52 Week Challenge - week by week through 2013

[Glutton4...]

Time to report back, after a couple of weeks off the rails. No losses at all, to report, but no gains either, so can't really complain. My work trousers are looser, and far more comfortable, so time to get back on track now, I think.

Keep up the good work Peeps!

[bramble]

My garden challenge has been completed. It now looks a lot tidier.
I don't know if I will get much of a crop from the peas but " nothing ventured, nothing gained"

[bramble]

This weeks challenge. Do all the ironing that has backed up during the hot weather.
Not just the usual amount of ironing, with the weather so good it seems I have washed everything in the house and now am facing the awful tedious job of ironing them all.

[Tripmeup]

Late posting this week but my challenge is to try and run anything over 13k... haven't done it yet, so best get moving...

[Hazel at the Hill]

Late posting this week but my challenge is to try and run anything over 13k... haven't done it yet, so best get moving...

It's far easier out there running now it's cooled down a bit.

[PyreneesPlot]

Bit of an odd one again.

I spent the night in the house on my own! No, Mr PP had not been wicked, but he had been invited to a boys only drinking/gambling night.

This was the first time only one person had ever been in this house alone and I think it had saved all its creaking and settling for that night. Every hedghog and owl and roebuck in the region also came and shouted at me. Got to sleep sometime after 3am...

[Tripmeup]

Late posting this week but my challenge is to try and run anything over 13k... haven't done it yet, so best get moving...

Hadn't really thought too much about this one.. Just knew I had never ran more than 12k before...
More used to running my 10k s, so went for a run with someone used to longer runs and therefore a different pace...
So anyways, off I went and ended up running 17.5k!!

Technically, it may not be the correct way to do it in terms of distance increases, but I am well happy with that...

[veggiechicken]

Week 32 challenge - Done
It'll come as no surprise that this weeks' challenge again involved the new GH. The flooring has been laid and the final panes of glass fitted and I have been playing about with bed layouts - moving trays around to get an idea of how to make best use of the space. This is still undecided but one thing I do know, its a great place for breakfast So about a quarter will be kept free for a table and a couple of chairs (just in case I have a visitor)
I've also decided to surround the GH with raised beds - to keep the lawnmower away from the glass at the lowest point and to screen the blockwork on the high side - but that's for another week
I forgot to take a photo of the GH with plants in before I left to come west yesterday so you'll just have to use your imagination with this one

[Hazel at the Hill]

Week 32 Challenge

Enter an Allotment Show

You might think that this Challenge is not too tough as I already have the allotment bit, and we do, indeed, have an annual show; however, it does take a considerable amount of planning and forethought in order to participate properly!

I'm happy to enter any and all classes where I have something to enter, pretty much regardless of quality - don't get me wrong, I'm as competitive as the next one in the queue, but I also know that I want to encourage people who may be reluctant to 'join in' something like this, thinking there is some sort of mystique to showing veg.

No, there isn't - you just take the best you have, present it properly, and pay your 25p entry. Job done. Classes with stiff competition might make your - say - runner beans look a bit rubbish, but there will be some classes that - actually - you've got some good stuff in there! Not to mention that some classes will be less popular, so even if your spring onions are rubbish - if there are only two or three entries, you are going to get a second or third, regardless.



It's not just the veg classes - domestic classes are fun too. I bake a bit anyway, so it's not a hardship to make a nice fruit cake a couple of weeks in advance and take that down; and the show schedule always includes a 'cake from supplied recipe' so everyone is doing the same thing there.



The only thing that I find can cause a bit of a panic is the timing - before now, I've been down to pick things on the Show morning so it's as fresh as possible, then find myself in the kitchen with an hour to go surrounded by 5lb of runner beans feverishly sorting through to find the 7 best matching ones.

No - that does not make for a fun day, so now, I leave everything alone for a week before hand then go down on the Saturday for a grand picking session. Saturday evening sees me sorting through beans, potatoes, beetroot, courgettes, rhubarb and anything else I have ready to enter, and chose the best. Over a glass of wine.



Sunday morning, I pack everything into the car and off we go to stage the entries. Big sister Helen visits for the weekend, and her and mum come along with their entries too.

Everything is staged by 2pm, then the judges do their stuff for a couple of hours whilst we have a mooch round the site, listen to the band and enjoy the barbecue and a couple of drinks at the bar.



Then the moment of truth - not so hot for me in the domestic classes this year - in fact big sister Helen's fruit cake beat mine , but I had some good results in the veg classes, so I'm very pleased about that.

I've sent Helen back to the south coast home with courgettes, beans, cake, garlic and wine, mum and my neighbours have been offloaded with rhubarb, beans and spare cake; and all I need to do now is work out how to get another few pounds of beans in the freezer and how to deal with the courgette mountain...



But my week 32 Challenge - is done!

[veggiechicken]

Week 33 12th - 18th August

Can't believe its Week 33 already - where has the year gone?
What shall we do this week to celebrate

[mothhawk]

Can't believe its Week 33 already - where has the year gone?
What shall we do this week to celebrate

Garfield is my hero

[veggiechicken]

Just for you and Garfield

[mothhawk]

Nice one VC

[mothhawk]

My challenge this week is to get up extra early tomorrow to see the pre-dawn Perseids. They're supposed to be at their best before dawn, and it's no good me trying to stay up late to see them.......yawnnnnn......

[bramble]

Finished my challenge. I think i spent the best part of the week ironing.
Next time we have a heatwave I will be more cautious about washing everything in the house.
Having said that, I feel very satisfied with all i have achieved.