Nature's Bounty

R. Great Ouse


Yesterday we went for a walk along the river bank which lies just behind our house.  It was a pretty dismal grey day but we wanted to see how the river looked after all the recent rain, so clad in stout wellies and barbours we set off.   The water was rather dark and muddy looking but it wasn't enough to deter one or two fisherman.  Even in the damp mist nature didn't disappoint, the autumn colours were just beginning to show and the haw berries looked fantastic with droplets of rain hanging from the branches.












The teasels also looked amazing in the autumn mist and I was tempted to pick some to spray for Christmas decorations but resisted because we were in search of better prey.


















 I have loved foraging since I was a small child being taken on blackberry picking expeditions in rural Sussex and since those far ago beginnings I have learnt the delights of making Sloe Gin, Rose Hip Syrup, Elderflower Champagne and a myriad of other cordials and condiments.  Today David had to fashion a walking stick from the hedgerow in order to reach the crab apples we had come in search of, but we managed to pick about 10 pound of gorgeous golden fruit.  Once home, after a welcome, warming cuppa (and a choccy biscuit) we washed and cooked our precious haul.















10lb spiced crab apples



After leaving to drip through a jelly bag over night, today we made loads of jars of delicious Spiced Crab Apple Jelly.

Golden Age of Steam

Arriving at Wansford Station

Last week we ticked another item off our list of "Things We Want To Do".  Some are quite big things but most are not, just things we want to see or experience but take a little organising.  So a wonderful day was spent being pulled through the Nene Valley by a majestic steam locomotive.

Hooking up our engine

The sound of the whistle and great billowing clouds of steam hissing high into the air was pure magic.  We were both transported back to our childhood when these same trains were still in service and were an every day form of transport

And we are off

These monsters were being given the once over in readiness for an upcoming gala.

 .  Looking through the window and admiring the river as it meandered through acre upon acre of farmland and unspoilt countryside it felt like the clock had been turned back fifty or sixty years.  Pure nostalgia - just fantastic.

Young Lycidas

  

Young Lycidas

When I retired and closed my nursery down I vowed I would have lots of roses in my new garden.  Two years ago I purchased 3 Young Lycidas from David Austin Roses.  I am one of those people who want everything in a rose, it must have a very strong scent, be repeat flowering, be of "old rose" type, disease resistant, a shrubby growth and not red, orange or yellow.  Having said all that Young Lycidas seemed to fit the bill, but I have been so disappointed.  The stems carrying the flower buds grow twice or three times taller than the rest of the bush.  The flowers are large and heavy, magnificent in fact, but so heavy that the stems bend over and end up all laying across each other on top of the bush.  In desperation this year I emailed the good folk at David Austin and they tell me Y.L. is prone to do this and this year to only prune by one third which should strengthen the stems.  By now I must have forty or fifty roses in my new garden nearly all from David Austin  but this is the only one that's been a problem and I am just hoping this method of pruning will put things right.

A little help dismantling the floor of the glass house in readiness for the new garden.

A Fishy Story

Despite the forecast of imminent bad weather Heather was determined she wasn't going to miss competing in The Dale Rogers Fishing Cup.  We arrived at the river bank and she left to pick out her peg number.  Within minutes the thunder started to rumble and the lightening flashed and then it rained, not your ordinary shower by a long way, no this was more like a monsoon.  However by the time they were due to start fishing it turned out to be a dry evening.  Three hours later the whistle blew and the marshals did the rounds for the weigh in.

The final catch

Our girl was a little apprehensive because she thought her catch may have been a bit less than the previous event and it could be a close thing.  We all stood round and held our breath  while the results were announced in reverse order - and finally Heather was proclaimed winner of the Cup with a total catch of 3lb 12oz - what a girl !!!!!!!!  Another fantastic result - You are a STAR !!!!!

Presentation by The Club President

Meanwhile her biggest fan was in the audience and applauded loudly and enthusiastically as the Cup was presented and official photographs were taken.  H's baby cousin then asked politely if she could please have her photo taken with "the man" (Club President) and he kindly offered, however she then went very shy and coy and decided it would be safer to settle for a handshake with Daddy instead.

Congratulations Daddy

Fruits Of My Labours

In Spring all our fruit trees were covered in blossom, apples, pears, plums, peaches and gages and we were eagerly anticipating a bumper crop. The fruit formed and then for some reason it all fell off, it wasn't the "June Drop" it was just a total avalanche.  So now we are left with one  lovely pear, about a dozen plums,  half a dozen Cox's, Bramley's and Gages, what a joke but it's hard to be amused. My peaches are grown against a south facing wall and those that were left grew huge but when they were picked many were rotten on the back (the wall side),  probably due to all the rain.  On the bright side there were plentiful redcurrants and enough gooseberries to make some chutney and at the moment the raspberries are beginning to ripen up.  I am left wondering if other parts of the country have suffered as I have or perhaps it was just this area or even just my garden, hopefully time will tell.

