17th November 2019

Dear All,

It was “Legumes” in “Just Vegetating” on Monday with accompanying Bean Burgers and several other bean dishes. For the second week the swimming pool was bracing which kept the numbers down!

In the evening Terry Rugg came over and we planned the next Moldova trip probably in May while Kate was at the Dickens Fellowship in Cambridge. Driving back later that night was the usual excitement as the layout of the A14 changes almost daily – or more bafflingly -nightly.

On Tuesday I thought that the wasps in the compost bin would have lost their aggression and emptied the bin and mucked both greenhouses. The nest was small about 8” across and only a few inmates still alive and active. I also measured up the broken panes of glass (3) and got replacements from the glaziers on Over Industrial Site.

Wasp’s Nest

Mucked greenhouse

We both went to Cambridge shopping on Wednesday, Kate to buy new walking boots and me to be outfitted for the wedding.

Our Thursday walk began in a downpour which kept the numbers down but still 20 turned out. We started in Fulbourn which is surrounded by a surprising amount of Fen and Nature reserve. It stopped raining by half time and overall was not a bad walk with the autumn colours looking particularly good this year.

Damp Start

Surface water in Great Wilbraham

Winter Draws On!

The “Biography” subject was “Henry Blogg” ex coxswain of Cromer lifeboat. He is the most decorated lifeboatman of all time with 3 gold medals and 4 silver. Under his captaincy the boat was launched 387 times and saved 873 people.

Henry Blogg

Bill and Sue were present when I arrived home en route from Derbyshire to their sons in Kent. They had endured a very wet week in Derbyshire and had great difficulty getting out through the floods. Adrian Hart then called for us to help him renew his passport on line. When I did this for myself earlier in the year it worked like a charm, this time it did not work so well and tested our patience somewhat.

There were no decent football matches locally yesterday (damn International break!) so after a trip to Oakington Garden centre I finished off my biography contribution – Jack London for 3 week’s time.

I harvested Sweet Potatoes this week and they produced a decent crop.

 

Sweet Potato Crop

With love

Mike & Kate