What a beautiful day

And it started with me tripping the light fantastic out of the hospital about lunchtime having been given the all clear on my blinkin' bladder. So I've made the half way stage towards getting the three year all clear. Much relief from wife Linda, who treated me like royalty for the rest of the day.

Every one of the staff at Hinchingbrooke Hospital were first class. Lots of smiles, everything explained carefully. They all clearly take a pride in what they do and I must email them to tell them how happy I was with the service... ...good, done that now.

Spent the afternoon laid out in the sun lounge (converted greenhouse) listening to radio recordings. Then off to Connor's seventh birthday party. Video clip below.

Bit of discussion about flat screen TVs at the party. Having finished decorating the hall I'm due to start the lounge shortly... wall paper selected so it's all systems go. The significance of the decorating is that the domestic executive has decreed there's no replacing of TV kit ready for the football World_Cup next summer until the lounge is redecorated. I've been longing for the current TV to go on the blink so I can replace it, but it still insists on soldiering on. Aiming to complete the decorating before Christmas so I can have the new TV installed for then, accompanied by all the latest recording and receiving kit.

Got a call from the garage to say the Fiat Panther will be ready to pick up early October. Cue much rattling around to make sure the money is in the right place to pay a cheque, the insurance covernote is with them etc etc.

John's king sized mattress still rests at the flat. Has to be out by tomorrow. Mate Paul, who was due to turn up last night with his Honda people carrier to transport it, didn't. John's off to his girlfriend's place in Wisbech until Saturday. It's all coming down to the wire!

	Click to watch the rapid disappearance of birthday cake, and Princess Paige dressed up as usual.
	Another fantastic sunset over Allotment Heaven (click to enlarge)

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.

Will I be famous?

Well, at long last I've sent my first childrens' picture book off to an agent to see if there's any interest. It's gone of to the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, one of the few that accept submissions by email. The book is called 'My Grampy Says He Has A Spider Up His Nose' and is based on some of the tales I tell my four grandchildren. You can read it for yourself by clicking here. Hopefully it'll be a winner and I'll be pushed to do a series and become a millionaire. On the other hand...

Had an idea for a more serious book of fiction that's developed from a series of short stories to a single tale of the First World War. Hoping to do some research and preparation while on holiday at Hunstanton. Would like to do some more serious writing and think I can, but it's just getting down to it. There's some hope when you see it takes established writers a couple of years or more between books.

I'm getting little enough time for my existing tasks, including the allotment. Managed a couple of digging sessions yesterday, but that's been all for about a week.

Oh, forgot that I managed to pop a variety of lettuce seeds into some trays so I at least had something growing over the next few weeks.

Think I may have at last pursuaded my wife Linda to help on the allotment. She doesn't like the idea of chickens running around her legs, but the feathered fiends are always restricted to the back plot so hopefully that'll satisfy. Better get the shed tidied up when I get back from holiday, it's in such a mess at the moment.

So off for a few days in Hunstanton. See you soon! John

Will England win the World Cup?

Well, if the passion that comes out in this video clip of the National Anthem being sung and one of the first chants of 'England! England!' is anything to go by, South Africa 2010 is going to be another 1966 result. There's a bit of camera shaking... you try keeping a steady hand when almost 90,000 fans are in full voice! Watching it on TV really doesn't give you an idea of the amazing atmosphere.

So you can guess I had a wonderful day with sons David and John on Wednesday at the England v Croatia World Cup qualifying match. Managed to visit a few London pubs, had a gourmet burger at Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Baker Street. Then up to the wonderful Wembley Stadium for the match.

There were lots of Croatian supporters around... we had a drink with some in the afternoon and the tube trains were full of red and white squares. They all seemed about ten feet tall but were very good natured. Must have been a tough journey back home after being beaten 5-1. Didn't get back home until 01:00 the following morning. More video clips below.

Since I'm increasingly putting video clips on this blog, and with my ??th birthday approaching next month, I've been thinking of getting one of the latest mini camcorders. Although I've had a proper Panasonic camcorder for six years more recently I've been taking clips with my Samsung camera since that's a lot more portable. But the latest minicams take high definition video, upload easily to YouTube, and can take really great photos as well. The best ten HD camcorders are shown here, the three other mini contenders being shown in addition to my current choice of the Samsung. Since this model hasn't been released I'll wait a bit longer for full reviews.

