I cut from a magazine a receipe for sloe gin which doesn't use sugar (from Andy Hamilton "wild food expert and brewer"). I am to just fill a jar with them, cover with strong vodka and seal. Leave for six months. Strain. Leave for two years.
I am going to try it. But next year when I am harvesting sloes again, I won't know whether it is worth the wait! Or the year after that!
I pick my sloes in September. Books and magazines keep saying you should pick them after the first frosts but down here in London that is October or later. If I wait that long the sloes will either be shrivelled, have fallen off, or been picked by someone else.
I went today to open space near Kingsbury station (in north west London - Kingsbury is the station just north of Wembley). It looks as if it is old farm land. I easily got two soya dessert tubs of sloes.
The tubs are in the freezer compartment at the moment, but I intend to prick each sloe with a needle tomorrow evening as I listen to the radio, and then start the sloe gin.
Extra: Today I saw a weasal for possibly only the second time in my life. It ran across the path in front of my bike as I cycled up between the riding stable and the marshes.
I also saw what I think was a kestrel. This flew low over the path and then perched on a pylon. It looked rather grey, but the bird book shows grey underparts, so I think that the most likely bird.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
What the robin knows
I have just finished reading What the robin knows by Jon Young which shows how birds reveal the secrets of the natural world to those who know their language.
In particular you learn the "baseline" calls and behaviour of birds in your area, the songs, the companion calls, territorial aggression and adolescent begging. so you can then spot the alarm calls (and alarm behaviour) and work out what is causing the alarm and where it is. The book is American based but the information is transferable to other environments.
We need a "sit" area we use regularly to learn the lessons from the book.
We are given guidance on "jungle etiquette" where our way of moving, including expanding our sphere of awareness and shrinking our sphere of disturbance, mean birds don't have to waste valuable energy when we move about.
My main sit area will have to be the garden, but there is also an area in Wick Wood, a small new growth wood near the Lea Navigation between the Leabridge Road and Old Ford Lock, I'd like to use also. The problem is it is too far for me to walk (I mean, I am capable of walking that distance (4/5 miles), and back again, but I'd never do it) so I would be cycling there.
There is no mention in the book of how disturbed birds are by cycles. I expect birds whose territory is by the towpath have cycles as part of their baseline environment, but I don't think many people cycle around the wood - I haven't seen another cyclist anytime I have been cycling round it.
I wouldn't want to chain the bike near the towpath and walk to my intended spot. I would be tense from worrying about my bike being stolen. And one of the ways of disturbing birds less is be relaxed oneself!
In particular you learn the "baseline" calls and behaviour of birds in your area, the songs, the companion calls, territorial aggression and adolescent begging. so you can then spot the alarm calls (and alarm behaviour) and work out what is causing the alarm and where it is. The book is American based but the information is transferable to other environments.
We need a "sit" area we use regularly to learn the lessons from the book.
We are given guidance on "jungle etiquette" where our way of moving, including expanding our sphere of awareness and shrinking our sphere of disturbance, mean birds don't have to waste valuable energy when we move about.
My main sit area will have to be the garden, but there is also an area in Wick Wood, a small new growth wood near the Lea Navigation between the Leabridge Road and Old Ford Lock, I'd like to use also. The problem is it is too far for me to walk (I mean, I am capable of walking that distance (4/5 miles), and back again, but I'd never do it) so I would be cycling there.
There is no mention in the book of how disturbed birds are by cycles. I expect birds whose territory is by the towpath have cycles as part of their baseline environment, but I don't think many people cycle around the wood - I haven't seen another cyclist anytime I have been cycling round it.
I wouldn't want to chain the bike near the towpath and walk to my intended spot. I would be tense from worrying about my bike being stolen. And one of the ways of disturbing birds less is be relaxed oneself!
Sunday, September 4, 2016
First ripe plum tomato!
Third September and I pick my first ripe plum tomato - and another one is ripening.
A colleague at work says she doesn't bother with plum tomatoes anymore as they take so long to ripen so it is not just me.
Though the only non plum tomato plant I have had ripe fruit a month after my friend Tony got ripe fruit on his plants - and it has been just 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes every week. And my first picking of beans was on bank holiday Monday - over a month after Tony started picking his.
And Tony lives in Chingford on the edge of London, so not benefiting much from the heat of the city.
A colleague at work says she doesn't bother with plum tomatoes anymore as they take so long to ripen so it is not just me.
Though the only non plum tomato plant I have had ripe fruit a month after my friend Tony got ripe fruit on his plants - and it has been just 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes every week. And my first picking of beans was on bank holiday Monday - over a month after Tony started picking his.
And Tony lives in Chingford on the edge of London, so not benefiting much from the heat of the city.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Lots of off-cuts for the woodburning stove - but I regret the bits that got away!
Coming back from the shops on Saturday morning I was able to lay some off-cuts from a skip over the top of my shopping trolley. Then, when I reached the old factory where now artists live and work ,one of the big rubbish bins had off-cuts in, so I grabbed one piece - having no room for more.
Once there was some nice wood left outside the old factory and I went home with my trolley, unloading my stuff, going into my neighbour's with her stuff and unloading that, chatting to her, getting the cheque. Then 3/4 an hour later I went back up the road to find someone else had taken the wood.
This time it was down the road, quickly unloaded my shopping and back the road again - less than10 minutes. But the wood had gone! One of the bins was now closed and I couldn't open it. Did this bin still contain the wood?
However I did get one piece from another skip at the end of the road. There were long lengths of nice wood on the scaffolding on the house which the skip was outside. So this evening when I got home I went up to see what was in the skip - four good length pieces - nearly 3 evenings' worth of burning!
I checked the bin outside the factory just in case.
I've a lot of sawing up to do, but a good addition to my wood stash in one weekend.
