Having had quite a lot of sandwiches left over from yesterday’s high tea, I didn’t need to make too much effort for lunch. In fact all I had to do was peel back the cling film. They had started to dry out a little and curl at the edges, bit let’s face it, having eaten in a number of typical English cafes in the 60s and 70s, and enjoyed the legendary hospitality of British Rail, I’m no stranger to dry, dodgy sandwiches.
We have saved today’s eggs from the Polish bantams and will start to hatch them in a week or so – you can generally keep them a week without a problem.The main problem is making sure we get good quality eggs and making sure they don’t get put in with the eggs for sale. You know how it is round here…
It will probably take that long to strip down the machine and get it ready to use as I don’t think it was actually washed after being hauled out of the back of the barn.
We started the day with egg collection and brought the keets in to the centre so everyone could get a good look. After that it was salt dough (we need around 750 of them in the next couple of months) and musical accompaniment selected by Emma (I believe it was some popular modern female singer called Jess Glynne). I have, of course, never heard of her. As a middle-aged man I am freeing up large amounts of brain space by refusing to learn the names of modern singers, or listen to their music.
This afternoon we planted a variety of stuff out and set some late seeds. Also swore at the slugs who ate their way through the lettuces in one of the planters.
Let’s see, what else? Well, we found Edie running round with a lead on, and had to find the farmer to check we weren’t missing a dog-walker. It’s apparently part of her training programme to be left to “stay” as the farmer walks away. But she didn’t. I think this part of the training might need a bit more work.
I seem to have spent a fair amount of time making an ID badge for one of the group. (That means it took me longer than I was expecting and longer than I would like Julia to know.) Shame it relates to another group. Same goes for the rubber bands she’s been cadging off me all afternoon – seems she can’t garden but she can sort plant labels for another project and use my bands to bundle them up. I’m all for cooperation but I’m definitely having second thoughts about this. 😉
Alasdair and I have just filled the bird feeders again. The peanut feeder at the front had been knocked off again and the elastic band had slipped so most of the peanuts were gone.
I’m beginning to wonder if the jackdaws have an answer for everything.
Nearly got a good picture of a mint moth – they are flying when nothing else seems to be about – but can’t quite master the macro capability of the new camera.
Quick nature note from yesterday – Julia spotted goldfinches eating seeds from the bergenias (Elephant Ears). I always think of them as being dull plants for municipal planting (they were actually donated by a local park). However they are tough as old boots (which we need for our wind-blasted clay soil) and if they feed goldfinches I’m not going to hear a word against them.
That’s about it for the day – just some paperwork and a phone call to do. And a cup of tea.
Good pics, especially the chick on the shoulder. Now you have a blog you don’t have to remember stuff. You can always look in your archives – if you can think of the right search word, that is 🙂
That’s the point Derrick, remembering the right search term! I have problems with that too. 😉
I identify. 🙂
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Your bergenia looks in better condition than ours does. Something has eaten large chunks out of the leaves and my husband has mown away some of the leaves that weren’t already damaged.
I always take it as a minor miracle when something survives our clay, wind tunnel and volunteers, but when I find out we have plants that are better than the ones that other people have I feel positively ecstatic! 😉
I am glad to be of service. 😉
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Fascinating post. i can relate to curly sandwiches – slightly crispy on the outside… as for jackdaws, the damn things sit on a tree nearby, frighten all the other birds and I’m convinced they’re talking about me.
Yes, I don’t so much mind the food they eat as the way they frighten the others off. Counted 28 of them on Monday. ;-(