DID YOU KNOW THAT POTATOES HIBERNATE & CAN DO A 'RUNNER'

Strange title, is it not? Well.. there are some very strange things going on at the allotment, SHE was hand weeding amongst the happy Broad  / Fava Beans when SHE saw a leaf that was not a weed.. but of a plant that should not be there amongst the beans and sweet corn.

A potato! Now this was extremely curious because there have been NO potatoes in this long bed since that awful summer of 2010 when it was too dry and the potatoes were 'locked' in the soil and were absolutely tiny, if YOU could dig them up!

There was no sign of a potato there last year, the bed has been dug over several times and had a layer of over 18" of horse manure and wood chips put on it last October.. so where has this little 'tatty' been hiding? 

And.. did YOU know that they can, apparently, move under ground? SHE can draw a straight line and SHE can certainly dig a straight ditch.. so how come several Anya potatoes are, at least a foot, away from their brothers and sisters? 

Very strange goings-on have obviously been going 
on. WE'll  have to watch that bed of salad tatties! 

SHE staked three pretty metal obelisks into the bed which is directly behind the  fence on the entrance path. 

Borlotti, Black, Cobra and Blue Lake beans were planted at their bases, climbing beans have such enchanting flowers and as they climb and twist, they look so pretty. 

Sadly, four of those new roses really are dead, such a strange thing. They had exactly the same care and treatment as the other five who are doing well but 
these four will come out this next week. 

The dark red Gladioli are all showing signs of life but there is NO sign of the Crocosmia! Not one has appeared and SHE planted over fifty bulbs. 

All the Peonies.. old and new are in 'crackin' form! Some of the oldest, now four or five years old are up to HER shoulder and SHE stands 5'8" in bare feet! 

They no longer need staking but SHE did put 
some of those plastic rings into the ground when they first started to grow back in March, they keep 
the plant together, at over four feet with huge flowers on the top, SHE doesn't want any accidents.

But as it was a very long day for HER, WE are having an early night, WE are going to supper in Kew, with Leigh and Ossie.. yes, ME too.

So I am going to say good night, Dear Readers, "good night".

GeeGee Parrot.
May 31st, 2013.

DON'T GET YOUR 'STRIPES' IN A TWIST.. YES STRIPES.. BECAUSE SHE IS A TIGER!

Good morning Dear Readers. Actually, it is good morning indeedy because it is not raining and that makes a change as it was wet yesterday.

Oh, I have to explain about Tigers roaring, don't I. 

Ok, here is a scenario for YOU. YOU make a plan starting in May the next year, the plan involves someone else. The next year YOUR plan changes, YOU would let the other person know as soon as possible, wouldn't YOU? Well.. they didn't.. sigh.

          So SHE is practising a favourite motto.

                  Restraint of tongue & pen!

And that, Dear Readers, is all SHE is allowing ME to say, as I said in the title "there is not point in getting YOUR stripes in a twist. Stripes, knickers, YOU know what I mean. SHE 'roared' yesterday but now.. well today is another day.

And SHE has to go to the allotments whether SHE wants to or not! There are triffids in the back room who are waving at OUR neighbours.. aka Climbing French Beans who have grown to be enormously fat and must be planted so that they can climb up poles. 

And lots of other varieties of Beans, all bought for 'very little money' from 'YOU know where', all of which have been a great success.. HER new seed 'merchant'!

So it is time for action, tea in bed first, then up to break that dreadful fast. I confess I cheat, I have a mini snacket of cashew nuts in the night if old tumtum says that he thinks throat has been slit.

Pip pip, Dear Readers.. and remember.. Don't get YOUR knickers in a state.. communicate!

GeeGee Parrot.
May 31st, 2013.

WATCH OUT FOLKS.. THE METAL TIGER IS IN GEAR!

I know.. that title sounds really dramatic doesn't it? Did YOU not know that is what SHE is in Chinese Astrology.. Tigers roar.. and there has been a fair bit of that being done today..

Nope, YOU will have to wait until SHE returns from where SHE is running out to and then I will continue this post.. and tell YOU all about it.. well, as much as SHE will let ME.

SHE should be back before midnight, so YOU may want to come back here in the morning.

No, I can't tap it out.. Beaky gets terribly annoyed if I ask for taps on iPad.. YOU will just have to wait until SHE does it.. go and do something amoral, fattening or illegal instead and don't use US as an excuse if YOU get caught doing it!!

GeeGee Parrot.
May 30th, 2013.

WAS SHE A GANGSTERS' MOLL OR A LOCKSMITH?

Dear Readers.. what does YOUR beloved do on gloomy wet days when they are not working?

Read a book, watch a film, chat to YOU or suggest that YOU both go to museum.. whatever it is they suggest.. I doubt very much that they do what SHE has been doing today! 

And I am not sure that YOU will believe ME when I tell YOU what it was that SHE did, for it truly was the most bizarre sight and it led ME to wonder the following.

What was SHE in a previous life that SHE knows how to strip down Chubb and Yale Mortice locks, degrease, clean and restore metal parts back to their original shiny brass state, oil and put all of the 'jigsaw puzzle' bits back together again. 

And.. then for all of the locks to work, it is very easy to take things apart, it is not so easy to remember how all the little pieces go back together again!

Was SHE a locksmith? Or a gangster or pirates' moll who sailed the high seas on a galleon, after all they must have needed someone with nimble fingers who knew how to pick locks, some ancient locks were so complicated, it was impossible to blow them open with a firearm, how would YOU get into those famed treasure troves? 

But it is a curiously strange ability for a woman of a 'certain age' to have, do YOU not think? 

"Rain stopped play" is the state of play here and it is far too wet to 'play' in the garden, SHE needs to stand and walk on the potato bed as that is where SHE is planting one lot of the sweet corn, it will grow as shade for potato plants and the two vegetables grow very happily together.

The other lot will be planted amongst the climbing beans, beans fix nitrogen into the ground and sweet corn loves nitrogen!

The 'good' thing about this rain is that it will benefit all of the fruit tremendously. Luckily the blossom was so late this year it missed those dreadful winds, they ripped the blossom from the trees last year which was why the harvest was so poor.

SHE will get the nylon tent out of store shed, it is a vast amount of nylon curtain fabric that SHE sewed together and it goes over the top of four cherry trees and is secured to the ground with big bricks. 

No birdies can get through it and gobble up the fruit and it stops 'human' poachers from scrumping as it is very difficult to get underneath! 

