I got up really late... was up til 3 working and then read for some time, so I got up at 11, 7 hours sleep. So, didn't get much done in the morning, apart from a bit of email/facebook... but this was good as my friend in Germany, Sabine, told me she thought that the yellow cherry-plums are what she calls 'Mirabelles' (images here) and yes, they fit the description well. They are delicious, really sweet!
After a late lunch, I had a busy afternoon in the garden; cut a length of hedge, with newly sharpened shears, and then shredded this with the electric shredder. I layered this with a few boxes of greengrocers 'resources' in the current compost bin.
I picked a lot of blackberries, and then did a load of pond-area prep... I've cleared about a quarter of it now, and I want to make it all bare earth before digging it deeper and making it into a pond. All the Ground Elder and bramble roots are welcome additions to my compost, after all! Also, I'm enjoying unearthing various archaeological artifacts....
However, as the light was beginning to fail, I remembered that I had a Green Party meeting, so I rushed up to wash my hands and jumped on my bike and got to the meeting at 7.50, I thought I'd be late but as it started at 8pm I was early. I didn't stay for the whole meeting, just the two agenda items which concerned me.
I came home and got myself some food, and later, after another big wash up, washed the Mirabelle plums and put quite a few of them for drying. Tomorrow I might have a go at making a pie or tart with the remainder of them.
Showing posts with label picking blackberries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label picking blackberries. Show all posts
I wasn't feeling brilliant today, and towards the end of it I had a running nose and was sneezing all the time, so I didn't do an awful lot.
But earlier in the day, I did check that tomorrow's Woodlands gig was going ahead. I hope to be well enough... I usually recover very quickly from this kind of ailment.
I visited Debbie and she was in a great mood, having had some good luck.
I came back and had lunch, and eventually decided that whatever state I was in, I really must get down to town to put my cheque in. So I cycled down to Country Fresh, picked up one sack there, then onto Alligator where they had quite a bit for me, and then, with a trailer full of compostables, into town where I put in my cheque from Sunday and got out a cheque to pay a bill. I decided to again try my bank card in the Link ATM and whilst about to do this, was approached by a drunk and possibly Irish man who launched into a tirade of verbal abuse. It seemed he knew who I was, or a bit about me, but I didn't know him. He accused me of all sorts of horrible things, and I was really taken aback. I'm not someone who can ignore this kind of thing; I generally get stuck in, and so I did, telling him it was entirely wrong of him to give me this verbal abuse. I didn't understand a lot of what he said, but I did gather that he had lost a son, and had stood in a general election as an independent and came 6th. He had some choice words for Hugh Bayley, our MP, and was really unpleasant.
This left me quite shocked and shaken, but I kept it together and went to Sainsburys for a nice loaf and some vegan ice cream so Gill can have a treat.
I did some work in the garden but I wasn't feeling that enthusiastic so I sat in front of the stove and stripped yet more copper wire, resulting in a big pile of plastic insulating spaghetti and a bag of tightly coiled copper wire of assorted gauges or widths.
And in the evening I picked some blackberries and tried to find enthusiasm for preparing them.
But earlier in the day, I did check that tomorrow's Woodlands gig was going ahead. I hope to be well enough... I usually recover very quickly from this kind of ailment.
I visited Debbie and she was in a great mood, having had some good luck.
I came back and had lunch, and eventually decided that whatever state I was in, I really must get down to town to put my cheque in. So I cycled down to Country Fresh, picked up one sack there, then onto Alligator where they had quite a bit for me, and then, with a trailer full of compostables, into town where I put in my cheque from Sunday and got out a cheque to pay a bill. I decided to again try my bank card in the Link ATM and whilst about to do this, was approached by a drunk and possibly Irish man who launched into a tirade of verbal abuse. It seemed he knew who I was, or a bit about me, but I didn't know him. He accused me of all sorts of horrible things, and I was really taken aback. I'm not someone who can ignore this kind of thing; I generally get stuck in, and so I did, telling him it was entirely wrong of him to give me this verbal abuse. I didn't understand a lot of what he said, but I did gather that he had lost a son, and had stood in a general election as an independent and came 6th. He had some choice words for Hugh Bayley, our MP, and was really unpleasant.
This left me quite shocked and shaken, but I kept it together and went to Sainsburys for a nice loaf and some vegan ice cream so Gill can have a treat.
I did some work in the garden but I wasn't feeling that enthusiastic so I sat in front of the stove and stripped yet more copper wire, resulting in a big pile of plastic insulating spaghetti and a bag of tightly coiled copper wire of assorted gauges or widths.
And in the evening I picked some blackberries and tried to find enthusiasm for preparing them.
I was woken by thunder. The view across the bay was spectacular... ie no view, just dense rain.
When it calmed down a bit I went into Mumbles to buy some pasties, broccoli, rolls and soya milk, and got some sweetcorn as well. But I did come back quite damp.
In the afternoon I took the family exploring the path behind the house; it led into a housing estate and we asked a local person which way to go at one junction, and we decided to go to Langlands Corner. But a minute later, the boys decided they were tired so they and Gill went back, and I walked to Langlands Corner and from there, down to Rotherslade Bay.
I bought an ice cream and when I'd finished this, climbed up the rock in the middle of the bay and watched the tide come in. Then I moved to the east side of the bay where I could see the waves crash against the rocks a bit better, and stayed here til about 4pm, which was high tide. Then I walked slowly back to Bryn Terrace, collecting blackberries on the way.
Gill and the boys had come back and Gill had boiled the rest of the potatoes and then cooked the sweetcorn in that water. The potatoes she roasted and then heated the pasties in the oven, and this plus the broccoli made a good last meal here.
