Scavenging nettles and horse shit

Yesterday after getting the last bit of bedding on the rotary dryer I set off on my bike for my Sunday ride.

The last time I had been up near the riding stable I had passed some horse dung on the path and, remembering my father rushing out with his bucket and shovel every time he saw a horse pass the gate, felt it was rather a waste to ride on by. Yesterday I had thought to put in a strong plastic bag and a trowel in a saddlebag - just in case. To my surprise I found a heap of almost dry dung so shovelled it into the bag, not feeling too self conscious as walkers and cyclists passed.

This morning, again setting off late as I had taken some rugs to the laundrette, I had headed the same way as yesterday as the bit of the tow path on this route is wide and set back from the Navigation so not as affected by late morning crowds as the route to Victoria Park or Limehouse, Again I found some dung - fresher this time, so damper, heavier and smellier!

Near the car park at the end of Coppermill Lane is a long stretch of nettles. Not sure what is giving them the nourishment. It is possible that they cleared the stream running alongside the bottom of Coppermill Lane and dumped the dredgings there. Yesterday I picked the nettle tops (gardening gloves turned out not to be easy to use!) and filled my soya desert tub.

I then went to the Farmers Market in Walthamstow High Street and got some bread, sour dough white and medieval white, getting the stall holder to put them in my pannier (not the pannier with the horse shit in!). Usually I then go home by road, but felt as it was so late the roads would be busy and unpleasant so retraced my route to the cattle creep and then went across to the Navigation and headed home.

At home I cut up dried apricots and half filled a jar, adding plenty of nettles and then filling with half vodka and half water to make a tonic (this from "A year with James Wong" the book of the second series of "Grow your own drugs"). It will be ready in 2 weeks and will keep in the fridge for 6 months, so will not keep to be an early spring tonic next year.

I also tidied the shed and gave the "chelsea chop" to the geranium. Today has been busy too, so it feels a nice long time since I left work on Friday evening - I like that feeling!