JAMMY OLD GIT STILL AT IT

Hurricane something today - lightning, thunder, hail and gales, driving rain - not a day to be out so am having lunch with R and I.

Recipe to start with - Bramble (blackberry) and Apple Jam -

3/4 pound chopped peeled and cored cooking apple in 1/4 pint water - simmer till soft.
In another pan 2 pounds blackberries in 1/4 pint water - simmer till soft.
Combine, add 3lb sugar (I warm this in a bowl in the bottom over to speed things up)(R taught me that one) and stir till sugar dissolved.

Boil till setting point reached (cold saucer in freezer or fridge, take out and put a teaspoon or so of jam on it - if it wrinkles when pushed - ready (R taught me that one). Also. I use a big metal spoon to stir it all - when this is resting by cooker if cold and you run a finger through clinging jam and it leaves a trail - ready.
Pot into jars made hot in bottom oven. If you put the jars into a roasting tin they are easier to get out when hot. I put the lids on a baking tray to get hot too. Put on lids straight away and tighten - they will need another tighten when cooler.
Label.

Now R found some sprouting potatoes in the veg cupboard and I popped them in the garden - look at the crop we got.
I added the pen to give you the true size. They tasted good even if only one bite each.

I have been up to my frozen fingers in the upright freezer seeing exactly what we have buried in there - so much fruit - well, I will never get constipated!

Let me change track to the pond - perhaps not - so much of the risen liner that the plants in their sunken spots are falling over. "Gary, Gary, wherefore art thou Gary?"

Move on quickly lad - roses, yes roses - still flowering and a delight.

These two in the garden and the one below by the shed on the way in. It was given to us by P and A from t' big 'ouse on Stockbridge Lane.

Finally a pic of the huge Fatsia (no, not me any longer)(just a bit tubbia) by the Wendy House beginning to flower again. It must be nuts or very stupid, I mean, winter is almost upon it (us).

I have just been down to the compost heap with the kitchen waste (mentioned it) and it is almost full -  so I will need to empty the other one.

Those two rabbits I keep seeing worry me - all the go forth and multiply stuff. Mind you the solitary moles seem to manage too well let alone the grey squirrels. And snails. And slugs. 

Thought for a children's book -

Once upon a time Slimey the slug was slithering across a big cabbage leaf when a blackbird landed beside him. 

'Nice lunch,' thought the blackbird.

But he had not reckoned with Slimey's superpower!

As the bird bent down for a nibble Slimey jumped, yes, jumped right onto the blackbirds head and began to make all its head feathers horrible. Not only that, he squeaked as he slimed. . . .  etc etc etc.

Well I thought it was better than X men.

TROUBLE AT T' BLOG

I have been sent to the naughty corner!
First I have to mention compost - COMPOST!!!! - This is for L. who complained that I have not mentioned it for a while. Here is the bigger of the compost heaps, as you can see growing a fine crop of nasturtiums.

Now for G in Dublin who has used the blog as a way of keeping up to date with us - G, if you believe everything I write - well?!
So I will try to tell you more about the trials and tribulations of my decaying body and brain - just to cheer you up. Oh! And R is seeing an osteopath for a pain in the backside - how's that? (No, the pain in the b. is not me . . . . I think.)

So, to complaints that I proposed to change to a longer monthly blog - have you no sympathy for a knee-compromised old fogey suffering from the Autumn blues as the darkness closes in?

I tried to relieve the yuks with a gift to myself of a trailer for the mower - the ulterior motive is to make me use the mower like a tractor in the winter so the battery will not go flat like it did last year.

(I have set the screen saver to change image every 5 minutes and when it does I jump - not good for the old bloke.)

Where was I - yes, trailer - here is a heap of old mowings and stuff vaguely compost - see I mentioned it again - now I can move this with my trailer to the far end of the garden where the big heap of mowings and things are gathered.

Now you can still see the scars left by the willow tunnel removal - but things are healing - when the rabbits do not dig there (and the MOLES!)

I have just repaired the steps up into the wood as they had rotted away.
Talking paths - I will have to do something about this miscanthus as every time I pass after rain I get soaked.

 Ah! problems, problems to quote Don and Phil.

Down in the veg beds all is not too well either - this is the mass of sweet pea plants - not a bloom in sight. What a flop.

However we still have tomatoes, albeit green ones and the strawberry bed is looking good - lots of promise for next year.

I am still waiting for the tomatoes to finish and then I can transfer the runners I have temporarily put in the rhubarb bed.

So now - I have done another blog and mentioned compost so I will creep off the naughty stair (we have one of those as well) and show off my wind spinner again.

Well there it is - I go blogging on - and on - and on - and . . . . . .

THE SLOUGH OF D'S POND

And R's, but I get me underwear more twisted over things.

So before pondy stuff we have had our first autumn fog in the morning though the sun came out later.

This left the alchemilla in full glory again, covered in water droplets which shone in the sun that followed the grey dawn.

The garden was so still and silent, the latter only broken by the mocking laughter of a yaffle (green woodpecker) in the part of the wood beyond our wall.

