And still it comes...

Today has been a busy but productive day. I got the jam labelled up and put away, the pears are syruped and in the freezer, and the crumble was made and eaten! I picked some more of my tomatoes this morning and they were very swiftly transformed into the pasta sauce, and tucked away into the fit-to-burst freezer. I had to clean the cooker after the jam boiled over yesterday and boy, did that take some scrubbing!?! Then I relaxed with a book and a cup of tea for half an hour.

This afternoon was the return to gymnastics after the summer holiday - and some of the girls are as stiff as boards after seven weeks off! It will take a week or two but they will get back to normal quite soon. And then, as we were clearing up, the HC said, "I've got some stuff in the boot of my car for you," and when I went to get it - well, harvest all over again - runner beans, dwarf beans, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, a marrow and a squash, and more rhubarb. At least some of it will keep without being processed immediately, but the beans will have to be sorted tomorrow. The potatoes are a variety called Picasso - and they are amazingly good - and huge! I want to try to grow some here ourselves next year. They make the most delicious baked potatoes and roasties imaginable.

Disaster struck again this morning when Coco's light went out! Thank goodness that we are having some very mild and muggy weather here at the moment so that he can survive until more lamps get here tomorrow. Sourcing them locally, the one that failed cost me £6.99 and I can't find any cheaper than that, so I put a call in to a Smallholding supply company in Wales and they will do me next-day delivery - thanks be! - and so there will be 5 here tomorrow costing £3.95 each, less 5% for buying five. Coco is actually beginning to get feathers on his wings - I must take some more photos tomorrow to show how much he has grown.