WE have lamb fillet, purple sprouting brocolli and apricots for supper, I hope YOU have something equally delicious?

GeeGee Parrot.
May 29th, 2013.. aka Charlotte's birthday.

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE BUT NOT A DROP TO DRINK!

Who wants to drink from a puddle? Well, MY wild avian friends do but I am so glad that SHE does not, can YOU just imagine what OUR stuffy neighbours would say? 

'Wet' does not quite describe the state of the city today, 'it' chucked it down as if WE really needed it and I suppose that some place 'somewhere' might have but deepest Knightsbridge, the North End Road, Warwick Road, or Kings' Street in Hammersmith certainly did not.

There were huge puddles of water everywhere as the drains could not take it away fast enough!

But despite feeling slightly damp, SHE managed to get the chores done, a package to Essex went guaranteed delivery for tomorrow morning and a couple of 'Joro' roses were delivered to Gabi's hotel.

SHE went onto Homebase on Warwick Road, then onto Hammersmith, where SHE had to go to the childrens' department of a big store for some boot liners.

SHE may have grown up but HER feet didn't! 
SHE wears a children's size, SHE will be wearing sharks faces with very big teeth on HER small feet! 

SHE returned with trusty Wicker full to the brim, a new barrel for the Yale lock, of course SHE knows how to change a lock, SHE even knows how to install a Banham and they are very complicated, but don't YOU? 

Meat from lubbly-jubbly butcher.. a fat slice of bavette steak, some lamb fillet, which was on special offer and will go into the freezer and three belly of pork slices. They are marinating in the 
chilly white larder and will go to make a very delicious terrine with herbs and spices. 

Delicious apples, pears and some tiny plum tommies from Karen.. aka Kaza. 

People have asked where she is in the market? If YOU are walking down the North End Road from the Fulham Broadway end, she is the last fruit and vegetable stall before you get to the junction of 
Lillie Road. 

Eventually SHE returned home, supper was bavette steak, the last scrapings of Goaty Curd 

Cheese, good things Debbie will be at Parsons Green on Sunday, a few slices of tiny cucumber.. yum and tasty herb salad from the garden. 

SHE has 'serious' work to do. I am full of food and happy to doze on HER head which is the perfect place to view the photos of stuff which SHE has to deal with, rather HER than ME.

Hey.. heads up! I am going to be NINE on July 29th, so don't forget.. write it in YOUR diaries.. I want LOTS of emails and cards.. gulp, it is the last one before I go into double figures!


And on that very sobering note.. I am off.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 28th,2013.

VERY WET INDEEDY.. BUT NO JACK FROST!

Oh Lordy, gum boots check.. waxed jacket check..
jeans tucked into boots check.. umbrella check..

ME? I am staying at home on pole.. for I have absolutely NO desire to go out there.. if I want to get wet, all I have to do is climb into that very big old dish on top of the cupboard.. and there I can splash and splosh to hearts content. 

It is actually one of MY water dishes, but SHE changes the water every day, sometimes twice if SHE knows I have been larking about in it.

SHE, as YOU will have surmised, has to go out, hence the wet weather survival kit that SHE is clad in.

WHY? Well, there is a birthday card to post, a few library books to change, food to purchase, places to go and things to do.

Rain means clouds which means, that although the temperature dropped dramatically last night, old Jack Frost was not able to scatter his icy ice last night, phew, this means all of the sweet corn, that a friend planted yesterday afternoon, will not have been brutalised and OUR tommies are safe. 

By the way..

Did YOU hear about or see that a ski area in America had had a fall of over three feet of snow on Sunday night. THREE FEET! The weather this year is truly dotty.

WE always get filthy weather after something like this happening on the east coast, therefore, the plastic sheets guarding OUR tommies will not come off for another two weeks.

WE know all about old Jack and his sneaky tricks, huh, he paid US a visit on June 9th one year. 

Off to pole I go.. flap flap. I wonder what SHE will bring back for lunch?

GeeGee Parrot.
May 28th, 2013.

IT WAS A PUSH & PULL DAY!

Indeedy it was! It started off with a Kinesiologist appointment with Gabi at half past nine of the clock. It is fascinating to see what norty old body and mind are up to and this session disclosed thyroid is not working properly. 

Then off by bus to the allotment. Wow! 'Mayleens' perfumed greeted HER when SHE got to the bottom of the steps down from the road! It was a beautiful day, how very nice for the Bank Holiday. 

Grass and weeds were there.. laughing their heads off, grass is so high around the skinny beds that it is a good thing that onions and garlic are now old enough to be able to peer over the top! 

SHE smiled 'sweetly' at grass, that should have made him instantly suspicious but he is so silly, he just waved back at HER. 

"Everyone ok?", SHE asked as SHE walked about the plots. Everyone looked great, all the potatoes needed to be earthed up, a lot of weeding needed to be amongst the baby peonies but everything is do-able.. all it takes is energy and time 

And, except for the two delinquent Gages which only had a few flowers, all the other types of trees are laden with baby fruit. There are so many cherries on the 'gang' of four that SHE is going to put that huge nylon cover over them. 

Then in to little shed SHE went, to emerge with a hand tool and a machine that no one had seen for a very, very long time! 

Grass started to shake, for he knew his days were numbered, yes, Dear Readers, it was lawn mower and shears!

As grass was so long this was hard work as it is a manual lawn mower but the blades are sharp and if YOU keep pushing and pulling at 'it' for long enough, grass gets mown. Main path and the big ones on plot 39 and 41 were done And the edges were trimmed with the shears, it is starting to look neat and tidy.

But suddenly.. no more energy! SHE looked at the time.. goodness ME! Five of the clock, with nothing to eat since eight of the clock and SHE had not sat down once since getting off the bus.

"Time to go" as Zebbardy used to say on The Magic Roundabout.. indeed it was.

Today is a 'very different kettle of fish', it is dull, raining and chill-billy! A food shopping day today. 

I will doze on pole.. WE are going to have supper with Leigh and Ossie next Saturday. WE will eat Asparagus.. yum.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 28th, 2013.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE COSTA DEL SOL.. Part Three.

Dear Readers. I cannot tell YOU how happy SHE is to 'travel back in time' and to remember these lovely friends of lonng ago.

Sadly SHE was the youngest of this happy, motley crew of folk of lots of different nationalities. Most of HER friends worked, some were retired and some were 'wealthy' but remember that in those days in Andalusia, a little bit of money went a very, very lonng way. 

