For the first time in memory I never left home this ANZAC Day. I was sorely tempted to dress up, put my medals on and go to the RSL, but, because of the cost of transport to achieve this, I resisted the temptation.
I watched the Brisbane ANZAC Parade on TV, then the Dawn Service at Gallipoli and I felt almost as if I should have been there.
With the Brisbane march, I felt shame that I didn't even bother to move myself. This was really brought home when I saw my old Service Band, the Royal Australian Navy Band, marching past the saluting base and heard them playing Alex Lithgow's march, Royal Australian Navy. I shed a tear remembering the many times I had been involved in providing the music for ANZAC Parades and Services.
As a Naval Musician, it was a done thing that we put ourselves out to make ANZAC Day really a day to remember. I clearly remember my first ANZAC Day in the Navy in 1963. I was detailed off to play the Last Post and Reveille at a Diggers' Home in Frankston, which is near HMAS Cerberus in Victoria. I played the bugle calls and did the necessary things to show my respect for the Diggers resident there. Some were Boer War Veterans and others were World War I Veterans. I even think there may have been one old bloke from the Boxer Rebellion.
Anyhow, I had about an hour before the Navy bus with all the rest of the band was to pick me up to take us to Melbourne for the ANZAC Parade and the old blokes insisted that I have breakfast with them, so naturally I agreed. Remember -- I was only 16 at the time!!! BREAKFAST???? It was a continual round of tots of rum!!! So, it turned out that the bandmaster at the time knew what happened each year with us new boys and had the old thermos of coffee ready when they picked me up. By the time we got to Melbourne, I was almost cured of a potential hangover and successfully (???) carried out my duties on parade.
That memory stays with me and will remain as one of the most memorable ANZAC Days I have ever spent.
When I returned to Launceston after discharge, I was asked to bugle for the Naval Association at Navy Day celebrations and, of course, funerals, which I was pleased to oblige. I remember a fantastic little man by the name of Bobby Palmer who was the bugler at ANZAC Day Dawn Service from as far back as I could remember. About 1976, I think, i had a drink with him after the Dawn Service and he went home for a rest before the main march and service, but he never returned. His family found him dead in his armchair. This was devastating news for me as I idolised this man who I knew from a very early age.
So, the next year, 1977, I was asked to provide the bugle calls at the Dawn Service, which I did, and I was told by an old brass bandmaster that Bobby Palmer will never be dead why I play the calls. I continued to provide the calls at Dawn Services, as well as other bugling and band duties, for 19 years. Then I decided to retire undefeated. No one ever made as many mistakes as me and got away with it. Many said that I was one of the best, but that is still a matter of contention with me.
So, this ANZAC Day I sat and thought of those days, my halcyon days I suppose. I no longer play and maybe I regret this as I would love, just once more, to play the Last Post on ANZAC Day.
Three stubbies this evening watching the news did me for the day. I used to have that many and several tots of rum before the sun came up on ANZAC Day!!!!!
Such is life of a retired, lonely Bandie.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Loneliness
I would venture to say that loneliness is the bane of anyone's existence. Your mind wanders and thoughts are inundated with themes of "what once was". It is like having a blank sheet of paper without a pencil to write with.
When my wife Kay returns home in 8 days from her family visit in Malaysia, it will have been 10 weeks that I have been on my own. I don't know very many people here so it is hard for me to visit or have visitors. I don't drive and walking is an agonising chore for me. The only time I go out is to do some shopping and its a 15 to 20 minutes walk to the shops, downhill, and half an hour back, with the last part uphill. I almost have a spring in my step on the way down to the shops in anticiapation of an interesting, if somewhat short, conversation and the slog back home is forever on my mind. I must make a sight with my walking stick in one hand and the two-wheeled "pensioner shopping trolley" in the other.
I look forward, in a way, to my fortnightly trips to the shops, especially the tobacco shop where I buy my smokes. The people there are very friendly and I usually spend a while just talking about nothing in particular. They know that I am on my own for the time being and my visit there is the highlight of my shopping spree.
I had one of Kay's friends call in a few times to get some vegetables, which was great as I can only use up so many veges and I don't like them going to waste. I have frozen a fair bit for later use. So, I still potter around in the garden, weather permitting, hoping that the vegetables will not go past their use by date before Kay gets home.
