Wet half term

We popped up today because I have been missing going up soooo much! As soon as we got there we took a few pix and the rain came again. It is real sharp showery weather at the moment followed by brilliant sunshine and the odd rainbow. Beautiful colours are everywhere with trees ranging from still green to orange and red and yellow. Fabulous as you drive through the countryside.

Half term and it means two monkeys to drag up but bless them they complied today and did come with me to check out our veg.

The raspberrie canes have started to show leaf growth - amazing since they looked like dead twigs when we put them in. The onions and leeks are having a good go now and standing up proud. I think the cabbages may have survived being eaten and are getting bigger. The brussels look badly munched on by slugs and snails so not so confident about those.

All in all it is looking in good shape entering into Winter and having been largely ignored for a couple of weeks.

Afterwards we popped to see Ivy and the boys were fighting like Dinosaurs, when Sammy head butted Lou and knocked his VERY wobbly front teeth -after blood and much todo, Lou twisted it out himself. One front tooth down, one to go. Well done Lou!

Pumpkin Harvest

We went up today to cut and harvest the Pumpkins. They looked so fabulous, a bright orange and the boys were very excited. We also received some Raspberry canes and Jerusalem Artichokes from our friend Clare and so we are giving her one of our Pumpkins in return. Her boys Milo, Frank and Dougal will love that.

We dug over the Pumpkin plot and planted the Artichokes (fartichokes) and the boys think it is funny they make you fart when you eat them! We also discarded the Gourd which has finally stopped and been very kind to us and the Tomato plant. Squarecrow Jack passed away today and Louis enjoyed using his insides to make a straw path between two beds. He also enjoyed using his head as a punch bag!

Sammy and Louis went on adventures today whilst we trimmed the path and dug/composted an area for Raspberry canes. They went all around the allotment site discovering secret passageways. Lou was very good with Sammy every time a car came, I could see two blonde heads holding hands through the undergrowth.

Quite a lot achieved today and we just about kept an even calm with the promise of Ice Age 3 on DVD when we got home! Lovely to be up on an Autumn day clearing and making way for new crops.

Granddad's Birthday and Sausage Sizzle

Granddad came to visit and we planned a sausage sizzle up the allotment with present giving and a bit of light weeding and pruning thrown in! The boys love cooking hot dogs outside and sat on a bench with Granddad enjoying them. Today was hot so we were playing in the water troughs and getting very wet to cool down. We needed to water the young cabbages and leeks and Granddad helped with some pruning to get some light to one of the plots.

Louis got hold of the camera today and took some great photos. One of my favourites being a framed image of the unreal blue sky we had today. He experimented with motion and different angles, I thought they were great!

After it all got too hot for us we took two naked boys (they had got soaked through) to the Old Sarum airfield and sat and watched the crazy people taking off in Microlights, or scooters with wings as we think they should be known. Lots of action today and small planes of all types going up and coming down.

Granddad went home with a gourd from the allotment with the promise of other veg when it comes! We have also decided to pick one of our precious pumpkins on the way to school tomorrow for Harvest Festival which is a really nice thing to be able to do.

Indian Summer

It is super hot at the moment and messing with my senses a bit. As we kick through leaves on the way to school we are wearing shorts and barely needing t-shirts up top. The conkers are everywhere and we have an impressive collection but at the same time it is hot and sunny and the sky is blue from 7.30 am. We wake up in the dark and go out to school in shorts. It is wonderful!

Sammy and I popped up the allotment yesterday to water the very dry soil and saw onions poking through and the leeks looking stronger. The pumpkins add real colour to the plot and are hanging on to their 'umbilical cord' at the root but we will cut them soon I think.

I thought the Gourds were done but I keep finding more! Sammy enjoyed playing in the water trough to cool down which I didn't expect in Autumn. As I watered the Cabbages, little white flies flew around so I will have to do something about that. Our Allotment Association suggests putting a bulb of Garlic in the water in your can so it's worth a try.