Sad day at 18b

No pics today folks. Remember the fruit netting I erected a while ago? The one I spent hours on, making sure it was bird-proof?

Well it wasn't.......I went to the plot today and discovered a dead bird caught in the netting on the inside. I think it was a thrush. It had obviously found a hole, flew in and then couldn't get back out again. The poor wee thing had got caught in the netting, his foot was knotted up in it, and had either run out of energy or choked himself in the netting.

I feel quite guilty about this. It was definately bird-proof when I first erected it but I must have been careless after picking strawberries the other day and not sorted it properly again.

This bird, just doing what nature intended by picking berries, was cruelly killed in it's prime.

I overcame my fear of all things dead and unpicked him from the netting and gave him a proper burial.

Hopefully that'll be the only dead animal I come across at the plot - I can't take another guilt trip.


Speak later, Christine

Whoa!!!

I cannot believe how quickly weeds grow! I knew they grow at a rate of knots but this is ridiculous.

I have 4 beds, with 'grass' in-between. However this is not lawn but a mix of dandelion, clover, nettle and this stupid grass stuff (don't ask what me what it is). This is the worst stuff ever because it keeps growing heads of seed. I cut it down - with shears, because I don't yet own a strimmer nor mower - and yet the next time I'm up there it's back.

To make things worse, my 79 year old neighbour from 2 plots down was speaking last week about giving his plot up at the end of the year. And this is down to the amount of weeds that's growing in his plot!!!!!! My uncut weeds must be the culprit for this. I feel so bad. This guy is up at his plot all day, every day - it's his life. What would happen if he gave up the plot? I'm actually trying not to think about it.

On the upside I've just lifted my lobby carpet and that is heading for my plot in the next couple of days. If I cut the weeds back to the ground and then cover them....well, fingers crossed.

However, enough of this negativity. We got our first strawberries of the year at the weekend. I say 'we' because I had company - my youngest son Scott. I think that's possibly because I mentioned strawberries! But as well as picking (and pinching) some strawbs he also helped weed the pumpkin patch. So my pics this time are our harvest, Scott and the newly weeded pumpkin patch.

Sorry for the moans........

Speak later, Christine