Life In General. – It’s Sunday already. I’ve really noticed how much shorter the days are getting, it’s still not quite light when I first get up in the morning. The security light comes on in the garden when I let the dogs out first thing, and the sun is often down before we lock up at night. It’s strange how this creeps up every year.
Otherwise this week has been a few family appointments, and doing things for my Mum. It’s been three weeks since her op and it will be at least the same again until she can drive, so shopping trips and other similar things are going to be on for a little while yet.
On Friday I was at Portchester Castle. It’s probably close to 40 years since I was last inside the Castle proper – we walk the dogs around the outside fairly regularly – and it’s been on my list of things to do for a while now. I tried to get a trip in last year, but that didn’t happen, so a year later we were there.
I also got to see the new aircraft carrier (currently without aircraft) from the top of the Castle tower.
Work – I finished the proposal that I was working on mid-week and submitted it. I won’t hear the outcome until early September probably. I’ve also been working on some other things for early September, so it’s been quite a busy week with different things on the work front.
Allotment. – Harvested my first pumpkin of the season this week. It will soon be pumpkin soup, and a few other things. It weighed in at 9.5 kilos. In case you don’t know, here’s how to tell whether your pumpkin is ripe or not:
Currently Reading – I started reading “RisingTideFallingStar” by Philip Hoare [LINK], and although I’m not even a hundred pages in yet, I’m really enjoying it. I think it’s probably one of those books that you’d either really like or hate. For me it’s the former.
The Week In Wildlife – In Pictures
Cats Eyes Signs Removed – Seriously? [LINK]
Electronic Scrapbook 
Fab pumpkin video. How can I keep a ripe pumpkin until October? My son grew some which he wants to carve at Halloween, but they are already very orange. I will test with my thumbnail when we go there later on to see if any are ripe. Thanks
Leave it on the vine if you can, or for a long as you can, otherwise wash it off when you harvest and keep it cool and dry. Good luck!
My chickens are going to roost before I give them their tea now, I’m going to have to feed them earlier. They do come down to greet me, but it doesn’t feel polite to disturb them!