What I Did Today Archive 2008

[sewer rat]

Actually more what I did yesterday ! Got home from Door Steward job about 2:30 am, did a bit of work on the 'puta, then at about 4am, went out to my field and harvested veggies for my local Farmers Market at Dornoch (Dornoch Farmers` Market | Home). I took crates of the following - carrots, onions, potatoes (Red Duke of York, Lady Christl, Charlotte), broad beans, peas, chard, spinach, lettuce, french beans, cabbages, herbs in 3" pots, kale (red and green) radishes, rocket, cucumbers and courgettes (green and yellow) and shallots.
I had my best ever market, practically selling everything I took - came home with two cukes, 4 courgettes, and a few tatties.
Went straight back to my field and unloaded my crates, tidied my shed and then had loads of customers arrive to pick peas and broadies (one couple picked about 10 kg of broadies !!) so managed to sell loads of other stuff too.
Closed to the public at 5pm, watered tunnel, went home, had supper, went back to Door Steward job at 10 pm.

[Flummery]

Yesterday I nipped to the lottie just after lunch because it looked like raining. (It didn't, as it happens.) I picked the pods of the Lancashire Lad purple podded peas (Heritage Seed Library) and only just in time. One or two split as I picked them. Another couple of days and I've have been scratting around in the dirt for them. I have plenty of seed now so if anyone fancies trying them, send me a pm.

[rayj]

What do you do in your "spare time", Sewer Rat????

[Kayt]

I'd like to know what Sewer Rat is on cos I want some!! Do you ever sleep? I needed a nap after reading about your day

[wellie]

Want something done? Ask a Busy Person, that's my motto... eh SR?!

Personally, I can't claim anything remotely as busy, because I'd been advised that we were due to be fitted a new gas meter today, and so naturally, I stayed home all day.

I refuse to insult your intelligence by finishing my story.....

but, suffice to say, with no new gas meter in the pipeline by mid-morning, nor lunchtime, nor clotted cream tea time, Wellie put her underpants firmly on the outside of her skirt, and put her cooking pinny on?

By the end of the 'No Noo Meter ToDay', we had:
Cauliflower & Stilton Soup
Courgette & Lovage Soup
Cauliflower Cheese (4 with Stilton, 2 with Mature Cheddar)
Lamb Mince with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Fresh Basil
Courgette & Herb Tarts
Beef Bourgignon
Courgette Cake
Butternut Squash Breakfast Muffins
Nigella Brekkie Pancakes
and a dinner 'fit for a Trousers': Dennis Cotter's 'Leek & Sorrel Fritters', with some 'barely cooked' baby courgettes and a small piece of Salmon, which was nice.....

No surprise I didn't get the ironing done then!
You?

[sewer rat]

Today was a much quieter day - delivered my veg to local seafood / healthfood shop, dug up 25kg each of King Edward and Lady Christl, dealt with some customers, was asked to supply local greengrocer with some produce for an area of shop set aside specifically for locally grown stuff, planted up 60 or so strawberry runners, then had trail run erecting my market stall as it will be getting another airing on 14th of the month at local Highland Gathering (sponsored by Glenmorangie Distillery )

[Snadger]

Yesterday evening I got my first egg and that eclipsed everything!

[SarzWix]

Spent half the afternoon fuming after a pointless argument with a man who thought it was ok to park his van at the bottom of my drive because 'well, the gates were shut, wasn't like you could get in anyway' The discussion had the potential to go on for hours, but Paddy decided to see what all the fuss was about & as soon as she trotted down the drive (hackles up - she doesn't like people shouting at her mum ) the nice gentleman jumped in his van with surprising haste
Apart from that, I've walked the dog, watered 2 greenhouses, fed the pumpkin, checked over the potatoes & dead headed the roses.

[susieq100]

What I didn't do today because ...

I have not been to the allotment for 2 days because I got an insect bite and it became infected! My left arm swelled alarmingly and it was very painful, itchy and hot. I had to go and get antibiotics from the GP. This has happened before but only as a result of mozzie bites in the Med on holiday. So, a word of warning to all grapes - take care! My OH heard a doctor on Radio 4 saying that this was happening more frequently and that we ought to be using some kind of insect repellent here in UK.

[MaureenHall]

Went to the lottie at 9.30 and bagged up 10 bags of nettle roots then rolled back some of the tarpaulin covering weeds / grass / tarmac!! etc and started digging. Filled another load of bags with roots. Stopped for lunch at 12.30 and decided to take a couple of the chooks to the lottie with me.
Hope the picture has uploaded ok Daisy and Rose were "helping" with weeding, but think they spent most of the couple of hours there eating worms and grubs. Got back home about 3.45 and got backache now so just going to slob out for the rest of the day. Got some homemade veggie lasagna (with homemade pasta) left over from last night, so that's me tea sorted

[Flummery]

Today I made rhubarb and ginger jam with stem ginger. Never made rhubarb jam before. It's blimmin' lovely! Yesterday I made Tayberry. I love the feeling of getting stocked up for the winter months.
Harvested my first sub-artctic plenty tom and lots of Ruth Bible (Ta Two Sheds!) and Bird's Egg beans and some black Kale. (Oh, and spuds)

[Snadger]

Went to the lottie as usual . Chooks were pleased to see me as usual so I gave them a few handfuls of corn whilst I cleaned there shed out and collected three eggs. Two eggs were in nestboxes and one on the area they roost. Hunted out an old cats tray, filled it with straw and stuck it in the area of the egg. Hopefully chook will get the hint and lay egg in straw!
Pulled a largish swede and gave tops to chooks. Did some weeding and gave weeds to chooks. Gave some tomatoes to chooks. Stood and watched chooks..................now what did I plan to do at lottie again?

Oh, yeah, watered all indoor plants with comfrey tea mix.

[wellie]

Yes, it does feel a little 'Autumnal' with the weather, and therefore, it feels very pleasant collecting and harvesting, and storing and preserving!
I've been harvesting Blackberries. One by One, I know! BUT freezing them day by day, and that amounts to lots eventually - because they're only just above the Potting Shed Door. And they are completely and utterly free!

[pigletwillie]

At last, time for the lottie. Lots of harvesting went on including yet more grapes, lots of tatties and soft fruit. The freezers are bulging and lots of stuff is in store but we will do a final pick on thursday before we skip off to Perpignon for a much needed fortnight of relaxation, sun and serious vin glugging.

[wellie]

Good on yer Piggy! With Trousers out at work again, and my gardening cat sparko on the dining-room table beside me, I was able to devote all my concentration with the peace and quiet, on a Show Entry I've dreamt up, which is taking rather a lot of the patience that some Saint clearly gave me at birth (!)

In between the showers of rain, I found myself very sadly measuring some of Hazel at The Hill's Runner 118 Beans for Showing. I found one a full two inches longer than the one that was the longest last week? No, you're Nodding Off there now, I can tell!