Been feeling for some time that I'm keeping half the local bird population fed with chicken feed... or else my four chickens have a heck of an appetite. Caught two magpies helping themselves earlier in the week, so yesterday I wrapped chicken wire across the top of the posts the birds like to alight on to check all is clear before flying into the chicken coop. Still lots of food left by the evening so I might have happened on a way to half my chicken feed expenditure.

More photos and video clips below. Thanks for reading my blog.

	Wembly Stadium fills up.
	England's first goal starts an earthquake!
	Took granddaughters Paige and Izzy into town on the morning of the match to buy some ribbons and get a milkshake.
	David talks football to Croatian supporters before the match.
	On the tube to the stadium.
	John and David outside Wembley Stadium.
	Hot air balloon over Allotment Heaven. This morning about ten floated past the house.
	Another beautiful sunset over Allotment Heaven.
	Paige's first day at school.
	Sammy makes a harp.

John's bungee jump... the sequel

Well, he did it! And if you watch this video clip you'll understand why I can be so definitely, absolutely, confidently sure I couldn't have done it. What a hero!

When he returned home late afternoon the following day I'd put a poster on the door headlined 'Our hero. Welcome home'. Think he liked that. See below for more pics.

Mind you, five minutes after arriving he was interrupting the final few minutes of the television programme we'd been watching for over an hour to check his Euro Millions lottery numbers. Bless!

Pulled up my final onions yesterday and dug over half the bed. Not made much progress in my mission to take up the raised beds and divide the plot into four large beds for crop rotation. Decided I'd better tidy up what was inside the raised beds first before I pull out the wood and dug the existing paths up... better ensure the good areas I've got are weed free before I dig up fresh areas.

Bit of a hectic three weeks ahead. In addition to the usual son-related competitions this week we're off to Wembley on Wednesday to watch the England v Croatia world cup qualifying match, preceeded by an afternoon trip around some of the good ancient hostelries of London town. Next week Linda and I are off for a few days in Hunstanton walking around the beautiful beaches. And the week after that I'm in for an morning operation to the local hospital for them to check up on my blinking bladder and make sure all is still OK. So posts will be a bit intermittent for a short while.

	Here's John in the first moments of flight looking remarkably calm. (click to enlarge)
	Paige's drawing of me and Linda... with full (a bit too full in Linda's case) anatomical detail included. Top left are a bird and a butterfly.
	Paige's envelope

John's bungee jump... the prequel

You'll have noticed son John has been figuring more prominently in this blog of late since he moved (or should I say squeezed) back home for a couple of months. No doubt things will settle down when he does, but today he figures prominently because he's doing a bungee jump from no less than 300 feet!

As he set off early afternoon I gave him a hug and stood at the corner of the garage with a sad expression on my face waving him goodbye... all to boost his confidence you'll understand.

He set his sat nav to his girlfriends house, from where he would travel in her car. He's only been there five times before but apparently they keep moving the roundabouts. Bit of a delay on the road there. Called him just before he was about to go up and he sounded remarkably calm. I'd have been screaming for mercy at the point.

Had texted him requesting he send a photo as soon as he'd done it, to which the reply was that his camera wasn't working. Hmmm... was this all a myth like that of the Apollo moon landings? Read the sequel in the next post to find out, hopefully with some clips as proof.

Feeling quite smug after my allotment trip today. Managed to finish weeding the two leek beds so they look really smart (see picture below). They're my favourite vegetable and although I have mixed success with just about everything else, with leeks I manage to grow a whole winter's supply for the extended family. I'm aiming to try making cheesy leek and potato pie, leek, potato and bacon bake and potato and leek gratin... all recipes that include my wife Linda's favourite vegetable, potato.

The rhubarb jam went reasonably well, but should be a bit more runny. After the final ten minute boil the jam still ran down the plate a bit so I continued boiling for another couple of minutes. Next time I'll stop at the allotted time come what may.

	How tidy are they! (Click to enlarge)
	It's amazing how quickly the nights are now drawing in... even needed to break out the winter head gear before one late cycle back from Allotment Heaven.
	The feathered fiends settling down for the night. I'm still only getting three eggs a day from them and haven't figured out who's lacking in the reproduction department. Even had a couple of days with no eggs, the suspicion resting on some magpies I espied lurking about the chicken coop, though I think they're only after some of the food.

Grandchildren rearrange the allotment

Popped up to the allotment with Connor and Paige during the week. Connor always goes on a den building mission (see video clip below) while Paige demands much waiting upon due to her status as a princess.