WE say sadly, because a lot of them are now dead. Some are still alive but are 'creaky', SHE is, of course, in HER early sixties but most of them are now eighty and over.

Four 'characters' are here for YOU to meet, one canine and three humans. Christian van Merkestyn, Harry Hubert and Lee Setomer. 

A charming man who was often at the Hoad's Campo de Tennis was Jack (can't remember his sirname), he was always accompanied by an immaculately behaved very BIG dog, a Boxer.. the dogs' name? Come along now, Jack and a Boxer, it could only be Dempsey!

In the 70's and early 80's, there were the most beautiful film and television adverts for Martini, they were shot by a film crew who were based in Pueblo Lopez. 

The camera and ideas man was a Dutchman called Christian van Merkestyn. Hugely popular in the advertising world because he always produced a great advert.

Christian was a 'local' and adored by everyone. The Martini advert of the balloon sailing over the exquisite city of Granada was one that SHE can still 'see'! 

A whole bunch of them drove up to this wonderful city to act as extras and to be in on the 'action' as it were, happy days indeedy! 

Did YOU ever read a book called 'The Drifters' by James Mitchener? If so, do YOU remember that when the characters were in Torremolinos, they spent most of the time hanging out at a bar called Los Alamos. 

The bar, under this name, actually never existed. What did exist was a bar called Bar Central owned and run by an American called Harry Hubert, an ex-marine with whom James Mitchener became friends whilst he was doing research for his book. 

SHE remembers going up to Ronda with a gang of friends for Corridas Goyaesca in September and being in a bar, suddenly there was clapping, many "Ole" were called, Harry turned around with a huge smile, it was Antonio Ordonez, brother in law to Dominquin, and himself an extremely famous Matador. 

Ronda was his 'home' town.. a beautiful place, it sits up high over an enormous gorge and was where the bull was first 'caped' in a Bullfight in the days of Goya.. hence Goyaesca. 

Harry, when SHE met him, was running a very 
'neat' bar in Calle Medina, a street in the old part 
of Fuengirola. What an extraordinary and amazing bunch of people used that bar! And it had a 
telephone! 

Nobody had telephones! Lew and Jenny did at the club but no-one had a private telephone at home!

How times have changed!

SHE is not sure when Lee Setomer bought his land but he bought acres of it, acres and acres of land between Torremolinos and Los Boliches, on which he built the most spectacular house. 

SHE has just remembered a very funny detail! The guest's lavatory on the ground floor was papered in Stock Certificates! The company which the certificates represented? YOU have to be of a 'certain age' to remember this scandal, Bernie Cornfeld and IOS.

The other thing Lee built was a full size Baseball Diamond, complete with stands! He was a retired American civil engineer and SHE seems to think that his speciality had been building airfields.. so to 'knock' up a 'Diamond' was no trouble! 

Teams from all over would appear and play, the best was when the American Navy would send a team up from Rota, the base near to.What a 'party' and a half those days were!

Where have all these type of people gone? SHE asks. Is it money that has taken all fun out of life? It certainly is much more expensive, even with cheap fares to go places and then everything is so expensive when YOU get there! 

Maria la Gorda and her husband owned their Finca (farm), her brother Jose-Luis his own boat, people did stuff.. nice stuff without it costing an arm and a leg. 

No-one was followed by intrusive photographers and people didn't tell 'stories or tales' to the press about their 'close' friends. WE guess it was a different life.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 26th, 2013.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE COSTA DEL SOL.. Part Two..

Norty Blogspot cuts ME off in the middle of Posts and there is nothing WE can do! 

So let's go back to the sunny climes of Andalusia and the funny but extremely nice folk whom SHE knew and counted as friends.

One couple of friends were beyond any price and they lived in the strangest house YOU could ever imagine! Well, actually, SHE knows YOU would never be able to imagine their house! 

Carla Harvey and Del Bland were two of the funniest, kindest people YOU would ever want to meet and be friends with.

Carla was an American, scarily well educated with a remarkable brain, she had come to Europe on a Scholarship, fallen in love and never went back. She was a journalist and also taught at The International School.

Del was English and an 'ace' photographer. Sadly, Carla died many years ago and Del has vanished, last known to be living near Granada.

Back to olden times.. in the late 40's, a Swedish 
family had built a home just outside Marbella, the house is long gone, gobbled up by a development. But it was situated on the opposite side of the road to where the Don Pepe Hotel still stands. 

The whole of Spain suffered greatly during the Civil War but Andalusia had always been poor and, of course, the war in Europe had only been over for a very few years. 

Tourism was not the same then, there were no cheap flights with budget airlines or masses of hotels. And cars? YOU might see one a week. 

So to cross a quiet road to get to the beach was no problem and neither was it a problem to build a proper sauna on the edge of this beautiful sandy beach! YOU got out of the sauna and jumped into the sea! 

Fast forward to the 70's and this is where HER lovely friends lived, in the old Sauna house on the beach.

They rented it for fifty pesetas a month! In those days, a San Miguel beer used to cost thirty five in a bar! Why was it so cheap?

Well, the son of the original family still owned the land on which his father had built the sauna and he knew that 'one' day, someone would pay him very 'serious' money for this plot of land but until then, he was happy for Carla and Del to live there on a lease which was renewed every five years. 

There was a bedroom, a kitchen with a huge fireplace, a bathroom and an outdoor living area, half of which had a roof and walls that folded back, half of which was open to the air and sun.

That was one lot of lovely friends SHE had.

Another were a Danish family called Wessel. Hugo Wessel was previously been married to 
Nina, who then married Frederick, do YOU remember the singers called Nina and Frederick?

He was now married to a lovely woman called Tove and they had a son called Mark. Hugo came 
to live in Andalusia a long time before, probably in the late 50's.. here is a sweet story. 

He did not know why people saluted him when he drove past, until a friend of his in the Guardia Civil explained that his car, which was a Ford, was probably the reason.. "strange, why should they salute a car", said Hugo, the Guardia explained "No, they are not saluting the car, it is because they think you are a Consul, it is written on the front of your car!"

Blogspot is going to cut ME off.. I am off, there will be Part Three later.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 26th, 2013.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE COSTA DEL SOL.. Part one.

Dear Readers.. I cannot say I blame those people who have squeezed themselves into jet propelled tubes and flown away to the sunshine. 

For SHE was reminded of sunny summers today when SHE read an article written about his father by Tom Hunt, the eldest son of the late James Hunt. 

