Parkrun

I've already done well over 20000 steps today after a welcome run to Moors Valley to meet up with the remainder of the family where Joe, Amelia and I completed the junior parkrun whilst the others did park yoga for an hour. Amelia then picked up her half marathon wristband having completed the required number of runs over the past months.

Once home our focus has been strictly on the motorhome and packing. There is a lot space still available which is encouraging and I have sorted out the various pockets and space saving items to maximise their impact. It ought to be easier to keep tidy and to find what we are looking for. I am pretty certain we have the necessary documents and technology with accessories.

We have eaten spinach and chard from the allotment, along with potatoes and runner beans. The carrots are not from either plot and the carrots seeds have barely poked their  heads above ground. 

Woodlands adventures

We are getting ready for France but normal life goes on too with the girls sleeping over and enjoying a day of woodland walks, swimming pool frolics and a film evening when we watched Tangled. They loved wading through the small stream and Juno got a long run to exhaust her. 

Moors Valley for Sunday morning and then clothes packing time. Nearly there. 

Allotment harvest

The final photo shows some of the harvest from yesterday's trips to the two allotments. I'd gone to Wimborne first and this was from there with the runner beans cropping for the first time, some more peas, greens and a lettuce, as well as a few potatoes. All very welcome and delicious. As is often the case at this time, everything now comes at once! Actually, the onions, garlic and shallots have been picked and are stored in the utility room and the broad beans cropped early having been sown in the autumn.

There are some nice courgettes coming too and plenty of raspberries following  the heavy strawberry crop.

At West Moors I was able to add some manure to the plot compost bin, as I passed a spot providing sacks of free stuff on the way. I did watering at both sites, although it rained heavily later in the day. The beans are coming on well at West Moors as well now and I did also pick the first tomatoes from the allotment. The huge plant in the final bed continues to grow rapidly but I am still no clearer whether it is a squash or pumpkin. The fruits are already growing large!

I did get the hedge cutting done too, having cut the lawn the day before. Everything is really geared up for the trip to France and that will be the main focus of the blog in future days. I think it is more or less just clothes packing to do, along with final checks on the essential documentation.

Scorcher

The hottest days on record are on their way and we were at the beach at Durley Chine yesterday, the whole family, and had a lovely time. It was packed by the time we parked at 8.30 but we got ourselves nicely settled for the day and the children loved being in the water. There was certainly no problem with getting in and staying in with the water having warmed up over recent weeks.

As a treat and for our anniversary, we had a takeaway in the evening which rounded off a very good day. 

Today I was off in the motorhome to West Moors allotment where the pumpkin is growing enormous and got the plants watered before unloading the bike and riding to Wimborne across Holt Heath. It was beautiful and a very relaxing ride to the allotment to dig up some potatoes and pick some peas.

Durley Chine again

It's a beautiful day once again and so I took myself off to the beach early after a cooler walk first thing this morning with Juno. The beach was far less busy than anticipated but the water was lovely as hoped for, especially after running almost four miles along the sea front. This was my first ride following the race at the weekend, as I went over on the sore ankle again on Monday morning and it is still tender. I have managed plenty of walking and bike rides during the week though, and I am pleased that the ankle hasn't proved too much of a problem.

Weirdly, the toothache seems to be more settled and I am off antibiotics and pankillers with very little bother. I am not sure what has been going on.

There are some more photos of Maria dancing and she has acro exam and tap exam on Sunday with ballet and singing to follow during the school week meaning Maria is barely at school till September now.

We are preparing for France and the motorhome got a checkover successfully, as well as the required breakdown cover, hi vis jackets and so on. I think we are almost there and just need to pack at the weekend.

Allotment- watering in the sunshine

It was another very warm day and I just did a couple of dog walks either end of the day but racked up over 6 miles during the way. I collected Maria from school ahead of dance which gave me the chance to get to the allotment to water it. The beans and peas benefit from a real soaking. I did the same whilst Maria was at dance, this time at West Moors where the pumpkin is going mad, extending well out of the raised bed. I've had to intervene and direct it back inside!

I've come back with plenty of peas, greens and lettuce.

Run and ride in the sun

It was another busy Sunday for us but at least there was no dance this week and no show either. This time we were up early to help out at the Phil and Bonnie Bounder event, runners having the choice of a 6km or 10km course and organised by Sandra, amongst others but she was the public face too. We were there just after 8 and I did the shorter route having only recently gone over on my ankle and seeing the longer route had lots of tree routes and obstacles which might have been a risk.

As it turned out, I came home in third place in the men's race, a bit of a turn up and completely unexpected. I do think there were far fewer runners on the 6km than on the longer race but I'll take that.

In the afternoon the tennis final was on with Bridie and Joy watching it all, Joseph popping in and out and supporting Djokovic. I took the opportunity to have a ride out to Wimborne St Giles and Knowlton Church and the sunshine made it a real pleasure. There was a flock of at least 15 swifts screaming overhead too which was a wonderful sight.

 
 

Harvest of onions, garlic and shallots

I've been running again over the past two days and have entered a race near Dorchester on Sunday, an event Sandra is involved with, and so am starting to feel more secure on my sore ankle. Add the fact that the antibiotics for my toothache have taken the pain almost completely away and I am feeling much improved from last weekend. It still isn't clear where the problem lies and so there's no treatment for the time being. However, I've had more checks and am scheduled another next week.

The sun is here to stay for a while it seems and I had my coffee in the front garden where the plants and gravel give the scene a warm feeling, a little bit continental! It's also an ideal time for lifting the alliums which are now spread across the conservatory to dry and be stored for use over the coming months. It's the first time we've done shallots and they have done well. The onions have also grown nicely from sets, although there is a mixture of big and hearty and small and timid. 

There were two sorts of garlic and although both have grown, one variety has done better, nice big bulbs. However, the flavour will be key. The smaller ones may be more intense, so we will see. Overall, I am pleased with what we've got so far and that includes some bonus potatoes which have grown from the small ones left over when harvesting was going on last autumn. They grew amongst the garlic and there's a nice tub full of them.

I've done plenty of watering over the past days and the peas at West Moors were fantastic. There is also  a pumpkin there which is massive but without fruit just yet. Wimborne required strimming yesterday and lots of weeding but it is going on nicely.

 

Flowers and things

 

I've cut the grass and noticed how many flowers are still blooming or coming as we enter the height of summer which prompted me to record a number of them, including the large leaping Salmon rose which I was given when I left teaching five years ago. You may also spot there are plenty of blackcurrants needing to be picked which I'll do shortly.

The garden is nicely together now with the hedges looking fine and the birds are continuing to visit in good numbers. sadly the jackdaw with the bald head I mentioned several days ago has not survived. i found it by the bins at the side of the house when we returned from the festival. Apparently this is the most common outcome for birds with this appearance.

There is also a backstage photo of Maria at dance on Sunday. She loved the day with Studio One and the other dance schools.