Flighty's plot

A soggy Sunday!

This morning I donned my cap and wellies before venturing out to the hut to get some bird food, then on to the plot to replenish the feeders. Thanks to Louise for reminding me to do this with her entry Feeding the birds.

This rose photo is in contrast to the rather sodden one I photographed this morning on what is most definitely a soggy Sunday!

Thank you all you lovely folks, especially Daffy, Nikki, Porcelain Rose-Glo and wakeupscared, for making Friday such an enjoyable day.

It’s looking distinctly wintry from mid-week with sleet slowers and 5 degC on Wednesday and heavy rain and 8 degC on Thursday with overnight frosts!

I’ll be pondering about having a go at the National Novel Writing Month. Both Knittering with her entry NaNoWriMo and Daffy’s post with the same title got me thinking about it!

Both have signed up for it as Sinta and TraceyC, and so have I as Flighty.

If I do go ahead then I’ll be writing it here.

This is my 4th birthday…

since I’ve been blogging and, if the others were anything to go by, I’m sure that I shall have another great birthday celebration here today thanks to all you lovely folks whose virtual company I enjoy so much!

I’m sure that were we to meet then we would all hit it off immediately. As to where that should be I would have to say at Nikki’s, that is if she doesn’t mind! I know that she’d be the perfect host providing us with good food and drink, in a wonderful garden, with two purrfect cats and glorious weather. I’m also sure that Daffy would be the irrepressible life and soul of the party.

As it is I’ll have to make do with a vivid imagination whilst sitting here with a cup of tea and, because it’s my birthday, a couple of plain chocolate digestives!

Sadly there’s now nothing in bloom on the plot so I’ve chosen this rose ‘Pretty Lady’ from during the summer for my birthday flower.

Autumnwatch…

starts next Monday through to Thursday on BBC2 at 8.00pm ( note on Wednesday it starts at 7.00pm), then continues the following week.

This year it comes from a new location on Brownsea Island, off the coast near Poole, Dorset. The usual presenters Bill Oddie, Kate Humble, Simon King and Gordon Buchanan will be looking at wildlife such as red squirrels, sika deer, avocets and grey seals.

Full details can be found on the excellent Autumnwatch website. You can also follow Martha Roberts daily blog entries on The Brownsea Blog on behalf of the National Trust.

Have a good weekend!

Sofa plotting!

I’ve been given three very different gardening books over the past few weeks which will be ideal for times when the weather is not amenable to plotting.

Assortedpixels has sent me the paperback Allotted Time by Robin Shelton, which has the byline Two Blokes, One Shed, No Idea! The blurb on the back cover ends by saying Funny, touching and occasionally even instructive, this book will appeal to anyone who has ever found solace in the ability to take a bare patch of earth and make something grow.

In the bookshop on Saturday I phoned Brenda, one of the really nice customers, to say that the book she’d ordered had arrived. We talked about the shop closing and on asking me what I was going to do I told her that I intended spending more time on the plot. Later on she came into the shop to collect her book and very kindly gave me a copy of Bringing a Garden to Life by Jenny Steel. It’s an A4 sized hardback full of superb photos and useful information. The author also has this excellent Wildlife Gardening website.

The third book is In Tune With The Moon 2009 by Michel Gros – the complete day-by-day planner for growing, and living in 2009. I received this from Veg Plotting in return for the link I have here to VP’s Open Garden and the donation that I made to WaterAid. The book looks as though it will be a fascinating read, although I’m not sure just how much of it I’ll end up applying to my growing or life!

Happy reading…

Mostly chatting!

My last two plot visits, last Sunday and the previous Thursday, were in lovely warm sunshine!

On the Thursday I saw my plot neighbour Irish Brian who I don’t see often as he’s generally there a couple of week-day mornings when I’m not!

Later on I strolled along to see Trevor who was happy to sit and have a chin-wag about allotmenteering, wildlife and the world at large. It was time well spent as his advice is always helpful.

Last Sunday it was dull first thing so I went plotting after an early lunch, by which time it was warm enough to walk there in shirt-sleeves. I’d not been there long when John the bee-keeper wandered over and asked if I’d mind help to move and erect a large shed that he’d acquired.

With four of us, and John being well organised and prepared, it was shifted and put up fairly easily, quickly and without any problems. Whilst doing that I asked him about his bees as I noticed that he’s now got several hives and there were plenty of bees coming and going across where we were working! Apparently it hasn’t been a good year.

Graham, who has the next but one plot, was sorting out his dahlias many of which had been badly affected by the rain and cold nights earlier that week. He called across to say finish up what I was doing and stroll over to Joe’s seating area for a beer and a chat with everyone.

A pleasant of couple of hours were spent with John the bee-keeper, his wife Mary who makes prize winning preserves, her dad, Graham, Joe, Dee, Trevor, the other John and a few others who just stopped by to say hello or goodbye.

Afterwards I remembered to take these few photos on the plot as I knew that I wouldn’t be there again until today by which time they’d probably be gone!

The rose Valentine Heart 1) and 2) managed another flourish, and one of the multi-headed Sunflowers Autumn Beauty 3) finally bloomed

1) 2) 3)

A wonderful Californian Poppy 4), some Poached Egg Plant flowers 5) and when I was taking down the runner beans I found these Sweet Peas 6) hidden away among them!

