Watching and blogging

Autumnwatch continues next Monday through Thursday on BBC2 at 8.00pm every day. Don’t forget to have a look at Martha Roberts’s related blog Autumn on the Island as well.

The excellent series Wild China which was shown earlier in the year is being repeated starting Sunday on BBC2 at 6.00pm with 1/6. Heart of the Dragon. These were superb programmes, which I highly recommend and I’ll certainly be watching them again.

To mark the start of the BBC’s 90 Years of Remembrance season Saturday’s Timewatch on BBC2 at 8.15pm is The Last Day of World War One with Michael Palin.

Having pondered about writing a 50,000 word novel during November I have decided to leave it for another year, however I have signed up to NaBloPoMo.

I’m going back to my blogging roots and I’ll be doing an aviation related entry every day throughout  November over on Looking skyward. I’ll still be doing my usual entries here as well!

Have a good weekend!

Plot wind down

It’s not surprising that, after the rain and frosts we’ve had lately, the plot is now looking rather drab.

Apart from a soggy rose (1) and the rosemary (2) now in the stone feature everything is beginning to die back for the winter like this globe artichoke (3).

(1) (2)  (3) 

It was certainly wintry last night as it snowed here for a couple of hours! There were still signs that it’d settled in places such as my log seat (4), near the pond (5) and on the log pile (6)

(4) (5) (6)

As I came through the main gate onto the site I caught a first sighting of a bird on the nut feeder that I’ve mentioned here, but usually only hear or catch a quick glimpse of overhead. Maybe one day I’ll get a photo of one of them like this

It’s good to see all the birds again after a notable few months absence. Watching Autumnwatch last night Bill Oddie explained that during that time adult birds had molted and whilst growing new feathers were less able to fly well so kept themselves hidden away out of harms way.

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!