From the Transtemporal Observatory...

 Looking back at it, my present may not be your future.No good looking for news through a window to the past.Broken News is never the whole story. How to survive the cyclic challenge of historic administrative folly. Some would keep returning to the failed dependency.

Trusting in the hand me down systems can have regretable results.On offer;" Prison,Mental hospital or a bullet in the head."

Advice from my daughter whom the Colombian officials had coached: "I know they are Fascists dad,but do what they tell you."Long distance from Wales.

Principles are not things to be thrown away when times get difficult. We didn't compromise. Instead we recruited the aid of a member of the Colombian Army.We had Right in Law, therefore he was on our side. 

We got home with a fine uplifting tale to tell.  We're still standing on our hind legs without undue compromise of our moral principles.

I am not getting nostalgic. In many ways it's worse now.The old colonial empires' chickens have gradually but no less virally come home to roost.The early internet day privileged kids used to love it when their little bit of prankster rumour mongering or meming went viral. The political scientists have analysed the metrics of that liberal child's allowance,all grist to the mill of the globalist propaganda machine.Those now aging children will realize they have become victims of their own device.Enlightened preinternet warnings were ignored,reconstructed post war parental wisdom neglected. "Prepare for the crisis that is coming", that was a lot of well informed,wasted words ago. If it's only just dawning on you(as though you'd thought of it yourself), it's probably too late to adequately cope with the next phase of this troublesome decade without a high degree of initial discomfort, shortages and a sense of deprivation. I spent so much time trying to positively influence close family and friends to no avail, I nearly missed the bus myself. In retrospect I regard my past effort as well meant but naively foolish.

Let the wild things grow.An old variety, a hardy survivor. Denser than the pumped up super market offerings. Less prone to rot.

Reminiscence from four years old; My call to Mam from out in the garden..."When is dinner ready?",Mam's reply,"When you can smell the carrots." They don't seem to have retained the marvelous parfume of this root in the commercial named varieties. Odoursome and flavourful as in days of yor.The post war austerity wouldn't have turned it's nose up at these , a shape of things to come perhaps. Get used to it. Global crop failures and food shortages are real. They will effect quality, availability and price. A clump of these here robust tasty individuals allowed to self seed and mix genes freely, I  will let them wander in clumps like nomads around my garden, they'll provide a wholesome supply of all season nourishment..How we survived in the past is the key to how we will survive in the future.

Getting the beds comfortable and orderly for the long cold winter. I will be feeding the gullies between ridges with good compost and rotted manure later this season.

A dark photo image  but I like the illustrated form.  Old mulch scraped together on the raised ridge where once grew beans and maize. Boxwood thriving in the foreground. Just about visible on the right, the leeks have been cut back to discourage milldew, they will have their leaves back by winter and will be much fatter.

 Rising Earth ...

Sprouts are swelling...No one will stop us from celebrating around the table . We are blessed with abundance.

The seed from the yellow stick bean experiment. Next year I'll grow more for the bean itself. There is more seed stock yet to ripen. They make a pretty picture.

"CoVid Clusters"...Lockdown Heaven.

 

 Crushed and roasted candied walnuts securely locked down in an individual containment area by a shell of the darkest sweet chocolate.It could go viral. A symptom of a healthy approach to sickness.

Don't they just look good enough to eat? "Covid Clusters"

As we eat the carrots the garlic takes over. Another planting of garlic will occupy the vacated ground as the rows are being cleared.

My yellow bean experiment is paying off, I will pull these for next years seed. We will sow parsnips in their place.

Judicious feeding and mulching may carry these scrawny squash runners through the winter. Nothing lost if they fail to survive. Each node is capable of rooting and producing good true to type squash. don't let the runners stray to far from the mam.  Keep hold of the reins until your huddle of new plants are strong and healthy with established independent root systems. Transplant in late Spring.

Physalis,(Chinese Lanterns). Charging up for next season.

Preparing for an early winter. 

Eat now while stocks last...

Popeye The Sailor Animation Marathon 9 episodes

St. Crispin's Day... 25th October.

 

The Agincourt Commemorative  Handwarmers.

Hat on a mat,

Cat in a hat.

A little Romanesco.

Straight down the middle.

Colours of the Season...

 

The last "Roundup"??? We live in Hope.

The field was greening over after the wheat harvest. Spray season put paid to natural recovery,they are turning the field into a desert. Today, lashing gales, no fibre or roots to hold the fines in the saturated topsoil. The fertility of the field is pouring like chocolate sauce  into the ditches and watercourses.

We are keeping it green...

Rare side entrance view. We are building the soil level back up to level. A mix of mineral, shredded green twigs, compost crotin,discarded weeds and leafmould.It's a gradual process of recovery."Strength in Diversity."

 

Smudge likes chewing the pods and chasing wild beans.

Whatever happened to Belisha Beacons?

Put them in the freezer...

Good for salads, pickles and stew.

No room for nostalgia...There is no better time than this. Make the most of it.

Winter quarters...

There is two more to be overwintered indoors, we have to leave enough room for us to live in here.Three other chilli plants will be fed and mulched after moving them to a sunnier location.

Acanthus thriving in two inches of grit.

New growth on the boxwood hedge. Dank humid mornings.Cold weather coming in fast.

 

Between the boxwood shrubs Saxifrage and something I don't know the name of.

Gateway to the Fabled Realm...

Bordering  the madness.

 We invest in life's joyful Chaos.

 Young brassicas peeping through the straw.

 I have just lifted the last of the early Leeks. Two more patches are fattening well. 

The colour of rustic charm.

I had better collect these Fairy lights soon before they explode all over the garden. It's not called "Grenadine" for nothing.

 

Barack Obama HILARIOUSLY Lies for Joe Biden 😂😂😂 Gives *INSPIRATIONAL* Sp...

Today's heaven sent blessings...

 

These Grapes are delicious... just guessing they'd make good wine, I will look into it. Good for jelly or juice,perfect eaten fresh. All thanks to Marie Therese. She should be declared a National Treasure.

Thanks to Yucel and Elizabeth for the gift of both sweet and hot peppers.

Two  hot Chilli pepper plants to be rehoused in pots, they will winter indoors and will be transplanted into the "General Population" outside, in the Spring.

Don't get too excited... You missed it.

 

Smudge was there...

Between adventures.

The chicks are independent now,happy enough, brown hen eats her grain in peace at last.

Réglese and Noodle are making plans for a family

There's a Right to this one still in the making. It should be ready by 25 October, St. Crispin's Day. I'm calling them, "The Agincourt Handwarmers." Local wool carded and spun, dyed with vegetable pigments , designed, knitted and modelled by Anne-Sophie.

 

They may not be childrens' favourite due to the dry bitterness, avoid trips to the sweet shop with healthier option Candied Walnuts.Five minutes well spent.The kids loved them.

Cooling and drying, crying out to be eaten.

We are putting plenty aside  for gifts.

Working on savoury alternatiyes.

Libre Service and a little bit of what I fancied. It was my Birthday. My sixty ninth celebration. the walnuts will be gone long before my undying enthusiasm for Life has waned.

 

There are no photos of the Apple cake, too bad. It was good , I had seconds, then guess what ... You didn't turn up, so I ate yours.. I was still left searching for more stuff to nibble on. The first candied walnuts flooded me with saliva. I nearly drowned.

Experimenting with different methods of preparation is a great way to learn. 

 I'll get cracking on some more. Looking for favourable recipes at preesent. Only twenty or so more kilos to shell. Yesterday evening was spent skinning Sweet Chestnuts. Two kilo bags of peeled nuts will go for freezing.

I will show off today's delight presently,