Pests

Back from a few restful days in Hunstanton with a single picture... this image of a hoverfly (click to enlarge). Yes, I know hoverflies are normally small slim things, but apparently there are lots of varieties and this looked like it could do some damage. Did my usual act of trying to get a close up (looking a right twerp to any passerby) and frightening the object of attention in the process, so apologies for the slightly blurred image.

Got lots of walking done and a ride on the excellent Coast Hopper. Could tell the schools were back... the bus was packed and looked like an old age pensioners' outing!

Returned to the allotment to find the pests lining up to take advantage. On my first early morning visit caught five (yes, five) magpies helping themselves to the chicken feed. The initial one or two had obviously thought it was such a good wheeze they'd told their mates... so much for the deterrant plastic bags waving in the wind. Cue an hour spent putting plastic netting over much of the chicken coop to stop the free feed.

Then into the shed to find The Rat had been making a visit down the far end, evading the bricks I'd stacked against the floor to put him off. So another couple of hours on a subseqent visit spent removing anything stored outside against the shed and installing brick footings all around. Although it's not finished it looks quite tidy and means it's easy to walk round and inspect periodically, though since it's all in the open now The Rat isn't going to be quite so keen on annoying me.

So you'll gather there's not been much progress on the digging project. Kind of glad actually... there's been so little rain over the last few weeks I didn't fancy the effort required. Wait until things soften up and then I'll fly at it.

Gave the fig tree a trim, used some for cuttings, and picked off all the unripened fruit. In mediterranean climates the fig has two flushes of fruit but UK summers are only long enough for one, and the second set of fruit just uses up energy. Tried to find a use for the unripened fruit... could only find a jam recipe. Not really got the time to try it this year.

At home things have settled into a routine following the reinstallation of youngest son, John. Only one item of his possessions still to come... his king sized mattress, which is still at the flat. His suggestion was we strap it to the roof of my car with bungee ropes. I'm suppose to be inspecting it with him to see if it'll fold and squeeze into the back of my Fiat Punto. Time is slipping away since it has to be out by the end of the month. Think it's one of these 'Dad will sort it out' jobs judging by the lack of urgency.

Been watching an amazing video, an art visualisation of air traffic over North America during a 24 hour period, with up to 19,000 in the air at any one time. You'll see traffic reduce as night time approaches. I think flights to the destination in the bottom left must be to Hawaii. Click below to view.