James was driving for the Hesketh Racing Team when he moved to live on the Spanish coast in 1974. He and Suzy, (his then wife) were often at a tennis club situated just below the pretty small town of Mijas.

This wonderful place, called Lew Hoad's Campo de Tennis, was owned and run by two extremely nice Australians, Lew and Jenny Hoad. 

Lew was a famous tennis player who won the Wimbledon Doubles in 1955, the Singles in 1956 and 1957 and lots of very major titles throughout the world. (He died July 1994).

He also won the Australian and the French Singles but SHE can't remember in which years. His charming, nice and very funny wife, Jenny, was 'certainly no slouch with a tennis racquet' either!

Members of the club were quite used to seeing very famous players either on the courts or playing Backgammon, Canasta, Gin or Poker on the lovely terrace which overlooked the courts and the pool, it was a pretty place but low key, cameras were used but only by family or friends, there were no dreaded Paparazzi here in those days.

Abe Segal, a famous South African Davis Cup 
tennis player, had a house in Pueblo Lopez, Sean Connery lived in Marbella, Charlton Heston and other famous people would often drop in to spend happy times at this very lovely place.

James was a 'funny' man but goodness knows what the local Guardia thought they were doing when they decided to give him a run for his money on the road from Fuengirola up to Mijas. 

The 'race' started at the bus stop, at the traffic lights, which were, in the old days, the ONLY set 
on the road from Torremolinos to Marbella. 

Remember.. This happened nearly forty years ago. It was not the tweaked, motorway driving, covered in badly built gated communities and golf courses 'Costa del Crime' that it is today. 


A lot of betting went on the Hunt versus Guardia Race..  James won.. Maria la Gorda, the butcher's wife, squealed with joy! She'd bet a days takings on 'Santi' as she called him, Santiago is Spanish for James and called her next born son this in his honour. 

The 60', 70's and early 80's were truly the 'Golden Ages' of that coast.. SHE remembers going to the 
Finca at Los Monteros to hear Anna Moffo sing for charity evening that was organised by one of the Bacardi family. They had, maybe still do, a very beautiful home tucked away in the foothills just west of Malaga.

Blogspot is behaving VERY badly and is trying to fiddle and diddle around with this post. going to stop now and there will be a Part Two of The Golden Age of the Costa del Sol.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 26th, 2013.

Beaky had a work-out..

I know Dear Readers, I know that YOU think old Beaky does nothing but beak or chew the fat, as it were, all day long but today was an exceptional time.

Lunch when it was finally served, was I thought, a trifle meagre. Asparagus and baby Potatoes, that was until I saw the thickness of the spears!

Goodness ME.. no wonder people like and want to barter delicious things for it! 

We settled down into favourite eating position and after checking that it was not too hot for ME, SHE gave me this huge spear.. old Beaky had to open very wide in order to do munch.. it was dressed with a very tasty oil which had a sprinkling of chilli flakes.. oh, slurp-the-durp.

And I lurve boiled baby Potatoes.. I hope they are growing at this precise moment at the allotment, they should be showing signs of life by now, even though it has been so cold and very wet.

So, here WE are, SHE is ironing sofa cushions, I am lolling on sitting room door.. hush, SHE has not 'really' noticed that I am here, remember SHE has just washed this carpet and white carpet and Asparagus are not such a great combination.

The sky is like a postcard sky, with white fluffy clouds chasing each other across a, I regret to say, pale blue sky. It is now past four of the clock, not worth journeying for an hour at this late hour to go to the allotment, WE will go tomorrow.

All is well and as SHE wrote to Debi in Arkansas earlier, God laughs when WE make plans, for HE usually has other plans for US!

Now there's a thing, one Debi plus another 
Debbie makes two, right? Now this is the weird t'ing, one HAS Goaty folk and the other IS planning on getting Goaty folk next Spring! This means there will be two D's with Goaty folk and to further compound the t'ing, both of their partners are called David, so, in fact, there are the four D's!

I am going to Pole, it is less 'stressful' out there. SHE is refilling 'Whoosh' machine with water, more later.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 25th, 2013.

IN THE COLD HARD LIGHT OF DAY..

Is the end of the week not the end of the week?

I ask this question because WE were supposed to be doing 'jolly' things like going to Wimbledon to see Debbie aka Goaty mum. 

But someone telephoned HER and whilst SHE was talking to them, SHE wandered into the back room (sitting room). 

This is the room with an almost white carpet which was scrub-a-dub-dubbed by that magic carpet cleaner last week.

After the call ended, SHE put the furniture back and plumped up the sofa cushions. Which was when, in the cold, chilly light of a so-called Spring day, SHE saw how dusty and grubby they looked.

What a good thing that Mark came last Tuesday to mend the washing machine, for off came the six covers and into the machine they went.

Now they are being spun one by one to take as much of the water out as possible before SHE irons them. They will hang on a rack to dry, no shrinking please!

From being very bright and sunny, it has changed to being very overcast, it is a Bank Holiday on Monday and half term for schools, I think. YOU would think that whoever is in charge of weather would tell old Sun to switch his torch on and shine a few rays down here, wouldn't YOU? 

Even if WE are not doing something 'jolly', it would be so very pleasant to see sunshine.. sigh.

I have no idea what is for lunch, whatever it is, it is late! So, I had better go and investigate.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 25th, 2013.

MUD MUD GLORIOUS MUD.. NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT FOR COOLING THE BLOOD..

Huh.. well, that is not necessary, it is 48 degrees Fahrenheit here in deepest Knightsbridge. Yes, YOU did read that correctly and it is raining.

It is May 24th, 'summer' officially starts June 1st, so 'somebody' had better get their act into gear, get a grip of weather and tell it to cheer up, quickly. 

So much for spending the long Bank Holiday at the allotments, it's far too cold and wet to go out there. 

However, grass and weeds are having a simply wonderful time and YOU may recall that SHE complained earlier about a couple of extremely unwelcome guests, Cow Parsley and Goose Grass. 

WE don't know which rank that Goose held but he has flown squadrons in and they have now landed everywhere! Nowhere is free of this pesky weed, why, he is even 'chatting' up Clematis! 

WE have gone back to snuggle in bed, SHE had all HER hair cut off today! SHE now has a bare neck and it is far too cold to trot about out there for no special reason. WE have food in cupboards and that chilly white larder in YumYum HQ. YOU know him as refrigerator.

