All tooled up

I've taken up fencing. No not Épée, Sabre or Foil - fencing fencing.  Boy you need a lot of gear: 



The Kit

  Today was my first work visit to the plot this year. Having recently acquired  a sledge hammer of my own and a set of ring pincers (that's the green and black pincers)  I was confident I had taken everything I needed. Here's the results of my handiwork. Not that fantastic but I'm proud of it, and it should stay in good nick for a year or two. Previous efforts have lacked the requisite rigidity and have proved short term. I'm hoping that, with the right equipment and technique, the new fence will last. This is  for the brassica patch which will be topped out with a plastic net once the plants are planted out.

One surprise: this coriander plant is sitting pretty at the end of January!  I guess we expect anything in a curry to require a tropical climate. Not so!

A bit of a shock

Ice on the canal



Daft Dafs

Some plants have been lulled into a false sense of spring. They got a surprise last night -5 C!  

Crocus

Wind update

I am happy (tinged with sympathy for those less fortunate) to report that all was well with our shed! I took the opportunity to harvest some supplies.

There were trees down all over town. The record 102 mph wind was measured at the top of Blackford Hill which is almost exactly half way between home and the plot.

Weather Report - Rough Winds

Here's the report circulating following the winds on Tuesday when Edinburgh winds gusted to 102 mph.

Extensive damage to allotments. Some Very severe. no one unaffected . victims worst affected Mary (roof blown off). Ditto P . David H original hut severe damage .Maggie L's hut totally demolished part of which is on G's plot some is in the burn. Maggie S's Severe damage to greenhouse Too much to mention.

Don't know if I dare to go and look this weekend!

Bread Nut

This Christmas the vegetable plot lost out to the kitchen!

Here's my Christmas haul

(The black object is a double baguette baking tray.)

Now I know how to convert this:

into this:

1st day of the year - 1st recipe

The obsession continues...


Further episodes at: http://ryesmile.blogspot.com/