Crowhurst_Autumn_15.pdf

Swallow ‘chit chat’Continuing the bird theme, I asked in thesummer issue for captions for the cute littleswallow on the right of the photo, who Ithought looked far from impressed by hissiblings’ behaviour as they awaited their food!Thank you to everyone for their amusingcomments.Lucille Gaunt writes:• Lousy food – don’t know why they’re makingsuch a song and dance about it!• Wish I was in the nest next door – they getbetter food than us!• Huh! If she thinks I’m going to eat that, she’sgot another think coming!• Who wants worms anyway? Nasty wrigglythings!• Bunch of prima donnas, the lot of them!Juliette, who works in the office• I do wish they could all sing in tune, then wemight get fed!• They’re so out of tune, we’ll never get in thedawn chorus at this rate!Jan Cooper (one of our Prayer Ministers)• Do you think you could zip it for a bit; I’ve gota pounding headache!• Ok, so we can’t all be good at singing!Gwen Farmer• If I keep my beak shut tight, they’ll neverknow that I’m tone deaf!• And finally, from Marnie Simmans“They also serve who only stand and wait.”(Apologies to Milton!)Garden NewsAs usual thesummer seasonhas been avery busy time.Strimming,hedge cutting,shrub pruningand for a shorttime, mowingin variousareas.The bedding plants were planted inthe planned positions and hangingbaskets were prepared and put intoplace.During the summer months, a carefuleye had to be kept on various itemsto make sure greenfly were kept atbay. With this in mind, Jeyes Fluid wasused periodically to keep Black Spotfrom becoming a problem with theroses.When the weather permitted, thecutting down of brambles, nettles andthistles was carried out in the vicinityof the lower pathway. Strimmingaround the interior side of the sheepfield was another task that wascarried out.It was a mostly dry July and theconsequences of a hot and drysummer result in leaves falling early,thus starting a busy time of leafclearing. Sometimes this can startin or around the middle of August.During leaf clearing time I amsurprised that I don’t dream aboutfalling leaves!With the pruning that is carried outduring autumn, the usual bonfires willbe taking place.With blessings to you all.Desmond.17