Oh, I do have something very strange to tell YOU. SHE never drinks fizzy or canned drinks and last opened a bottle of Coca Cola nine years ago, it is very good at stripping metal, they used it for this in the metal restoration workshop so SHE would never drink it. 

So can anyone explain as to how a can of 'Diet Coke' has suddenly appeared in OUR refrigerator! It was sitting there on the second shelf right infront of HER when SHE opened the door last night.. most odd.. most peculiar, in fact.

WE have just had a very late lunch, SHE is tapping this, then WE will snooze for little while, SHE is still not sleeping properly, so boring. WE have things to do later. 

Sadly, with it being so wet, there will be no fresh 
Rosemary for those Goaty folk tomorrow, SHE will see their mum at wobbly Wimbledon and hopes that they will accept HER apologies.

Snooze time.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 24th, 2013.

'C'EST SI BON'.. Doesn't this ring ANY bells with YOU?

No sign of any answers in Comments.. Well, this is going to be short and sweet, isn't it?

Doesn't the song whose title was the same as this Post ring any bells.. apparently not, oh dear, well.. how about 'Santa Baby'.. doesn't that strike a cord? 

SHE was very lucky to see this STAR at the Carlyle Hotel in New York and also in concert in London, apparently they were amazing!

Ok.. I give up, anyway, it is too late for ME to be still prancing about on HER head, so I will tell YOU who it was who sang "Slurp".

"The oil went slurp, slurp, slurp into the barrel" as Eartha Kitt sang 'I'm just an old fashioned girl'.

So.. I'm out of here.. well, in fact, I am off HER head and going to bed..

GeeGee Parrot.
May 23rd, 2013.

VERY IDLE DEAR READERS..

Are YOU all so young? Or have no memories? Or just don't want to play 'Who sang "SLURP"?

Well.. anyway, no one will get a Reddy Feather and there will be no point in anyone saying "but I knew that or I remember that".. when I Post the correct answer on MY Blog later on today. 

If YOU knew it.. then YOU should have said so!

I or WE are about to break fast.. yum.. Back later..

GeeGee Parrot.

May 22rd, 2013.

THE MAGIC IS STARTING!

Good morning everyone.. Ooooh.. what a long and good night's sleep that was! Sometime WE should all do that, that being unplug or turning off the landline, mobiles, laptop, iPad etc, and just go to bed and sleep. 

SHE had a busy day yesterday, people not doing what they were supposed to do when they were supposed to do it.. ggrrr.. meant that SHE spent time running about doing this stuff. 

So much for getting (very long) grass cut and those Beans and the next lot of Tommies planted! 

SHE knows that it is pointless trying to plant baby plants in a hurry. SHE went to the garden but then behaved like Ferdinand (the Bull), which is a charming, VERY old children's story.

Yes, SHE did pick lots of Asparagus, herbs etc. But instead of weeding, which needs to be done, SHE put fresh water into a bucket, switched HER mobile to camera, took a pair of secaturs, walked about and took lots of photos. 

Pulled two French Breakfast Radishes, they were delicious with a leaf or two of Sorrel, such a tasty combination!

Into water went several pieces of Syringa Vulgaris 'Sensation', a beautiful Lilac, in that every petal is edged with white, it is the only two toned Lilac in existence, go and find it on the web, it has a lovely perfume too!

The Convallaria Majalis.. Lily of the Valley.. were ready to be picked, four weeks behind schedule! 

Then a long stem of Clematis Montana 'Mayleen' joined the Lilac. SHE prunes all HER Montana's very hard after they have flowered, shock horror! 

Report this woman immediately to the RHS.. Royal Horticultural Society! YOU are not supposed to prune Montana's apparently.. really? 

So YOU want to look at a whole lot of bare stems with a few flowers right at the top? We don't.. WE want a fat and glossy hedge which acts as a wind break and which perfumes the air!  

WE want the three S's.. 'Spring's Sweet Smells'. WE want the magical perfumes that scented plants give.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 23rd, 2013.

SORRY FOLKS.. WE WILL BE BACK TOMORROW..

Dear Readers.. 

I am sorry there was not post for YOU this morning, the reason was that SHE slept extremely badly, then fell fast asleep only to wake up very late and SHE had to rush out. SHE is just back and is very tired.

WE will post tomorrow which will be May 23rd.

Bon nuit mes amis! 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 22nd, 2013.

Natural disasters.. the devastating effect is indescribable.

Dear Readers.

Nature has dealt the world another deadly blow. I am, of course, refering to that monstrous tornado that decimated an enormous section of the suburbs of Oklahoma City yesterday.

It is a miracle that anyone survived and a tragedy that people and animals have died. It seems almost unbelievable, that in this day and age when WE are able to fly to the moon and back, that tornadoes cannot be harnessed in some useful way.

But their power and unpredictability is such that practically nothing can withstand their destructive force.

WE are, like I am sure YOU are, so sorry for these devastated people who have lost family members, their animals, their homes and businesses and so it is to the whole city and, especially to the town of Moore, that WE entend our condolences and sympathy.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 21st, 2013.

'SLURP' IS A WORD THAT I USE FREQUENTLY.. BUT DO YOU REMEMBER WHO SANG "SLURP"?

Dear Readers.. be bold, no-one is going to laugh at YOU, hazard a guess! Do the Fangdango, shake, rattle and roll those grey cells, come along now!

'They'.. the singer was very sexy.. no, I am not giving YOU their sex, I might as well tell YOU their name. 

Well, WE will just sit here until some bright spark gives the answer, there must be someone as old as SHE who remembers this song.

OK.. To make YOU all think and stir YOUR cells a bit.. here is a question for YOU all. Why do the manufacturers of washing machines make the legs so short? 

This combined with the fact that the filter is right at the bottom of the casing, means that no dish or water catcher can be squeezed underneath, yes, that is right, water goes allover the floor. They are such dumb dudus, no Browny points for them. 

The washing machine engineer is coming between 11am & 1pm, SHE stripped the machine down so that he can start work immediately he arrives.

SHE found lots of Soda Crystals in the store room, every drain has been treated to half a bottle of Soda and 3 litres of boiling water, I don't envy any bug or slime that was loitering in those drains! 

SHE is off out, have any of YOU come up with the song yet? WE see SIX Dear Readers are in Turkey, maybe they are 'slurping' coffee!

I am going too so I will give YOU a clue, it was not food that was going 'slurp', it was Oil..

Answers to be written in MY comments please.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 20th, 2013.

