shetland

We're going on a spud hunt

Been a busy week, reaping what was sown a while back which has kept me from the allotment. Not that that freshly prepped tattie bed is still vacant as maggie sandy and patrick stepped up to the plate and got the Maris Bards in on thursday on a spud planting expedition as documented by Sandy. You can imagine the level of instructions I gave!

Whilst there, Maggie and the boys were approached by the previous plotholder who still walks her dog on the golf course everyday. When I first moved in to plot no. 45 Pat had left me a note in the shed wishing me good luck, her and her late husband has had many having years tending and cropping but it was too much for just her now. I never met her in my two years since we moved up the site, but apparently she keeps an eye out for it each day, and particularly likes the stoop!

And I was quite touched as whilst you all avidly read the latest online, Pat comes past once a day, and is quietly happy to see it still productive and tended. And as the seasonal cycle starts again, the fruit buds starting to swell in spring sunshine, and the seeds soaked start to slowly germinate through the shorter nights... its not my allotment. I'm just looking after it for the now.

Shovel our Shit day

Got stuck in early on Sunday, and managed to get the Fen Early onions in,

prepped the bed for the first earlies (Maris Bard) only to get a phone call at 9.21am calling me away to get to Crammond whilst the tide was out for a walk with the boys and good pals Colin and Sharon. Apparently the lifeboat at South Queensferry is the busiest in Scotland (as opposed to those slackers at North Berwick!) due to people getting stuck on the island - the RNLI are having a SOS themed fundraiser next year - Jan 28 2011 and are asking people to come up with their own event - Sow our Spuds day? (too early!), Sharpens our spade day (difficult to pan that out too full day?!) Shovel our Shit day (methinks thats the money bus!) - diaries out please!!