For most of today’s five hours digging in cold sunshine, the allotment was all mine. Bill wandered up a couple of times to feed the chickens. He also offered to rotovate the top end of my half-allotment, where his chickens have pecked.
I would rather avoid using machinery, but at the time of the offer my back was barking. So, at least I’ll have a fully tilled piece of ground, even if there are still bits of weed root to pick out.
Bill added, with a chuckle, that when I lift my carpet that I will find mice living there. I haven’t seen any mice on the allotments yet. However, I did spot a couple of hawks/kestrels and, as the sun approached the yardarm, a barn owl.
The first potato bed is nearly dug. It should be finished tomorrow, weather permitting. At this rate, the earlies should go in by Easter.
Meanwhile, the onion and garlic plot has had two digs, a load of home made compost and some of B&Q’s finest peat compost (from sustainable sources).
Alex and I swapped “hellos” as I broke for lunch. He’s gone from two plots to one as part of the Parish Council’s realisation that half of the plots were being tended by a handful of people.
As the Otto the bus driver made his last run up the hill, I called it quits.
Despite a physio session at 8am this morning and loads of stretching exercise since, my back is about to seize.
