Veggie produce, fungi, rhubarb juice and Arthur the ram

I've finally given in to the blight which has hit my tomatoes.  For weeks now I've been picking the fruit not affected and extra green tomatoes to ripen inside without the possibility of blight.  

 

However, the plants are now so badly affected that I decided on radical measures and have pulled them all up bar one which still seems healthy.  There are now lots of green tomatoes to ripen indoors just a bit earlier than usual.  I spent about 90 minutes up in the polytunnel clearing the diseased plants and digging through the beds ready for any seeds I plant for growing through the darkest months.

 

In spite of all the blackthorn blossom earlier this year, here are very few sloes on the bushes which doesn't bode well for those people wanting to make sloe gin this year

 

 

When I drove out to collect the ducks on Monday I passed a multi-coloured striped hedge and on my way back I stopped to photograph it.

 

 

The whole hedge was in really good condition with no dead bits and although I wouldn't want it around my garden, I found it quite fascinating to look at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cheap veggies in the one euro bags at the supermarket this week were avocados, so I took advantage of their cool, creaminess and partnered them with hot, spicy prawns and home made bread.

 

 

My neighbour's very tasteful extension is progressing again after the compulsory August break.  The rafters are now all in place and the slates have been going on today.

 

The design has taken into account the existing projection at the other end of their house and is surprisingly spacious inside.  It will make a wonderful sitting/dining area for them, taking advantage of all available sunshine hours.

 

A friend and his son have just called round and we sat outside in the sunshine chatting and drinking coffee.  The real reason for their visit was to bring me a vital supply of Sour Cherry Chilli Chocolate which I can't seem to find over here.  They have just come over from England where, even there, they only found four bars on the shelf of their local Aldi.

 

 

These bars of bliss will be exchanged for three dozen eggs, an arrangement benefitting both of us.  I can't wait to sink my teeth into my part of the bargain. 

 

This weekend should see the first of my broody hens hatch a clutch of what are now, seven eggs, heavens knows where the other three eggs have gone!  However, I've just been up to collect new eggs and she was not sitting on her nest and had still not returned half an hour later, so I am not hopeful now.  She only has one or two days to go at most and I can't believe that she may have given up.  I keep wondering whether I should set up the incubator and pop them in there ...

Fungi are already in the verges of the lane.  I walked a little way along this afternoon after I'd collected two eggs from the barn and found this huge parasol.  I put the egg onto it to give some idea of the size.

These inkcaps are on my field and the three photographs show the various stages of decomposition.

 

 Here is a bee on my buddleia.

Haws and ivy berries in the village.

An umbellifer of some sort - not sure which one and sweet chestnuts in the boundary of my field.

 
A few of my squashes which are hardening off in the polytunnel and some of today's harvest from the field.
 

 

 

I make rhubarb juice to drink with the old, woody stems of rhubarb.  I cook it up with lots of sugar, ginger and some water before sieving it and fridging the juice to drink it chilled.  It's a beautiful colour as you can see.

 

This afternoon I also made my usual loaf and I've been eating it with the gooseberry jam which I made in July - scrummy!
 

 

 

 

 

Lastly a photo of Arthur, my young ram who is now really friendly with me and comes when I call him.  He's also practising butting me!

Three things I like:

1.   Walking along the lane popping ripe blackberries straight into my mouth.
2.   A very good friend's son has come home after serving his time in prison.
3.   Watching the ducks enjoying themselves for the first time in water.