Get a grip woman!

Suffolk_lass

I pruned the Bramley apple tree I wanted to do after my brunch with bee pals but then the Spring seemed to change its mind and it rapidly got colder, so I took dog for a walk, down past our bees on the farm, treading very carefully to avoid twisting that troublesome ankle. The walk was a little shorter than normal but he did not mind. I have got up this morning to more rain. I could really do with two days out in the garden to get clear. Apart from the big holly, most of the work now is at lower level. Plus my greenhouse needs a good turn out and put back, if you know what I mean.

I have four for a roast today but the timing will depend on DS's GF taking meds as she needs to eat something a set interval later. I have a piece of YS or SO topside of beef and have pre-made the YP mix. I think we will keep things simple but I want to use up some crumble mix so maybe a bag of rhubarb (the only fruit I froze last year) will get liberated today

Happy Mothering Sunday, for those that do

Suffolk_lass

Right, I need to start my revision proper for my exam which is less than two weeks away. I may be MIA for a day or two.

In the meantime I'm thinking cold beef sandwiches for lunch today (bread on first prove) and I will mince the rest, making a minced beef supper (deconstructed cottage pie, aka my Mum's mince and mash with savoy cabbage and baked beans) and I might copy zafiro1984 and make a meat paste with the slightly more pureed mince, only if I add butter I can call it pate!

I must make a few calls this week too, to my old thatcher, a different chimney sweep who is HETAS affiliated (bound to be more money!) and the house insurance people

KajiKita

Good luck with the exam 😊

KK

Watty1

Hope revision is going well.

foxgloves

Is this your bee exam, @Suffolk_lass? Good luck. I've never known anyone so knowledgeable about bees! There was a rather sorry-looking one on our birdseed feeder yesterday & I almost photographed it to ask you if you knew what it was!
F

Suffolk_lass

@foxgloves - yes, it is the second of seven written exams. There are three (more) practical assessments too, and I have signed up to do an improvers course that will include queen rearing. I am always happy to help with bee pics as I can ask the local beekeeping entomologist if I don't know.

Right, Back to the garden - moving about a hundred foxgloves today and removing thistles, nettles and ragwort as I go

beanielou

Good luck. 😉 

Suffolk_lass

I ache a bit this morning! Lost DH for most of yesterday as DS's GF was in A&E with no support, having hit her hand on the wall while dancing in a VR headset, so he went over to reassure her. 3 x-rays, 2 reset efforts, lots of entonox and a half cast around the little finger side of her hand. Poor girl! DS sensibly did go to work and phoned his Dad for help. 

Meanwhile, we (gardener and I) made good progress on removing most thistles from the lawn, then on to the foxgloves relocation (so many foxgloves - they are apparently the most common thing to see if you re-wild) - we also have rabbit invaders so once back, DH got in the bed at the back with his long-handled twisty thing (like this but the tines are on and circular twist and ours was bought in NL). At lunchtime he took his dog for a walk and I moved some bees from a double nucleus (a nucleus is designed for a small colony and are 5/6 frames), whereas we had a second on top - it was 15c so I went for it and moved them into a proper hive. We need to move them a bit because they are next to where they were and also, we want to treat the (shed) they are against, so 1m over and a bit out, away so I can get behind to paint. Speaking of painting, We painted the front of the hive yellow, so they knew it was their home (as the poly nucleus is yellow) - using the Banana Dream 3 masonry paint I made a terrible mistake buying, when the house was painted outside!

After taking paracetamol to keep my back moving and my ankle pain down, I did some gentle pruning, cutting down last year's seed heads that have provided winter hibernation spots for native ladybirds, protected the crowns of semi-tender perennials, and seeds for winter resident birds and other wildlife. It looks much tidier but there is more to do (not least to the "lawn" which looks like a ploughed field!!

I am going to contact the ferret-using pest controllers to see if they will do some rabbit control for us. And revision... lots of revision

Suffolk_lass

After @foxgloves reported on missing Soot (now home) I reported our excitement from this week, realising my revision has taken over here...
It's awful when an animal is MIA. Our dog ran off on Wednesday while DH was checking the bee hives on the farm. He was on his fixed lead and in his harness with lead under foot. DH became distracted in that one thing at a time kind of thing that happens to him sometimes and dog removed himself and did not come when called. I received a distraught call from DH, jumped in the car and drove to the lane, in case he was on his way home in the road. I met the WFH policeman with his dog and asked him to keep an eye open, and then, as I started to drive before shutting my window, I heard my name. The newly retired chap in the big house had been sitting by his patio doors and was distracted by a large squirrel or fox, only to see the blue lead and wagging tail of our dog. Lots of yipping and kisses (for me, by the dog) as we met by the drive to the Hall, and a quick call to DH. All is well and I was able to pass on a jar of honey last night to the neighbour (he used to train dogs).

A little postscript - the neighbour called his still working wife (asking for my contact details) and she was with a client so said she would call him back, he insisted, and the client insisted she take it. He said x (my dog's name) is here without his Daddy and she told him to walk to our house or carry him if needed. The client of course assumed it was a small child on reins. She was too polite to say it was a dog. Well I had tears rolling down my cheeks when I heard this. So funny. And SO relieved.

Watty1

What a great story!