SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY.. GOATS ARE JUMPING AND THE BEANS ARE HIGH..

Summertime.. the word alone brings a smile to OUR faces.. WE offer apologies to DeBose Heyward who not only wrote the book Porgy upon which the opera Porgy and Bess was based but also the lyrics for the song.. with music by George Gershwin.

For at lonng last, it seems as if summer has finally decided to stay around. WE have had fresh onions and SHE pulled up one of the strongest looking garlics, the smell and taste were perfect, but they need another few weeks to bulk up. 

Now being picked and eaten are lots of different varieties of very delicious and tasty salad leaves, masses of lubbly-jubbly rocket (arugula) and mizuna.. hot and tasty! 

The beans are growing perfectly but poor peas are suffering from that slow start, there are not as many as there should be which is strange as beans are not complaining. 

Those 'poor' tommies which SHE planted in April, admittedly, with lots of protection, are growing like crazy folk!

WE are pleased to report that the brassicas are all growing on well and having been very carefully netted to prevent those flying thieves munching their way through, it looks as if WE will have delicious green things to eat this winter. 

The fruit is all beyond wonderful, last autumn and again in the spring, SHE scritched and scratched around their bases and put down blood, fish and bone or growmore and with the wet spring, this has fed all of the bushes and trees and WE will have a bumper harvest this year. 

Lots of work means lots of vegetables.. and vroom vroom.. who do WE have here? One of the best reasons for gardening and growing YOUR own vegetables is.. drum roll please.. is so that YOU can eat 'new' potatoes! 

SHE pulled two plants last Wednesday, a Rocket and a Swift.. the Rocket potatoes are planted in slightly softer soil, so SHE was not surprised to see twenty tubers, which is a decent amount off one plant of these delicious creamy yellow tatties, the Swift plant yielded fourteen. 

Snip snip went the clippers and three good sized Globe Artichokes fell into the basket. Then taking a bucket with water.. SHE went snip snip along the Peony walk and amongst the Roses as well.

WE had guests (Joanna and Jean-Jacques Darcy from Dallas) arriving and so SHE wanted their room to have lots of glorious home grown flowers to greet them. 

Back home, the flowers went into the bathroom with a full bucket of water, bathroom is cool.. this allows the flowers to drink and relax from their shock of being cut.

The Peonies have truly excelled themselves! How glorious they are. WE are told by OUR guests that they love looking at them.. 

Flowers grown with love.. nothing better than to be able to grow such things.. in HER garden.. things have to be one of three things.. edibubble, fragrant or beautiful..

I am off to b-e-d.. early start tomorrow.. pip pip Dear Readers.. pip pip.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 29th, 2013.

BACK TOMORROW WITH TALES OF ROCKET & SWIFT..

Goodness gracious US.. what a couple of days it has been! Actually it started on Sunday and only ended this evening.. just about twenty minutes ago!

The phrase 'action packed' does not quite have the desired amount or degree of 'action'.. I know it sounds pretty strange but that is how it has been!

But all is well and WE will be back tomorrow.. WE have two friends coming in from France.. drum roll please.. for they are no other than Joanna and Jean-Jacques, it was she who started MY Blog going along with that norty Goaty mum aka Debbie of Ellie's Dairy.

They have been in France / Paris for the wedding of one of their seven sons.. and are now on their way back to America via US!

WE are going to bed early so SHE can get up early and finish their room off.. Mister Dyson and duster have to strut their stuff. Then SHE has to gallop to the garden to pick BIG bunch of roses and peonies for them and then gallop back to be here when they get off Eurostar in the late afternoon.

So Tale of Rocket and Swift will come but not tonight.. pip pip, Dear Readers, pip pip.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 25th, 2013,

Who is the person who lives in the sea and who could write?

So off they went, SHE and old wicker the norty pair, to the village where it is not only wombly but also very windy.. YOU would know it as Wimbledon. 

And true to Wimbledon form, the two friends, MY mama aka HER and Goaty Mum aka Debbie of Ellie's Dairy, were soon hanging onto the rafters of poor gazebo which was being buffeted very hard by nasty gusty wind.. such a windy day today and stronger winds forecasted for Sunday.

Next to Ellie's stand was a pie stall, Lordy lulu, ooh, such pies. Apricots in frangipane, tarte tatin, quiche Lorraine. HER mouth watered but not today, it wouldn't survive the journey SHE was going on. 
 
Next month, the fourth Saturday in the month, she will treat Debbie and HERSELF to one of these pies, a truly very, very Scrummydumptious pie.

After collecting Goaty ingredients, a pack of diced meat, tubs of Goaty Curd, SHE bade Goaty Mum farewell, "see YOU next weekend (Ellie's Dairy is at Parson's Green Farmer's Market on the first and the fifth Sunday every month). 

A train to Clapham Junction, a 295 bus to Fulham Broadway to collect fishes from nice Mr. Fish, lots of fruity-tootie from Karen and kilos of granulated sugar with which to do HER very special treats! NO, not for ME, for special folks aka friends. I get the raw stuff which I lurve. 