I have had some very interesting and intelligent conversations, mainly with myself!!! But I am starting to get a little worried as I am now starting to answer myself back!!! Maybe my little grey cells (as Hercule Poirot would put it) are preparing themselves for more conversations in the very near future, which I am looking forward to with great anticipation and I am still trying not to count the days.
When my wife Kay returns home in 8 days from her family visit in Malaysia, it will have been 10 weeks that I have been on my own. I don't know very many people here so it is hard for me to visit or have visitors. I don't drive and walking is an agonising chore for me. The only time I go out is to do some shopping and its a 15 to 20 minutes walk to the shops, downhill, and half an hour back, with the last part uphill. I almost have a spring in my step on the way down to the shops in anticiapation of an interesting, if somewhat short, conversation and the slog back home is forever on my mind. I must make a sight with my walking stick in one hand and the two-wheeled "pensioner shopping trolley" in the other.
I look forward, in a way, to my fortnightly trips to the shops, especially the tobacco shop where I buy my smokes. The people there are very friendly and I usually spend a while just talking about nothing in particular. They know that I am on my own for the time being and my visit there is the highlight of my shopping spree.
I had one of Kay's friends call in a few times to get some vegetables, which was great as I can only use up so many veges and I don't like them going to waste. I have frozen a fair bit for later use. So, I still potter around in the garden, weather permitting, hoping that the vegetables will not go past their use by date before Kay gets home.
I have had some very interesting and intelligent conversations, mainly with myself!!! But I am starting to get a little worried as I am now starting to answer myself back!!! Maybe my little grey cells (as Hercule Poirot would put it) are preparing themselves for more conversations in the very near future, which I am looking forward to with great anticipation and I am still trying not to count the days.
Friday, April 22, 2011
ANZAC Day
96 years ago, on 25th April 1915, men from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed on the beaches at Gallipoli on the Dardanelles Peninsular just after dawn. They became knows as The ANZACs. A name that is respected and revered in Australia and New Zealand and will be for time immemorial.
They were everyday men who heeded the call to arms to support the war effort of the mother country, Great Britain. They were men who showed the greatest courage under fire and never did they fail in their task. They fell with their faces to the enemy and from that moment on, they have been lauded for the bravery they showed on that fateful day.
History will tell us that mistakes were made on that morning. The greatest mistake possible was the fact that they were landed on the incorrect beach,. and it is also possible that the British commanders knew this and used these men as "cannon fodder" to take some of the pressure off British troops landing elsewhere on the peninsular.
In Australia, every year on the 25th April, we gather for the Dawn Service at Cenotaphs all around the country. This is very moving service and is often considered as a "Serviceman's Service". It is a time to honour those of our forefathers who went before us and paid the supreme sacrifice. Not only in memory of the ANZACs, but men and women who fought in any conflict where Australia was involved.
From Wikipedia - Alexander William ("Alec") Campbell (26 February 1899 – 16 May 2002) was the final surviving Australian participant of the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. His death broke the last living link of Australians with the Gallipoli story.
I had the honour of meeting Alec many years ago, well before it was envisaged that he would be the Last ANZAC. He was an unassuming man and a real gentleman and it really brought home to me that Alec was a hero in his own right, just for being there. I was in Launceston when the news of his passing was made public and it was almost as if one of my own family had gone. Rest in Peace, Alec.
I remember when I was very young, my grandfather would wake me early on ANZAC Day to get ready to go to the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph. In April in Launceston, it is usually pretty cold, so he always made sure that I was well rugged up. At the time I didn't really understand what it was all about, but I do remember feeling that it was something special. As the years progressed, I understood more and, as far as I can recall, I never missed a Dawn Service until recently. A tradition after the Dawn Service is a rum issue. It stems from the practice of the issue of a tot of rum to the soldiers before they left the ship in barges. It was believed to warm them up and give them courage.
The ANZAC Service at 1100 is another way for the general public to gather and pay their respects. Serving and ex-Service members march to the Cenotaph where a Service of Remembrance is carried out. Services are always well attended as nearly everyone in Australia has some connection to a serving or ex-service member. After the service, reunions are held at local RSL Clubs and this is where mates meet over a beer or two and reminisce about their time in the service and what has happened since they last saw each other, possibly at this time last year!!! I remember as a kid the sound of the medals clinking as the servicemen and women marched down the street. I vowed to myself then that one day I would be able to "clink" down the street as well, and that vow has come to fruition as I am honoured to wear 5 medals, and they DO clink.