In the clip on the left she's unintentionally making mincemeat of two capertillars (sic) as she swings their new home around. They turned out to be vapourer moth caterpillars, picture below.

I'm feeling rather pleased with myself in a geeky kind of way. Barry flagged up that when video clips on my blog were played, at the end YouTube offers related videos to the viewer. Now YouTube is pretty good at monitoring its content, but nevertheless the randomness of what might be offered seemed unappealing. So the mission for a few days has been how to stop the related video clips being offered. You'll note some success when you play the clip above and at the foot of this post. If you're interested in doing the same yourself the html code is shown below.

Registered my blog on blotanical just in time for the 2009 award nominations... hope I get a mention!

	Connor den building
	This code puts the video in a table so your text will wrap around it as shown at the top of this post. Just paste into your 'Edit Html' area and paste your YouTube embed code in place of the two sections REPLACE THIS TEXT WITH YOUTUBE LINK. If you want the code to put in a table as for the video clip above this item put a comment on this post.
	Vapourer moth caterpillar (click to enlarge)
	Bee on globe artichoke

Lost again!

Well, that's it for the year squash-wise! Lost to David yesterday and now he's going to win the third quarter as well as the first two. End of competition 2009.

Thought we'd start a new competition to the end of the year (after all, we can't just play friendlies!), totalling up who wins the most games between now and then. But that got off to a wonkey start when we burst all three squash balls I'd brought and had to finish half way through the first game.

So my opportunity to hold all competition cups has drained away. Thinking positively though, I'm hoping for another walloping of both sons on Thursday when we play pitch and putt... if I can repeat the record breaking rounds of 34.

Been up early this morning making rhubarb jam. The recipe is below, I've been doing the dicing and blanching bit.

Almost finished the garage tidy yesterday, including a bit of a debate with the domestic executive about where son John's bed bits were to be stored. I'd had a brainwave and put them in the garage rafters, but they ended up back were they were, resting against the garage wall. By the afternoon I'd really started to clear some space when the new boarder arrived with another car load of stuff. His clothes managed to make it upstairs and into the wardrobe, but his DVDs (lots and lots) only managed it as far as the new space in the garage... even though he wants them in his bedroom as well! So I'll be hauling them up there today... is it a requirement of parenthood to have a frontal lobotomy?

Had another bike incident on Saturday... was cycling home through the cemetary extension admiring the new drainage channels that have been dug when a pile of dirt crept up on me. Fortunately I only clipped the edge, but made for an interesting few seconds.

Here's the rhubarb jam recipe I'm using...

Ingredients:

1.5kg rhubarb

1.2kg sugar

Recipe:

Peel the rhubarb and you should end up with the same weight of rhubarb to sugar. Cut the stalks into lengths of two to three centimetres. Blanch for one minute by plunging them into a pan of boiling water, then drain well. Place in a bowl with alternate layers of sugar and leave to steep for twelve hours.

Drain the rhubarb into a bowl, retaining the juice. Bring the juice to the boil gently and simmer for ten minutes. Add the rhubarb and cook over a moderate heat until it disintegrates (takes about ten minutes). Mix and remove the foam from the top with a holed ladle frequently. Turn the heat up for ten minutes, being careful the colour doesn't change (be careful, this can happen really quickly!).

Check the jam is ready by testing a drop on a tilted plate. The jam shouldn't run, if it sticks straight away at an angle it's ready. Put into clean dry jars fairly soon and close the lids straight away. When the jars have cooled completely label and store away from light and damp.

More photos below. Thanks for reading my blog. John

	The first geese setting off to escape the English winter (click to enlarge). It would be sad to see them go if it weren't for the thought that the next time they'll be flying over it'll be Spring.
	White grape vine cuttings that have taken really well. Lots of strong roots coming out of the bottom of the pot.
	Been looking for a hop plant for ages, but on the rare occasions I've seen them in a garden centre they've been about £15. Spotted this plant when one of the local orchards had an open day... £2.50! Going to try making my own beer from scratch.
	Getting lots of really sweet tomatoes form the greenhouse. The Gardeners Delight are really good, but the Tigerella are not so sweet... don't think I'll grow them next year since the main attraction seems to be they're striped.
	Lots of work being done on the cemetaryt extension, big machines putting in drainage.
	Here's the front plot this month...
	... and the back plot.

Wishing for a rainbow

Feels like I've been doing that for some time in my weekly battles with sons. With 58 years fast approaching and them just in their prime there have been odd moments (just moments you understand) when I've started to wonder whether the slow decline into old age has started, and sons are beginning to get pay back for all the years when Dad was God at football, squash, darts etc etc.

