Sunday 19th September

Quail Diary

After nothing more than just some crackage during Saturday, we awoke early Sunday morning to find 4 chicks in the incubator, all excited, all cheeping and clambering on top of eachother, desperate to get out. They had to stay put for 24hours so they could gather their strength and their bodies could absorb the egg yolky stuff. You can tell I know all of the techy info re rearing quail chicks.

They are ADORABLE!! But, the excitement grew as, during Sunday, around lunch time, another egg started to break, and after a struggle, out emerged chick number 5. So far we had an all golden chick and 4 stripy like little bumble bees - gold main with thin dark stripes. I guess these will be the traditional coturnix colours and the all gold may be a white laddie. As the afternoon wore on, yet more excitement befell the household as chick number 6 emerged....exhausted and a tad weak. We were concerned that it wouldn't make it through the night with the other 5 all pounding on it's little head. We hoped it would be okay as this one was nearly all brown with just pale stripes. It was christened by wicked step daughter as Eleanor, as it has lazy teenager attitude as it appeared to be the last of the brood. No signs of life from egg number 7.

After 24 hours, the little family were moved from incubator to brooding tank where their comic antics make us all coo and ahh. They are eating and drinking machines and are all now looking strong, even Eleanor. Of course, as soon as the family were moved into the brooder, 7 more eggs entered the incubator. Well, bringing new life into the world is a precious thing, and the babes are soooo precious!

We left the last egg in the incubator for another 36 hours, but nothing. I opened it, and sadly, there was a little brown chick in there. Natural selection...survival of the fittest...he who has the strongest beak tooth laughs last.....

Our egg count is now mid 600's, but we are down to just 2 or 3 eggs a day as the light levels are so low and days are so short.

Saturday 18th September 2010 - weather: overcast

SHOW DAY

After a very dry early summer, and then an incredibly wet late summer early autumn, the veggies on the allotment haven't know whether to grow, bolt or rot. However, there was enough growing well for me to have plenty of entries in the Danbury and Little Baddow Horticultural Society Show. Up bright and early and staged an array of fruit, veggies and cooking. The kids also took part and did flower displays and cooking. Did very well and all three of us won tropheys, mine and Jessica's were for most aggregate points over the year and James won his for being the Presidents Choice. A lovely time was had by all.

I have had a few visits to the allotment to just weed weed weed. Thanks to the lovely rain, the waterbuts are full and the weeds are 10 foot tall. I have thoroughly cleaned out the strawberry bed and planted all of the rooted runners in rows, oiking out the rest. I now have a lovely large strawberry bed, and I will definately construct some permanent netting over the winter to protect them from the deer and birds.

I have been picking tomatoes by the bucket load, even though blight is spreading across the site. I read somewhere that cherries and plums aren't so affected, which is great as that is mostly what I am growing. I have stewed down over 15 bags of toms which now rest comfortably in the freezer for winter use. I will continue to pick and stew down, but I think I might make some home made chilli and tom ketchup. I will hold off making chutters from the toms until I have a bucket of green ones and make my black mango chutney. mmmmmm.

Courgettes have been rubbish this year. I have picked about 6 in total, but the slugs munched my original plants, and when I did a rush resow, I sowed various squash, but no courgettes. Similar situation with the cucumbers, we have had about 4.

The runner beans are loving this cooler, wet weather, and have sent off masses more flowers and we are eating beans at every meal. I have also had a bumper harvest of bortlotti beans which I am leaving to almost dry out completely on the plants, then shucking them and freezing them for winter soups and stews.

I love my allotment, even with it's annoying challenges, and the surroundings do allow masses of wildlife on site. I know the muntjacs are a pain in the butt, but I love to see them, and last week on one day I went to lift my wheelbarrow on the compost heap, and there was lovely long slow worm under there, then the following day as I went to dump some rubbish, I disturbed an adder sunbathing. I know we have a lot of adders on the site - a dog was bitten by one on there last year - and they are so beautiful, but I did admire it from afar.

Hopefully I will get down more and more now autumn is here and gardens slow down. In the meantime, I have a huge glut of fruit and veg to use or process before it takes over the world!

p.s. Quail news......Saturday lunchtime, day 17, we notice definate cracks in some of the shells.... would there be babies by Sunday?

