As usual they were thrilled to see me – whilst I cleaned them out, and we moved their house and run, and I re-sited the netting boundary so that it included some of the long grass that they love and a big patch of dock leaves for them to attack. They are doing a really good job of eating those and leaving the grass.
Adelaide and Ginger rolling about in the grass enjoying the sunshine.
Having a girlie chat
Whilst they were left to their own devices I decided to have a go at sowing a couple of rows of parsnips.
My dearest OH was chatting to Pat and Mike our allotment neighbours, who turned up later, both of which have had experience of shingles – funny how when you get something, so many other people have had to too, so can understand what it is like.
They have built a shed and have put posh guttering and down pipes – it really looks nice, lot like my ramshackle pig hut! The only had one water but, so I gave them one of mine, complete with some water, which OH and Mike moved across. Mike is going to buy one of the water barrels with a handle that caravan and camping people use, so that he can fill it up at home, and can roll in to wherever he wants to on his allotment to water the plants.
He and his wife were rather shocked to hear that I hardly water at all. When planting anything I wait until the weather forecast is for rain later that day or overnight and plant before it rains. I often do it after a heavy downfall too.
The only things that did get a water last year, were the tomatoes – and then not very often, and the runner and climbing beans. Those mainly because I needed to water the flowers to pollinate them as we had a drought last summer.
I left them chatting and I got on with running a line to make my first row for the parsnips, had a sit down, then hoed out a trench, had a sit down, then sowed some seeds, had a sit down – it sounds really funny typing all this, but shingles really leaves you weak and it was the only way I could manage it LOL and I am really quite hardy!
I got OH to pick some purple sprouting broccoli – but he got a bit fed up with doing that so filled up a carrier bag quickly by breaking off the whole stems – luckily I have lots more.
Pat and Mike were able to have lots and with plenty to freeze and I told them to help themselves to some rhubarb for lunch, as mine is just about ready for picking and looking pretty healthy at the moment.
I managed to sow another row of parsnips and then put the chooks away – who had been out and about for three hours by then – time really does fly by when you are up there.
I was feeling pretty exhausted by the time we got back, so just made rainbow trout stuffed with thyme and lemon slices with the skins slit and filled with flaked almonds. We had steamed vegetables with it - so it was nice and light. I can't seem to eat much at the moment.
After a long shower I had to be sensible and have a lie down for a couple of hours rest - but not before I had taken the bantams out some fresh greens too.
you people over the big water certainly like parsnips. would you believe i have never tasted one have only seen pictures. they are not in the stores at all. saw on the msnbc new yesterday that british people are healther than usa people, guess that is small comfort to you now, think how bad you would feel if you were living here.today marks my 68 birtday. really a accomilishment if you think about it.
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