Then home, I was not expecting HER, I thought SHE was gardening.. so caught 'napping'.. aka fast asleep. 

But what did SHE have in the blue bag? Ohh.. a fish that I have not seen for the longest time.. I wonder if YOU can guess who it was? They have many arms and could, I suppose, write as they have a vital ingredient for writing! 

Drum roll please for Mister Sqiddley-Diddley.. he could write because he has ink! Which is why SHE brought a couple of the BIG guys today, SHE wanted their ink for a sauce. 

The cherry plum tomatoes are delicious sweated with garlic, those tiny sweet peppers and yellow zucchini, heat turned up and squid flash fried, then heat turned down and the ink mixed with the juice of the vegetables. With fresh tagliatelle, what more could YOU want? Not a lot.. 

SHE busied HERSELF with hair, clothes washing, cooking and before YOU know it.. it was time to go to b-e-d. 

I hope YOU have had a happy day wherever YOU are? WE did and WE plan to have another one tomorrow as well.. 

SHE had such a nice surprise last night, a call 
from a very dear friend who lives in New York 
City, they talked and realised that Tom has not been to London since 2003! Don't feel too sorry for him.. WE know he has been on a couple of amaazing trips to Italy, Florence in particular!

And then they realised that SHE has not been to 
New York since 2007! SHE used to be there every month, how HER life has changed!

Now SHE is MY mama and a gardener!

GeeGee Parrot.
June 22nd, 2013.

SHE'S OFF WITH OLD WICKER ON A JAUNT..

Good morning to everyone.. this is just to let YOU know that SHE and old wicker will be off on a jaunt to Wombleland.. aka Wimbledon.

On a bus.. off a bus.. up steps.. onto a platform.. they're going by train to Earlsfield! This is the nearest station to Wimbledon's Farmer's Market.

SHE will meet up with Goaty Mum aka Debbie to replenish OUR supplies of those Goaty products.. yumyum.. WE will post again later this evening.

Oh.. did YOU all celebrate the Summer Solstice yesterday? Well.. WE are halfway through 2013.. gulp.. and there is still so much to be done at the garden.. never fear.. hey, stay cool kids.. for it is already a very muggy-buggy day out there!

GeeGee Parrot.
June 22nd, 2013.

RAIN.. WHAT RAIN? AND WHAT THUNDERSTORMS?

It was a dark and stormy sky at just past eleven of the clock this morning.. SHE kissed Beaky, told ME "to be a good girl" and went off to the garden.

The forecast was for heavy showers and thunderstorms and whilst SHE was on the two buses it rained for a little while but not very heavily, SHE thought, if WE have a storm, I will work inside Shack and see what norty mouse and rat have been up to.

SHE knew there were at least two bottles of sterilisation fluid and a couple of scrubbing brushes plus a face mask in the cupboard, don't scrub where those two vermin have been without wearing a mask and gloves.. not wise.

When SHE got off the bus.. there did not appear to have been any rain at all, how very strange.

What to do? There is so much to do SHE actually has a choice! Do little terrace SHE decided.. little terrace is outside Shack and it had been messed about a lot when the concrete bases for the two big security posts were put in.

So today was the perfect day to dig up the twenty 
four paving slabs.. twenty four inches by twenty four inches and relay all of them.

A line at a time is the way to do it.. otherwise YOU get yourself in a big messy muddle! 

It was very hot and sticky, SHE started to laugh, for when YOU do something like this normally, you are not miles away from civilisation nor do YOU have to travel by bus, two buses in fact! SHE was very grubby.

The job was done but it had been a long day and the sky had been, until about five of the clock, very overcast and it was extremely muggy. At six of the clock, suddenly the sky cleared and it turned into a glorious evening.  

However, it was time to go and SHE was extremely pleased to sit down on the little bus, changed to the big bus and got off outside a small supermarket near to home. HER beloved Italian Deli closes at half seven of the clock, SHE had missed them by an hour but this store sometimes has fresh pasta.

Yum.. there it was.. fresh Tagliatelle! 

A packet went into basket and SHE came home. SHE had pulled a fresh onion, so the sauce was onion, halved red cherry tomatoes and two slices of chopped green zucchini, these sweated for about ten minutes.A big pan of water on to boil, pasta boiled for four minutes. 

Done, oh, slurp the durp, simple and delicious.

Tomorrow.. SHE really is going to do housework as friends are coming to stay and although their room is immaculate.. old Dyson and duster need to do a bit of work in the rest of the flat.

Bed time for both of US.. lonng day.. Good night Dear Readers, good night.

GeeGee Parrot.

june 20th, 2013.

POOR RIGA CASTLE.. RIP JEAN-LOUIS SCHERRER

Good morning to YOU all Dear Readers.

WE have two pieces of sad news to report this morning.. 

The first is that SHE read the castle in Riga, the capital city of Latvia, suffered a bad fire last night. Apparently renovation works are being done and the roof has been extensively damaged.

Besides being the official home of the Latvian President, this large and beautiful medieval castle, started in 1330, is also a museum. WE hope that it is fully restored with a very efficient anti-fire system. 

