The compost bin has been sorted out,
I forked the fresher stuff off the top onto a sheet, took the lovely rich compost from the bottom and then put the fresh stuff back into the bin to continue composting. I spread three barrow loads onto the veg patch (some of the broad beans were reshooting from the bottom of the old plants – I’ve cut off the tops and left the new shoots to see if there will be a few late beans).
I did find a few strange items in the compost – a missing spoon, a nail brush and the burnt out remains of a candle – can’t think how they ended up in the compost bin though.
Of course, I had lots of help …
Hmmppp I’m sure there’s a mouse in here somewhere!
… it generated great curiosity and enthusiastic sniffling and snuffling.
The chimney sweep turned up the same day to clean the wood burning stove flue.
Another extremely interesting curiosity in Daisy’s mind, such a shame we humans wouldn’t let her poke her nose inside the burner as the brush was being pushed up the chimney.
I’ve also defrosted our two freezers, one is a small chest freezer and the other a tall fridge freezer. Lots of hidden treasures to be found in the bottom, not least several boxes of frozen fruit from the garden that had been in there quite a while, and which has been made into mixed berry jam (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and blackcurrants).
and redcurrant jelly, completed this morning.
I’ve run out of jam jars and resorted to using glass ramekins.
I think there will be some Crab apple jelly in the near future as there is an abundance of crab apples on the tree, but I must get my hands on some jam jars first.
I’ve also been sorting out my sloe gin I started this time last year (more details here). It’s been patiently sitting in a cupboard waiting to be strained and bottled.
That’s what I’m doing right now – waiting for the liquid to strain through coffee filters.
I wonder what it will taste like?
Jane & Daisy xx
