August 2024

Diary

First harvest

Monday 5 August, 2024

by Rosemary at 11:45am in Smallholding 0 comments Add your own

Monday 29^th July

Dan and I measured Mickey’s feet today, took lots of photos, in preparation for ordering his boots.

I started muck tea; I’ll let it soak until tomorrow. Then I weeded the polytunnel; with so much planting, t’s impossible to get to the outside edges, but I pulled the worst I could see. I’m loving having the calendula and basil – loads of insects.

Dan cut comfrey in the fruit garden and I put some weedkiller on the path; we bought pebbles to resurface it years ago, but the brick edges now need reset, so that will have to happen first before we put in the pebbles. The cut comfrey will make next year's comfrey tea.

Summer bounty

Monday 12 August, 2024

by Rosemary at 3:04pm in Smallholding 0 comments Add your own

Monday 5^th August

We’ve had a good fall of rain overnight and that’s continued into morning. Dan and Murdo took a load of rubbish to the skips first thing, then moved the fencing materials for the new fence in Home, into position. The hedging plants are ordered, so the fence needs to be up before they arrive in November.

It’s been quite overcast and I’ve felt really tired today. It’s quite oppressive. I think if Murdo hadn’t been here today, Dan would have been asleep too.

Peas, Berries, Gages and a Bunny Belly

Thursday 22 August, 2024

by Rosemary at 6:01pm in Smallholding 0 comments Add your own

Monday 12^th August

Very oppressive and stormy first thing; the ponies were all spooky. Rain started in earnest maybe 9am and kept up until about noon, with some heavy peals of thunder. So we all had a relaxing morning. Well, the dogs weren’t THAT relaxed.

pets Cooper, Diesel and Gwenna, snoozing.

By 2pm, it was roasting. No visible sun, but so warm and humid. We did some housework – well, it needed doing – and some paperwork.

Collision / "Ermintrude" / Harvest

Monday 26 August, 2024

by Rosemary at 9:49am in Smallholding 1 comment Add your own

Tuesday 20^th August

Home again. Thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with family; it’s been too long, and I hope they feel the same.

The trip didn’t quite go as planned after a camper van ran into the back of me in queuing traffic on the M6 on Sunday. Thankfully no-one hurt and our car is driveable, but a bit scary. Now to sort out the insurance.

I had a lovely breakfast in the Westminster Tea Rooms, on Lord Street (Southport) – all dark wood, 1920s music, silver teapot and strainer, and waitresses in black and white. Highly recommend.