Those medieval castles are very vulnerable because of the sheer age of the roof timbers, in this case.. nearly seven hundred years old!

Postscript: Sadly, the news is that an enormous amount of the roof has been destroyed and the two top floors have suffered extensively damage. 

The Curator of the Natural History Museum says that they will not know the full extent of the damage until their teams can actually get into the building, which, of course, is still smouldering and 
dangerous.

The other sad news is that Jean-Louis Scherrer, the French Couturier died on Thursday. He was only 78 but had been ill for a long time. He started his design career with Christian Dior, working alongside with Vyes Saint-Laurent.


He was a tall, good looking man who made truly divinely beautiful, very feminine clothes, a few of his high profile clients were Claudia Cardinale, Sophia Loren, Jackie Kennedy, women who were not afraid to wear elegant, sophisticated clothes. 

The first time SHE was in Paris, staying with eldest brother who lived there, SHE was taken by to this glorious place by Mona, who was having a fitting for winter clothes.. SHE was dumb-struck by the designs, the fabrics and the expertise of the fitter. 

Whilst Mona was getting dressed back into her street clothes, the fittings had all gone well, SHE wandered out to the front.

Jean-Louis appeared with this hat on his head and a very silly expression on his face.. "Ha" he said 
"here you are.. I have decided that this would look a lot better on you than it does on me". 

He scooped HER long hair back and plonked this enchanting thing on HER head.. the top of the hat was flat and embroidered, the rest was creamy fur. 

Yes, I know that people tend to be 'nice' to people who spend lots of money in their shops but it was a very sweet gesture and made Mona howl with laughter when she came out to see HER in HER summer dress with a furry hat on HER head!

Rest in peace Jean-Louis.. such a nice man.

That's it for now folks.. Time to start the day.. break the norty fast and do some housework. I will watch from pole, don't want to be fluffed with a duster thank YOU.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 21st, 2013.

THE BEST LAID PLAN OF MICE & MEN.

Well, nothing SHE was going to do was done! 

Instead, a lookie-see at terrace showed up that YOU can't see terrace, smart terrace too, if YOU could see it! 

Two pallets worth of paving stone were set into sand in 2003.. goodness.. ten years ago! Same year as shed was put up and turned it into 'Shack', which is, in fact, a kitchen.

If SHE was able to post photos.. SHE can't 'cos SHE ain't clever enough.. YOU would be able to see those photos which were taken when shed was turned into 'Shack'.

It is insulated and double walled, painted, has curtains, plumbed in running water, a gas stove and before evil men stole little genny, WE had the power to run an electric fridge and an ice maker! There is a flushing loo at the back.. all mod cons!

Hahaha, that does make HER 'laugh', last June SHE worked hard for ten days up in Sheffield and the person promised a little Honda generator in payment, a full twelve months later it has not yet arrived but don't worry Dear Readers, the type of person who cheats and treats other people in this mean fashion, especially friends, always get their comeuppance.

SHE walked up onto the terrace, took a look and said to grass, briar and weed.. "bad luck, you are for the chop" and that is what SHE did, on the hottest day of the year, SHE chopped grass and weeds, then used a special tool between the paving stones and gouged out most of the roots. 

Briar needs a different treatment, tomorrow SHE has to pull up four stones, chop out the roots, then replace the stones. 

One wooden table was salvageable, the other had had it, legs and top were rotten, that was carried off and put onto the side of the track together with debris from terrace, there is now a huge pile of rubbish for the men to remove! 

Tomorrow SHE has to reset the paving stones outside shack and finish getting grass and weed roots from between the paving stones. 

Then SHE has to tidy shack, very messy, nothing in its' right place, tools, actually, should not be in shack, tools should be in 'little tool shed' but to get there at the moment is impossible because briar and nettle have formed an unpassable barrier! 

Huh.. that is what they think! They've never seen HER in 'slash and destroy mode', by the end of tomorrow, they will be 'history'!

And I am off to see what SHE is making for OUR supper.. thank YOU Dear Readers for reading MY Blog.. PipPip.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 19th, 2013.

SO MUCH TO DO.. GOT TO DO THIS.. GOT TO DO THAT...

Hello Dear readers.. Good morning.. good evening.. it all depends on where YOU are.. a lot of YOU are in Latvia it seems.. lots of Latvians reading MY Blog these days. 

So much to do.. got to dig up those Onions who have decided it is time to come out of the ground.. YOU may well say "so early?" but these babies have been a'growin since October! 

They sailed through that bitterly cold winter and wet spring with nary a worry in their heads and as SHE scratched and scritched between them to keep the soil loose, they have mostly grown to be a good size. 

Some will be cured, this means YOU dry them off so they last the winter, SHE plaits them and they stay at the shack where it is dry and quite dark. 

Some.. as YOU read in the post from last night.. get eaten immediately.. there is nothing like a young, fresh from the ground Onion.. sweated with some garlic and maybe a tiny Beanie-o.. very tasty! 

