This morning after letting out the ducks we did some more sowing (carrots, rocket) and some transplating (cabbage, beetroot) and some weeding. I picked some strawberries and raspberries too.
That took us to lunchtime pretty much and then I hung some washing out – we asked if we could use the washing machine but Lisa (who is rather controlling) did stand over me while I loaded it 😆
Then Ady finished off some weeding – we have now done all the outside beds, so any further weeding will be in the polytunnel next week I guess. I was tasked with making lots of litres of bee syrup – a very strong sugar solution used to feed bees. They get a summer solution when new colonies are building up and an even stronger winter solution to keep them going over winter. I was making up 4kg of sugar to 3litres of water. I had a great routine going of boiling two kettles with 1.5l in each, opening and pouring the 4kg of sugar into the big fermentation bucket, adding the water once boiled, filling the kettles and getting them on again, stirring the solution until dissolved and then pouring into containers with a funnel. By the time I had come back in and opened and poured the sugar in again the kettles had boiled. I love jobs like that 🙂
Scarlett came and helped a bit, which did rather mess up my system but was worth it ;). By then it was nearly 330pm and Lisa went all spontaneous and said ‘oh it’s 330 and it’s Friday afternoon, just help Ady finish up weeding and then call it a day!’ 😆
It started to pour with rain soon afterwards and hasn’t stopped since. We had dinner – cheesy vegetable bake with potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peas – very nice and seconds for us which meant it was close to a decent portion ;). Ady got a lift with Lisa to Tescos for some meringues and cream to have with the strawberries and raspberries we were given. When he got back we had them and I rang Julie for a catch up chat – last time we talked about our news, this time we talked about theirs :).
We’ve had a late night in celebration of the fact we don’t have to get up in the morning and are now all heading back to the van together.