WE DO HOPE IT IS NOT SUNNY WEATHER TOMORROW...

For an engineer is coming to fit the new pump! Then SHE can finish washing the floor rugs and shower curtain etc, etc. 

I know it sounds as if SHE never does anything.. but IF YOU really look at all YOUR cuboards and shelves etc, would YOU be able to say that they are all immaculate? Lucky YOU, if YOU can! Is all I will say but maybe, a few 'Porkies' are being told?

Hail and torrential rain.. ugh. People thought that Global Warming thought that everywhere would get boiling hot, they forgot about the Polar Icecaps melting and this diluting and altering the strength of that most beloved Gulf Stream.

That is the only thing that has saved the UK from having the same temperatures in the winter as Boston for WE are on the same Latitude. But in the summer they get warmer weather than the UK because they are on a much larger land mass, WE are, of course, surrounded by water.. none of it very warm!

Now with the lessening in strength and partial diversion of the Gulf Stream, WE are having a taste of what life will be like.. wetter, wilder, not so great.

Some areas of the world will suffer severe escalation in degrees of temperature. This has all happened before and it is happening again, this time, though, it does not help with the amount with which humans have polluted the atmosphere.

How gloomy, well I am off to Pole with a new treat, a piece of dried Apricot, I've never beaked anything like it before in MY life, quite delicious.

SHE will tap this Blog out, then go shopping for Soda Cystals, SHE is cleaning drains. Such fun..

GeeGee Parrot.
May 20th, 2013.

'BEAKY SNEAKED A PEEK..

Good morning to YOU all.

Sorry to report that today is beyond gloomy and that more housework will be done, there will be no swanning about outside in sunny sunshine today. 

WE were slightly cheered to learn that France is also experiencing 'tricky' weather, not that WE wish them ill weather in the slightest but it would be extremely unkind if Sun was prancing about in Normandy or Brittany whilst, just across The Channel (or La Manche if YOU are French), WE are still gardening in waxed jackets and boots! 

Did YOU realise that SHE has a family (of sorts) in France? 

Yes, there is elder brother, sister in law, who will never be 'ex' because what does that make their son? Sebastien, HER nephew, will be 40 this year in June! And very 'strange' woman who has lived with elder brother for over thirty years. 

The last time SHE saw eb, elder brother, was at Constance's funeral. YOU 'could' say "they are not close", it would be an understatement.

Strange woman did not come with eb.. why was SHE surprised? Strange woman had never before demonstrated that she even knew how to spell the words manners or respect.

Onto more cheerful matters, for Lookie-Lookie..
Two Black Beans have germinated and sprouted! 
SHE realises it is actually only 5 days ago SHE planted them and so cannot classify them as being delinquent Beans. 

SHE knows what was causing problems with the clothes washing machine, pump was dying for it has now died, poor pump, but better than the motor or the fan belt going, they are much more expensive to replace. 

SHE has to call engineer, not the sort of job to do YOURSELF and Wizard has disappeared. SHE wanted a lot of strong shelves put up in the store cupboard and more in bedroom.. he said he would give HER a quote for the work and that he could do it the next week. 

That was last year.. before Christmas! There has been not one word from Wizard but his papa is ill in Australia, he is probably there for his mobile does not ring.

This Post's title, I know it sounded just like the title of a novel by Angela Brazil or Enid Blyton, but I am nosey, YOU all know this.

Beaky sneaked a peek at Stats and on day 20 out of 31, they are above the precious record by 300!

"ROAR".. as Puff The Magic Dragon would say, YOU know him, he lives by the sea. ME.. I live in deepest Knightsbridge but am still impressed. So is SHE!

GeeGee Parrot.
May 20th, 2013.

WELCOME .. I SEE WE HAVE ANOTHER 1st NEW DEAR READER.. THIS TIME FROM NEW ZEALAND.

To a new Dear Reader from New Zealand.. I wonder if they know that they have to learn The Fandango, about keeping everything 'up' otherwise they get lost.. 

Are they prepared to be entertained at the vast sum of nothing, well, maybe the contribution of a comment or two would be a kind gesture! Would never break the budget or bank. 

Yes.. welcome new Dear Reader.. welcome to MY  Blog. I am an African Grey Parrot called GeeGee, SHE is MY Beloved Maman, a crackin' fine cook, gardener and a restorer of many things.

SHE and I write this Blog, it is a personal journal, some Posts are serious and some are exactly the opposite, some Posts are of our current day-to-day life, some Tales of jaunts & trips date back to when SHE was very young, grown-up, middle aged and up to the present time.. SHE is now old.

OUR aim is to amuse and educate YOU. All the happenings happened, friends are called by either their nicknames or their first name. Companies or individuals SHE worked for and with are always named.

SHE will introduce other Blog writers as SHE finds them and when SHE feels that HER Dear Readers would also enjoy reading these other Blogs. This be amusing or informative.

WE hope YOU enjoyed YOUR read and YOU come back again.

With best wishes.. GeeGee Parrot.
May 20th, 2013.

HER THRESHOLDS OF BOREDOM.. SHE KNOWS SHE HAS TWO LEVELS..

In the cold light of the next day, what would the back room carpet look like? Immaculate, well nearly, there was one spot that had been missed. 

Truly Carpet Cleaner, lots of hot water and Soda Crystals have worked a miracle! SHE vacuumed hall in preparation for Carpet Cleaner, banished ME from Pole and repeated the performance of yesterday on the hall carpet. 

This lead HER to thinking about boredom, bores, being bored and boring! 

SHE has the ability to be able to do 'boring' work for hours on end knowing that the end result is worth it, take carpet cleaning for instance, polishing silver, washing windows, weeding the Asparagus bed. YOU get MY drift. 

Now take being bored, a totally different 'kettle' of fish, now, take MY Blog for instance. 

Nobody is forced to read it and I hope that I don't bore YOU to tears. I don't suddenly appear in YOUR home like the Genie out of the Bottle saying "YOU have to read MY Blog". YOU either do or YOU don't.. that's it, end of Tale.

So YOU will appreciate the following Tale. SHE
was asked to supper by a dear friend, there were four of them having a delicious meal with good 'craic' when the other guest, who was staying with the hosts disappeared, to re-appear with his laptop.

He opened it, moved items and put it in the middle of the dining table and proceeded to show rather poorly taken photos of things that bore absolutely no relevance to anything the four of them had been talking about!