YOU do have to laugh at old weed.. he thought he was being so clever as to invade that big Lettuce and Rocket bed.. he thought being green would be enough to fool HER.. silly weed. He forgot that Lettuce and Rocket have very easily defined leaves.. and are of a very different green. 

So he is heading for rubbish pile today and in his place will be lines of Radishes.. the small round ones and the longer variety. Crunchy munchy, I love a crisp Radish.

SHE has to do scritch and scratch amongst the 
Fruit bushes, has to wear thick gloves for this and to be very careful when SHE bends over.. for although they are 'bagged' up in the nylon.. old Goosegogs aka Gooseberry, can still give the odd nip with one of his spiny spines. 

Talk about Spiny.. guess what WE are having to break our fast? Go on.. have a guess, for I have given YOU a mighty clue! 

SpinyApple is back on OUR menu again. Hurray, slurp-the-durp, how WE lurve this fruit! 

There is another clue.. it is a fruit.. No, still no idea what it is.. well.. it is Pineapple.. rich, smelly, fruity-tootie pineapple. And a soft but hard boiled egg, hard boiled but soft.. delicious. 

So off I must go.. flap flap.. vertical take-off as was lolling on bed..

GeeGee Parrot.
June 19th, 2013,

SWEET ONION.. oh.. happy days!

OH.. yubba-dubba-doo.. happy days are here again.. tummy full of yummy-yum.. oh, strike up the band.. summer food is here folks!

Yes, indeedy!! SHE picked the first Broad / Fava beanie-o of the season! And a few more Pea pods and some very young delicious Lettuce and Rocket leaves, some Mizuna and eureeka.. SHE even found a few tiny LandCress leaves!

Hurry scurry to Mister Fish.. just in time for a handful of BIG fat Prawns.. aka Shrimp in America.. and then to get some fresh Egg Noodley-Doodles..

Home.. wrote post about yesterday whilst the fish stock was heating up.. SHE was going to flash boil the Prawns but WHO was this?

Lonng ago, last October, SHE planted lots and lots of Onion sets.. these are minute Onions.. now some of them are breaking their necks and telling HER "it is time to pick us, please". Oh.. heavens to Betsy.. have YOU ever had an onion just out of the ground.. they're so sweet, with long green leaves, these people would not dream of making your eyes water!

Pan on.. olive oil in, garlic whacked and chopped, onion sliced and chopped, the leaves went in as well.. sauted for a litle bit, then in went the fresh egg noodles.. prawns went into the boiling stock.. together with the handful of tiny Broad / Fava Beans.

I'm salivating on Nespresso machine for I LURVE beans and prawns and am crazy-dazy about noodles.  Plate out.. food onto plate.. some food waved about in the air.. no burning of the beak..

Perfection.. one happy parrot and one happy HER..  WE will be back tomorrow.. burp. Sorry about that but I am guilty of eating too fast.. had to, YOU never know, SHE might have pinched MY share!

GeeGee Parrot.
June 18th, 2013.

STRANGER ON THE BUS..

SHE was on the small bus going to the garden yesterday, minding HER own business and playing Wordmole on the mobile, when a charming voice said "What are those tiny plants you have in your basket?".. they were the Rainbow Chard seedlings.. and SHE looked up and saw a very nice looking woman sitting next to HER.

They started to chat, SHE told the woman what they were and where SHE was going and suddenly a look of intense looking came onto the strangers' face and she said "a garden, you have a garden?".

And SHE knew that, whoever this woman was, she was deeply in need of being amongst trees and plants, to sit and smell fresh air, to look at growing things and to talk to someone.

So SHE said "yes, indeed I do have a garden with flowers and fruit trees and vegetables, would you like to come and see it? You could sit whilst I plant these babies and then I could make us some fresh coffee".. 

And that is how SHE met Anna..

WE don't know much about her.. but times have 
not gone very 'happily' for her, is OUR guess. WE are going to have her to lunch in the garden, when SHE has made the new table and WE will invite a couple of other nice women to come as well.

Loneliness is a dreadful thing.. especially when YOU have a family but to whom YOU are not connected, SHE knows this, sadly, first hand.

That is why WE are a team of two.. HER and ME, that's OUR team..

Supper is a'cookin and I know what it is.. WE will be back later on about today. Slurp slurp slurp into the tumtum..

GeeGee Parrot.
June 18th, 2013.

NO POST TONIGHT.. SHE CAME HOME LATE & TIRED..

Sorry Dear Readers. WE are not writing a proper post tonight 

Having worked very hard at the allotments all afternoon and the journey home taking over an hour.. SHE was tired and then SHE had to make US supper.. 

WE are off to b-e-d.. We will post in the morning.. about HER day on the plots with Anna, a new acquaintance. 

Yawnny yawn.. 

GeeGee parrot.
June 17th, 2013.

PINK PINK.. GLORIOUS PINK..

Was SHE going to go or not? Old weather looked very 'iffy' to both of US. I said "I am not" and flew to top of cupboard, SHE took some seedlings, said "see YOU later", blew ME a kiss and went out. 

A shower or two and an hour later, SHE arrived at the plot, puddles on the track, no need to water any seedlings today! But what did SHE see upon opening little gate!