Wednesday 1st September 2010 - weather: blue sky, chilly evening

Quail Diary

Incubator DAY ONE

Inspired by my fellow quail addict, Wallfishwife, we went ahead and ordered the R.Com Mini Digital Incubator with quail egg tray. It arrived today - good service as we only ordered it Monday, and by 6pm tonight, it had 7 freshly laid, and hopefully fertilised eggs languishing in it. In 17 days time, we will find out if all the bonking that takes place constantly, is wasted energy, or if the lads are firing on full cylinders.

I cleaned the quail house out today and started snuggling them up as the evenings are getting chilly and quaily birds aren't keen on the cold. I know how they feel! Plenty of straw in their flower pots and a thick layer of sawdust in the hen house with another big wodge of straw. As it gets chillier, I plan to lag the greenhouse with bubble wrap. I also have to old quilts at the ready, one to wrap around the wooden hen house, and one to drape over the greenhouse staging. Belts and braces and all that, I also have a fan heater which I can have on a frost free setting which will go in to keep the house as toasty as is sensible, without cooking them in their feathers.

Daylight hours are gradually reducing, and some days we still get 6 eggs, but for the last few days we have been down to 4. I don't know whether we will give them artificial light to keep them laying, or let them have the winter to rest. I might stick a light in for a month or so, and then leave them in peace until Easter.

I must do a proper egg count so I can keep you updated.

P.S. Went to Wyvales today in Chelmsford where they have their legendary seed sale on. All seeds reduced to 50p a packet so stocked up for the allotment. Spent just £15.50 on seeds, but the RRP should have been £67.82 so I saved a rather impressive £52.32. Then, to top it all, mum went to her Wyvales in Sutton, and spent another tenner on seeds for me, so another 20 packets. I think I will have more than enough seeds now for the next few years!!

Thursday 26th August 2010 - weather: bloody awful, rain rain and more rain!

Come on weather, pull yourself together! We haven't sat out and enjoyed a balmy evening since returning from France at the start of the month...and as for summer BBQ's - fat chance. And thanks to the constant rain that Essex seems to be suffering, I still haven't got to the allotment.

Thanks to the wet weather, I have been taking advantage of the fruity gluts that come my way courtesy of the hedgerows, family and friends. Plums at the moment, although I do have 4Ib of brambles in the freezer, and 4Ib of Mirabelles. The in-laws have a rather stonking old Victoria plum tree and after a visit, we came away with 3 carriers full of the mouth watering, golden plum coloured fruits. I still had a 3Ib bag sitting in the freezer, so today was preserving day. Well, what else is there to do when the house is tidy, the kids are entertained, and their is bugger all on telly to watch.

Firstly I made James Martins plum chuts, altho I did had 5 thai green chillis to the mix to try and pep it up. I also did 4 times his original recipe. I couldn't get the heat from the chillis, but I am hoping on storing, the flavour will mature. Next boozy plum jam. 5Ib of plums, stoned and cooked until soft, then 5Ib of warm sugar joined them. Once setting point was reached, I poured in about half a pint of my home made damson gin, stired through and bottled in warm jars. Whenever I make boozy jams, I can't taste it, but when you compare it to a plain version, you can definately recognise a taste difference.

I still have a big bowl full of the beauties, so am toying with the idea of making a plum crumble, then perhaps chinese style plum sauce, and the remainder can go into the freezer for use another time.

The great thing is, my apple trees on the allotment are weighed down with fruit, so I have that to look forward to in a few weeks time, followed by the pears that I have permission to scrump from an old orchard at the back of the allotment, and that doesn't include the hedgerow fruits that I forage along the way.

I did look at a preserving book whilst I was in Wyvales this morning, enquiring as to when their cheap cheap seed sale starts, but I already have 3 preserving books, plus several war time books with great jam and chutters recipes, and to be honest, in the age of the internet, do we really need lots of books when recipes are at the end of our fingertips?

Wednesday 18th August 2010 - weather: bright and breezy

Flying visits seem to be all I can fit in during the kids hols. I have told them that I want to go for a decent visit, but they moan and groan. Mananged an hour yesterday and the same again today which was good.