4) 5) and 6)

That and this*

One new TV series that’s worth a mention is Stephen Fry in America. The first programme 1/6. The New World was shown last Sunday evening on BBC1 and is being shown again Saturday on BBC2 at 7.10pm. The second in the series is on Sunday BBC1 at 9.00pm. Maureen on her excellent Brilliant Britain blog did this review entry, with related links, which tells you all about it.

Starting this evening on C4 at 8.00pm is River Cottage Autumn in which Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall harvests and cooks the best that autumn has to offer. This first of four programmes is being repeated Saturday C4 at 7.00pm.

Last Sunday I mentioned that it was LAPCPADPOUB day, and Yolanda, not surprisingly, really went to town with her entry! She also made this comment on my entry, and in response to her challenge I have found this purrfect poem by Brian Patten in his book of children’s poety Juggling with Gerbils.

Itchy Cat by Brian Patten

Itchy cat, itchy cat where have you been?

To Buckingham Palace to sniff the Queen.

Itchy cat, itchy cat why do that?

Because I was chasing a right royal rat.

But I was polite and I said please,

And I came home with superior fleas.

Have a good weekend!

[* I couldn’t think of a title for this entry so I’ve borrowed this one from Daffy with thanks!]

Good and busy

The weather was really good for a few days, including all weekend. I was plotting on Thursday and Sunday, and will be doing an update later this week.

Last week I received letters and parcels from several blog friends. Many thanks for the cards and goodies. I’ll do an an entry about these sometime soon.

I found another work poem (Still) Working by I wake up strange which I’ll add to last week’s entry.

Did you know that it’s Chocolate Week! I’m surprised that I have only seen this one mention about it whilst looking around the blogs.

As many of you know I work part-time in a local independent bookshop but due to the lease expiring and the new rent being excessive the owner is calling it a day. It will probably be closing at the end of next week beyond which I’ll be busy spending more time blogging, plotting and reading.

Back to the allotment for a moment! There are foxes there, some of which are quite tame and one, Fox Newton, will take food from fellow allotmenteer Lorna‘s hand! I don’t see them very often but on Sunday this one was sunning itself on the nearby path and I managed this not very good photo.

Thanks to everyone…

who joined in the fun for Thursday’s National Poetry Day, and especially to Daffy for her irrepressible enthusiasm.

I also did this on the friendly, and at times lively, Allotments 4 All forum.

If there’s anyone else who did an entry and would like it included as a linked mention on Thursday’s entry then please leave a comment there and I’ll gladly do that.

For the many cat lovers among you, who don’t already know about this, today is Let’s All Post Cat Pictures and Dire Poetry on our Blogs day! You can see what this is all about on Veg Plotting‘s purrfectly wonderful entry!

I fully support this but I’m only doing a link to this little darling, courtesy of Yengy Photographs, and leaving the dire poetry to others!

Today is…

National Poetry Day with the theme Work, which is something that we all do one way or another just about every day.

I think that this delightful poem is rather appropriate for here.

My Little Friend by Brian H. Gent

When I take out my rake and hoe,

My little friend just seems to know,

Some tasty morsels I’ll provide

As soon as I start work outside.

He watches me without a sound,

Perched on my spade stuck in the ground,

Small wonder that our spirits soar,

Such is our simple sweet rapport.

With red bib shining in the sun,

A special magic spell is spun,

We work together side by side,

From morning till the eventide.

No truer friendship could be stirred,

Than this between a man and bird.

Over on Sofa flying there’s my favourite poem A Dance Through the Sky, and on MrFlighty there’s Today is… with an Old Thanksgiving Rhyme.

I’m sure emotions were working overtime for Daffy‘s Remembering you… in memory of her mum and Diva‘s An Angel Called Marie written for her granny, both lovely poignant poems.

La Spice, on her poetry blog, has done National Poetry Day with a wonderful poem titled Work.

Veg Plotting has responded absolutely magnificently with the terrific post Magnetic Poetry – October.

Glo‘s work poem On Task made me smile, you’ll see why when you read it!

Lois, on her Devon Life blog, has done National Poetry Day: Work with the doggerel All work and no play… along with a superb photo.

Daffy gets another mention with National Poetry Day and her poem Making it work. It’s thanks to her that I’m doing this entry as I was undecided about it until she gave me a proverbial kick up the backside!

Jenray‘s not sure about her Poem on Work for La_Spice but I think that it’s rather good!

Laura b joins us with Poetry in the United Kingdom Floats and her poem The Conference Room, which many of us will surely relate to!

I wake up strange did this superb poem (Still) Working, which is another one many will relate to!

A few reminders

Big Cat Live is on BBC1 during the evening every day through to Sunday.

National Poetry Day is on Thursday. I feel that the theme Work is rather uninspiring so I thought that I’d give it a miss this year! However Daffy has persuaded me that I must do an entry – see her comment!

So I’ll be doing one here with some relevant poems, and hope that others will do the same. It can be a quoted, or linked to, poem or one of your own. I’ll also include, as linked mentions, any entries that I come across or get told about.

Contrails… is an entry that I did on Sofa flying yesterday.