Pudding had not even been served when this appallingly 'boring' display of lack of manners and consideration for the other people at the table took 
place. Did he ask if they would like to look at his photos?

No, he did it because he was 'bored' by not being the centre of attention and decided that the talk about cities and art and music, grown-up children and day to day life in London was boring. Each to his own.. 

However, SHE was fortunate. SHE had the valid excuse that it was nearly ten of the clock and it would take HER an hour to get home on the bus. SHE was able to leave and get away but the 'bore' went on boring the poor hosts with more photos until late.

I hope that YOU don't inflict behaviour like this 
on friends or family! 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 19th, 2013.

GOT IT.. WE FOUND SUE BRIDGES & HER CAKES FOR YOU.. GO AND LOOK AT THESE AND DON'T COMPLAIN TO US ABOUT YOUR WAISTLINE!

WE were a bit 'lost' as WE could not remember which Blog Sue Bridges wrote.. but after clearing YumYum from plates with much relish and slurpy smacking of Beaky and lips, suddenly, it came to HER! And here it is..

                   kaarakyrie.blogspot.com
SUE'S CAKES & OTHER NONSENSE

Now, SHE's been known to bake a cake, not for a while admittedly but oh Lordy LuLu, please go and look at the cakes which THIS Cake Baker bakes! They will make YOU want to have a cake party instantly, if not sooner.

When is HER birthday? Hum, in July, well, that gives ME enough time to get together with Sue and plot something for the old dear, doesn't it?

Pip pip.. Dear Readers.. nearly time to go to b-e-d.
Apple has been Beaked, I cannot think of any possible excuse to delay the agony, I just have to be brave and bite the perch!

Oh, some news to delay MY departure for just a nano-second, WE have heard from Joanna. She and her family are 'en vacance' near to Grenoble. They are there because one of their sons is getting married, I think, next month in Paris.. 

Off I go, I have got to be brave, it happens every night. Sigh.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 19th, 2013.

Update on the seeds bought from YOU know where and swimming in the lake is happening again!

YOU don't know where? Shame upon YOU, for YOU obviously do not read My Blog Posts every day.. for if YOU did.. then YOU would up to date with all of the shenanigans that have been going on around here.

Nope, no telling, go back and read them, other people do and they come back for more, such nice people aka Dear Readers.

WE have a new Follower! She was kind enough to read MY last Post and leave a comment. 

Only wish that she had put the name of her Blog for YOU to read, WE like 'advertising' other people's Blogs, especially those that are pretty tasty such as hers..

PS: I have remembered the name of her Blog.

          'Sue's cake and other nonsense'

Back to 'those' seeds. SHE took the very thinnest of sharp knives and went poking about in the pots and found, to HER joy, that all the Haricot Beans were doing very well! In fact, only three out of the thirty have not got a tiny shoot, this is remarkable as they were only planted on May 15th!

However, this was not the case in the case of Black Bean. Norty Black Bean is showing only one shoot! Same sort of compost, sort of pot and 
germinator, very idle, slow-coach Black Bean!

What should also be called slow-coach is old Sun for he was supposed to show up today. And yet, here WE are, it is now past half past midday and there is not a ray of sunlight to be seen.

Gabi, friend who lives in Austria, was sunbathing on the pier at the lake! She also jumped into it! 

WE think that Rosamund and she should meet, YOU remember Rosamund, she jumped into the lake at the end of her garden last year, why? So that she could say she had done so! 

Dear Readers, they are both as mad as mad can be, swimming, whatever next?

I have said this before but I had better say it again. I am not responsible for the funny (both haha and peculiar) actions of either HER or HER friends, nor those jokes that SHE tells.

I am an African Grey Parrot and, as such, do not swim nor tell jokes. I merely record details of HER and OUR personal life as a sort of Journal, to amuse YOU and keep HER mentally alert as SHE has to use those old grey cells to remember times and trips some of which are lonng gone by in HER past.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 19th, 2013.

The list of countries reads just like a Geography Class!

United Kingdom, United States of America, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, Venezuela & Bangladesh.. what a diverse group of countries!

What it is, Dear Readers, are the whereabouts of those of YOU who have read MY Blog in the last 24 hours and who have taken the stats to an all time high, with more days to go before May is out, don't cast that clout!

Did YOU notice that France is absent? Well, that Dear Reader comes and goes, do they not, so WE can't worry about them being lost now that they seem to appear to disappear on a frequent basis.

What a day! Huh.. I said that more cleaning was going to be done, did I say that Carpet Cleaner had emerged from his hidey-place? 

Goodness ME, what a noise that machine makes! But how efficient it is! Unfortunately though, in order to clean a carpet properly, everything has to come up off it, chairs, tables, rug, ends of curtains.

So back room now looks very messy but off-white carpet is absolutely immaculate! 

It is a pretty room. The walls are painted 'Imperial Yellow', the ceiling the very palest pink, the curtains are simple, 'acres' of silk, in exactly the same colour as the walls, are gathered onto a gilded pole and caught back high off the ground.

SHE will give the carpet two days to dry before putting all the furniture and rugs back.

And tomorrow, unless there is blinding sunshine, SHE plans to do the hall as well, it sounds as if I won't be allowed anywhere, I was forbidden to go into the back room today, clean carpets and birds that ate tomato for lunch do not go together well..

But that is tomorrow.. I am much more interested in the bag full of round things that has appeared, yes, Dear Readers, Beaky has smelt apples!

WE have things to do.. as do YOU.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 18th, 2013.

SHE IS FLEXIBLE.. JUST LIKE YOUR PLANS SHOULD BE!

The lubbly-jubbly Butcher had a queue, it always does on a Saturday but as there are lots of efficient staff SHE was served in no time. 

A piece of Calves Liver, a packet of delicious Pork Sausages with fresh Leek and six cooking Chorizo. Out came purse, not so much money was passed over and off SHE went.

SHE thought it best to bring these delicious things home rather than take them to the plastic shop, so SHE came home on the bus, giving ME a fright when SHE opened the door, I was fast asleep on Pole and not expecting HER to return for many an hour. 

Meat into fridge. SHE went to un-load the clothes washing machine, ugh, what was this? WET clothes, why had spinning programme not spun? VERY boring machine.. off came the outer layer of clothing. 

A big bucket came out from the store cupboard, SHE got down on the floor, so lucky SHE is slim as SHE had to wriggle HER way in to disconnect the washing machine hose from the outlet pipe. 

