Courgette and nasturtium

Leaving in a few months time so had to put the garden back to lawn, but could not resist planting something. 

The flowers were from last year self seeded after my experiment with square foot gardening. 

Bee Swarm

July and Nicola and I went out to get a swarm from Constantine. Small black bees so I wonder if they are wild ones. 

Hedgehog Feeding Station

After making the hedgehog house next was a feeder. This is better enclosed as cats and foxes can't get the food.

As you can see from the picture the internal wall stops anything else reaching in.

All it needs now is a waterproof cover ands its good to go

Petrol can ferret box

While mouching about with the dog, I came across a chap walking with a useful looking bedlington lurcher and a plastic petrol can. Coming alongside I could see the petrol can had been converted into a ferret carrying box. A clever way to carry the ferret .

Hedgehog house

As I was putting the dog out last night we saw a hedge hog carrying her young. So I thought it was time I built a hedgehog house. I started with an old paint bucket.

And then I cut it in half, next I cut a board to fix to the front.

I made a wooden tunnel seven inches long and a tunnel width of four inches. This is to stop cats and foxes scooping out the hedgehog. 

From the websites I researched it seemed a good idea to provide lots of insulation so I covered with waterproof material and buried the whole thing under a bush in the corner of the garden.

Update 2016.  The hedgehogs have been with us all Winter and summer and have been using the house which is now completely overgrown.  Hedgehog wanders round the garden in the evening feasting on slugs and snails, of which I have in abundance. 

Mackerel Fishing

While picnicking on Budleigh beach we noticed shoals of mackerel chasing small bait fish. We went back early the next morning just before high tide  Llinos was using feathers and casting when the shoals went by. She pulled them in four at a time. I was using a spinning rod which obviously caught fewer but significantly bigger fish.
This is the only time I have ever seen fish shoal in this way.

Mindful Fishing

I have recently learnt mindfulness. A technique for lowering stress. The large part of mindfulness is given over to meditation   I was struck by howuch this state is like the one I enter when fishing. That relaxed exterior  and totally focused mind waiting for the take. Perhaps this is why most fishermen are calm.