Oh dear, drat, warm weather plus rain equals lots of growth of weed and his relations, Asparagus bed was awash with green and so were all the flower beds! 

But grrr, what was this? Old Sour Grape, whom SHE was convinced SHE had killed, was waving skinny arms at HER saying "Hello", but SHE was not in the mood to deal with him or those very norty weeds.

For the nets which had been sewn together had to go over the Gooseberry bushes, otherwise flying thieves would be eating them. Now WE can look forward to having red and yellow Goosegogs!

The climbing Beans, both Runners and French are 
doing their clever 'Jack in the Beanstalk' trick, WE wonder why they always go anti-clockwise around the pole, curious no?

Oh, a first ever! SHE brought home two baby Pea 
pods! Usually, they are eaten on site, I have never ever seen a Pea pod and I am going to be NINE this year! SHE eats them straight off the plant, like those Golden Raspberries, I have never seen one of those either, let alone eaten one! 

With a pair of cutters in one hand and rubbish bag in the other, SHE went to prune the roses. 

'Gloire de Dijon' rose is climbing along the fence on plots 39 and 37, it is the first year she has done so well, a pretty rose, not great for picking but the Bees love her. 

'Ellen' rose is doing beautifully but what has happened to the 'Jude the Obscure' rose, he has reverted to being a wild rose! 

'Compassion' rose planted in memory of HER beloved Aunt Hay, is exceptionally beautiful.

'Royal William' rose is a stunner! 'He' is very handsome with a powerful perfume. And the 'Just Joey' rose is so pretty with such a beautiful smell


The Clematis Montana 'Mayleen' has almost stopped flowering, now 'President', a wonderful purply-blue Clematis with huge petals is showing his pretty face.

And climbing through the hedge is a charming rose.. a medieval 'Rosa Gallica Mundi ', who looks like a rose a child would draw, she is striped pink and white.. 

And such a pink! Why, she is pink enough to make YOU think!

GeeGee Parrot.
June 16th, 2013.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE..

Greetings Dear Readers.. I trust YOU are all well?

We are in 'cracking' shape.. all is very well in OUR lives. WE went to the country Thursday evening, with an early start scheduled for the next day, it made sense to spend the night on site and it saved having to deal with transport at some hideously hour.

Up and at 'em and on site before eight of the clock! The crews were there with their machinery and tools, a big generator was on site to give lots of power, the materials and plants were there, all the paperwork had been 'signed off', most most important, everyone knew what they were meant to be doing! 

But SHE has worked on enough projects to know that things can go wrong, therefore, each crew had a very detailed specification of their part in the project.

SHE called the various crews together and said "Ok.. let's rock & roll". And just over eight and a half hours later, the job was done.

That is how to get things done, find the person who will take an idea and make it happen, they should discuss, research, design and plan, cost, check, double check, execute.

'Mission Impossible', what a load of croccy-rot! Go and find and employ the right person for a job and let them get on with it. 

WE slept in OUR own beds last night.. east west.. home's best!

GeeGee Parrot.

June 15th, 2013.

JOKE.. WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? ANSWER.. BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GET TO OTHER SIDE. QUESTION.. WHY DID THE 'TELEPHONE' STOP RINGING? ANSWER.. BECAUSE SHE ANSWERED IT AND SAID "HELLO"!

And that is exactly what happened! 

I was very full of SELF this morning.. the old Landline telephone bell was trilling out of Beaky.. tingaling.. tingaling.. tingaling.. such a easy sound to make.. then SHE remembered how to stop ME making that annoying sound.

SHE 'answered' it.. the wretch.. by saying "Hello".

So I had to switch to other sounds from repertoire in order to express extreme happiness and intense joy at seeing eggies and that tub of Goaty curd.. for they signify WE will be breaking fast with an omelette. 

If YOU saw the procedure of the making of this delectable dish, YOU might be slightly confused, for SHE makes it very slowly.. then it slides out of pan onto HER plate.. MY share is put onto MY 'plate', a small board which sits on a large jar in front of Nespresso machine on which I stand to eat.. keep up at the back there.. no dawdling whilst reading MY Blog.

And then SHE appears to kiss MY share! Very strange habit, I know, but what SHE is actually doing is testing to see that it is not too hot for old Beaky! So sweet MY mama.. SHE thinks of small details like this.

So I decided to make HER smile.. I "clucked" and did the Funky Chicken dance on Goosie Head. 

SHE has a very busy day today.. and I have norty feathers which need a good 'beaking'.. WE will be back tomorrow.. enjoy YOUR day today.

GeeGee Parrot.

June 13th, 2013.

I BET SHE'S WISHING SHE'D GONE OUT... HeeHeeHee!

Raindrops are falling on the street.. pavement's wet.. garden is a'drinkin up the water and SHE's a'wishin SHE'd gone out.. for I am being intensely annoying.. I am 'ringing' the landline or HER cell / mobile.. constantly!

Please Mum, it ain't MY fault!! Tummy tumtum is full of yummy yumyum.. therefore, MY blood sugar level is high and I am a happy bird.. and what do birdies do when they're happy? 

