Sunshine at last

What a lovely morning to wake up to today, not long after the longest day. I am just back from a bike ride to Horton and on to Knowlton Church, just under 9 miles. That follows riding to the WM allotment on the electric bike yesterday. I prefer the road bike, especially when it is so lovely.

Really pleased with all the broad beans we are having and the newly sown peas, carrots and spinach have all taken well at the allotment. I seem to have stumbled across a more secure way of ensuring successful germination using the compost from the bins and not worrying to dig.

Lots of family things going on but most significant will be Joy moving into a care home next week. Alison is feeling very guilty but we all agree it is for the best, so that we can more fully focus on ourselves and children again. It has been 19 months now and Joy has made huge progress with us which is fantastic but at a cost to us with an ever increasing need for attention and care making planning what we are doing tough.

Prom

Maria had her end of Year 11 prom on Friday evening but she left from a friend's house so we don't yet have a lovely photo of her fully ready. We were allowed a photo or two of her with curlers in! She'd had a good time but preferred the smart day they'd had in school.

Such a gorgeous morning yesterday and the golf course have allowed part of the land around to become a type of meadow full of thistle and foxgloves at present. I noticed plenty of small birds feeding there already. Good to see. 

Allotment updates

I've been to both allotments over the past two days following nearly a week away. One of the nice things at this time of year is not having to be quite so conscientious as the busiest times have past. It is now a time for watering weeding and harvesting.

Real plusses have been the autumn broad beans, courgette and squash plants, greens, leeks, potatoes, herbs, tomatoes. The garlic has cropped but fairly small in size, down to either poor quality seed or unsuitable soil or, most likely, poor weather conditions with so much rain and cold. The runner beans and French beans too have really struggled, as many others have also found on the two allotments.

We brought home the first new potatoes grown in pots and greens which we'll have for lunch, as well as lots of braod beans.

Ragcity 4

The fourth edition of the Ragwormers' very own festival has been and gone and the feedback shows that not only was it the best attended yet, it was the most appreciated with so many texts and messages of thanks and praise for the band. That despite the wet weather which hit us during the night of Friday into Saturday with strong winds too, and then showers throughout the following day, two absolute downpours mixed in too. One poor band had to stand with the wind blowing the rain right into their faces for 20 minutes in order to avoid the equipment being damaged, holding a long sheet of platic up against the elements.

The other band most affected was The Ragwormers who played in driving rain for the entire set but it made for a memorable experience. I was fortunate in being able to hoick myself onstage and shelter at the back, one of the perks of being the manager. 

The awning worked perfectly and I can see that being a big boon when we head abroad in a few weeks. Now to find the two tents that went missing and to prepare for Europe.

Ragwormers on tour for Paul's 60th birthday party

Paul's 60th was the perfect excuse for a lovely weekend with family down in Plymouth, as well as an opportunity for the band to play, Glen having been asked to perform for his uncle some months ago. It seems Paul just expected it to be Glen but it turned out to be the whole band, and because they were down anyway, another gig was organised for the Friday night at the Crown and Anchor. 

Both performances were well received and the band have been invited back having impressed their audiences. Paul and I sensibly, for a change, made our excuses and missed the Friday party till 4am but the band managed to keep going. The Queens saw a few more of the family the worse for wear with the drink but it was all in good spirits. 

WM allotment in the light drizzle

Having felt a bit fed up with how little was happening at this allotment, I was so pleased last night to plant out more carrots and to give things a bit of a water whilst waiting for Maria at dance. It was lovely to see things really moving on now with promising views of ripening strawberries, leeks, spinach, chard, onions, shallots, beetroot, broad beans, garlic, potatoes, parsley, courgette and squash. There are some peas that have survived too. Much better.

Back to school

We had a lovely weekend with the girls and Joseph staying over which meant we could enjoy a trip out with Juno to Knowlton Church where the corn buntings were singing and the children loved rolling down the banks into the ditches. This was before heading to the Horton Inn where we had drinks and crisps in the lovely sunshine.

With the girls on an INSET day we visited WM allotment and then meeting Sandra and Great Grandma for a coffee and a bun. They went off but the rest of us did the trail around the allotment where we saw the beautiful pigs, piglets and all. Such great sounds they make!

This morning, having got the shopping done early, I was off to the W allotment before picking up Maria following her Spanish exams which finished at 10.30. It all went well for her but she will be off again this evening for dance and singing. I cut the grass at the allotment and transplanted chard and spinack seedlings, picking broad beans and spinach, and weeding the beds which are all coming on now. After the worries of how little seemed to be coming up, there are now rows and rows of seedlings promising plenty in months to come. The squash and courgettes look great and they usually produce lots of fruits. Very exciting watching it come together.

Finally, we have great spotted woodpeckers visiting regularly and this morning there was a juvenile too, it being fed by the parent. Wonderful to see from the kitchen window.

Half term week

I feel as if I have been following Maria around and waiting to provide her with lifts to various destinations. Part of that has meant I have been able to pop into the allotments or to take a bit of time to enjoy sitting around watching the passers by as happened yesterday at Sandbanks. Maria was meeting friends and I sat in the cafe soaking up the sun, when the clouds disappeared, having planted out some more squash and courgette plants in WM.

The day before Alison and I had gone to W to do a bit of work at that allotment before we then headed out to park at the True Lovers Knot pub at Tarrant Keysham. We had a lovely walk with som many skylarks singing over the massive fields which appear to have once been an airfield with Halifax bombers taking off to support D Day. 

I also got to watch Furiosa whilst Maria met with her friends in Poole and was glad it was so long because I still had an hour and a half to kill before Maria was ready for home.