So, I suppose I should explain the title of the blog (a nod to John Bunyan).

The photo on the left shows the view from the kitchen to the pond now I have assassinated at the big brachyglottis obstructing the line of sight.

The photo to the right shows, if you look carefully, that we have developed an island - we have a pond under the pond. The clay pan below the liner has become full of water lifting the butyl up.
There are several possible solutions one of which is most inadvisable - i.e. making a hole in the liner so the water will rise through the gap and the liner can sink.
Another is to put a drain from the ditch by the hedge in under the liner so any water that accumulates can drain away.

Actually what I have is done is chuck in a few smooth stones and their weight has caused the liner to, at least, sink below the surface.

Now to the shed front where a bog has developed as water coming off the banking, and no doubt from some hidden spring, has gathered there.
So yours truly has dug another small ditch to see if the water will drain away. It seems to be working but will need a permanent drain.
Perhaps the boggy bit at the foot of the banking could be converted into a bog garden patch. I suggested a giant Gunnera but R is NOT in favour of that.

To other things - I have bought a cheap wind spinner - about five feet high - with two wheels of blades. These rotate in opposite direction if the breeze is blowing. This appeals to my childish delight in such things.

R has cut back the Japanese anemones as they are now more or less over but the roses flower on. Still have some courgettes and green tomatoes - I need to bring in the latter and bung them in a dark drawer with a banana to ripen them.

S from down the road brought us some reed mace and a lovely blue flowered comfrey so these have gone in - the former near the settling pond, the other nearer the Wendy House.

Just mowed all the grass, washed the mowers, tidied the shed, washed R's car, washed myself (shower), received new trailer for the sit-on mower so I can cart stuff around the garden, drunk a glass of diet coke, ate a few garlic sticks (the crunchy things in Bombay Mix) - all after golf this morning.
Now knack - very fatigued.

I am drawing up a list of jobs to pay someone else to do, have booked a couple of days away Scotland, reading C.J. Box's Breaking Point, having another glass of diet coke - fizz = problems later!

I have just looked to my right where the rainstick leans on the digeridoo - I really should bother to learn cyclical breathing.

Time for some Farrer's special mountain coffee - glorious stuff, tastes great, makes my hair curl!

ME MARRA'S MINCED

Well, R is taking our small glut of tomatoes and my marrow to make a ratatou - what's it.

So, here is the forgotten courgette with an apple and a six inch ruler for size (15cm).

In this remote corner of England a marra is a friend or mate. It is a greeting word showing respect. This has nothing to do with the green object above but is a line filler. Anyway my marras will not complain.

Up on the top banking the branches of the ash trees hang so low it is almost like having a canopy above. This is where the chimes are hung - I know - bl**** wind chimes and all that - they do not suit some people, but we like them.

I have just noticed the font and so on has changed and I cannot get it back so you will just have to put up with it. (Very irritating!)

Now, here is a pic of the garden from under the ash trees - all a bit jungly and grassy. I am having a phobia moment and using the weather as an excuse to stay indoors. There is so much to do and so little desire to do it.

Autumn has come with its leaf colour. Note the pond still has water in. I have just got the Pond Bible through the post and it says to avoid having the stream running through so I will change that (one day).

 Another aspect of autumn is berries - here cotoneaster and hawthorn (the thornless one we saw at Holker Hall).

 There are flocks of redwing and fieldfare that have arrived from northern Europe for the winter so I expect them to clear the garden of berries soon.

The sun is out so I go out and the sun is in and it is raining so I come in and the sun comes out and so on and so on. The grass is too wet to cut. At least the roses are still flowering.

This font size is chopping and changing - I have been bowled a googly (Googley) (Cricket term for non aficionados) (Game not grasshoppers).

This is my 468th blog and I may take a break soon - probably not stopping altogether but writing a longer one every couple of weeks perhaps.

Getting the place ready for next year starts now and I dream of an apartment with a window box - but then would miss the garden, our garden, our little corner of heaven. (Except it can be Hellish sometimes.)

I am off to make some more blackcurrant jam from 2013's fruit to clear some space in the freezer.

And have yet another cup of tea.

If I wasn't on this diet I could have a Kitkat biscuit - Mmmmm!

Whoops! R has just nicked her finger chopping onions to go with the marrow and our tomatoes to make the ratatou - what's it thingy.
Doc to the rescue, plaster in hand, knife in the other to complete job.

CONFESSIONS OF A CHUTNEY CHUMP

Before I swing into action with the chutney recipe here is (no, not a selfie) part of an old hedge near Broughton-in-Furness that looks remarkably like a hippopotamus.

Right - Green Tomato Chutney - what do with all the tomatoes that have not ripened, are not in a drawer with a banana trying to get ripe and one cannot bear to just chick on the compost heap.

I have just made about 20 pounds of it, much to go to the November fair in aid of R's church.

Ingredients :-

2.5 lb (1kg) green tomatoes

same of cooking apples - I use Bramleys

A couple of pounds (860g) of onions

Wash, peel and chop roughly before mincing. (No, not over to the sink and back)

Add a pound (450g) of raisins.

