Monthly Archives: January 2020

Evaporation

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Helen

Of course, as the rain subsides, the pond goes down, so I can imagine that mine will soon look like this: This would be a great shame for the birds that have started to visit the pond once again, now … Continue reading →

Posted in In the kitchen, soil management, Wildlife | 9 Comments

No need to fear a glut

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Helen

Northern Rail was spectacularly bad this morning. Sunday might not be the best day to travel out of my village by train but I missed the opportunity to do a Nålebinding workshop in York due to a mixture of train … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, Days out, In the kitchen | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Muck in day at St Aidan’s

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Helen

Until relatively recently, there was an open cast mine between the villages of Woodlesford, Swillington, Methley and Great & Little Preston, just southeast of Leeds. Then it flooded and was taken over by the RSPB, becoming St Aidan’s Nature Reserve. … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Good for the environment, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Too warm for parsnips

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Helen

Has anyone else noticed parsnips tasting off this year? I thought it was just me leaving my share of them when collecting my vegetables from the local organic farm. But today I noticed the donations box (where people leave unwanted … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Good for the environment | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Back to the clothing exchange

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Helen

On Saturday, the queue to get into Leeds Community Clothing Exchange was unusually long. The immediate positive from this was that people in the queue talked to each other. However, I do hope the queue also means in the longer … Continue reading →

Posted in Crafts, Days out, Good for the environment | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The January tulip

Posted on January 20, 2020 by Helen

When I bought a bag of tulips in the reduced aisle a couple of weeks ago, I could already see that they were starting to sprout. No wonder, as they were in a heated environment. I wasn’t unduly surprised either … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The disappearance of Lead

Posted on January 19, 2020 by Helen

After almost scoring a bull’s eye this morning at the monthly Towton Battlefield Society longbow practice, we took a walk across the field to a medieval church I had noticed from the window of the pub which kindly lets us … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

A less interesting street

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Helen

I haven’t been able to get out in the garden over the last week, so there is nothing to write about on this front. The boiler broke down again, which meant prime gardening time was taken up waiting for an … Continue reading →

Posted in trees | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Same again please

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Helen

I don’t take my bins out for collection very often, as there is no need, with nothing in them which is going to start smelling and attracting rats. It therefore came as something of a surprise when half of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Days out, Health | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Too soon, too late

Posted on January 10, 2020 by Helen

Around the start of the year, I noticed the rhubarb was behaving peculiarly. Or perhaps the soil around the crown was simply falling away. But no, it seems to be sprouting. Considering this variety of rhubarb has normally only started … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, perennials, trees | Tagged , , | 11 Comments