Harvest Time

 Monday August 28

My day had a shocking start - a cold shower. Not deliberate, the shower started playing up. I thought that maybe Pam had forgotten and turned the washing machine on. No she hadn't. 

Recovering downstairs, Pam burst in having been alerted by a squirrel, sitting on the electricity post in the hedge, munching on something. Our hazel nuts are ripe. 

 


I'd asked Adrian to check them on Friday but he thought that they weren't ready yet. I've discovered that not many people know when vegetables and fruit are at their optimum for picking. Brought up in a small Welsh village surrounded by a wooded countryside full of nuts, blackberries, wild strawberries, whinberries, plums and apples, we kids knew where they were and when they were ripe. Unlike today, 'stranger danger' was unknown, we ran free. Snacking on fruit and nuts meant that we didn't even have to go home for lunch during the long summer holiday. We also grew our own vegetables, so it's inborn.

We picked all those we could reach, pruning the tree at the same time. The nuts grow in clusters beneath the leaves, not easy to see for the uninitiated.


There are probably as many left on the tree, Adrian will pick them tomorrow.

Moth news

We had our first Convolvulus Hawkmoth of the year yesterday. We usually get one a year. They are immigrants. It does show some pink when the wings are open but it's pretty drab - but one of the biggest hawkmoths.

 


Another large and sombre moth is the Old Lady.  This one was damaged, it is rather late in the season for them.

Why was it named thus? The moths most commonly found are male, flying in search of a mate. It does give the opportunity for banter such as, ' three old ladies in your house this morning then'. We've heard them all.


We've recently opened to-day's traps - and found a second Convolvulus Hawkmoth. Less worn than the previous moth, and much livelier.  It was fully revved up, its wings a blur, ready for take-off - showing its pink-striped body.


 


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