Then add 6 crushed cloves of garlic, big ones if you like the stuff. Do not slice as they tend to stay in the chutney as crunchy powerful pieces after cooking.

Pop in 0.5 UK tablespoon cayenne pepper, 2 level dessertspoons of ground ginger, 0.5 tablespoon salt and 1.5 lb of soft brown sugar (you can use Demerara) and mix it all up well.

Now you need some pickling spice (you can buy it or make your own). I could not find any in the supermarket so mixed black peppercorns, mustard seed, cloves, allspice and coriander seed. You can add chilli flakes but chillies upset me so - no go. Tie it in a muslin bag and attach to the handle of the pan.

Add malt vinegar - about a couple of pints (1.1 litres) and stir well.

Pop on the hob, whatever, and bring slowly to simmer. We have an Aga range so it goes into the bottom simmering over (the smells go up the chimney) for about 2.5 hours. It needs a stir every half an hour or so, more nearer the end. It is done when dragging a spoon through the surface leaves a permanent groove.

Then it looks like this.

Whilst hot put into preheated jars and put lids on tightly. The lids will need tightening again later. Most modern jars do not need the little waxy disc of old.

This is the second lot. I got about twenty pounds of chutney. (I have said that before - Mm!) Nearly as bad as leaving the golf club with my wallet on the roof of the car! Someone friendly who knew me found it in the road a third of a mile away, cards intact, coins scattered and a few notes absent but, hey! what luck. Brain dead sometimes.)

Back to chutney -
When cold slap on some fancy labels to make it pretty.

Now it is best if left to stand for at least a month to mature.

You can use the smaller jars as Christmas Presents with say one of jam and one of butterscotch sauce.

So there you are - it kept me away from the dreaded garden for a day or two (well one day was wet so I might as well make chutney as anything.)

So to finish - I found a setting on my camera (the one I have had for a couple of years) and whoopee - it does panoramic shots.

Voila!

ps The settling pond (that we did not line) has developed a hole and water is running out I know not where - to some underground stream?
Had to try a bit of plugging and patching. Main pond OK.

STUCK IN A BLOG

As  walked up into the wood I broke one of the steps - then realised that most of them were rotten and will need replacing.
Another job with ditches and scything and planting and removing and cutting back and so on and so on.

I have just extracted two large damson suckers from the bed by the shed to take down to Herefordshire for my daughter and son-in-law.
The damsons seem to be spreading everywhere.

Today the light up in the wood has been beautiful - real F. Clucas stuff. She called the painting she did for my Christmas Present from R - The Enchanted Wood - spot on.

As I came down from the upper garden I noticed this rather grey looking wild angelica. Then I realised it had a very bad dose of mildew. It is not too prone to this fungal infection - not like the meadow sweet.
The gooseberries seem to have avoided it this year - probably because the weather has been dry.

 Coming back down I went to examine the sweet peas with all their lack of flowers - perhaps put in too late after early failures (slugs and snails).

They are really very disappointing as we usually have a house full of their scent and colour.

Next year I will have to plan better and deal with the pests.

We had a morning of light rain and the alchemilla leaves were stunning.

The birds seem to use the feeders by the rosa rubifolia a lot and I think that is because it gives them cover and somewhere to queue up.

The ground feeders - pheasant, pigeon and chaffinch - also like the placement.

Now, I could go not further without a pond pic so here you are -

The green thing on the banking, what is it? No, nothing exotic, actually it is a dock - a weed.

To finish a burst of colour for you to give this blog a little something extra.

A little something extra is just what I could manage at this instant.

Sad - but the diet goes on - but I am chuffed as I am now 19 pounds down since January.
You would think that would take such a load off my shot at knees but it does not.

Life is a limp until I can steel myself to the alien crutch and have the right one replaced.
However, after having the left one done, a smidgeon of reluctance hangs around . .

AND IT KEEPS RIGHT ON A-FLOWERING . . .

Ah! Only a rose - 

This one's for Ib.

 The garden is still full of flowers like these white phlox, red alstromerias and orange calendulas in the cutting garden.

The calendulas are last year's plants that survived the winter and are thriving. I wonder if they will get through the one to come.

Of course there are other places which make our garden seem tame like the famous house at Coniston Cold which overflows with pelargoniums, begonias and you name it. Every year it becomes MORE - there is no other word for it. (Though I suppose some reader will be a clever boots and think of one.)

Some of the colours in our garden are very intense - here are blues, oranges and yellows. The nasturtiums have loved the warm dry September and are bursting forth. I must remember to gather seed for next year.

Having said that not all flowers are so gaudy and looking at petals lit by the sun like this rose is a delight.

Then there are even more gentle examples like the white Japanese anemone and its seed heads.

However it is not just the shades above that stand out. This morning was a murky, misty, chilly autumn on but the sun came up, the temperature rose to 18C and the greens in the garden were magnificent. 

This is one of our mature ash trees up by the top fence. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow but the breeze makes them seem to shimmer in the sun.

There you are - lots of bright pics.
End of another blog.
Perhaps I should give it up or change it to a monthly bulletin.
Perhaps . . .