I also attended every ANZAC Day parade and service, but, unfortunately, this year I will be attending neither. I will observe the traditions at home and remember in my own way the mates I lost and absent friends.
I would urge everyone who possibly can to attend an ANZAC Day service. It is a way of showing support and respect for our service people, whether they are long gone or are still serving.
LEST WE FORGET.
They were everyday men who heeded the call to arms to support the war effort of the mother country, Great Britain. They were men who showed the greatest courage under fire and never did they fail in their task. They fell with their faces to the enemy and from that moment on, they have been lauded for the bravery they showed on that fateful day.
History will tell us that mistakes were made on that morning. The greatest mistake possible was the fact that they were landed on the incorrect beach,. and it is also possible that the British commanders knew this and used these men as "cannon fodder" to take some of the pressure off British troops landing elsewhere on the peninsular.
In Australia, every year on the 25th April, we gather for the Dawn Service at Cenotaphs all around the country. This is very moving service and is often considered as a "Serviceman's Service". It is a time to honour those of our forefathers who went before us and paid the supreme sacrifice. Not only in memory of the ANZACs, but men and women who fought in any conflict where Australia was involved.
From Wikipedia - Alexander William ("Alec") Campbell (26 February 1899 – 16 May 2002) was the final surviving Australian participant of the Gallipoli campaign during the First World War. His death broke the last living link of Australians with the Gallipoli story.
I had the honour of meeting Alec many years ago, well before it was envisaged that he would be the Last ANZAC. He was an unassuming man and a real gentleman and it really brought home to me that Alec was a hero in his own right, just for being there. I was in Launceston when the news of his passing was made public and it was almost as if one of my own family had gone. Rest in Peace, Alec.
I remember when I was very young, my grandfather would wake me early on ANZAC Day to get ready to go to the Dawn Service at the Cenotaph. In April in Launceston, it is usually pretty cold, so he always made sure that I was well rugged up. At the time I didn't really understand what it was all about, but I do remember feeling that it was something special. As the years progressed, I understood more and, as far as I can recall, I never missed a Dawn Service until recently. A tradition after the Dawn Service is a rum issue. It stems from the practice of the issue of a tot of rum to the soldiers before they left the ship in barges. It was believed to warm them up and give them courage.
The ANZAC Service at 1100 is another way for the general public to gather and pay their respects. Serving and ex-Service members march to the Cenotaph where a Service of Remembrance is carried out. Services are always well attended as nearly everyone in Australia has some connection to a serving or ex-service member. After the service, reunions are held at local RSL Clubs and this is where mates meet over a beer or two and reminisce about their time in the service and what has happened since they last saw each other, possibly at this time last year!!! I remember as a kid the sound of the medals clinking as the servicemen and women marched down the street. I vowed to myself then that one day I would be able to "clink" down the street as well, and that vow has come to fruition as I am honoured to wear 5 medals, and they DO clink.
I also attended every ANZAC Day parade and service, but, unfortunately, this year I will be attending neither. I will observe the traditions at home and remember in my own way the mates I lost and absent friends.
I would urge everyone who possibly can to attend an ANZAC Day service. It is a way of showing support and respect for our service people, whether they are long gone or are still serving.
LEST WE FORGET.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
GM or not GM???
That is the question - With all deference to Shakespeare's Macbeth.
I bought some tomatoes and a lettuce from the supermarket the other week and again this week, but from a green grocer. The difference is astonishing!!! From the supermarket the tomatoes were tasteless and anaemic looking and the lettuce looked OK until I broke it open. The inside was full of grit and what looked like sand and the leaves were extremely discoloured around the stalk. Needless to say that it went into the compost bin straight away and I did without lettuce until I visited the green grocer, where I bought a like looking lettuce, but without all the discolouration and the greeblies and the tomatoes actually tasted a bit like tomatoes.
So, here's an exercise in futility for you!!!
When you go vegetable shopping next time at a supermarket, just have a browse around without actually buying anything. Now this is really a psychological exercise!! When you buy stuff your vision tells you what you WANT to see, not actually what you DO see. You want proof??? Try this scenario -------
When you are buying vegetables your mind has been trained to look for the best shape, colour and ideal size. This is a marketing ploy. Most crops are genetically modified so that they reach the ultimate peak when they are displayed. When you look around, everything looks perfectly suited to your idea of what you want. This is where the ploy comes in as the marketers know that you are usually pressed for time and you have a preconceived idea of what you want and they provide that idea.
