Wednesday 19th January 2022 - Grape Vines, Wolf Moon and Pilot Project

I plucked up courage, on Sunday morning, and pruned our grape vines in the manner suggested in the YouTube video I watched. As I said in my last blog, it was a bit drastic and with basically the main stems and nodules left, I remain apprehensive as to whether it will shoot come the spring.

With clear night skies the Wolf Moon, the first full moon of 2022, was still visible when we took Barney out on Tuesday morning. As it was gradually sinking in the west, the rising sun in the east was casting a pink hue behind the moon. The first full moon of the year is termed a Wolf Moon because it is linked to the time when wolves are most vocal, ahead of the February breeding season. What I hadn’t realised, until I did a search on the internet, is that each full moon has a name. In February it will be a Snow Moon, March a Worm Moon, April a Pink Moon and so on.

There is a Pilot Project, between January and March, taking place along the Wash and North Norfolk Coast, assessing Marine Debris. I was first aware of this when I saw a large wheeled bin placed against the Pauls Lane toilet block wall and then later another. They both now have stickers on them and are locked. When I was reporting an overflowing dog bin to my very helpful contact at North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), I asked if they had any more information. With the details, provided by NNDC and looking at the websites of some of the bodies involved, I am still somewhat at sea (sorry for the pun) as to how this project will gather full facts to produce meaningful data. I have been told that marine debris cleared from the beach and left by the bins (most convenient being the one on the zig zag, or at bottom of the access road from Clifton Way) will be picked up by Serco, who will put this in the locked bins, thus saving anyone having to carry large items all the way to the car park. It needs to be noted that not everything picked up on the beach will be accepted and these are listed on the poster on the bins. I have taken photos of the posters but unfortunately they are not clear and when I tried to copy one from a Facebook page, I had the same problem. What I am basically saying is, anyone who picks up rubbish off the beach; needs to check whether it is acceptable for the project by first reading the posters and then leaving debris relevant to the project by one of the bins or the main ones on the car park. I hope this makes sense!