But I still wish I had not missed out on those extra bits!
Once there was some nice wood left outside the old factory and I went home with my trolley, unloading my stuff, going into my neighbour's with her stuff and unloading that, chatting to her, getting the cheque. Then 3/4 an hour later I went back up the road to find someone else had taken the wood.
This time it was down the road, quickly unloaded my shopping and back the road again - less than10 minutes. But the wood had gone! One of the bins was now closed and I couldn't open it. Did this bin still contain the wood?
However I did get one piece from another skip at the end of the road. There were long lengths of nice wood on the scaffolding on the house which the skip was outside. So this evening when I got home I went up to see what was in the skip - four good length pieces - nearly 3 evenings' worth of burning!
I checked the bin outside the factory just in case.
I've a lot of sawing up to do, but a good addition to my wood stash in one weekend.
But I still wish I had not missed out on those extra bits!
Friday, August 19, 2016
Kings Cross Skip Garden
A colleague at work organises a lunchtime walk most months. This month we went to the Kings Cross Skip garden. This is a little space behind Kings Cross with a lot of second hand stuff, not just used skips, made into a community garden.
As well as the herbs, vegetables and wild flowers, there are also beehives (which we didn't see) and chickens (which we did).
There were two chickens, one of which had wonderful markings. They reminded me of medieval floor tiles.
I don't have room for chickens.
If I did and I had a fox-proof shed and run for them, it would be very stressful when foxes were pacing around or sleeping in the sun on top of them! And if I could have hens I would feel I would have to take rescue chickens. But in my dreams I would have a couple of these chickens!
https://www.kingscross.co.uk/skip-garden
As well as the herbs, vegetables and wild flowers, there are also beehives (which we didn't see) and chickens (which we did).
There were two chickens, one of which had wonderful markings. They reminded me of medieval floor tiles.
I don't have room for chickens.
If I did and I had a fox-proof shed and run for them, it would be very stressful when foxes were pacing around or sleeping in the sun on top of them! And if I could have hens I would feel I would have to take rescue chickens. But in my dreams I would have a couple of these chickens!
https://www.kingscross.co.uk/skip-garden
Friday, August 12, 2016
I've passed the chimney sweep test!
My woodburning stove had its annual maintenance this morning and my chimney was swept at the same time.
This is a little earlier than last year as Mark* said last time he was less busy in August and gets very busy afterwards.
He could tell from my soot that I had been burning dry wood.
He knows from the messy soot stuck to his brushes when people have been burning wet wood. They always deny it! Other people use their fires as an incinerator and burn all sorts of things on it. They often try to burn dog or cat hair, but this doesn't burn easily, so that is brought down all sooty by the brush.
Every time I am arranging for my logs to be delivered I have wondered whether coppicing and pollarding is increasing to keep up with demand as more and more people get wood burning stoves. Mark says we could become like Germany where wood is becoming scarce and expensive.
On Wednesday coming back from kayaking I passed a skip up the road with a large piece of wood in it that looked clean and brought it home, but it wasn't until I saw it properly in the morning that I could see that it didn't have the greenish tinge that showed it had had wood preservative put on it. It should be 2 evening's burning once I've sawn it up.
*Mark Killick 07914 041813 (lives in Enfield)
This is a little earlier than last year as Mark* said last time he was less busy in August and gets very busy afterwards.
He could tell from my soot that I had been burning dry wood.
He knows from the messy soot stuck to his brushes when people have been burning wet wood. They always deny it! Other people use their fires as an incinerator and burn all sorts of things on it. They often try to burn dog or cat hair, but this doesn't burn easily, so that is brought down all sooty by the brush.
Every time I am arranging for my logs to be delivered I have wondered whether coppicing and pollarding is increasing to keep up with demand as more and more people get wood burning stoves. Mark says we could become like Germany where wood is becoming scarce and expensive.
On Wednesday coming back from kayaking I passed a skip up the road with a large piece of wood in it that looked clean and brought it home, but it wasn't until I saw it properly in the morning that I could see that it didn't have the greenish tinge that showed it had had wood preservative put on it. It should be 2 evening's burning once I've sawn it up.
*Mark Killick 07914 041813 (lives in Enfield)
Friday, August 5, 2016
Wildlife and cycling better in the city
I was chatting to 2 colleagues yesterday.
One loved wildlife, particularly birds, and had moved to the country mainly because of this. He said that generally he had seen a lot more birds when he was living in Hackney, especially on the marshes. He also hadn't been out on his bike since moving as he felt the country lanes were so dangerous. He found it frightening enough driving past cyclists
The other colleague had moved to Lewes where the wildlife was not so good as in London (except for the slow worms in the Quaker meeting house garden). He had cycled almost daily when he lived in Walthamstow, but doesn't in Lewes, again because he felt it dangerous and unpleasant.
I know my friend who moved from Walthamstow to Sudbury in Suffolk has nice cycle routes near her as I have twice taken my folding bike on the train to Sudbury for a cycle ride with her. I'll have to check with her about the wildlife.
One loved wildlife, particularly birds, and had moved to the country mainly because of this. He said that generally he had seen a lot more birds when he was living in Hackney, especially on the marshes. He also hadn't been out on his bike since moving as he felt the country lanes were so dangerous. He found it frightening enough driving past cyclists
The other colleague had moved to Lewes where the wildlife was not so good as in London (except for the slow worms in the Quaker meeting house garden). He had cycled almost daily when he lived in Walthamstow, but doesn't in Lewes, again because he felt it dangerous and unpleasant.
I know my friend who moved from Walthamstow to Sudbury in Suffolk has nice cycle routes near her as I have twice taken my folding bike on the train to Sudbury for a cycle ride with her. I'll have to check with her about the wildlife.
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