Everything looks looks good and exactly what you were after, but when you get them home and have a good look, they are not always what they seemed on display. So don't buy - just look and you will see what I mean. Switch off that buying mind of yours and turn on the analytical part of your shopping brain - and you will understand what I mean.
Tomatoes are a dead giveaway: They are usually presented in trays with bottoms up, and when you turn them over, they are still green and usually blemished around the stalk end and you will find that they don't have much taste.
Truss tomatoes are another trap!! You pay through the nose for "gourmet truss tomatoes" which you will notice are all equally ripe and the same size on the truss. If you have ever grown tomatoes can you honestly say that all the tomatoes on a truss ripen equally and at the same time, with them all being the same size?? NO!!! Of course not!! The truss develops tomatoes from the stem end to the tip, therefore it is virtually impossible for them to all ripen at the same time, unless they are genetically modified.
These are tomatoes on a truss on one of my tomato plants. Notice that they are ripening from the stalk to the end of the truss and they are not all the same size. These are not ripe enough to pick, but they will never ripen all at the same time or will they all achieve the same size. If you wait for the end one to ripen, the ones nearer the stalk will be over ripe and rotten.
I bought some tomatoes and a lettuce from the supermarket the other week and again this week, but from a green grocer. The difference is astonishing!!! From the supermarket the tomatoes were tasteless and anaemic looking and the lettuce looked OK until I broke it open. The inside was full of grit and what looked like sand and the leaves were extremely discoloured around the stalk. Needless to say that it went into the compost bin straight away and I did without lettuce until I visited the green grocer, where I bought a like looking lettuce, but without all the discolouration and the greeblies and the tomatoes actually tasted a bit like tomatoes.
So, here's an exercise in futility for you!!!
When you go vegetable shopping next time at a supermarket, just have a browse around without actually buying anything. Now this is really a psychological exercise!! When you buy stuff your vision tells you what you WANT to see, not actually what you DO see. You want proof??? Try this scenario -------
When you are buying vegetables your mind has been trained to look for the best shape, colour and ideal size. This is a marketing ploy. Most crops are genetically modified so that they reach the ultimate peak when they are displayed. When you look around, everything looks perfectly suited to your idea of what you want. This is where the ploy comes in as the marketers know that you are usually pressed for time and you have a preconceived idea of what you want and they provide that idea.
Everything looks looks good and exactly what you were after, but when you get them home and have a good look, they are not always what they seemed on display. So don't buy - just look and you will see what I mean. Switch off that buying mind of yours and turn on the analytical part of your shopping brain - and you will understand what I mean.
Tomatoes are a dead giveaway: They are usually presented in trays with bottoms up, and when you turn them over, they are still green and usually blemished around the stalk end and you will find that they don't have much taste.
Truss tomatoes are another trap!! You pay through the nose for "gourmet truss tomatoes" which you will notice are all equally ripe and the same size on the truss. If you have ever grown tomatoes can you honestly say that all the tomatoes on a truss ripen equally and at the same time, with them all being the same size?? NO!!! Of course not!! The truss develops tomatoes from the stem end to the tip, therefore it is virtually impossible for them to all ripen at the same time, unless they are genetically modified.
The supermarket tomatoes are picked before they are ripe and stored until they all look so wonderful and they still will not have the true tomato taste!!
AND ..... it is most likely that they have been in cold storage for up to TWO YEARS!!! before they are put out for sale. Cold storage not only destroys the true taste of tomatoes, but also the goodness in them especially vitamin C. So you shouldn't keep any tomatoes in your fridge at any time.
Carrots are another good example of bad food husbandry. Put a pack of supermarket carrots in your crisper in the fridge and also put some that you have just pulled from the garden alongside them. You will find that in 5 or 6 days your carrots will start to go limp whereas the supermarket ones will last for weeks!!! WHY??? GM!!!!
The supermarket carrots also look straight, thick and a lovely orange colour. Take a look at your home grown ones - knobbly, forked, twisted and God only knows what else, but they taste like carrots should taste. That is the way Nature intended them to grow - NOT BODY BUILT ON STEROIDS!!!!
AND ..... it is most likely that they have been in cold storage for up to TWO YEARS!!! before they are put out for sale. Cold storage not only destroys the true taste of tomatoes, but also the goodness in them especially vitamin C. So you shouldn't keep any tomatoes in your fridge at any time.