Why.. They sing.. but, I ain't got a song.. sigh.. so I ring telephones or incoming faxes, or bark like little Jack Parker, the mini Dachshund that lives up the street, or miaow like the cat that lives in the next door flat.. or quack, don't know where I learn "quack" but it usually makes HER laugh.

So.. Are YOU sure YOU want a Parrot? WE are like Puff that Magic Dragon who lived by the sea.. WE live a very, very long time.

Poor mama.. SHE has retreated to the YumYum HQ to do the washing up.. that's when YOU know the parent is really annoyed or upset with 'one'.. as usually SHE gives it to electric watery white box who lives under the work surface, YOU'd know it as dishwasher..

But WE might go to bed early as SHE has busy day tomorrow and will be home late, I am being left behind, not surprised after MY 'Talent Show' tonight! Then Friday.. another busy day, followed by going to Kew for tea with Leigh, then out late again for supper.

As long as I am fed and watered! I don't mind.. for it is cold and dismal out there.. and who wants raindrops falling on their head? Not ME, I'd rather be in bed..

GeeGee Parrot.
June 12th, 2013.

OH.. I SWING THROUGH THE AIR WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE..

A daring young bird on her flying trapeze.. I'm GeeGee.. the African Grey..

Well.. howdy folks! It is YOUR favourite Blog writing Parrot here. And I am very happy to be able to report that everything is extremely well in MY life.. as I hope it is with YOU?

WE have just had an very early supper.. more like 'a high tea'. SHE is underneath MY toes (I am standing on HER head) and as it has now started to rain, SHE is not likely to go out of sight by disappearing out of that front door. 

At the garden, there is a bed that is full of sweet onions, which Mister Pigeon was not interested in at all.. until SHE tucked in some Brassicas.. now those fat grey Pigeons are starting to show signs of interest and SHE has noticed that a couple of leaves have been beaked. Huh.. 

WE are not having that! Having taken the trouble of sewing seeds and growing them at home, then planting them out.. WE are ..... if they are going to be Pigeon fodder. 

So two lots netting are going to be sewn together
to cover this bed, it has to be wide enough to cover the bed and have a decent drop on all four sides. 

And OUR favourite 99p store has very kindly provided packs of metal tent pegs (10 to a pack) with which the netting will be secured to the ground. So it is yah boo to YOU Mister Pigeon!

My tummy is full of scrummydumptious yumyum,  so I am off to pole and SHE is off to sew.. 

And I'm a poet.. but YOU didn't know it.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
June 12th, 2013.

TOO CAN.. TOUCAN.. TWO CAN & TWO TONED..

How anyone learns English is almost beyond ME.  I suppose they learn it 'parrot' fashion.. but it has so many tricks in it.. for example.. look at the title of this post. 

Too can.. means that YOU too can do whatever.. Toucan.. is, of course, my avian friend and two can.. means that two people can do whatever.. all spelt differently but pronounced exactly the same way. 

How was YOUR day, Dear Readers? Mine was spent mostly on pole, out of way of duster and hoover.. the sitting room is now immaculate and smells sweetly of furniture polish.

Yes, there are a few pots on the window shelf but the seedling babies that are in them are still too little to go outside.. it will be another week before that special variety of cucumber can be planted out. They are the short variety and very delicious. 

Occasionally, WE break that norty fast with a very non-English meal of Goaty cheese, tomatoes and this variety of cucumbers with very strong coffee.. The coffee is for HER, I never drink it, I slurp Lapysang tea if I want a hot drink. 

SHE was late going to the market, it was dull and overcast, very chilly-billy after all those lovely sunny warm days, the pavements showed signs of rain but it was not wet-wet, it drizzled whilst SHE was on the bus, however, that stopped before SHE got off at Fulham Broadway. 

Huh.. So much for all that rain 'they' promised was coming this way. 

Anyway, a change is as good as a rest.. off SHE went to the Butcher for meat and Karen for fruit, came home to finish the housework, kicked HER shoes off in hall and gathered up stuff for ironing and from lofty position on pole I saw something I had not seen or noticed before. 

Because the weather has been so glorious and the ground has been dry, SHE has been gardening in slip-on shoes instead of ankle lace-up boots and HER feet, from half way across the arch up to above the ankles, are very tanned!

SHE has two toned feet.. they look very 'funny'! 

Must not be too rude about them, they do keep HER up and on the go all the time and I know what they brought home from Dickinsons, the Butchers, Bavette Steak.. this is a favourite cut of Beef.. yumyum. So that is where I am going now, to YumYum HQ, to oversea HER cooking this deliciousness.. Slurp..

GeeGee Parrot.
June 11th, 2013.

SORRY MISTER CUCKOO.. BUT MISTER SYCAMORE.. YOU ARE INVASIVE AND VERY NORTY!

Poor ole Cuckoo.. WE wrote such rude things about him, how many of YOU, Dear Readers, know that he does not actually fly about spitting allover OUR gardens? 

That strange spittle is and WE quote from HER most beloved Royal Horticultural Society's website. 

