"Mighty things from small beginnings grow" John Dryden

Well, these are very small beginnings, and a very messy polytunnel (there are only so many hours in a day that can be spent in the tidying and cleaning mode...well, there are for me anyway). Mighty things may one day appear if I continue to hold off the armies of mice and their henchmen and partners in battle, the slugs. The white bits all over the soil are egg shells, in plentiful supply thanks to many hearty breakfast eaters. Apparently slugs do not like to get their tunnies scratched, I am with them on that one. The ugly plastic bits round the plants are chopped off plastic bottles which attempt to provide an extra barrier to the aforementioned attacks and also act as a mini cloche. I am driven to scavenging bottles from wherever I can (it can become an obsession!) as even one planting of peas can take a lot of bottles but we are getting there. I have just looked at the photos as I have downloaded them onto here, and yes, admittedly the outside stuff is on the tiny side, there are lots of potatoes lurking just under the ground which is why it looks very bare at the far side. But hey, look at those radishes in the foreground! You will all be envious of those in a few weeks......All that digging will be well worth it then!!!

Snuffles, Daisy and Snowy Go Forth

A big adventure today for the rodents who were released into the Wide World.. this is relatively speaking, It was actually a space far larger than their hutch and with soooo much more grass. Wall to wall grass as far as they are concerned with dog security officers to boot (don’t turn your back on Lucy though, Snowy Rabbit). Whilst this was going on I was tending veggies. Freya planted out her courgettes and I hoed round the peas, sweet peas, carrots and oh so minute parsnips. We had some very baby spinach with tea, plus some lettuce. I hear it is now very trendy to grow your own, and for the first time vegetable seeds have overtaken flowers. In our own very modest way we are trying to do a bit of Good Life stuff with salad stuff, the inevitable tomatoes, the aforementioned, potatoes, nasturtiums for salads, basil, parsley and cucumbers, asparagus (which is lovely)radishes (for Peter) and strawberries from Garret’s Granddad’s allotment. An ex miner, Alf had an allotment for many, many years and cut quite a figure cycling up every day to tend a host of gorgeous veggies and chrysanthemums. He supplied local shops when such a thing was permissible without H and S and Uncle Tom Cobbley poking their noses in. He was well into his 70’s when I first knew him and was very tolerant of my reckless enthusiasm for picking his precious crops when small (and hence delicious) “Eeh lass, what a waste, tha should wait for ‘em to grow ta proper size” he would be revolving nineteen to the dozen six feet under had he known that his carefully tended bolt hole and second career is now under the A1/M1 link round Leeds.

Run Rabbit Run

All panic stations are clanging their klaxons and banging their metaphorical sauce pans as the 1/2 marathon approaches and insufficient miles have been pounded under trainers, hmmm, no change there then. Managed a 7-8 miler today with Liz (not too sure of the route to map and get the exact distance.) Wasn't very fast though and although I could blame Liz this would not be very honest as I was just feeling slower! We did see this little church like building just by the track past Minard Castle, I have never heard tell of it before.
Another lovely day for the happy tourists and those who have to wash copious amounts of bedding...

Too hot for a walk in the Hills so we found a stream and did what kids do best.

All one (very nice) nighters last night so a big changeover again this am. Luckily Toby set too and helped with a willing heart so we could get out and about which we did despite soaring temperatures. This walk is the extension of the one I sometime start on Karate nights but was VERY hot today. On Photo 3 which is taken on the return journey you can see our return path winding away on the right hand side (just) and Loch Awe in the distance.

Saturday

Another gorgeous day dawned, and a busy one too. Lots of lovely guests, and they were lovely too to breakfast and see on their way before setting to to do those rooms and get them ready for more lovely guests. We scurried away in order to be able to get to the Seafood Fair at Loch Fyne Oysters where the Inveraray Parent Council had a tea and coffee stall (Posters courtesy of Rosie), strictly in the interest of making money NOT being healthy at all. We did a 2hr stint and I spent more money on all the lovely food surrounding us than had I made a donation to the school and kept my two hours! No matter, we had fun and ate well. We all worked away with Garret on urn duty…a very important position. After sorting guests and children Garret and I left Rosie and Toby watching “The Great Escape” in the tender care of Grandad and made our own “Escape” (spot the seamless link there!) down to The George where we downed a couple of chilled white wines/tequilas and shared a couple of starters. Peter had driven us down there but for the return journey I ditched the high heeled boots into a back pack and we ran the 3.5 miles home (we did not start to run until at Inveraray outskirts for decency sakes). Ohhh that ice water in a bowl felt good when ½ hr later we reached home…..and here is the real rub…The Great Escape had not even finished!! I dreamt of sore feet all night!!

Piggy Wisdom

Garret is getting into a roll (not of the bacon variety of course (oooh an endless supply of piggy jokes coming up)) with the pig project as the hut is slowly taking shape, of a sort. Ably assisted by Freya (for about 10 minutes) the walls are slowly growing up towards the arc roof which proved a good shelter today from a wee shower during tea break. We have been consulting the God of Self sufficiency, John Seymour re the intricacies of Pig keeping for the average small holder. I have been dipping into John Seymour for many years so to speak after buying the first book at a car boot whilst still living in a through terrace house in Harehills, Leeds and dreaming those dreams. My store has slowly increased with the gardening books and Forgotten Household Tasks tome (less useful but very beautiful that one) and a fascinating source of valuable information from the three crop rotation through making pasta (“they are all spaghetti under a different name to me”) and of course pig keeping. John is very dispassionate, down to earth as you would expect but tongue in cheek at the most unexpected places. This is the culmination (almost…we get find out how to butcher the animal just after) of the pig section…..

“ Lure your pig into the killing room, put a little food on the floor, and then shoot the pig with a .22 rifle in the brain”

This raises two questions, outside an abattoir who the hell has a killing room in the average house, and well, at least they get to re use the food scattered as the last supper.

PS Run with Liz am (3 miles 35 minutes...4.8km 7.2 mins/km) then a swim.

PPS Happy Birthday Aunty (to distinguish from running Liz) Liz!!

A short but sweet run

Another glorious day for the west coast. How shall I sum up my doings today....
1. 6 breakfasts
2.A short interview at school with two examiners about Tom the Janitor who is up for Janitor of the Year Award, he is through to the last three. so, I spilled the beans and now he has been sacked...no, we gave him all the praise he thoroughly deserves...go get 'em Tom!
3. Liberated the peas from their " place of acclimatisation" to the garden.
4. Welcomed and made refreshments for guests thirsty for a cuppa after their drive
5. Picked asparagus for Garret from polytunnel and jealously guarded it from the children who have had most of it so far.
6. Encouraged Garret from afar as he begins to lay a base for our new impending arrivals...Two piglets....I am sure there will be photos.
7. Deemed it cool enough to water the peas etc...get that they needed watering! That means it has not rained for days now!
7. Omlettes made with Guinea fowl eggs for tea..there's a novelty. They are lovely, very hard shells.
8. Children to Karate and me for very slow run during which I discovered several blisters from last night...but hey look at that view!