Carrots are another good example of bad food husbandry. Put a pack of supermarket carrots in your crisper in the fridge and also put some that you have just pulled from the garden alongside them. You will find that in 5 or 6 days your carrots will start to go limp whereas the supermarket ones will last for weeks!!! WHY??? GM!!!!
The supermarket carrots also look straight, thick and a lovely orange colour. Take a look at your home grown ones - knobbly, forked, twisted and God only knows what else, but they taste like carrots should taste. That is the way Nature intended them to grow - NOT BODY BUILT ON STEROIDS!!!!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Munchies or Nibbles???
I have often been asked how I make my very tasty and hot and spicy nibbles, so I have given in and here is my secret and exclusive recipe.
I have adapted the recipe from a basic "Nuts & Bolts" recipe to suit my own taste. Most like it, but there are some who say its too hot, so adapt the amount of spices to suit your own taste. Bear in mind that this is what I put in my nibbles and I like mine really hot, and those who like it hot as well reckon its a necessity to go with a beer or two. This recipe will make 2 big coffee jars full.
You will need:
UTENSILS:
2 oven trays lined with foil.
2 large bowls, preferably stainless steel as they are easier to clean. One bowl you will use for mixing the ingredients and one to hold the finished product when it comes out of the oven, because you will not get all the prepared mix into the oven at once.
1 large spoon for mixing and distributing mix to trays.
INGREDIENTS
2 X 425 gr unsalted peanuts. Sometimes I use salted peanuts and cashews as they are often cheaper than unsalted ones, so I just shake them in a colander to get rid of most of the salt.
750 gr cashews and macadamia nuts, either salted or unsalted.
450 gr soy twists.
2 packets of Cream of Chicken Soup powder. I use a generic brand from the supermarket.
1 heaped dessert spoon each of Curry Powder, Mustard Powder and hot Chilli Powder or strength to your taste. Again I use generic brands except for the chilli powder, which must be good stuff.
Canola Oil. About 1/4 cup will do but you may need more to make a runny paste.
METHOD:
Put all nuts and soy into a big bowl. and using your hands, combine.
Mix the curry, mustard and chilli together with the dessert spoon you measured them with making sure that all lumps are out and you have a fair mix like the pic above. Add the oil (I use Canola, but use the oil of your choice) and mix into a runny paste as you see above.
Pour this mix over the nut mix and using the large spoon (not the dessert spoon) mix until all the nuts are coated as evenly as you can get them.
After you have mixed it all thoroughly so that all the nuts and soy sticks are lightly coated with the oil and spice mix, spread onto trays in a single layer. Try not to get them too thick on the tray as the cooking process is to only dry out some of the oil. Too thick on the tray and the bottom ones won't dry out and you will end up with a gluey mess at the bottom of your jar!!!
Cook each tray on 180 deg C or 170 deg C fan forced for 7 minutes. Stir the nuts a little a couple of times just to make sure they all dry out. When they are done, tip them into the fresh bowl and put another layer on the trays and put in the oven. The amount in this recipe will do 4 trays.
Leave in the bowl until they are completely cool, then pack them into jars and enjoy!!! If they are not cool enough, you will also get a gluggy mess in the jar.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!
Make sure that you clean everything up and wipe down the benches where you have been working. You should know that the Lady of the House likes a clean kitchen.
I have adapted the recipe from a basic "Nuts & Bolts" recipe to suit my own taste. Most like it, but there are some who say its too hot, so adapt the amount of spices to suit your own taste. Bear in mind that this is what I put in my nibbles and I like mine really hot, and those who like it hot as well reckon its a necessity to go with a beer or two. This recipe will make 2 big coffee jars full.
You will need:
UTENSILS:
2 oven trays lined with foil.
2 large bowls, preferably stainless steel as they are easier to clean. One bowl you will use for mixing the ingredients and one to hold the finished product when it comes out of the oven, because you will not get all the prepared mix into the oven at once.
1 large spoon for mixing and distributing mix to trays.
INGREDIENTS
2 X 425 gr unsalted peanuts. Sometimes I use salted peanuts and cashews as they are often cheaper than unsalted ones, so I just shake them in a colander to get rid of most of the salt.750 gr cashews and macadamia nuts, either salted or unsalted.
450 gr soy twists.
1 heaped dessert spoon each of Curry Powder, Mustard Powder and hot Chilli Powder or strength to your taste. Again I use generic brands except for the chilli powder, which must be good stuff.
