Dusty chickens

A definite sign this week that at last the weather is getting warmer and the ground drying out... the feather fiends found a patch of ground suitable for a dust bath (click image to enlarge). The spot they found was where I lit a fire last September, trying to get rid of the wasps' nest. Hope the queen wasp doesn't decide to come out from her hibernation while there's a chicken's bum on top of her!

On the theme of getting warmer, the temperature hit 60 degrees farenheit (15.5 centigrade) midweek. And yes, I have started recording the maximum/minimum daily temperatures. Bit of a blip the first day when I realised having the thermometer inside the shed was a little pointless, so I found a sheltered spot out of the sun to position the instrument. Once I've filled a page, about a couple of weeks, I'll publish a chart.

Back to work Tuesday and Wednesday, and Monday was a day at home because of the last chemotherapy session for a few months (hurrah!). Chipped away at creating more path down the centre of the back plot on the free days I had. I'm sure that path is on a conveyor belt... it seems the more I do, the more I still have to do. Dug more of the of the left hand border on the back plot as well.

Some of the garden bulbs I planted in pots in the greenhouse have started showing. In celebration I planted some radish and tomato seeds to accompany them.

Feeling a bit devoid of cups at present... well, not just feeling. After a superhuman effort to win again at squash on Sunday against son David and bring the score to 2-2 for the month, I lost the decider on Tuesday. So I'm now 2-0 down in months this year (note... we're only at February). Then on Wednesday fought my way back in the pub games competition against David and John to have a play off decider against John, only to lose that. Finally on Thursday had a great game of tennis (yes, tennis!) against Barry to lose 4-6 and another cup down the plug hole. It's almost as though getting to a play off is merit enough without having to win. That must be it... I could win every time if I wanted to but subconsciously I'm taking pity on them and LETTING them win. Hmmmm... feel better now.

Had a visit from my youngest granddaughter Izzy and mum Becky Tuesday lunchtime. She's mastered the art of scootering at almost 3 years and wanted to show me. Got a text from Becky to say she'd set off on the scooter about 12:50. No sign at our house at 13:05 so I walked down the street a bit to meet them. See the picture below (click to enlarge)... she was in pig tails as well. We then got into a routine of her scootering a bit, me then whooshing her along with both her feet on the scooter. After a couple of goes at this she looked up into my face with her big brown eyes and said lovingly 'Silly boy'!

	Izzy in her Smartie coat
	Sunset over Hillrise Allotments

Wood to coppice

Brought back a few hazel twigs from a walk in Hayley Wood yesterday with the intention of growing them into bean poles I could coppice. Should have checked up first... looking up on the Internet it appears to take about six years for hazel to grow enough to coppice, and there's some doubt whether you can propogate from just sticking twigs in the ground. Seems you have to layer from an existing tree. So the mini forest shown here (click to enlarge) will have to be converted into a hazard to stop the pidgeons nibbling the tops of my onions planted in the same patch.

So I'm now on to willow, which I understand will grow easily from just sticking it in the ground (looks like you actually have to beat it off with a stick, it's so energetic) and only takes two years to produce poles to coppice.

I was accompanied on the Hayley Wood trip by grandchildren Connor, Sammy and Paige as shown below. Main aim of the trip was to give their mums some relief during the half term holiday and to have a bit of fun. Didn't quite work out that way. Was muddier than I anticipated... it's a pity the vehicles used to manage the wood make such a mess of the paths... resulting in Connor and Paige ending up face first in mud. By the time we had a picnic half way round Connor was fed up because I wouldn't let him wander off on more adventurous paths. Click here to listen to how much he wanted his mum at this point. Five minutes later he was enjoying himself as he poked a stick in some puddles.

But the real low point of the 'adventure' came at the end when I carried Paige in to her house (I'd taken all their wellies off)... thought it safer to take the youngest first. Returned a few seconds later to find the car rolling backwards with both Connor and Sammy inside! Fortunately I'd turned the front wheels inwards so the car soon stopped as it rolled up and over the kerb, but it gave me a huge fright. Sure I'd put the handbrake on properly... and I had. Connor had got out of his seat and pulled the handbrake off. He went to bed with a telling off and no story.

Weather been milder this week but not much sunshine. Thought about getting a diary and recording the maximum and minimum temperatures each day on my allotment. Suppose I could chart it and compare years, might help me in deciding when to plant things. Can't decide whether that would be useful or just too sad for words. Maybe it would interest my fellow allotment holders. Think I might just do it without telling anyone until I've got enough data to see if it's interesting.

Planted some perennials in the nursery bed to bring on ready for planting in our garden. Also planted a victoria plum and a cherry tree that Beth got me from Tesco for £7.00 each. Not sure about the cherry tree... looks like it needs another to pollinate so I'll have to hope there's one nearby somewhere.

Got a letter through the door from St Ives Town Councill clerk addressed to all allotment plot holders. 'Following a recent incident' it reminds us all to treat the grounds maintenance team with respect and courtesy and that any incidents of inappropriate behaviour, either verbal or physical, will not be tolerated. Goes on to remind us that vehicles shouldn't be driven on the tracks in the winter months. Sounds like a problem has arisen with one plot holder... so why write to all of us??? Will raise with the allotment association.

Flooding around St Ives has been as high as I can remember it in places, although with the flood defences installed over the last couple of years it's hard to compare with past years. See pictures below.

I'm the proud holder of two of the three cups at present. Won at squash on Tuesday against David, though I lost January to him and am now 2-1 down this month with only two matches to go... I've got to win both to save the month. Won at raquetball against Barry yesterday, but lost at pool against David and John on Wednesday.

Few more photos below (click to enlarge).

	Victoria plum tree in situ
	The woodchip path on the back plot gradually getting near the end
	Nobles Field under water
	Looking out across the water meadow
	Flooded path along The Thicket

Frozen chicken

It's been a bit of a toss up who's been the most miserable over the last two weeks... the feathered fiends with their first experience of snow, or me laid up with a miserable cold, cough, chest... well, just about everything wheezing.

The chickens were not at all happy with the snow. They each found a perch to keep them clear and when they had to come for food they tried to fly over as much of it as they could. It wasn't a happy time for Izzy Chicken (shown here, click to enlarge). Being white, she almost disappeared against the background, leaving a yellow beak and red comb to float about ghost-like.

Had a couple of hours at the plot today, when I tidied out the potting shed ready for planting seeds and moved the geraniums into the greenhouse to start encouraging them back into growth. But that's the first decent session on the plot in a fortnight. When I have managed up recently it's been for as short a spell as possible. Prior to that Becky and Beth did the honours looking after the chickens.

The worse bout of snow that I can remember was followed by the worse flooding on the plot. The forecast looks hopeful though, with much warmer weather from Tuesday. The sun was warm today and the temperature in the shed got up to 65 farenheit. Now where's that planting calendar?

More photos below, just click to enlarge.

	Frozen approach to the Hill Rise allotments
	Spot the allotment
	Flooding when the thaw started
	Where's the chicken run gone... it's all water!
	Garlic
	Broadbean
	Valentine card to me from Connor
	Picture on front door that welcomed Connor & Paige
	Beck sent these from Izzy... pulling faces to cheer me up
	David's puppy he got for Christmas. He's called it Jazz.