Well how bad do I feel?????

The simple answer to that is....really, really, really, really bad!!
Why??
Well after my last post I was right back out of the swing of things again...it was one thing after another....blah,blah,blah....won't bore you with the details...but here we are...now into the third month of 2019 and I thought to myself...right...I'm going on blogger...only to find all these wonderful comments from people that I had neither published or replied to.

So I would like to start off thanking everyone for not deserting me...apologising for not acknowledging the fact that you had not deserted me...and for also not blaming you if you thought...well sod her then...and never come back again!!

However...having said that...I would miss you all should you decide not to visit anmore!

So without and more grovelling I will get on with a post.

Last years weather just meant that the allotment nor the bees amounted too much. Little rain meant little nectar which meant little honey and practically no swarms so I did not get to replenish my numbers after winter losses...it's a shame but that's just how it goes sometimes. I am going into this summer with currently one active hive...not where I wanted to be so I think this may be the year (and the first since I started out) that I buy a colony of bees as I really want more bees around to pollinate the crops....the two other beekeepers who were on the allotments no longer have bees for one reason or another so now more than ever we want to keep the numbers up!

I was hoping to post some allotment pictures in this post but unfortunately they don't appear to be on the sd card I have just inserted into the computer so instead right now I will share with you the newest member of the family.....

This is Linnaeus...albino corn snake,
2 years old.

Yes, I got a snake....currently only 2 foot long but beautiful...though the Hubby would totally disagree....it really gives him the creeps nad has to say totally out of the way when he is home!

Well we had a lovely spell of weather in February which gave me chance to get on top of a few thigs at the allotment...mainly tidying and weeding stuff but it was nice to get out and enjoy some sunshine after the short dreary days.

Consequently at this moment in time I am feeling optimistic for the coming year...last year I got very little harvest due to the lack of water....hopefully this year will be a little better...my fruit did really well though and as always the Markhams shared there abundant plum tomato harvest with me so I still have plenty of preserved fruit and tomatoes which should just about see us through until we start harvesting fresh again....lets cut to another picture or two...

Some tomatoes were sliced, dehydrated and
ground to powder

Whilst others were peeled and then used for
soups and sauces!!

My raspberries always seem to do well no matter what the weather and so I got plenty of this last year....

You can't beat homemade raspberry syrup
and jelly!!

The garlic did nothing....I usually put it in around october but didn't get it in in 2017 so planted it in the late spring but with the weather nothing came of it...too warm to quick and too dry...I got a few onions but not much so this is what I was left with for the year....

I am used to this being full of
onion powder!

I know it doesn't look much like onion but the only way I can add onion to my dishes with out the hubby moaning is to dehydrate them and grind them to dust...it doesn't lose any of its flavour and is greta added to any dish or even just used as a rub...I do this with my tomatoes too!

Believe it or not I have had those photos since last year and just never got around to posting...the thing is...I don't really know why....I enjoy the blog...I like writing and telling my stories...I enjoy see what is going well for others....it just didn't happen...I think I need to be a little less disconnected and keep at this...after all I use it like my personal diary and I now dont have one for 2018.

Anyway..like I said...I have been busy but I will leave that and some other news for another post...and I am going to write this time...I have some exciting newbies to try so its important I keep a good succession of writing up this year...
Well I opened with a pet so feel I should close with one...have a good weekend!

Polly and Sully...gotta love em!