Maths & Onions

This is Zak :

Zak enjoyed escaping and exploring the garden whenever he could. Hes now in the garden under the apple tree, along with Daniel (zaks piggy mate), Katie (zaks wife) and Molly (daniels missus and Dylans mum). We like to think there is an animal afterlife, in a secluded field with a stream and trees, thats where they are now.

Today was supposed to be for writing an OU astonomy assignment, which indeed it was, but whereas i expect to spend hours on end slaving over equations, that wasnt to be so. I have no idea what the equations are about. Some people may be happy to mathematically explain the relationship between the scale factor and the mass density parameter of the cosmological constant, but it just gives me a bad headache. So, i didnt answer those questions, and got out into the garden.

I got the onions pulled up and set out to dry. Not too bad, about 14 that look usable, the odd pest hole in one or two. Now, ive never even considered growing onions before, but the father-in-law gave me some sets, so i had a go. Quite pleased, although we dont tend to use many onions, so what im going to do with them ive no idea!

I had decided i would pull out and replant the gooseberry bushes as well, but on venturing down the garden, i noticed rather curiously they wern't there. Julie and Sam were out at a party. When they came back, i discovered that Julie had decided to mow them over with the lawnmower. Quite how she managed this i cant imagine, but theres nothing left of any of the 6 bushes.

Caterpillers. Half a dozen big 'uns, and under one cabbage leaf about a millions baby ones. I just cant win with these things. I crushed most of them, but several plants look like ive had a go at them with the 12gauge. The weeds were looking a nightmare as well. So, it looked like time to do some weeding.

Julie by this time was home with sam. Sam had his wellies on and was searching the weeds for 'catipillies', but as he says 'not find any'. I took it on myself to give the now defunct and much overgrown potatoe patch the once over, and discovered one scraggly plant that yielded a half dozen or so spuds. So thats tomorrows dinner. I started to hoe the rest of the plot, something that i had badly neglected. I discovered that there were a few of the deemed lost carrots still hiding away amonst the weeds.

So a carrot was saved. The deluge of rain recently has been a godsend for the plot, i can actually dig more than half an inch! After a good hoeing the plot looks respectable again, although i was amased how that prized plant grass had crept in. Now, dont get me wrong, i like a nice lawn just as much as the next bloke, but not between my cauliflowers. Some thining and occasional transplanting later, and things are looking tidy. I dismantled the pea canes for later use.

On the small plot, which was only dug last month at great personal effort and resulting agony, using a pick axe and mattock as the ground was like tank armour, the weeds were taking hold. But whats that? A lettuce? and are those carrots? I could be very wrong, but it does seem that my gamble here might just pay off.

I got into trouble for leaving bits of onion skin and mud near the kitchen, and have been told ive got to wear the wellies on the plot. The plums are starting to ripen, but i think next year the tree needs cutting back a bit and thining out. The cooking apples are not bad either. More digging over tomorrow, and a bit more weeding but now the ground moist enough things are doing better. The parsnips i thought were a gonner after growing in sedimentary rock now look like they may just manage to survive.

Freddy is picking up Dylans habbits. Old Dylan does seem to be livelier, and happy to look after little Fred. I can relax now, a bottle of Black Sheep Riggwelter and a few others tonight for me.

A week or so ago, Julie told me there was a rabbit in the garden. Indeed there was. Black and white and sitting on the border. After much chasing we caught it and installed it in Zaks old house. Several days passed before we found out it belonged to the lady a few houses away. The bunny was returned, and after finding out they had two and the hutch was no good, we donated a double hutch we didnt need to them. The lady cam around today to say thankyou, with two bottles of white wine. That'll do for me!