Cabbages and Community

Just looked it up. You could be right John. My photo is not at all clear.

👍

Hope you are now dry and warm Cyrinne 🦅

Ahah. Just been on our local FB group. We have a growing flock of parakeets in the area. They are apparently easy targets for small birds of prey.

Kestrel??

I was just standing at the kitchen window when I saw the birds in the garden scatter. The bird on the fence (long distance shot with my phone) swooped in and landed.
I think it’s a kestrel. Never had a BoP in the garden before.

Feeling a bit flat. Didn’t sleep too well. But a group of us are singing carols at the local brewery Christmas Beer Festival this lunchtime. The owner is a friend & the event sold out over a week ago, so I suppose I’d better make the effort. At least there’ll be free beer afterwards. 🍺

Sign the petition to end peat sales! No more delays: Let's get peat out of gardens once and for all. The time for uncertainty has ended.

This is the big one. The petition to get the peat ban done. New Government, new petition, final hurdle. Please keep signing and sharing! Let's get to 10,000 people actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal...

If you have a big following, please share this petition to get the word back out there - we are so close but need to help raise awareness with the new set of MPs in Government actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal... @peatfree.bsky.social

Every site has the self proclaimed expert Sue. We have a particular lady. It’s best not to ask her opinion as you could lose an hour or two of your planned working time. 😂

It's a lovely community, with everyone looking out for everyone else.

UK farmers lose £800m after heat and drought cause one of worst harvests on record Many now concerned about ability to make living in fast-changing climate after one of worst grain harvests recorded

UK farmers lose £800m after heat and drought cause one of worst harvests on record

Three of five worst harvests on record occurred since 2020, leaving some farmers asking whether the growing impacts of climate crisis are making it too financially risky to sow their crops.

Track

Pond

I noticed yesterday running Barney that the surface of the field is much softer & is starting to cut up. The latest rain has saturated it at last.
On the plot the track is showing similar signs, but my beds are fine & the drainage pond has little in it. 2024 must have been VERY wet! 🤞for 2026.

Fruit cages

Got a msg from a fellow allomenteer today that the recent high wind has uprooted 2 of my fruit cages. He was concerned that the frames would buckle unless I got there quick.
Did so, but forgot to take a pic until afterwards. The one on the right still needs some work but they are secure for now.

Too tiring 💤

We watched it yesterday.

Sign the petition to end peat sales! No more delays: Let's get peat out of gardens once and for all. The time for uncertainty has ended.

If you are sick and tired of Governments failing to implement a peat compost ban again and again - to save all of the habitat it destroys each year and bring security to jobs and businesses in horticulture - please sign this petition actnow.peatfreepartnership.org.uk/end-peat-sal... I’ve signed

Our Christmas countdown for nature lovers is back! 😍🎄

A little bit of wildlife magic every morning...

Who's ready to open door 1 with us?

#RSPBAdvent

A super article. Winter really does provide such a show of wonderful structure and, as light lowers, there is an almost ethereal beauty that's just too good to miss.

We’re a mix of carnivores, veggies & vegans so dinner could be interesting.

We have 2 daughters, a granddaughter, a niece and her friend from Germany & Jasper the mad spaniel visiting today with son & daughter in law coming later. B & SiL we’re also expected but have had to cry off due to illness.
It’s all a bit frantic. I need a quiet corner for a nap. 💤

I finally got the last of the spring bulbs, removed from the patio troughs when they were replanted, planted out in the garden.
So many of the newly purchased bulbs that I planted a while ago are already breaking through.
Thought they were supposed to wait until after winter!
Crazy! 🤷🏼‍♂️

Hedgerow trimming

Row of trees

Barney

Beautiful day at the playing fields & High Wood today.
At one end the council are butchering the hedgerow.
At the other a fallow deer runs along the line of trees & disappears into the wood.
In the middle Barney waits patiently for me to throw the ball.

Bring back the ancient woodlands smothered beneath your timber plantations Ancient woodlands are vanishing – and with them, some of our most loved and endangered wildlife. Over 100,000 acres of our public forests used to be ancient woodland - that’s bigger than the Isle of W...

🌳Vast areas of our most vital habitat are at risk of being lost forever.

Will you join Dame Judi Dench and @wildcard.land in calling for DEFRA to fund the restoration of our publicly owned ancient woodlands?
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/br...

Thanks Cyrinne. I’ve already started on chapter one and can see how my writing and flow has developed since I started. This could take some time.

Lads I have listed some Acro props and a coal purdonium on eBay be a dear and tell some one who might buy them!!!

This afternoon I actually finished my book & I’m so chuffed with myself.
With some severe checking & editing ahead it currently stands at just over 100k words.
The real test will be when the proof reading etc starts.
In the mean time, I’m enjoying the moment. 😁🥂

Leaf mulch

So much natural mulch on the plot this morning. It’s great having a line of trees near by. Do your stuff leafies.

Garlic and onions

Brassicas

Strawberries

Delighted to see how well my autumn onion & garlic plantings are doing. My brassica cage is in various stages of development. We’ll see what happens over winter.
My new strawberry plants are also flourishing.

Plot

Track

Drainage pond

Called into the plot this morning after recent frosts, torrential rain & winds. When the sun came through it was like an early spring day.
The track is muddy but my plot has drained. Yet there’s only 2” in my drainage pond. The ground is obviously still soaking it up.

Barney in his nope, I’m not going out in that pose.

What a wet miserable day. Even Barney turned his nose up at a run out. We’ll make up for it tomorrow.
Spent the day writing. I’m so close to finishing my book. Then the editing & proof reading starts, not to mention seeing how best to get it published.
I’m a first timer. Any advice will be welcome.