So the sudden success at squash, with two consecutive wins and a chance of me forcing a playoff for the month if I win tomorrow, has come a something of a surprise. Forget David's claims that it's down to him breaking his racquet... it happened after the match on my first win, and the loaned racquet on the second win was the same make as his broken one. How dare he try and take the credit away!

But now I'm likely to go over all Dickie (Attenborough) as I relate the amazing pitch and putt result. Since we started playing in early summer John has been the winner by some margin and held the record round of 38. With my best at 40 I'd been struggling. But on Thursday I went round twice for 34 each time! So not only do I hold the record round by some margin, but I've also got boy wonder on the back foot with a chance to take the overall lead next week!

Won't mention the darts / pool, which I was winning until it came to the pool bit. Or the tennis... although I hold the title it's more by default since Barry and I haven't played for a few weeks, weddings and holidays getting in the way.

Speaking of boy wonder, our youngest son is moving back in for a couple of months. His flatmate is giving up the flat to move and John hasn't found alternative accomodation yet. Cue much clucking from his mother, who's secretly looking forward to mothering him a bit... though this may change when he's knocking about at 5am on his way to work, or falling over early in the morning after a night out on the town. Apparently he's going to buy his own food and do his own washing (though he may be aiming to use his mum's washing machine, which is unlikely since she thinks the machine is on its last legs and John's smalls will push it over the edge).

In preparation for squeezing a a quart into a pint pot I started yet another tidy out of the garage... been planning to get stuck in anyway to make space for my industrial wine making (see below). Warm feelings (of the type that involves hot collars) came over me as I realised much of what was in there was storage from when he moved out a year ago, but having huffed and puffed for a few hours including numerous trips to the tip I managed to clear a good space for my brew. While I was out it made its first visit to deposit stuff and promptly filled the space! Think we're heading for a new chapter in father-son relationships which may call for diplomatic skills of the United Nations.

After the success of last year's apple wine and the abundance of free fruit at this time of year I've invested in some five gallon carboys, the idea being to make enough wine to last for a year. I've already had many pounds of apples stewing in two five gallon barrels of water for a few days... in fact one of them appears to have started fermenting without the addition of any yeast. Maybe that's how you make cider. There's a delicious smell from what is now apple juice, and after removing the apples I'll be adding wine yeast later today to start the proper fermentation. Give that a couple of weeks, move into the new carboys and I can start another lot in the bins. Each five gallons makes about 30 bottles of wine.

After the initial thoughts about changing my car I've now taken the plunge and am getting a Fiat Panda 1.1 Active Eco. Of course there were a few bumps on the road to ordering... what swung the decision for me was seeing the car advertised at £4,995 including scrappage scheme allowance in a Fiat TV advert. We're doing a swap around of cars in the family... Becky is having my Fiat Punto, and the new car is going in Barry's name initially so their old Punto can be part of the scrappage deal. Pitched up at the dealers to find there's a facelift resulting in an extra £250. Much unhappiness all around. Still made the order, including £90 for Diamondbrite treatment. A week later the dealer calls... unfortunately the new version doesn't come in white, the colour I'd chosen! Fortunately they'd found a cancelled order in white at £4,995 so all is now well. Delivery in October. I've figured out how to get my sons into the diminutive new set of wheels... I'm going to tell them it's a Fiat Panther and that the badge on the back is just a misspelling.

Many apologies for the appalling previous post... so boring and factual! Was in a hurry. Must do better! Additionally there's a lack of allotment related themes recently... unfortunately it's all dig dig dig as I pull up the raised beds ready for a better year in 2010, so that's likely to continue for a while... though I understand one of my daughter's friends reads this blog for anything but the veggie content, so maybe she'll consider that no bad thing. But I've run out of time to complete this post and add the rest of photos, so will update in a day or so.

Temperatures for July

Here's the temperatures for July (click to enlarge). Best to ignore the maximum temperatures recorded... the bits to construct the Stevenson screen are still on the workbench. Minimum temperatures are bang on.

During the month we got 62.5 millimetres of rainfall, surprisingly higher than the national average of 57.4mm, given that parts of Cambridgeshire are classed as semi-arid. A very heavy downpour on Fri 17-Jul with 26mm of rain pushed the monthly total up. There were 10 days of full sunshine.

Bit brief today... post wedding been a bit busy here and there. Managed to get ten gallons of apple wine started, more about that on next posting.