Yesterday was just to pick. Came home with a carrier bag of mixed French and Runner beans. I also cut a couple of courgettes (they are very slow at getting going) and cucumber. I picked a bowl full of tomatoes (I am not sure if they aren't just beginning to show the first signs of blight) and pulled some carrots and spring onions and cut the first few mini corns. There is still plenty on the plot to bring home, beets, spinach, chard, kale, spuds, onions, cabbage, and so on, but whilst I don't need it, it can stay put. I do need to sow some more fast growing things and overwintering bits, so I need to get up to the plot and the kids have promised that next week we can.

Amazing what a drop of rain can do. My squash bed looks amazing. It is a jungle and there are loads of fruit developing which is exciting. After going to a potager in France that grows over 300 varieties of squash, I have decided next year to devote a bit more time and attention to my squashes.

Anyhow, I digress. Todays lottie adventure was mainly to tie up my wayward tomato plants. They are soooooo heavily laden with fruits, that if the blight holds off and they all ripen, I will have tomato sauce in the freezer to last me into the summer of 2011 !! Plum toms seem to have done really well. I am relieved as I had a tomato disaster during spring. When we first got our gals and moved them into the greenhouse, I still have all of my young tomato plants living on the staging - 30 odd varities, looking lovely. All was well for the first few weeks, until the gals spotted greenery, and up they all went one night, and ate every single plant down to a stump. Buggers!! So I had to start again. I didn't sow, but I begged, pleaded and purchased plants at local plant sales, at peoples gates, and took peoples spares. So, I now have quite a mixture of plums, cherries, regular, stripey and huge beefsteaks. Phew, alls well that ends well and all that.

So that was that, home again. Now, fingers crossed next week I will have a more detailed blog after being able to spend a bit more time on the plot.....we shall see.

Monday 2nd August 2010 - weather: overcast with light rain

QUAIL DIARY

After my earlier posting, the weather started to become quite grim. Excuse me mother nature, where did the summer go??

Anyhow, just a quick post really with a quail update. As you know, we have 11 birdies, and it turned out that we had 6 gals and 5 lads. Way to much testosterone, so numbers had to be reduced. The first boy went tonight. Gingernut is now languishing in our deep freeze. Hubby did the did quickly with as little distress as possible. He was a plump lad with big breasts and quite a bit of fat on him, which should keep him moist when we cook him. We have decided that the small white and the scruffy brown boy will join him over the next couple of days. The children agree that as our numbers are now down, we should buy a few more ladies, so I will contact our original supplier and get another half a dozen.

The other story is regarding one of our brown range gals. She has been bonked and bonked by the lads and had become completely exhausted. We also noticed that she tends to gather the eggs up and sit on them, dare I say, broody. So, she has come into the house into the first aid cage to rest. She laid an egg on the first evening, and sat tightly on it, so I snuck another 2 under her and she has sat on them all day. I moved her off tonight, and marked the eggs so we know which ones are the old ones in case she lays any more, and also so I can tell which way is up so I can make sure they are turned. The eggs were all warm, and she sat back on them again. So, we shall wait and see. They may come to nothing....she may get bored....but we might end up with 3 chickadees.

Oh, just to add, so you don't think we neglected our birdies whilst off galavanting in France, our neighbour came in and tended to them for us, and gathered 50 eggs in the one week. She really enjoyed looking after them and has keenly offered to do it for us whenever we are away. I hoped she would keep the eggs and use them, but she gave half of them back to me!! I think a quiche for dinner tomorrow.

Monday 2nd August 2010 - weather: bright and breezy

In loving memory of my darling daddy who died 10 years ago today.

I miss you so much dad, and miss our time on the allotment together - you chief weeder, me chief grower.

Love you. xxx

Okay, so I didn't go to the allotment today, it was yesterday, but having only returned from our glorious week in France on Saturday evening, I didn't get my act together yesterday.

So, a quick over view of our week in France. Glorious! The Vendee region is gorgeous, long sandy beaches, amazing food, wonderful people. Yes, I would live there in a shot. Went to the zoo, aquarium, boating, markets and went to a fabulous potager garden where they grow over 400 varieties of pumpkin, and probably a similar amount of tomatoes. Fab time was had by all.

But so much can happen on an allotment in a week. Before we went, the kids and I picked all of the raspberries leaving a lovely lot of just ripening fruit to harvest upon our return....but the wasps had different plans, and had sucked the lot dry. There wasn't a decent rasp to be had. On the upside, they had totally ignored the currants, so picked plenty of red, white and black currants, and a massive bowl of Jostaberries.

