Deblyn

When is your season for planting and harvesting artichokes? We plant ours out in February/March, and harvest them in September/October time. I grew my main crop in a very large container this year as they are so invasive; however a good stand of them has still appeared in one of the beds where we thought we had cleared most of them! I don't mind as I would eat artichoke soup until it came out of my ears...........

No racoons in Dorset! One animal considered a pest in some gardens though is the badger; sweetcorn straight off the plant is one of their favourites! There are badgers who eat veg in some of the gardens in the village, but not mine, sadly; badgers are lovely, we think. They can do a lot of damage both to lawns and veg though.

Our corn gets the occasional earwig but nothing too drastic! So compared to racoons we get off very lightly I think.

.........it's been a long time since 22nd June, hasn't it? However, I am now sitting at my own computer, eating crisps and drinking Lambrusco and we have at last managed to get a connection to the net. Hubby wiped the hard drive and put on a new system, but we haven't got on line for a couple of weeks - until tonight! So here I am; I just hope it's not a 5 minute wonder and I disappear into the wild blue yonder again. We are still having e-mail problems, and probably more besides, but for the moment at least I am able to get back here albeit in a roundabout and convoluted way of logging on!

By a strange quirk of fate, the two community computers in the pub were taken out by the bad virus that is going around; I believe they have been sorted out today, but there's nothing like sitting at thome and doing it!!! I'm a happy haggis now!!!

.................and now I'm back, I can say hello and welcome from Dorset in England!!

I do a lot of bartering and it is something I really enjoy, bartering whatever I have for whatever comes along and takes my fancy!

I run a group called the North Dorset LETS group - it stands for Local Exchange Trading System; we have our own currency called Stags and our own cheque books; it's a sophisticated bartering system which works really well.

Personally I prefer the proper bartering eye to eye swapping etc, but this comes a close second. The next meeting of North Dorset LETS is on Satruday 23rd August at my house, if anyone would like to dome along!

In the meantime I will go off in a while and look at the site Hillbillee has suggested.

We eat lots of sweetcorn here in England - on the cob, tinned and frozen. I can get organic frozen or tined in the supermarket. so usually have a few tins stashed away in the larder. I grow my own every year but it can be a bit hit and miss depending on the amount of sunshine there is; this year's crop is looking good and almost ready o pick; I put on the pan to boil before I go out and pick it so it is cooked as fresh as possible before the sugar turns to starch. Fresh is my favourite, but I admit to sometimes eating it straight out of the can with a teaspoon! For heating, I just tip it in the pan with a good knob of butter. Hungry now.................!

yes deb, I quite fancy that one; I got some lovely organic bing cherries (fronm the US!) in Sainsbury the other week, but there are none left!!! I will get Mr Lowie to go to the market and see if he can pick up a crate for me and a barrel of two of brandy.............. one for the cherries, one for me...........

I have now read the second two books in the series and thoroughly enjoyed them ; I read them both in a day and a half as they are easy reading. I read books like this to intersperse the ehavier types of book I tend to read. I'm looking forward to the next one being published in October. Have any of them been made into films? I think they would be good films.

right you lot, that's quite enough of that! I'm still over at the pub, but hopefully things will be sorted out at the weekend. I am not drinking beer today as I am here at lunchtime - if i drink at this time of day I just fall asleep for the rest of the afternoon - not a good idea with two children and a store-room to clean out!

I do miss my own computer - sitting up till 3am eating strange concoctions out of the fridge and drinking gin while looking in on Mrs S. I have got so much other stuff done since the computer has been oput of action, though!! I might even get some houseworkl done, but that is probably unlikely!!

When the jam has reached setting pint, take it off the heat and leave it to cool for 10 - 15 minutes or so; gently stir it once, then pot as usual. This prevents the fruit going to the top as the fruit is then held up by the liquid jam which thickens as it sets. Hope this helps. (it works for me!!)

I haven't left he country - not yet, anyway!! My own computer is still up the swanee but mr Lowie has finally bitten the bullet and is going to take it in to have a new hard drive on Friday. so in theory I should be back on my own net at the weekend. The best laid plans etc etc etc!!

we are all fine; the weather is very hot here - up in the thirties this week (although it is cool in the pub!).

Not much to report apart from the usual round of cooking, veg and fruit picking, knitting sewing - what a life, eh? I have done tons of reading and am looking forward to catching up on Within These Pages again.

Hope everyone is well - see you all again soon. Here's hoping1

testing from the pub to see if it will let me post................

I have finished the my quilt top now (must be all that computer down time!!); I need to go back to the fabric shop (!) and buy the batting for it but that won't be until next week. I took a notion ot sewing last week and got another quilt top done for a wall hanging - it's the Attic Windows which has turned out well. I've now started on an applique wall hanging of four houses through the seasons. I didn't have to buy any fabric for that but all this batting is going to add up soon!!

I didn't visit any gardens myself as I had to be at our house as our garden was open for visitors. It absolutely p*********d down with rain was chilly and we had a thunderstorm! As a result I only got 27 visitors to my garden but the few who came were very imprssed with it an enjoyed the visit. I got extremely wet from standing outside in the rain explaining the gardeen to them all! They all loved the garden and were fascinated by the companion planting, the hops but most of all by the purple-poddid peas!! It's good fun and we still made a decent amount for the Garden Club funds so that was OK. Thanks for everyone's interest - please fell free to visit if you would like! (but don't make me stand in the rain again.......)

Just to pop in and say hello from our friendly local pub which is now online! Our modem got fried after a lightening storm hit the elctricity and caused a power surge. I have had no internet for two weeks now (arrgggghhhhh!!); I do miss it quite a lot. The upshot is I've managed to achieve quite a lot in the time I would normally be on the computer! Mr Lowie is going to take it in to his IT dept at work and get them to sort it out and instal the new modem which is giving him a headache. Hopefully this will get the problem sorted out this coming week. In the meantime - cheers and mine's a pint!!

Go over to "Humour Me" - see you there!

Thanks Ginger!

I'll tag Lois. I'll not forget how patient Lois was when I was sitting up at 2.30am (our time) trying against all the odds to get my *********duck in my signature!!!!! I was still very new to the computer and was so chuffed when it worked - she talked me through it (with help from Debbielee).

You're it Lois!

This week we have had the first broad (fava) beans, strawberries, mange tout peas and lettuces from the garden. Definitely the tastes of summer!

I am waiting for my pink grapefruit marmalade to boil up and I have made 2 lbs of lemon curd. I will make pizzas for tea as the oven is up; they are nice and quick and easy and the children's favourites. tomorrow I will be baking for the teas table at the Gardens Open day on Sunday - scones, cakes, etc. Glad it's a bit cooler today that's all!!

Made me laugh............!

Best wishes from me too - thinking of you all.

Sorry to hear other's bad news as well. How will your sister cope with bedrest - the thought fills me with horror! sorry about the loss of pets - that's always very difficult. I'm used to chickens and ducks and things but am dreading when our dog goes too.

Plan B!

Whoops! will try again!!

Now I think I have got the hang of the photo thing I thought I would share this picture of my favourite flower of the moment - lathyrus rotundifolia which is a perennial sweet pea. Isn't it beautiful? [image]http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL44/588530/901290/27662673.jpg[image]