Cabbages and Community

I know how you feel Mary.

Water feature

We had a leak in our water feature last year. I pulled most of the left side apart to find it & didn’t get it put back before winter.
Did some heavy lifting today & got it going.
I’m happy with the left side but the right & the top still need some work.
Lovely to hear the water running again.

I know that one so well 😂

I was just looking at mine this morning Johnny and thinking the same.

My wife still works part time so part of my function in the house is to change the bed & wash sheets & towels etc.
I always get a strange sense of achievement getting laundry washed & dried in one day.

Sewage Watch – Protect our rivers and beaches Since April 2023 Sewage Watch has been keeping a running log of press coverage on the state of sewage dumping into our rivers and onto our beaches. Updated March 2026

Sewage Watch – Protect our rivers and beaches

Since April 2023 Sewage Watch has been keeping a running log of press coverage on the state of sewage dumping into our rivers and onto our beaches. Updated March 2026

westenglandbylines.co.uk/features/bro...

I visited the allotment today to position my trail camera. I’d like to see in advance what wildlife is about & if we’ve sorted the deer problem.
My weather app is looking pretty positive for the next ten days 🤞
If it stays good I’m planning to start work down there next week.

High Wood

High Wood

View over a farmers field

A ‘mooch’ through High Wood this morning to break up the ball play & training session with Barney.
Won’t be long before all this is green.

Sports field

Such a delight today just to stand in the middle of the field & take in the day. You can now walk across the grass instead of wading through it. The sun is out with a lovely gentle southwesterly breeze. As I get older, the joys of nature seem so much more significant.

Washing

Washing on the line for the first time this year. Sunny with a light breeze - perfect!

I started that yesterday. I know how you feel. 😂

Butterfly

A visitor to my garden this morning. I was out there in the sunshine, getting on with some proper work for the first time this year. Poor quality photo but I think it’s a Peacock.

Oeuf! That looks good. 😋

Buried under the patio eh? 🤔

Sounds fun. Barney hasn’t experienced anything but a light snow shower in his 4 years.
Will hopefully be getting back in the garden soon now the weather is improving. Will get back to the allotment to start tidying and planting next month.

Trees

There were 2 woodpeckers at each end of the wood this morning competing to see who could rap the loudest.
Appreciating the random patterns these branches create against a brightening sky. 2/2

Larkins field

We had some rain yesterday but not as much as recently. The soggy parts of Larkin’s field are still wet, but the firmer areas are showing signs of draining. Barney was a little easier to clean up today than when wet mud was being kicked up underfoot.
Waiting for High Wood to spring into life. 1/2

Now the rain appears to have backed off for a few days I’m looking forward to developing a similar ache.

New track

Allotment John

Job done! We have a sound track again.
Allotment John scraping up the last bits.

Love a positive mindset. 😂

Apparently our rain will be getting warmer over the coming days. 🌧️

Pile of crushed concrete

Filled track

Filled track

Work has started spreading the crushed concrete and beefing up the site tracks.
It’s forecast to hose it down overnight so another gathering is planned for Friday morning.

I spotted a blue tit checking out one of our nesting boxes today. 17th Feb in Essex UK on a dry but chilly day with a northerly wind. I wonder if it’s from the family that nested / fledged from here last year?

My first book has had 2 major, independent edits & has now gone to a proofreader for any last corrections.
A group of very bookish friends will then read for pleasure & give feedback before I think about publishing.
In the mean time, I’ve gathered enough material for book 2 & just written chapter 1

Bottom end of the allotment site

Today, the track is still dumping water, but thanks to my land drains my plot is dry & my overflow pond is full. I love it when things work as intended.
The delivery was delayed, so I left John to it. I’ll go back tomorrow. He can’t wait to start dressing the tracks & carpark with the rubble. 2/2

Flooded track

Dry plot

Overflow pond

Called into the plot to support Allotment John with the arrival of 18t of crushed concrete.
2yrs ago the wet spring was dumping surface water from the neighbouring lawn on to the track, that then flooded the top third of my plot. 1/2

Tomorrow an 18t load of crushed concrete will be delivered to the allotment site. It’s a project we put to the Horticultural Society last year & they finally agreed & paid for it. The tracks into & down the site need building up to prevent them flooding & cars bottoming. Pics to follow.

When I got my plot in March 2024 1/3rd was underwater. First thing I did was dig a pond and trenches and put in land drains surrounded by loads of gravel. The pond was dry most of 2025, but that work is proving invaluable again this spring.

🚨 We’re recruiting at Spurn Bird Observatory

Head Little Tern Warden + 2 Assistant Warden roles available to help protect the Beacon Ponds Little Tern colony.

Seasonal roles | NLW | Accommodation available

👉 spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/news

Parts of the UK have had rain every day so far this year. Fortunately we seem to be on the edge of the worst downpours, but it’s still been very wet.
It’s mild - 10C but we just need a few days without rain. 🙏