The French beans don't mind the hot and dry weather, infact, they prefer it, so I picked a nice selection of purple queen and haricot vert (seeds purchased 2 years ago when we were on hols in the south of France). I also picked the first bundle of runner beans, and am pleased to report that they are smothered in flowers. Runners haven't been great for the last couple of years, but this year I planted them in the dappled shade of the apple trees, and I think the shade has kept them a little cooler and they seem to be thriving, where the few that are in the middle of plot number 2 in full, dry sun are really struggling to make their way up the poles.

The beetroot don't seem to have minded the drought and I picked a few whoppers. The turnips have germinated, but unless they have some more rain, I don't know if they will come to much. I do hope to get to the plot in the week - with our without the sproggles - so will carefully give them a can or 2 of water and thin them out, less competition should mean more water for them.

In general, things are doing okay-ish. Everything looks dusty and slightly limp, but there are some different squashes developing and plenty of toms. Fingers crossed we avoid any blight. Next visit I will take the camera to show you how sad things are looking, but also, how good others are doing.

Friday 23rd July 2010 - weather: bright and breezy.

Just a quickie really as we are packing for a week away. Shot to the allotment today to pick the raspberries as they don't last on the bushes like the currants do. I had already gathered several pound of rasps last week, and picked another 3 and a half pounds today. And still the canes are smothered in young white fruits still to develop. It is a stonker of a year for the soft fruits. I did also manage, before the kids started whinging, to fill a bowl with Jostaberries, another 3Ib. The lot have been sorted, bagged and are now in the freezer awaiting inspiration. I am tempted to start my Rumtopf this year ready for Christmas, so maybe the next round of fruit will head into that - so, note to self: Pick up a bottke of rum in Duty Free.

A quick glance over the plot and everything has started growing like made since we had rain. Several baby squash all set and growing, although still no courgettes! Maybe this will be a courgette free year. Yeah Gods!! Fortunately, everyone else will have an abundance so I won't starve. I shall try and bribe/beg/plead the kids to spend a bit more time on the plot once we are home so I can keep on top of things.

The ladies are all doing okay. For 2 days, whichever chickadee lays the blue eggs has been keeping her legs crossed, but today we are back to normal. I worry that it is the brown girl in the ring that the boys are shagging senseless who is slowing up. Three boys are definately for the chop upon our return. Six to five really isn't a good ratio, and never the plan.

I am wondering if they will enjoy scoffing earthworms? My neighbour has one of those plastic dalec compost heaps and it is very wet and packed, and I mean writhing with worms. I wonder if I fill up a tray with them, the girls will enjoy them. They love live mealworms so I can't see them turning their beaks up at worms that have lived on a rich diet of kitchen waste.

I need to do a proper egg count, but we must be nearly at 400. Gave a dozen to a neighbour today who is going to top and the gals water whilst we are away, and I have hardboiled 24 to take with us as hubby loves them, even though they are a BUGGER to peel.

Thursday 15 July 2010 - weather: overcast, wet and very windy

Who told the wind it could blow my hair all over the place? I look like that fella, you know, the lead singer from The Cure!! The wind is knocking the leaves, and branches out of trees, blowing over flowers and blowing showers around. What a blustery day.

Anyhow, a flying lottie visit as I had to work until 12.30 so arrived on site at about 1pm. The rain has been a godsend. Someone somewhere must have seen my dodgy raindance and came up trumps. Now, some sunshine again would be good, just to get everything really romping. Of course there are weeds everywhere, so I spent the first hour weeding the brassica bed which doesn't have weed supressing membrane down. Such a shame I didn't do the entire area, but I still had onions and shallots growing there. It wasn't so bad, the ground was lovely and soft and the weeds mostly just pulled clean out. Plenty of greens growing. The kohl rabi are globing up nicely, the sprouts are already getting tall, and a few cabbages appear to be trying to heart up. The kale, red, green and black is ready to start loosing leaves as is the spinach. I suppose now summer is over, we will be back on cooked dinners so I can start using my greens.

