TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, AND AUGUST HEATWAVES

Well it feels like we have been absent for a while.  Certainly it has been some time since all our collective members have been together up at our little plot..  Indeed, two have travelled over the big pond and are still Stateside, the rest of us have had family visitors or simply been wiped out by the heat.  I think we have just come out of the hottest summer I remember and even the meteorologists are talking about records having been broken.  Despite these adverse circumstances we have kept up our visits to the field and have many adventures to regale you with.  To give  you a wee prologue here....Storms  ( the felling of Mr Darcey), Thefts ( minor to major), Insect Attacks  and yes  Produce Galore..

Lets start with the vegetable news.  As we said we had had some problems with bugs on the toms, so generally I would say they have  been disappointing. EXCEPT  the cherry toms, which need to be harvested no  not in the tens but hundreds.

Similarly successful in their abundance  and all varieties are the peppers.  Courgettes and Aubergines also are being plucked in abundance, in a variety of shapes and sizes  which is all very amusing  after Sarah s two big melons we now have Helena and..........

.......actually I'm lost for words at this one.2nd CAPTION  COMPETITION    one for Helena and ppleaseee what on earth is Brenda thinking in the background..

So general produce good  Herbs   BASIL  (Fawlty Towers skit here)    You have grown out of all proportion   Madness  total madness  I mean there is only so much pesto you can make.  Herbs good  both kinds of basil growing wildly ,  Parsley  not so much   although being sat on umpteen times by a big dog does not help.. (ATILLAAAAAA)

The melons have also  been disappointing although the watermelons doing better  we never seem to be able to pick them at the right time   .  Either they are not red and juicy in the middle yet,  so under ripe or we leave them too long and they are mauled by dogs or other creature leaving horrible scars caused by unimaginable beasts that I would rather not dwell on.  (R ###S)

Something that  as a non gardening person has somewhat surprised me is just how much space water melons and melons do take up,  Everyone said  plant them far apart and not near anything else and Gordon Bennett  given the chance they would just take over everything.  I think for next year the ideal place to plant melons and watermelons is...the next field....

So ending this section on the good news   lots to eat!!   and generally de bloody licious,...

STORM DAMAGE


Now the challenges.... One day  it rained  and it must have been quite windy as most of the cane supports and even Mr Darcey blew down.  The canes with toms and peppers, aubergines were replaced and Mr Darcey re erected.  However you can see he has developed definite leaning to the left.  A possible response to tough times, or the obvious impotence of our elected leaders in Greece  or even a comment on the European  dictatorship of Greek politics.   Or maybe  we just didn't have a ladder to git him straight agin... You decide.







THEFT..  SOMETHING AND NOTHING......

Damn dogs stole one of my shoes, well actually  caught the damn thing which had grabbed my camera case and was scooting up the hill with it . I hotly pursued and succeeded in grabbing the camera case  only to discover there was a partner in crime    TWO ATTILAAAAAAAS.  Atillla number 2  got a shoe and off it went.  shoe never seen again

.  Much more serious, a car was broken into while we were gardening. 10 meters away..  The perp. escaped out the gate.  In full view.  Note to ourselves always lock cars and go in pairs  Difficult Days

Meanwhile back to gardening... and then there is the weeding  and more weeding and more weeding.Oh  I do do it    but mostly just taking photos  Oh  Insect Attack  note to self  TUCK SOCKS IN TROUSERS.   EUUUUUUGH.  Gross really   but i felt this think crawling up my leg.  Pulled trousers down  somewhat rapidly and ejected a huge centipede  EUUUUUUU. Refreshments time..





In the dark days that we have here in Greece at least we still feel  despite some setbacks that we are working together, achieving something positive, planning ahead,  moving forward, learning from our mistakes and eating better. Now we need our full team back as we need to start planning for the winter.  I guess its time to sow more seeds.

We will ,   as ever keep you posted