After this, I went on a walk with our eldest down to the promenade, and along to the pier, and as the tide was going out, we tried to get to the lighthouse. However, the channel between the first and second island had still got deep water in it, and it had started raining again, so we turned tail and walked home, past Bracelet Bay and up the hill and back to Bryn Terrace. We got back soaked but happy we'd had a nice walk together.
I lit the stove to dry off our wet clothing. At intervals through the evening we were getting our bits together.... I stewed the balckberries on the stove and filled two peanut butter jars with it, which will go back to York with us.
Whilst we were cleaning under one of the sofa we found a pair of socks left by the last visitors... or maybe the ones before that, who knows?
When it calmed down a bit I went into Mumbles to buy some pasties, broccoli, rolls and soya milk, and got some sweetcorn as well. But I did come back quite damp.
In the afternoon I took the family exploring the path behind the house; it led into a housing estate and we asked a local person which way to go at one junction, and we decided to go to Langlands Corner. But a minute later, the boys decided they were tired so they and Gill went back, and I walked to Langlands Corner and from there, down to Rotherslade Bay.
I bought an ice cream and when I'd finished this, climbed up the rock in the middle of the bay and watched the tide come in. Then I moved to the east side of the bay where I could see the waves crash against the rocks a bit better, and stayed here til about 4pm, which was high tide. Then I walked slowly back to Bryn Terrace, collecting blackberries on the way.
Gill and the boys had come back and Gill had boiled the rest of the potatoes and then cooked the sweetcorn in that water. The potatoes she roasted and then heated the pasties in the oven, and this plus the broccoli made a good last meal here.
After this, I went on a walk with our eldest down to the promenade, and along to the pier, and as the tide was going out, we tried to get to the lighthouse. However, the channel between the first and second island had still got deep water in it, and it had started raining again, so we turned tail and walked home, past Bracelet Bay and up the hill and back to Bryn Terrace. We got back soaked but happy we'd had a nice walk together.
I lit the stove to dry off our wet clothing. At intervals through the evening we were getting our bits together.... I stewed the balckberries on the stove and filled two peanut butter jars with it, which will go back to York with us.
Whilst we were cleaning under one of the sofa we found a pair of socks left by the last visitors... or maybe the ones before that, who knows?
Quite a slow start to the day, I came down before 9 and did the washing up as there was lots to do from yesterday's cooking, and we'd run out of bran flake cereal so Gill went into Mumbles to get that plus some other bits, and I had breakfast at 10 when she came back.
Then I read NewScientist and dozed until middayish when I went to explore the Langlands Bay road, and then I retraced my steps with a folding chair to go and pick some blackberries. They were mostly a bit higher than I could reach without the chair, and I got a colander full. Back at 1 for lunch and at about 2pm I suggested to the troops that we might actually want to go and find Langlands Bay as it had a nice beach.
There was a hell of a kerfuffle about getting out but I was firm and we did eventually all get going to Langlands. When we got there, actually Rotherslade Bay, we had a lovely time... balancing rocks, digging a sandhole and building a sandcastle, paddling, lots of sunny fun. I just wish I hadn't been forced to play a game of brinkmanship or risk in order to get the children out of the house.
So, we were on the beach til 5pm and I picked more blackberries on the way back.
A nice tea... courgette and beans from Uncle George, broccoli, pasta shells and cheese sauce.
Enjoyed watching Richard Dawkins offering his view on faith schools. I'm totally in agreement with him. Children need protecting from indoctrination and I was shocked to see the science teacher in one school not being able to explain evolution, and the children all saying that their holy book was a good source of scientific information. I have no problem with adults choosing to believe whatever they want, but I'd like churches and schools to have less of a connection. Churches and faith organisations do have an important part to play in society, and I have friends of several faiths and belief systems, and I don't think organisations such as the Credit Union would have got started without the support of people with a strong faith, some of whom were, I'm sure, doing the volunteering as an act of worship and 'good works'. For which I'm grateful, as I basically don't care what people believe, I'm more concerned about what people DO!!!
Gill and I then had a game of magnetic travel Scrabble. Gill won by 2 points, overtaking me right at the end. Very satisfying for her.
Then I read NewScientist and dozed until middayish when I went to explore the Langlands Bay road, and then I retraced my steps with a folding chair to go and pick some blackberries. They were mostly a bit higher than I could reach without the chair, and I got a colander full. Back at 1 for lunch and at about 2pm I suggested to the troops that we might actually want to go and find Langlands Bay as it had a nice beach.
There was a hell of a kerfuffle about getting out but I was firm and we did eventually all get going to Langlands. When we got there, actually Rotherslade Bay, we had a lovely time... balancing rocks, digging a sandhole and building a sandcastle, paddling, lots of sunny fun. I just wish I hadn't been forced to play a game of brinkmanship or risk in order to get the children out of the house.
So, we were on the beach til 5pm and I picked more blackberries on the way back.
A nice tea... courgette and beans from Uncle George, broccoli, pasta shells and cheese sauce.
Enjoyed watching Richard Dawkins offering his view on faith schools. I'm totally in agreement with him. Children need protecting from indoctrination and I was shocked to see the science teacher in one school not being able to explain evolution, and the children all saying that their holy book was a good source of scientific information. I have no problem with adults choosing to believe whatever they want, but I'd like churches and schools to have less of a connection. Churches and faith organisations do have an important part to play in society, and I have friends of several faiths and belief systems, and I don't think organisations such as the Credit Union would have got started without the support of people with a strong faith, some of whom were, I'm sure, doing the volunteering as an act of worship and 'good works'. For which I'm grateful, as I basically don't care what people believe, I'm more concerned about what people DO!!!
Gill and I then had a game of magnetic travel Scrabble. Gill won by 2 points, overtaking me right at the end. Very satisfying for her.