I then spent the last hour harvesting. I gathered 2 and a half pounds of raspberries and there are still mountains on the canes. I also havested a bowl of red currants, and again, that was only the tip of the iceberg. I did however strip the gooseberry plants of fruits. Now to decide what to do with them. The rasps are already in a pan cooking to extract their juice so I can strain it and make raspberry jelly for use over the winter. The next batch will be frozen to use in trifles, crumbles and pies.

Before leaving I picked the first 2 cucumbers and gathered the onions and shallots to dry off at home in the conservatory. Looks like the shallots are white rot free. Some of the onions are dodgy, but in general, not bad at all. I also picked a small handful of purple queen french beans, the first beans of the season, and dug some International Kidney for some new pots. Looks like it is going to be a lovely lottie supper tonight.

Quail Diary

The gals are all doing just fine, bless 'em. They are still a little timid, but then I don't have the time to sit in with them and get them used to me. I have taken to feeding them dried mealworms by hand, and some will take from me, some won't. The boys, Gingernut, Grumpy, The Big One, Bobble and You...you, the Brown Boy are constantly shagging the gals and leaving them all with bald necks. I fear a cull...I keep threatening this, but the children scream in terror at the prospect.

I wonder what the neighbours think the strange noise is at 3am when the lads all come home from the pub and start crowing. I know they do this at 3am as we have had the joy of having windows open during this hot spell, and when I get up for a tinkle, as I sit there answering this call of nature, I hear their call of nature - the quail equivalent of cock-a-bleeding-doodle-doo!!

They love lettuce and radish leaves, which I have a plentiful supply of on the allotment. I have also told 'Old Jack' on the plot to keep his old bolted lettuce for me as the clan demolish a little gem in a morning. They adore dried mealworms, but the food of choice are the live giant mealworms. I am not allowed to give them anymore though as they are pricey and really they are to feed hubby/son's lizard, not my gals. Also, I think it puts hubby off the eggs a little bit to think they are eating wigglies. Don't know what he thinks free range hens chow down on, but I am sure a lot of it wriggles, creeps and crawls.

Very proud of my gals. Six eggs a day, except on clean out day which puts them off their stride so we usually only get 4. I would just like to add, quails eggs make great cakes. Number one son had a go and we weighed the eggs, broken into a jug, and then did the same measure for fat, flour and sugar, and they make lovely light cakes. I have been giving the odd dozen to chums, and of course family, and people are in general, delighted with their gift. At the weekend I plan to make a quiche...I shall take piccies.

Egg count - 323

Friday 2nd July 2010 - weather: hot, sunny with a light breeze.

Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned. Today I plucked the first ripe cherry tomato from the vine, and popped it straight into my mouth without a thought for others. No photograph, no chance of sharing, not a care in the world. And it was sinfully good. Slightly acidic, warm from the morning sun, juicy and full of the flavour of summer. Happy days.

I suppose my penance is the lack of serious rain. Honestly, my allotment is like a dustbowl. Carrots and parsnips refuse to germinate, even with me watering them as often as I can from a watering can. Courgettes and marrows just sit there looking bored - although I do have my first cucumber set which is something.

Spuds are very small, plenty on each plant, but still all so very small, the same with the raspberries. Loads and loads there, but they are not fulfilling their namesake - Glen AMPLE they are not!

Down the cooler end of the plot, by the shed, the radish and spinach are romping away, and I don't seem to be suffering any flea beetle damage this year. Could this be because of my deer proof mesh?

The runner beans are at the top of the poles, the french climbers aren't far behind, and the dwarf purple queen have just started setting.

Picked a mass of peas - a highlight. They must have been sown, and recieved the little rain we did get, at just the right time. I froze a pound and a half of shucked peas this evening, and there is a similar amount still on the plants just waiting for a downpour so they can swell.

My day consisted of watering with stinking nettle tea, weeding with my trusty hoe, sowing more seeds - carrots (again), parnsips (again), turnips, leeks and peas and planting out more courgette and cucumber plants, bright light swiss chard plantlets and pakchoi plantlets. Now I know the pakchoi isn't supposed to transplant terribly well, but if they start to bolt, they are still perfect in stir fries, and the young leaves are good in salads, and if all else fails, the guinea pigs and quaily birds will enjoy them.

