Horse Fly

The allotment suffers from midges in the evening and, as I'm currently having to wear open footwear due to blisters caused by running a mountain marathon, I was prepared to be bitten. I was not though expecting a horse fly to attack my foot. I haven't swollen up massively, but as it's my foot even moderate swelling has somewhat crippled me, leaving me hobbling about with no footwear at all. Finishing the earthing up of my potatoes is going to have to wait until I get back from next week's holiday in Normandy.

Quick Update

I'm still alive and kicking, and despite my best efforts at causing its death by neglect, the allotment is progressing happily. Haven't been able to take any photos but I'll get some up soon. The potatoes are very numerous, and in need of earthing up. We're going to have to ask veg box people not to deliver any when it gets to Autumn or we'll be seriously snowed (potatoed?) under.

The general story is that everything I grew in pots (or bought in pots) before planting out are happy and everything I sowed directly has been munched by slugs. That'll teach me for my naivety, I thought I'd lose a couple of plants and that'd be it. But no, the slugs capacity for wholesale destruction was highly impressive. All the peas and rocket were munched to the ground.

The sweetcorn I'd planted out is looking good though, and with a bit of love, care and twine the runner beans are happy now. The squashes are growing, but slowly, I'm still waiting for a massive explosion of leaf growth from them which will save me from further hoeing.

There's lots more to tell but I'm going to try avoid writing an essay until I have some pictures to break up the words, so hopefully I'll be back with more tomorrow.