baffled. I am going to ask Father Christmas for a deyhydrator, but to tell him not to get it until next year.

Does anyone know if you can dry the seeds in a hydrator and use them to grow the next year? I will have to find a forum and ask that question - unless one of you reading this can help me.

Off to have my breakfast - husband just got up!