Each week I’ll try and post quick links to things that I’ve seen, read, inspired me or just sparked my interest in the previous week, with a little background and my thoughts and other things that I’ve been up to in the previous week. Mostly gardening, cooking and environmental stuff but not always.

Life In General. – It’s been a bit of a week with things that have been happening nationally, it hasn’t directly affected me and I’ve been plugging on with some work things and also trying to do things around the garden.

After have quite a wet spell the weather has shifted in the other direction and now we are getting some really hot sunny days, broken by thunderstorms. It feels like summer is just around the corner, and so far the predictions of the drier and hotter weather outweighing the cooler wetter weather seem to be holding true.

We’ve bought the dogs a paddling pool to allow them to cool off if they want to. So far they’re just seeing it as a giant outdoor water-bowl, but maybe they’ll get the idea sooner or later?

Work – I’ve had a couple of work related meetings this week, and outside of those have been working on some ideas based on the report completed by Solent University from the presentation that I attended last week. The ideas are good, the pricing points are never going to make me rich but I’m okay with that.

Allotment. – The dry weather has been a challenge, and watering has been the main order of the day, particularly for the Cavlo Nero plants that went in last weekend. They need some additional support to make sure that they “take” properly, particularly on the watering side, as they will not yet have developed a proper root system. The rain that accompanied the thunderstorms has helped in that department.

Broad beans and radishes are still very much the current harvest.

My tomatoes are doing well in the potting shed, and there are signs of the first tomato of the season (hopefully being one of many).

Currently Reading

I read Empire Games by Charles Stross [GoodReads] this week. It’s going to be book one of a trilogy (I think), and I really wish I’d waited to read it until all three were available. I think things will make more sense reading them all together, rather than what will probably be three or more years apart.

This also meant that I hit my target of reading 25 books this year a little earlier than planned. Six-and-a-half months earlier in fact. So I’m going to keep going and see where we end up. This always feels like a bit of an arbitrary challenge anyway, so we’ll just see where it gets too.

I started reading Sharpe’s Fortress by Bernard Cornwell [GoodReads], which is the next book in the Sharpe series.

Also reading Song of Susannah by Stephen King [GoodReads] – for an online group.

The Week In Wildlife – In Pictures

Raven Vs. Rubbish Bin

 Chop With Chris – Rocking Chair – I meant to post this last week, but forgot. YouTube has been recommending this guys videos, and he’s a pretty skilled craftsman.

Dave Goulson – Comfrey