Saturday 4th January 2025 - Postponed Again, Banks Burst, New Plants and Nibbled

I had originally planned to devote this blog to a recap of the highs and lows of 2024 but after finding I have plenty to write about in this first blog of 2025, I have shelved the idea.

After our family postponed their visit during ‘twixmas’, due to our youngest son not feeling up to par because of the chest infection, that’s doing the rounds, they have postponed again.  This time due to the weather.  I have to say the forecasts have been a bit sketchy, as to what areas would get snow, which of course would make their journey to and from Bucks, potentially hazardous.  Anyway, yesterday morning they made the wise decision not to come for the weekend and hopefully all will be okay to visit next weekend. 

Whilst chatting to a neighbour on Friday, she told us her dog had come in from the garden, late evening on Thursday, covered in the white stuff.  Since then, no snow, but with the temperatures on or just below zero centigrade, we have seen ice and frost the last two mornings.  A lot of areas have seen some very bad conditions and we were saddened to see videos on YouTube where a section of the Bridgewater Canal has burst its banks.  This has resulted in not only flooding over the adjacent land but has left, those who live on their narrowboats who are currently moored in this are, in quite a predicament.  With no water under their boats, they cannot turn and move and stuck where they are, they are facing carrying water (usually held in tanks on the boats), purchasing generators (they cannot use their engines due to lack of water), disposing of waste water, including that from their loos (this can normally be done at certain pump out places) and of course replenishing food supplies.  There has been media coverage of what can best be described as a disaster.  You can see what one family are experiencing, on the Taylor family’s YouTube vlogs.

After that little diversion, back to our life in Overstrand.  Peter enjoys experimenting (not surprising considering he was a scientist) with different vegetables and ways of growing them on his vegetable plot.  A couple of months ago, one of the butchers at Mundesley Butchers, gave us a yacon to try.  This plant originates from South America and grows like dahlias, producing tubers.  The tubers are what you eat, either as a fruit or vegetable.  We ate it as the latter, after which Peter expressed a wish to ‘have a go’ growing yacon on his plot.  Struggling to think of what to buy Peter for Christmas, I found an online site (Pennards) selling yacons.  I ordered one, adding a ground chestnut/pignut for him to try as well, plus a compact blackberry for me to plant in a gap in the raspberry canes.  The plants arrived in excellent condition and are currently in the greenhouse, covered in fleece, waiting for better weather, when they can be planted outside.   With the ground damp and cold, I have resisted the temptation to get out in the garden, but I don’t think it will be long before I pick up my secateurs and prune our russet apple tree.      

The wintery weather has not stopped the primroses, in our garden, from flowering.  However, as you can see in the photo below, something (I’ll bet it’s a wretched slug!) has been having a nibble at the petals.