Friday 13 June 2014

Wildlife!!

Hello All from a very sunny Derbyshire.
Hello to two new followers on Blog lovin, I'm afraid I can't work out who you are, as new peeps are usually at the top of the list, but on this occasion aren't! (will I ever understand it or indeed Feedly?!) Anyhow, lovely to see you here.

This week I have been planting, planting and then I have done some digging and then  more planting. In between times I have been picking goosegogs. Spiteful little blighters they are too.
Much of the planting is actually RE-planting as we have a surfeit of wildlife here this year. Someone asked me the other day if I was watching Springwatch? Err No I'm getting pretty damn fed up of the little critters without listening to someone waxing lyrical about foxes and rabbits! They could set up their cameras here, they wouldn't need a hide or to whisper into the lens of a special camera in the darkness. The wildlife here puts on a show in the bright sunshine while blowing raspberries and sticking up two fingers!
 As you know the fox has helped himself to a chicken or two and has been seen several times looking us straight in the eye, during the day. The pigeons have taken several dozen brussel and cauliflower plants back to the soil and those dear little fluffy bunnies have eaten the pea rows down to a short stubble. I have no idea who has taken the young sunflower plants or nibbled the tops of the onions. And as for cherries, yes I know jackdaws and jays are magnificent birds, but really!!!

We took the bull by the horns and have actually advertised some bees for sale. This is the first time we have ever done this and I feel a little anxious about it as it is not exactly like selling the aforementioned goosegogs!

We went sea fishing last weekend. Well D. did and I spent the weekend trying to find replacement Brassica plants.
The fishing wasn't great again, but he did bring back two fine, large pollack. I left one for our friend as part payment for our lodgings.
We arrived home at about  14.00 hrs and the girls were organising a sort of birthday tea for me, which was nice. Yet again our youngest daughter, held the fort, cooked meals, sold from the door and was an all-round good egg
I have been asked for recipes for some of the cakes I make for the "dos" the Civic Society organise. I am pretty sure that I will have shared them somewhere here over the last couple of years, but I shall set down the recipes for  my carrot cake, date and walnut and mincemeat cake in my next post in case anyone is interested.

I notice that I have nearly a hundred followers on my side bar !! (not to mention all the blog lovin and feedly folk) I am amazed ! As a regular, but not frequent poster, who has never courted numbers or tried to be popular (you guessed!) I am SO surprised.. Thanks to everyone who reads my posts and makes comments. I never thought I would say this, but many of you feel like friends.  
All for now
love Gillx


12 comments:

  1. I've been reading you for quite a while now and I'm not even remotely surprised that you have a growing band of followers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for that, very kind of you. I remember you joining the side bar and me thinking what a great name you had!
      Gill

      Delete
  2. Have you got enough goosegogs to sell? I'm in Ilkeston on Sunday for a christening.........!
    I know I'm going to be particularly challenged with one particular fox, who only last night, looked me directly in the eyes as if to say, 'this IS MY my patch you know'.!
    As much as I like to see wildlife, I could take a gun to lovely foxy if he threatens my hens when I get them! Alas, haven't got a gun and it's over 30 yrs since I 'had a go' with a shotgun. Better practice with a sling and rocks............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I am selling gooseberries. They are going pretty fast. Do you want me to save some for you? If you are popping by, email me and I will send you details of how to get to me (very easy to find as we are not in the middle of nowhere)
      Good luck with that Damn fox. How are you with bow and arrow?
      Gill

      Delete
  3. My vegs are going crazy this year. I have no idea what I did that was different; it must be the weather. I have HUGE Calabrese heads, and the Caulis will be ready soon. We're eating as fast as we can!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I grew huge Broc. a couple of years ago and was giving it away to anyone who was interested. never been too good with cauli,but try every year anyway. However I have had luck in the past with Romanesco cauli, which are a lovely taste. Glad you are having a good year. it spurs us on when that happens doesn't it?
      Gill

      Delete
  4. Hello, hello. It's nice to get out from in between the gooseberry bushes and find your new post waiting to be read.
    My followers on Google ( Which of course I'm not the slightest bit interested in looking at ! - who am I kidding!) have been stuck in the 170s for weeks. I'm hoping to make 200 by Christmas.
    We have all sorts of odd critters here too. The large aphids on the Christmas tree are like something out of a horror film. Luckily the rabbits seem to be staying up the top of the field and the pigeons are behaving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course, you are in goosegog land too aren't you!
      You have been hugely successful with your blog. I know that you started blogging after me, as you were an early follower. I'm quite surprised at myself for being so pleased with the numbers. I wish that Blog lovin was better at telling you who was following so that it was easier to acknowledge their presence. And as for Feedly.. I have no idea how to find feedly followers!
      We have NEVER had rabbit problems before and D. has just shown me a pigeon nest in the big apple tree 15 foot from the house, with a big fat pidge in it!
      Gill

      Delete
  5. I was ordered no asked by hubby to make your mincemeat cake. so went through your posts to find it. He thought it was lovely. we use to see more wildlife when we lived in Reading before we moved.though we know nieghbours here who have lost their birds to the foxes. Darn Birds seem to of made of with my gooseberries, never happened before.currants seem to be vanishing before my eyes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you find the recipe? If not I am repeating it in my next post along with a couple of others. It really is the easiest recipe.
      I think the mild winter has meant more animals have survived and are all competing for food as never before.
      Gill

      Delete
  6. I follow you with Bloglovin and love reading your blog. I live in a big city (for Canada) of 1.2 million people. We live in the suburbs with houses all around but we still get lots of rabbits and deer! The deer stroll down the street like they own the place and have demolished my tulips as they pass by, after leaving their calling card on the lawn. They have to cross some major 4-6 lane hiways to get here but they don't seem to have any problem doing that and absolutely no fear. They move around the neighbourhood sunning themselves on the lawns.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've been moaning like anything on my blog about slugs at the moment. But I'm sure I'll add foxes to the list when we finally get chickens.

    There is just something which hollows me out when I lose something to pests. I feel your pain!

    ReplyDelete