Full Metal Wheelbarrow

Well, today's plan was to dissassemble the bean supports, spread some of the manure over the bed they were in and rotovate it in, but it's a touch soggy out there just now. I think I can still get the supports wrangled and the manure spread, but I think it might be a bit damp to be running the Mantis - it'll either clag up the tines and gum up the works or I'll end up with mud soup...

I'll see what the weather's like if it ever bothers getting light...

On Sunday we toddled over to visit Rob's parents for a couple of days. Rob's Dad has a dislocated collarbone, having been mugged by a horse - he was carrying a bucket of feed down the field for them, and one of them was rather too pleased to see him and knocked him flying. The bruises are quite spectacular. The doctor is hoping it will pop back into place by itself, but if it hasn't by Friday, they'll replace it manually. This brings to mind images of large fierce nurses placing a foot against his shoulder and pulling, so we're hoping it doesn't come to that...

On Monday morning we went to the seaside. We planned to go to Skegness, but Jane the GPS had other ideas and we ended up in Mablethorpe instead. I hadn't been to Mablethorpe before and rather liked it. There's a proper sandy beach with shells and wading birds that scuttle about on their itty bitty little legs and reasonable charges for car parking and refreshments. And it was nice and bright and sunny too. Plus we got to visit the wind turbines that make some of our electricity.

In the afternoon we set about loading some of the horse manure into plastic bags and filling the van with it. After experimenting with swapping jobs, it became clear that it worked best if I did the digging and bag filling while Rob held the bags open and loaded them in the van, because he's much more organised than I am. We filled the van with about thirty bags, which has made very little impression on the heap at all...

In the evening we went out to dinner at a pub near Cleethorpes - it was very reasonable - dinner and a round of drinks for four people for under £25...

Today we drove home and then decided to take the manure round to the allotment. Naturally I got stuck driving up the grass path, didn't I... With help from Rob, some lumps of rock and some gravel, we got unstuck again and got the van onto firm ground in the car park area, whence we wheelbarrowed the stuff the short distance to my plot.

Now all I have to do is spread the stuff on the soil, but that's a gradual job. Time for a rest, methinks.