A quick catch up for you , it's been a very busy time here .
Colin came to "mow the meadow "in his little red tractor .
We have worked hard throughout the year , digging out the more undesirable thugs , which in our case are Docks and Thistles and a small area of Bracken . We have also not allowed any dogs to come in and romp about or do anything else undesirable in it .
He got a really good harvest , of excellent quality hay bales , despite having a bit of trouble with the baling machine !
It got me thinking of the old nursery rhyme ..go on ..sing ....
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One man went to mow ,
Went to mow a meadow,
One man and his dog , woof woof !
Went to mow a meadow !
Two men went to mow ,
Went to mow a meadow,
Two men , One man and his dog ,woof woof !
Went to mow a meadow !
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Just two men came to mow our meadow and no dog , so I,ll stop there. lol !
I used to love singing the really old nursery rhymes to the children in the nursery where I worked many years ago . I think it is a wonderful thing to teach children these old traditional rhymes that have been loved and passed down through generations . Nice to learn new ones too , but the old ones are so special .
The children always loved this one .
Look at that blue sky ! It was so hot !
Here the picnic table has been tipped up for the tractor to pass through .
It was a very hot couple of days , the men worked so hard . Rain had been forecast !
The baler was not working properly , but he came back and went round again the next day and got even more bales .
All ready for the Winter , who knows what Winter will bring ?
Then all the bales were carried away on the trailer and got under cover before the rain came . Which turned out not to be very much after all and I had been praying for rain for my vegetable garden .
We have been visited by five beautiful Red Kites , people seeing them in various places around Mullion . I never seem to have my camera to hand when they come , but I did manage to snap a photo of this one .
So there we are ,the meadow is cut and bone dry . It will soon be green again .
Sure enough , last night we had some very heavy rainfall .
The puddle where I stamp about to wash the mud from my boots has been replenished and my two wheelbarrows are full of lovely rain water to water my rain-forest Epiphyllums , Clivia miniata , carnivorous plants and a few other special things . Most plants prefer fresh rain-water , but these , my more precious ones really suffer if given tap water .
I was so happy to have collected two wheel barrows full and my water-buts are also full again .
I have only recently given Carnivorous plants another try . In the past I have bought them only to watch them slowly shrivel up and die .
In fact I have usually bought them , when they have been reduced in price , thinking that I could revive them .
Alas ! Too late ! They had already been given tap water , or no water and were on their way out already !
This time , I have read up about them and managed to keep them alive over the whole of the Winter . Yes , sad looking , but alive !
I am about to re-pot them and tidy them up . They also have to be fed , yes fed ! They naturally attract and catch their own prey or you can feed them occasionally with small insects .
I have a little tub of dried bloodworms with which to feed them and fatten them up !
I,ll give you an update on these when I,ve re-potted them . The Venus Fly Trap on the right has a flower coming , but I,m being advised to cut it off to make the young plant grow stronger .
I,m presently growing them outside but any advice would be most welcome .
I,m just pleased with myself for getting them through the Winter !
Other news - the Blue Tit family have fledged and I will miss all the little squeakings and peepings beside my back door .
So that's all for now folks !
Keep on staying safe , it is still out there !