Canola Oil. About 1/4 cup will do but you may need more to make a runny paste.
 |
| Dry Mixed Spices |
 |
| Spices Mixed with Oil |
METHOD:
Put all nuts and soy into a big bowl. and using your hands, combine.
Mix the curry, mustard and chilli together with the dessert spoon you measured them with making sure that all lumps are out and you have a fair mix like the pic above. Add the oil (I use Canola, but use the oil of your choice) and mix into a runny paste as you see above.
Pour this mix over the nut mix and using the large spoon (not the dessert spoon) mix until all the nuts are coated as evenly as you can get them.
 | |
| Single layer on tray |
Cook each tray on 180 deg C or 170 deg C fan forced for 7 minutes. Stir the nuts a little a couple of times just to make sure they all dry out. When they are done, tip them into the fresh bowl and put another layer on the trays and put in the oven. The amount in this recipe will do 4 trays.
Leave in the bowl until they are completely cool, then pack them into jars and enjoy!!! If they are not cool enough, you will also get a gluggy mess in the jar.
MOST IMPORTANT!!!
Make sure that you clean everything up and wipe down the benches where you have been working. You should know that the Lady of the House likes a clean kitchen.
 | |
| Finished Product |
Monday, April 4, 2011
Garden Update
Mornings are absolutely beautiful at this time of year. I wake to glorious cloudless skies and warm sunshine which quickly raises the outside temperature from 16 deg C to around 25 deg C by 1030. So today I found enough clothing and towels to do a load of dhobeying (washing) and had it on the line by 0645.
By 0930 the cloud was back with light grey and white clouds scudding across the sky with a few breaks where blue sky let the sun through. The clouds are moving quite quickly from the South East, so I'd say there's a bit of wind up there although it is only a stiff breeze at sea level (or 50 metres above, as we are). With the cloud cover it is taking longer than usual to dry the chillies, but patience will eventually pay off.
I took the opportunity this morning to take some snaps of some of the garden. I didn't bother with the pumpkins as they have completely taken over one side. I counted one fully grown pumpkin and I think about 6 or 7 immature ones that should fully mature if not disturbed too much.
As I have said previously, the passionfruit is starting to develop many flowers and they have now started to form baby fruit. This means that, after some time we will have any number of fruit to enjoy.
The one that starred in a previous blog is now really starting to ripen. It takes a long time for them to fully mature and drop off the vine, but the wait is well worth it.
Cantaloupe/Rock Melon/Musk Melon. Know by many different names in all parts of Australia and the rest of the world. A succulent, juicy melon that is totally jammed pack full of goodness. I grew these with another patch down the garden from 4 seeds from one Kay bought. So pleased that I did now. A slice or two for breakfast will give you the burst you need to keep you going until lunch time. They are like passionfruit and take a fair time to ripen, but again, worth the wait.
The tomatoes are growing oh so well and have set several trusses. Unfortunately for this impatient gardener, they are not ripening as fast as I would like, but again, I must remember that patience is a virtue!! As you can see on the right that, when a truss forms, not all the fruit will grow at the same rate. I will soon be writing a blog about genetically modified fruit and vegetables so this pic will then become a "centrepiece" of that blog and all will be revealed, so keep watching!!
The first bed of potatoes I planted is now showing growth. There are only two heads up at the moment so I will wait until the others come up before piling more sugar cane mulch over them and hopefully they will grow another head of potatoes under that layer.
I have also been busy early of a morning while the sun is shining, and I have planted seeds in trays of okra, pickling cucumbers (for Polski Ogorki) Chinese and mini cabbages, which have all sprouted. I also have some Peruvian chilli, mixed chilli, brown onions and asparagus, which have not yet shown their heads. My next problem will be to find room in the garden to transplant them!!!
I have already sown some climbing purple beans, which have already started climbing and heaps of garlic, which are just showing a tinge of green. Around the tomatoes shown above, I have sown a couple of rows of carrots, beetroot and parsnips and some broccoli. Lots of veges for good health!!
The snake beans are producing now. Before they were all green and no bean!!! I have picked some that are almost a metre in length and I have frozen most but had some for lunch the other day and they are extremely tasty.
The snake beans are producing now. Before they were all green and no bean!!! I have picked some that are almost a metre in length and I have frozen most but had some for lunch the other day and they are extremely tasty.
I will be back soon with more of my thoughts and maybe even some news and views, so keep watching this space and, most of all, enjoy!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)