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Wednesday 2 March 2016

Powering up...


"The great outdoors"... Hmmmn well mostly; and nearly always feels so; when one is outward bound primarily for recreation. 

Yesterdays very cold and wet and windy harvesting day was one of the very few occasions each year when I speculate on the benefits of an office job.

 I am fully aware that I would last about half a day in that environment; the second half of which would be taken up by being voluntarily sectioned; or explaining to a desk sergeant exactly why, I did what I did, to the printer that wouldn't talk to the computer...

However; studies have shown that 'Outdoorsy people are nicerer than indoorsy ones'....!/


 Hmmmn well; at least us not always nice as pie; outdoorsy sorts give everyone else a break from time to time by going away to remote places...

And I couldn't say for sure but I suspect that deskbound folk don't get voluptuous loveliness like this; expertly crafted for their delectation. 

The custard wasn't so big this week, its the leeks that were teensy, gourmet offerings, double the price for half the size might apply in a fancy supermarket. But here you get twice as many.

Quite generous doncha think? Considering the almost Biblically foul weather they were lifted in.   


Is that the face of Mrs Beeton we see; pictured in the blueberries?


Now this would have been the place to spend a soggy drear Wednesday...
Tucked up in the toasty glasshouse...
Yikes! The benches in the greenhouse are already full, and its only just March... There is just never enough space. 
Here the seed germination; and plantlet growth is hastened by custom made heating mats on the benches.
 They're a bit like electric blankets; but set into a heavy duty foil sheet. 
This is overlaid with thick polythene, then capillary fabric to provide water to the modules from underneath. Which is finally topped off with thin perforated polythene; which impedes the growth of algae and moss thereupon; but allows water through
A temperature probe into a bag of moist compost nested between the trays regulates the heat via the adjustable gauge. 


Second sowing of peas in the foreground nearly ready to go out... First sowing already happily growing away in the polytunnel.... Must go out 'a mollusc hunting with headtorch and scissors....Slugs love fresh pea shoots... Don't worry, I'm not going to post a picture of that nocturnal activity, even with googly eyes...

 And fascinating slug factoid #16 (look away now if you're squeamish)  by the morning the resulting carnage is cleared up ....The surviving slugs eat their deceased breatheren...Eeeww!



There's a bit of a campaign going on at the moment to persuade people to switch to Greener Electricity suppliers.

It would be great; of course; to have some solar panels here to harvest more of the sunshine, and if one has some spare dosh sloshing about in the bank it's definitely worth doing; but that might have to wait.

But the next best thing, after you've been frugal with the current, is buying from someone like this...



We've been using their 100% renewable supplies for nigh on 20 years now...
Good customer service; and its a fairly pain free of 'doing the right thing'.
Makes me feel slightly better about indulging in deep hot baths too....

And in case you were wondering..... These peoples' Electricity seems to work pretty much as well as anyone elses'  ; even if it does leave the kitchen with a faint whiff of cumin...*




















* And OK; yes you do; sometimes; have to pick little bits of hessian fluff out of the sockets; but its barely any trouble; really...













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