Argggghhhhhhhhh !

Where's he been?


Nothing going on fishing wise, well quite a bit of work in pre Barbel Show(3rd June) terms, trying my best to get the word out.
Mainly I'm suffering with a back ache, which is now in it' s second week. I don't know if I did it shifting compost,or sitting in this bloody chair with a bad posture whilst typing and editing!
Have I told you were are working on producing a Barbel Society book? If not, I'll fill you in when the members have their chance to see what we have in mind.Quite exciting really to be involved front end with book production. I tell you what though, I wish I could write!

Compost !


After what has been a second devastating winter, finishing off those plants that just about survived the previous deep freeze, I have been as active as I can be revitalising the garden.
First job was to really cut back the roadside hawthorn and elder hedge, something we have relied on the local farmer to do, as he trimmed his in the field adjacent, and got away with paying for it.
He uses one of those chopper/grinder fitments off the side of the tractor. Really rips into the hedge, one of the problems though is the gappy teeth left in the top of the now 15 year old, past it's sell by, close boarded fence.
We planted, two years ago an inner hedge of beech, blackthorn,whitebeam,hawthorn etc etc, in the hope we could take our the fence completely and create an impenetrable, for security, a double hedge.
 It hasn't worked, the combination of dry winters and too much shade from the roadside hedge, has somewhat stunted the growth.
So in a couple of weeks, we replace the fence like for like. Not certain what to do with the inner hedge yet.
Back to compost, we've recreated a couple of vegetable patches using old bricks, to give a bit of height, sort of raised beds.
Already lost, through lack of thought, and shutting up the cold frames, the tomatoes and french beans.But trying out broad beans ,celeriac and bulb fennel, all of which survived, just for the crack.
Potatoes have been planted in big plastic boxes,we are trying out pink fir apple and charlotte, looking for some ratte for one more box. Not many plants but enough to get the flavour.
Onion sets in a few varieties are now poking through, despite efforts by the local bird population to pull them out.
Flower wise we've planted a couple of tree peonies and some more hebe, along with rhododendrons from Mum's garden pots, which are now in terra firma.
The fruit trees are full of blossom, much the same as this time last year, I just hope we don't get another air frost like last years which left us with just a couple of apples from,  a plum,, pear and the eater and cooker trees.   Gooseberries are looking abundant, and the early shoots on the other berries are looking fine. Rhubarb which we had a go at forcing, has now been eaten!

Talking of birds.

As it's been peeing down quite a bit this last month, I've been window gazing and for the first time ever studied the sparras.
We have hoards of them, but having never bothered to identify tree sparrows before, I now find there is a distinct difference between the two species. Not only that, the male and female tree sparrow are much the same colour wise, both have the tan crown.

House sparrow males have a greyish crown, the female doesn't have any distinctive crown colour.

Our great tit pair are using the nest box despite an early move off the soon to be replaced fence,whilst they were inspecting.
I waited for them to go off yesterday, 8 eggs!
The blackbirds have nested twice, the first abandoned with two eggs. Cat's I think,one of which was found flattened in the road. I'll say no more on that subject.
I think I destroyed an early chaffinch nest shifting the "dead" clematis, the pair are still around. Greenfinches, linnets and goldfinches are active, as are the dunnocks, robins and song thrushes.

What next ?

Holidays, life is just one big one!
We've booked a week in France in a chalet beside the river Villaine, so the travel rods are at the ready, not certain if there are barbel in the river, we shall see, not bothered really. Also a week in a cottage at Bradford on Avon, again the rods will be packed, but I haven't checked out the fishing........yet.
Later on in the year, around our wedding anniversary we will be doing one of those Sunday suppliment river cruises from Basle to Amsterdam.

Finally..I think

I've decided to take my other pension, still two years before the Government one comes in, mainly to take advantage before changes in legislation bite and the equalisation of male and female pensions.
That'll give me an addition to the pot, more holiday funds, still places to see, before  we can't.
Also, probably close to being a necessity a new motor to replace the ever faithful Octavia which needs, before long, some expenditure!
See you when I see you.


Not quite

14 river challenge  and for the snidey comment folk, no names no pack drill, that's why it's called a CHALLENGE !