I had a chat with the site secretary who is missing the adders as they seem to have vanished since this hot, dry spell started, then I chatted with my old mate, Jack and he gave me a bag full of little gem lettuce for me and the various animals. We also enjoyed sampling his various goosegogs and blackcurrants. Yum. Emphysema Joe was also there loving the heat, but cursing his forthcoming holiday to Portugal when it is currently sunnier and hotter here in Essex. Jim from next to Jack was over briefly, but I didn't get a chance to say hello before he was gone again...apparently he isn't well.

All in all, a full day, and I didn't get all of my plants out - still have leeks, courgettes, peas, spinach and spring onions to plant, but I have another day off next week, and who knows, it may rain between now and then and 6 packets of carrots, all sown in the same patch, will all germiate and I will be surfing the web looking for 101 things to do with carrots.

Thursday 17th June 2010 - weather: clear blue sky and sunshine.

What a beautiful day, hey hey, what a beautiful day....as the song goes. Not a cloud in the sky on this late spring morning. I didn't arrive at the plot until 10.30, and before I could even get to my allotments, I was collared by old Jack who pointed out that blight has already hit some of our plottie neighbours spuds. EEEK! He then cut me some little gem lettuce, not that I need any as I have a nice row of my own, but I don't like to say no to him as he grows so many, they only end up on the compost heap, plus they keep so well in the fridge, so they will get used, and any left overs, the guineas and quail get to scoff. He loves to share his bounty with us lottie ladies.

Still no carrots. What is it with me and carrots this year? I have purchased new seed, have a fine tilth, watered and destoned, but still no stinking carrots. The same can also be said for Parsnips. I have some brand new parsnip seed, so will sow again next week, but if nothing grows, then I shall stop worrying and sow some peas in their place.

I got out my trusty hoe/rake tool, and de-weeded both allotment plots. I LOVE that tool. Once again I ask you, why oh why didn't I learn how to use it years ago?

On plot 2, I hoed all around the onions, pulled those whose necks were bent, and planted the last of my brassicas under the new net construction. I have more greens planted this year than ever before. There is also an ample space for my late sowing of spinach, chard, pak choi and peas. Of course, if I plan to plant these in the next couple of weeks, I am going to have to sort out my deer netting, which was my next job, using the last of my dayglow yellow builders mesh. I know the deer are about as I sowed a row of dwarf haricot beans inbetween a row of cabbage, and those inside the net cage have all germinated and are growing lovely, nothing beyond the net.

I planted 16 runner bean plants - 2 to a cane, and 8 dwarf frenchies that I had sown just to use up a packet. The tomatoes are all growing very well, plenty of flowers, and on my tumblers in the scarecrow head....fruits. Don't know how the spuds are doing really. Not a lot of growth above ground, and I blame the lack of rain. However, loads and loads of time, and they aren't showing any signs of flowering, so I won't worry about them, however, I will get myself a job lot of Bordeaux mix and spray the spuds and toms next week.

Strawbs aplenty on the plants. I have already picked 2 punnets full and enjoyed them with cream, and there are loads and loads to come. The same with raspberries. Looks like it is going to be a bumper fruity year.

Had to leave the site at 2 to collect daughter number one and a couple of her classmates who were at a creative writing event but I was really pleased with what I managed to achieve in that time. Didn't take the camera, will endeavour to remember it next time.

Tuesday 8th June 2010 - weather: short sharp downpours, followed by sunshine, then more rain!