SHE shook hose several times, turned machine onto spin and waited, a 'minute' amount of dirty water dribbled out of hose, SHE shook hose again, it 'burped', aka belched and a lot of very soapy water was spat out into bucket! 

Turned machine off, emptied drum of still soapy towels, put a lot of water into drum by way of another hose from the hand basin and turned norty machine back to spin. 

This palaver had to be repeated FIVE times, when suddenly, with what sounded like a huge hiccup, clean water gushed out of hose, all was well! 

It wasn't exactly how SHE had planned to spend an hour and a half on a sunny afternoon but it got the machine working properly and saved having to pay a hefty plumbers call out fee.

And, as YOU know, there IS a certain satisfaction in mending things YOURSELF!

Lunch was very good, two pork & leek sausages, courgettes, baby tommies, humous, goaty cheese, the last two cold baby potatoes. Dried apricots.

I flew to Pole, SHE got carpet cleaner out.. no point in thinking about plastic shop now, might as 
well keep on cleaning.

So it is a good thing that both SHE and HER plans are and were flexible!

GeeGee Parrot.
May 18th, 2013

TOMMIES IN OUR GARDEN..

 "Morning all".. that is especially for Rosamund in Germany, WE know she knows who used to say it!

YOU know that SHE was at the garden the day before yesterday but WE did not give YOU an up-date on those five very brave Tommies, slang for British Troops and OUR Tomatoes, which were planted out on May 7th.

OUR 'Frost Date', which stands for the latest date ever recorded by HER at the garden, is June 9th. Yes, that late! So planting those babies out a full month and a bit ahead of schedule was risky, to say the least!

But SHE, having Squirrel as HER other name, has gathered all sorts of 'bits 'n pieces' over the past twelve years and this store of goodies includes several quite large pieces of plastic sheeting, the kind that has two walls.

SHE also has one sheet of corrugated plastic roofing, this is all that remains of the roof of an out-house. 

A very norty and nasty Tornado blew into town 
about five years ago, it missed 'Shack' by less than a metre, smacked straight into the out-house, the four by four wooden frame exploded and the roof flew off! 

SHE would never have believed it possible if SHE had not witnessed it, as it was scary beyond belief! 

With the aid of very stout bamboo sticks, the plastic sheets and a very old hooped horticultural vegetable cage, SHE made snug houses for those Tommies, hoping that wicked wind would not puff at them and blow them all away.

SHE held HER breath whilst approaching them, it has been mighty chilly-billy some nights. SHE peered in, not only were they all still alive, thank goodness, but they had all grown and were all in flower! Clever Tommies!

So that is what SHE is up to today.. SHE is off to buy clear corrugated sheets and plumbers plastic pipes. These make excellent protective covers for tender seedlings. Plus a trip to that lubbly-jubbly butcher for sausages.. must not forget those.

We broke that norty fast with some delicious dried fruits, nuts and seeds and I am heading for Pole. More later.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 18th, 2013.

AND TO MAKE YOU REALLY ENVIOUS.. HERE IS WHAT WE HAD FOR SUPPER..

Yes, Dear Readers, I did tell YOU about the piece of Salmon marinating in herbs and oil, what I did not tell YOU about was what SHE brought home from the garden yesterday.

Over four kilos of Asparagus! The very first day's picking were a few rather 'slim' spears, last Friday the amount of spears was higher and SHE gave some to that Goaty mother, they were much fatter and up to OUR usual quality.

Now, of course, WE have recently had quite a significant amount of rain and although SHE has been moaning about having to wear socks, it has not been exactly freezing, so Asparagus has gone into 'full production mode'.. YIPPEE!

WE love this stuff.. so much that SHE does not even mind HAND weeding its' rather large bed.. 13ft x 13ft with 60 plants! YOU have to do it by hand as one does not want to damage the 'crowns'. 

It is back breaking work, so SHE does a little section of each row every day SHE is there, it is the only way to keep pesky weed under control.


So there YOU have it, that was our menu for tonight, steamed Asparagus followed by Salmon with a few diagonally sliced slices of Courgette lightly fried in spicy oil together with a couple of fresh mini plum Tomatoes. Ummmm.

HER pudding was a couple of dried White Figs and I will 'beak' an Apple, starting off with stalk. I hope YOU take as much care of YOUR tummy and what goes inside it as WE do with OURS?

Tomorrow's YumYum?

Well, I know SHE is planning on going to our 
lubbly-jubbly butcher, Dickinson's in North End Road, so WE may have some of their splendid homemade sausages, they are 'pretty' good and have fresh Leek chopped into the meat. Slurp.

Now, where's that old roly-poly Apple hiding?

GeeGee Parrot.
May 17th, 2013.

FISH IS THE DISH FOR TONIGHT & THERE WILL BE FIGS GALORE THIS SUMMER!

How delicious. A slice of Salmon is marinating with a little bit of oil and some herbs. WE love fish, it is so easy to cook and even easier to eat and it is good for US and YOU too, WE hope that YOU eat it often? 

Norty Laura in Germany will not even look at a piece of fish.. she is a 'meat and two veg' type of girl, unlike her sister and mother who love fish.

What else came back in that pretty shopping basket? More humous, tomatoes, apples, pears for cooking, courgettes / zucchini, dried white mulberries, barberries, dried figs aka big treat!

Talking about figs, it is going to be a cracking year for them! Brown Turkey at home has lots of little figgies, there are two little White Violetta's at the garden and this is the first year they have shown signs of fruiting!

However, the star of HER fig trees at the garden is the Cypriot fig that Adam gave HER all those years ago and which is now absolutely covered in hundreds and hundreds of baby figgies!

He presented HER with a funny looking 'stick' which had a couple of leaves on one end! Told HER where to dig the hole and he planted it, it took four years to grow from that stick into a proper tree.

And it was worth the wait, for the taste is beyond YOUR imagination! They ripen in mid August, the skin goes pale greeny-yellow when they are ripe and they 'bend' down on their stems, the flesh is translucent.

YOU will never see this fruit in a market or a shop for they are extraordinarily fragile, the skin bruises if YOU look at them the wrong way! When SHE 

picks them to bring home, they go into a proper 'fig' tray so they are safe.

And if YOU go to Turkey or Greece or the islands and ask about this variety of fig, the locals smile and say "yes, we have one of those at home".

Every year SHE thanks HER old Cypriot friend 

for his gift of that 'stick', who knew? SHE didn't!

GeeGee Parrot.

May 17th, 2013.