"White frothy liguid secreted by the immature nymphs of a sap-sucking insect known as a Froghopper. Each blob contains a creamy white insect nymph up to 1/4" long. Usually plant growth is unaffected but if the nymph has been feeding at a shoot tip, this may cause some distorted growth". 

Do the Frogs in the pond on OUR right hand neighbours' allotment know about this 'hopper' of Frogs? Certainly WE don't want them and they're hopped onto OUR Lavender and Honeysuckle! 

OUR neighbour, an Oscar winning set designer, made the pond and his plots are very tidy with masses of small neat beds. 

However, they are all overshadowed by a lot of self seeded Sycamore trees, which have grown far too big and are completely out of control. 

Sycamore trees grow like weeds and with the amount of care that Brian has given to the soil, these very norty trees are living the life of old Riley. 

They affect four other peoples plots very badly, so the order has been to trim them right back. They also have a serious affect on OUR plot number 41. 

For, in the Springtime, this poor plot now gets no direct sunlight until past twelve of the clock, not at all good for poor Asparagus who needs warmth, he lives very deep underground and only knows it is time to send his spears up when he feels old sun rays on his roof as it were. 

What is a'goin on around here? Well, SHE, having worked HER poor fingers to the bone, is having a couple of days break because.. yeah! It is due to rain for several days! "Oh no", I can hear YOU all cry but WE need it badly, if YOU want any fruit or vegetables this summer. 

The summer of 2010 was SO dry that the fruit was undersized and the Potato crop failed in parts of England, farmers had to irrigate their fields just in order to harvest them and they were seriously undersized, the soil was too hard.

Garlic and Onion are now starting their final growth and hundreds of different varieties of seedlings have been planted, summer rain is what is needed and instead of gardening, shock horror, house work could be done!

SHE has to do a quick trip to get OUR favourite Humous and more anti-bird net for the Brassicas.. so I am off to pole. 

GeeGee Parrot.
June 11th, 2013.

SUCH A RUDE BIRD..

Pork Tenderloin with steamed Calabrese, cold proper new potatoes were sliced and fried with garlic and thyme together with a generous dollop of pickle. WE finished this delicious supper off with a large chunk of Ellie's Dairies 'Fremlin's Kentish Log'. 

I love food and it is a good thing that I take so much exercise, otherwise I would be the size of a Macaw! 

I stayed at home today, I dozed and listened to the radio. SHE grafted at the allotments for six hours. SHE did try to mow plot number 37 but it really needs another whizz with a trimmer, little hand push pull mower is just too little to tackle paths that have never been mown before. 

All the Garlic beds are now immaculate! Not a weed in sight, fertiliser dug and watered in. They were planted last year in October and are looking very good, the soil around each bulb now needs to be kept very loose so that each bulb has a chance to bulk up and get to be a good size. 

SHE started lots of delicious Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts off at home, today they were tucked in amongst some of the Garlic (WE grow a LOT of Garlic), now they will grow on through the summer and autumn, they are for OUR winter food. 

YOU have to plan ahead with winter vegetables, like Leeks, YOU put them in when they look not unlike a hair transplant plug! YOU pick them next year! YOU will be very grateful that YOU planted them for they are delicious! 

Another row of Fava / Broad Beans went in, SHE starts them at home every two weeks, these are truly OUR favourite Bean but WE only eat them when they are smaller than YOUR little finger nail, try them with garlic, olive oil and black pepper on fusilli pasta, come on, hurry up beans, grow faster!

All the Potatoes needed earthing up, with that rain two days ago, everything has put a spurt of growth on, the autumn Raspberries are growing very fast! 

It will be a magnificent crop this year, like all of the fruit. 

The June fruit drop has started. SHE is checking the Apple and Pear trees, strange how 'they' decide to jetison some of their baby fruits. And as a couple of the trees are still young, SHE takes a few of the smaller fruits off as well. YOU do not want to strain or break young branches. 

Yawn.. sorry Dear Readers.. b-e-d time.. another very busy week ahead of US. 

So I ask YOU.. "Who is the rudest bird?" No.. It is not ME. Oh, come along now.. try and guess.. no, not even a little guess?

It is the Cuckoo.. and do YOU know why? Well, he spits! Look in YOUR garden, YOU will probably see it, Cuckoo Spit everywhere, such a rude bird!

GeeGee Parrot.

June 9th, 2013.

NONNA WILL HAVE 'PLENTY' TO SAY TO THESE KIDS.. THAT'S FOR SURE!

Good day to YOU all, but is it going to be a good day, I wonder, for it looks mighty cold and chilly-billy to ME.

It was very cold last night.. brrr. Thank goodness it was cloudy, which stopped old Jack scattering his frost about, today is our 'Frost Day', this is the latest recorded date there has been frost at the allotments.

SHE went to the Farmer's Market at Balham.. all changed, They are now on the netball field! Better site, the trip was to meet up with Debbie of Ellie's Goaty Dairy, I think that 'the' gingery Ginger went down a treat with Goaty Mum, I wonder how long it will last? 

