The sun sets

 Here in the greenhouse, cleared of the aubergines and salad leaves, the broccoli is planted up to see if it lasts longer than the outdoor broccoli already pretty well established. Although there are lots of jobs to do in the garden now for me it feels more like the sun is setting on it for the winter. This is the view from our front bedroom window last Saturday. Just two more weeks before the clocks go back.

Goodbye to veg.

Luke getting into my usual role, lawn-mowing

Me, pulling back the husks of the sweetcorn to reveal their corn.Not that there was much of it.

 Luke pulling the sun-dried pods off the discarded beans before laying them in the greenhouse to dry out. Black pearls.

The start of the last supper, courgettes, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onion and aubergine from our garden

For my friend, Rob.

A friend of mine asked for a run through of Shakira's moult. So I've put together photos of her before the moult started in August, through to yesterday.

Above is Shakira in her finery with the second one just showing a hint of downy things to come.

The shock of opening up the hen house to find almost a whole chicken in feathers alone can't quite be captured on film. On the droppings board, underneath where the hens sleep, is one night's feather loss.

And then suddenly she is almost 'oven ready' - the parson's nose!

 As it grows back you see a hedgehog type appearance with little quills through which each feather will break through. The splinters of these sheaths can be found at the start of each day on the droppings board where they have broken off overnight.

 The downy feathers, somewhat ungainly start to trumpet out.

 Another view of our chicken's backside. If she only knew!

 The moult is going on all over, in patches, giving her a dishevelled appearance.

 Then suddenly, from an ugly duckling comes the very beginning of a beautiful swan.

Then just when you thought it was all over, Buck Bucky lifts a wing and hey, presto!

She's started too!

Lady Bountiful.

Today up came the fruits (or more specifically veg) of our labour. Tonight we are having roasted vegetables to use up the last of the aubergines, a red onion, baby courgettes and some bought parsnips (well they were only ten pence for a bundle). To accompany them we also have various sized carrots, our own potatoes and a sprinkling of parsley and mint. My Mum and I have an understanding that when we start talking about what we are having for our dinner we have run out of things to talk about and it's time to say goodbye so I'm a bit concerned about starting this post with talk of food but it is relevant. Luke has planted Autumn purple sprouting (in case the outdoor ones which have been in for over a month get hit by the frost), some hardy peas (yum) and I've potted up some parsley into the greenhouse as well as some for the kitchen. As Luke cut down the beans and collected up the pods and I dug up the sweetcorn our chicks roamed the garden hoping for any tidbits we may find, one unfortunate earwig ended it's days in the beak of a speedy chicken. Their back feathers are splitting out of the quill barrels or should I correctly say, the sheaths which sprouted from their bare patches have now protected new feather long enough to burst open when the feathers are too big to be restricted any longer. Luke said they look like little blusher brushes, a long plastic handle with a tiny fat brush at the end. He's quite correct, they do look this that.
I dug in two bags of sand, finished planting up my bulbs and replanting anything that needed a new home. I'm sort of done for the year now. Although I'll be blogging any new activity it's probably just going to be bird watching now they have come back after summer's harvest, to their peanuts and Nyger seeds. So lovely to see the Goldfinch again and apparetnly the Redwings are on their way too. There's always something good to look forward to.