Sh[t, sh[t and more sh[t (and a sore back)

I made several attempts to get out of work early last week but all futile. So on Friday, ran out the door at 3.30pm on the dot and fled up to the lottie.

Manage to get all of the screws fixed into the last bed (remember, I ran out of juice?), and installed the final netting support posts.

Most exciting of all, two of my comrades told me a load of muck had been delivered, so went to have a look and sure enough a 5' high pile of cow poo was sitting in the midden. That was Saturday sorted then !

Yesterday, crack of dawn plus an hour and I was up there, wellies on, fork in hand, borrowed barrow and shovelling sh[t! Nearly lost a wellie at one stage, but the thought of putting my wellieless foot down for balance gave me the encouragement needed to regain my balance and tug a bit harder at the wellie ! Took as much as I could/was able to/allowed to(? ) and started loading up the beds. Greenhouse John said "is that your pile?" in a "that will never be enough" kinda way. I knew this but my back was breaking. I did go back and get a few more barrows later though and what I've left, he's going to go back on Sunday and grab ! Early birds don't just get worms on our place, they get poo too!

It's about 6 month old cow poo so I've been told, so consensus was get it forked in! Of course, my wee pile soon went down, so will go back today to procure a few more barrow loads for the bean bed that isn't quite ready yet.

There were loads of wee flies though, one went down my throat ! and my forehead is full of wee bites this morning. Just hope I don't get blue tongue disease ! Blue nose - aye, but blue tongue ? Nah - will give that a miss thanks.

Hence the covers over two of the beds to try and limit fly activity. Rather handily, the plastic sun tunnels fit exactly across the beds, so that will mean two rows germinating and once they have, move them on to the next newly sown rows. Successional sowing here we come.

I've also now cleared all the bean trellises and tee pee. There weren't many beans left on the vines, which were looking pretty frost ravaged anyway. Pulled the last of the chard and beetroot as they were in my way ! Have had to start another compost pile to the side of the darlek so covered that in black plastic.

The bed of green manure mustard is doing well and filling out nicely. There are patches where they were slower to germinate that their next door neighbours, but all in all, doing well.

More break ins had been discovered but the only damage to my plot that I could see was a bent and broken swede (which got lifted and brought home for some soup). Dug up a couple of the bigger looking leeks for the pot too.

Also brought home Ahmed's Bosnian which I left to the OH to attack with the largest knife we've got. A quarter of that is also going in the soup. I was quite pleased with AB, being my first ever pumpkin !

Only one fruit off 5 plants though, not a very good return and they take up acres of space. I suppose if I'd paid them more attention (aka known what I was doing) rather than just leave them to their own devices, they might have produced more !

When I decided I couldn't barrow, dig or even stand up straight any longer, I dropped to my knees and cleared the flower beds by the arch and put in mum's primroses.


So the photo is of the primroses, not the path ! :-) I said to a couple of people that if I couldn't get up again, I may just sleep the night in between the beds. lol


Another lovely John gave me a bag of apples, so I had one for lunch. He was wandering around with a bare rooted pot marigold given to him by one of his other wimmin ! He's such a lad.

Lots of birdy activity today. Saw a robin and some chaffinches, sparrows etc but all were quite busy flying about and chiripping lots.

Came home and immediate ran a hot bath, which must have done some good as I have actually been able to get out of bed this morning without too much difficulty.

Next weekend is a right off what with my brother coming up to say his goodbyes before disappearing to Spain to live, so I must get a load more done today just incase the work thing gets in the way again next week.

I hope to get at least one more bed built today, two if possible and more shifting poo.

I love my lottie !