This peach is Avalon Pride and does not succumb to peach leaf curl, the fruit is sweet and full of juice.

I love to just stand and look at red currants, they are perfectly round and look like clusters of shining rubies.

On a happier note the grape vines have really benefitted from all the rain, so now we just need some sunshine to ripen them and then we just need to stop the birds from getting there first.  Perhaps I won't start designing wine bottle labels just yet.

Grandad Hat

Posted by Erin - Age 3 3/4

My Grandad always wears a hat and I think it's fantastic, so much so that since I was very tiny I have always called him 'Grandad Hat'.  Tonight he gave me my very own hat to wear which is just like his and I think I look really cool.

Tonight we went out to see my cousin Heather take part in a fishing competition and Grandad and I splashed in all the puddles on the way there.  We had loads of fun.

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Memorial Cup

When my brother-in-law died my husband and his younger brother decided to sponsor a competition at our local fishing club in his name.  John had supported the club all his life and loved nothing more than to encourage young people to take up the sport and so The John Minney Memorial Cup was launched for the youth members.  Our 13 year old grand-daughter has been a keen fisherman for many years and has won cups and wonderful prizes of rods, reels and other fishing equipment but this was her first entry for the Memorial Cup, previous years dates have always coincided with Guide Camp.  On Sunday Heather was the only girl entrant and the last to draw for a peg.  She settled to the task in hand and soon started landing, roach, perch, bleak, dace and minnows.  The final whistle sounded and at the weigh in she  was delighted to find she had landed 4lb 1oz.  - a personal record catch.  Many of the boys are quite experienced fisherman and had rather red faces when Heather was announced the winner and presented with the cup, to keep for a year (this will have her name engraved on it) and £25.  We are so proud of her and thrilled that she shares our love of nature and the countryside.  Great Uncle John would be pretty thrilled too!

Planning her strategy

Little Fishies

My dear hubby has been a fisherman since boyhood and has caught monster salmon, skate, tuna and just about everything else in his time.  He labels himself, a country boy, and enjoys nothing more than instilling the love of the countryside into our grandchildren.  This weekend was no exception and we spent hours on the banks of the beautiful river not far from our back gate.  As you might notice Little C is sporting a plaster cast as a result of a broken arm whilst playing football but this didn't stop him wading in until the water came over the top of his boots.  It became even more fun when he got to wear my wellies which are two sizes too big because he could go in even deeper.  After all the little fishes were safely returned to their river home we ended the day as we always do with a few games of Pooh Sticks.  It may not be great summer weather but who even noticed if the sun was out or not, summer is just about having fun and that's pretty easy with these two.

Little C at the ready

Boo and Grandad know the biggest fish hide under the bridge

Just weighing up the options!

Three heads are better than one

Playing Pooh Sticks

Didn't we have fun

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Father's Day

A beautiful morning walk along this stretch of river only two minutes from our back gate.  The water was quite coloured and running fairly high after the recent rains.

What a blessing, a lovely daughter who is also a wonderful cook.  A celebratory meal in good company and a fantastic bottle of his favourite tipple made it all a really special day for this really special Dad.

                                                                         

Cheers!

Hosepipe Ban !!!!

For the last month we have had a hosepipe ban in this area.  Almost since the day it was enforced we have had nothing but torrential rain.  I am a great believer in nature taking care of itself and so now we are paying the price for two dry winters and little spring rain.  The roses are beautiful at the moment, Compassion on the cottage wall and Zephirine drouhin over the arch and they smell divine as you walk past but the rain is taking its toll and the wind is blowing the petals to shreds.

Rosa Zepherine drouhin

Tomorrow I should have been hosting a garden party for 40 people but sadly we have had to reorganise to an indoor location because of 40 mph gusts of wind and continual downpours.

40 mph wind in our apple trees

 Why are we not surprised or fazed by any of this  -   because actually it is just a traditional English summer.  Note to the Powers That Be - don't bother calling off the hosepipe ban the last thing we need to do is water the garden, we are busy giving our plants swimming lessons.!!

Bleak Mid-Winter

It is often said that without our variable weather the English would have nothing to talk about.  Having enjoyed a really mild winter to this point the temperatures have now dropped to minus 6 or more every evening coupled with some heavy snow showers.  Daffodils in the garden are just about to break bud, primroses and snowdrops are in full flower but for the moment they are all under a foot of snow. A steaming mug of coffee and a pile of seed catalogues - armchair gardening is the order of the day.