Tuesday 1st March 2022 - It's Been Lovely, Soapy Water and New Frame

No complaints about the weather this weekend; it’s been lovely. Although the waves were pretty tame, surfers were out with their boards first thing Saturday morning. Two fishermen were casting their lines (see my photo below) and on a grander fishing scale, Davies’s boat was out from Cromer. Talking with Overstrand fisherman, Andy, the other day; he told us about some new regulations fishermen and women have to comply with. These are in addition to those brought in over the past few years, governing reporting of catch and the boats themselves. All this plus, unsociable hours, no revenue in the winter months and cost of licences and equipment etc. makes this not one of the most attractive industries for the younger generation to consider going into.

Conditions were just about perfect on Saturday morning to clean the greenhouse. I knew there were a lot of pots I was going to have to take out, but when I counted there were sixty one! Fortunately, I was able to carry two at a time with the smaller pots containing the geraniums. Once empty I took a bucket of soapy water and a broom and cleaned the glass inside and out, followed by the staging, before hosing everything down. Jeans and boots, somewhat damp at the end of the process, I went indoors in search of dry jeans and then made a mug of hot chocolate. By lunch time the greenhouse was pretty well dry and back in went all the pots and other items I keep in the greenhouse.

I have been trying to lift out the blanket weed growing in the pond. This and duck weed are virtually impossible to remove completely and need to be tackled periodically. Assuming the frogs will return again this year, producing spawn, Peter has been making a movable frame to put over the pond. Last year the local cats, particularly Lunar the part feral who we feed, took great interest in the froglets. We were unable to stop Lunar eating those which ventured out of the water and onto the grass. Wire mesh helped protect the froglets as they developed but the pond and surrounding grass got a bit out of hand, resulting in the area being choked with vegetation by the end of the summer. The new movable frame should keep the cats at bay whilst also enabling us to remove excess plant growth on a regular basis.