QUAIL DIARY

All is well with the gals. Sex is still the most important things in their lives, followed by eating, and finally, laying eggs. 9 yesterday!! Today my parcel from live food direct arrived containing 100 locust - for the lizard, a pack of 50 giant live mealworms - for the lizard and oscars and 3 packs of dried mealworms as they had them on special - these for the gals as they love them. However, after reading how Wallfishwife has been feeding her girlies woodlice, I wondered if mine would like a live mealworm or 2. Now these are big wigglies, probably 10 times the size of the little freeze dried mealworms, and they put up quite a fight. To be honest, they make me shudder and I can only pick them up using proper bug tweasers. What a whimp. So, I sat myself on their wooden house, a place that has become a convenient seat to watch the ladies at play, and I waited until they settled and came to see me. Bobble and the Big One - the 2 white boys came out first and I gave them both a wiggly. What a giggle. Peck, peck peck, grab, peck, chase. Bless them. At first, I don't think they really knew quite what to do with them, but animal, or rather, bird instinct soon took over, and wham, swallowed whole and then they were begging for more. Of course, the other birdies were all paying close attention to this spectacle, and before I knew it, I had all 11 clucking around me, dare I say flirting with me to get their beaks on a squidgy, tasty, plump mealworm. I sat with them for a while, tossing them the mealworms and watching battle commence. The older gals were very cheeky and would wait in the wings until the other birds had knocked 10 bells out of the worms, then they would saunter in and steal the mealworm, only to swallow it whole. A few tustles broke out, only to be expected and I decided before blood was shed, so sprinkle a few dry ones around, and leave them in peace. What fun. I will now endevour to find catterpillars and other critters for the gals. I should imagine the cabbage white will have smothered my brassicas on the allotment in eggs, as they do annually, so rather than squidge said catterpillars, I will harvest them for my ladies.

Egg count: 171

p.s. or is it an n.b.? Anyhow, this afternoon, as the rain stopped work today, I sowed a tray of bright light chard and mix colour pak choi for planting out as the spuds come out. I often do a very late planting as they don't tend to bolt and stand well over the winter. I also sowed some seed on Saturday when we got home from the plot - more runners, peas, florence fennel, spring onions, french beans, courgettes and cucumbers.

Saturday 5th June 2010 - weather: sunny start, overcast later.

Flaming June.....flaming blooming June. If the forecast is anything to go by, it will be soggy June. Not that I am moaning - no siree. The plot is like a dustbowl and my darn seeds just aren't germinating! So, bring on the rain I say.

Family visit today, with BBQ and bangers. Mark cut all the paths...in fact...he cut all the paths on the whole site. He likes to keep busy on the plot, and growing seeds and weeding really isn't his thing, but give him a power tool and he's in heaven. He did a great job, and then got out the petrol strimmer and cut back the nettles and other overgrown patches down our end of the site. He did a great job and I know everyone is grateful when he does it as they all thank me.

I got busy with my hoe...my new toy. At last, at just 39 years of age, I have mastered the hoe. The great thing is, I weed the whole plot in no time, and it looks so lovely and neat, and I am rewarded with a lovely fine tilth. Why didn't someone teach me the ways of the hoe years ago? Or is it one of those tools that you can't master until you age a little? Hmmm...should I be investing in a flat cap and a tartan thermos flask?

Weeded around beans, carrots (what carrots?), beetroot (plenty of them I am glad to report), spring onions (patchy row, but I have some at home to fill in the gaps), parsnips (no show) and florence fennel (the one that had germinated has now been killed by the May sunshine). The children and I then picked the first of the strawbs. Only a few I know, but the plants are laden with fruit, and if we get the promised rain, followed by sunshine, fingers crossed we will be sick to death of strawberries in a couple of weeks time.

Old Jack, my allotment chum, has given me 2 cucumber plants. Good job as I neglected to scatter slug pellets around my squash plantlets, and what do you know, the slimey beasts scoffed half of them! Fortunately I did have a few spares, and I have sown some more at home, which isn't a bad thing as it will spread the harvesting period. I have planted courgettes in August before and been picking into November successfully.

Now to let 2 under aged sproglodites loose with a disposable BBQ and a box of matches. Hey presto, a lot of smoke, and arguing, then peace as they set about preparing our lunch. Lovely local bangers with fresh allotment salad. Onions, little gem lettuce and radish, all picked and placed on the grill or our gobs within a minute. Now you can't get fresher than that. Even daughter number one tried some grilled onion as she loves the smell, and she admited to liking it. So, since we have been lunching on the plot, she had taken to eating both radish, and cooked onion. What next I wonder?

Hunger and thirst sated, Mark went about building me another brassica cage to cover the recently planted curly kale and cavalo nero. I also still had a few odds and sods of the brassica world to plant, so they are now all planted ready to furnish our winter dinners with greens.

A very productive day and I left feeling very satisfied. I was hoping to get back during the next week, but I think work will take priority, especially with the weather forecast - I can see jobs backing up and me rushing to catch up. However, I do need to go back on Wednesday as I have promised a few lettuce and some rhubarb to the local country market. Maybe by then there will be more strawbs. mmmmmmm.