There was a smile on Debbie's face as she 'just sampled' a bit.. then another and another.. I am not surprised, it is very addictive stuff HER Ginger, SHE makes it differently to how the new fangled recipes say one should make it, SHE also makes a HOT, as in Spicy Hot, version.

SHE did ask ME if I wanted to go with HER to the allotments, thought about it but decided not, I had a feeling weather was brewing something and did not fancy having cold wind up tail. 

Off SHE went, laden with packs of Bamboo hoops and two bicycle cable locks, with which to lock the big new water butt to the water stand pipe, WE do not want to have to replace this valuable item! 

SHE mowed the paths on plot 39 and 41, it is amazing how quickly grass responds! Instead of looking as if WE should import five Goaty folk to munch for three weeks, it looks shaved and green, just like a proper lawn! All it will take now is a cut every few days and it will be wonderful. 

Today.. ugh, mowing plot 37 will not be so easy.. but it has to be done.. push pull.. push pull.. over and over again.. who was the plot holder who said he didn't think gardening was a good work-out? 

Oh yes, the man down the path who has planted all his tomatoes four inches apart in a block of three rows.. he'll learn. Tommies are NOT Sweet Corn! 

Poor Tommies.. SHE feels mighty sorry for them. 

SHE also feels 'slightly' sorry for those norty young Italians.. SHE knows they are going to get it in the neck, Nonna Radicchio works hard practically all year and these youngsters are still waving about on their skinny legs and behaving very badly indeedy.

Ooh, Nonna will have a lot to say to them, that is for sure, for Nonna must be how old now? At least eight years old, was she not planted when the gang of four Cherry trees went in? So it is high time she had someone else to help take over some of the responsibility of producing Bitter Herb leaves in winter time. 

Don't they know they have a huge reputation to uphold? Italians are know all over the world as GREAT gardeners and here are these young hooligans lolling about! 

HUH.. Well.. WE must stop lolling and start the day.. still looks gloomy and cold, I am staying here with LBC.. 97.3.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 9th, 2013.

CARTIER.. WHICH CARTIER? THE EXPLORER, THE JEWELLER OR THE ROSE?

Good day to YOU all.. and what a day it has been!  SHE left for the allotments very early today, I decided that I did not want to go and flew off when MY travelling cage was produced.. so had no one but SELF to blame when I was all alone for all of the day..

However, I hear the journey home tonight was a nightmare.. it took HER over two hours! Ugh.. some stupid young men decided to have a 'burn up' on the A4, they lost control of their cars and crashed.. result? Road closed, great, just what YOU need on a Friday night on a major road out of London.. so there were HUGE delays.

Never mind.. SHE had had a really great day.. the weather was VERY cloudy and dark until about two of the clock when.. yeah, it started to rain.. lovely soft 'wet' rain.. for a couple of hours. Just what the ground needed and at exactly the right time.

SHE was weeding amongst the Gooseberries, always do this 'very' carefully as old Goosegogs spines are mighty sharp and painful, when HER over-the-track neighbour appeared, would SHE like some Rhubarb? Hello, is the Pope a Catholic? Yes, please! And would SHE help him by changing the flex on his grass trimmer and did SHE want to borrow it?

Dear Readers.. Christmas & Easter both appeared on the same day as Memorial, Labor and OUR St.George's Day! Yeah.. SHE fed trimmer some more petrol together with a splosh of two-stroke engine oil.. then SHE was off.. wroom.. wroom.. up and down the paths, around the fruit trees.. whizzed the very long grass over the heads of the Daffodills, Narcissi and Tulips.. did the original middle path underneath the norty Rosemary bushes.. yeah!

The three main plots looked wonderful. (A bit of a bore that the grass has to be raked up.. but.. it is very good exercise for the waistline!)

With a slurp more 'jungle juice' and a spool-full of tougher wire, off SHE went to tackle Plot 35.. this is the plot where Bramble has reared his ugly head again. SHE loves Blackberries but THIS norty Bramble has not one flower in sight and he thought he was going to take the plot back.. SHE has let him grow to see how much of it will actually fruit.. and the answer is.. very, very little. Not all briar is actually blackberry.

In 2001, when SHE first started working these plots, norty Bramble was allover the entire plot. There was 80 feet deep, 25 feet wide and about 10 feet high of norty Bramble, most of it was dry and very dead.. SHE dug him up and out, SHE slashed and burnt for a month.. it was January and the Council allowed them to have bonfires in the winter in those days.

WROOM.. off with his head today, SHE was wearing googles and so went right into the middle of those norty briars.. backwards and forwards.. from all sides until the plot was clear.. SHE knows his roots are there but the trick is is now NOT to let him grow, until there is the energy and time to dig him out!

Suddenly.. who was this infront of HER at the junction of Plots 35 and 37? Oh, such a pretty and beautifully fragrant Rose, in fact, a pair of them, they are the first Roses SHE ever planted at the allotments. A pair of 'Jacques Cartiers', this is such a glorious PINK Rose. Oooh, such a pink!

She is named after Monsieur Jacques Cartier, a Breton, who was born in St.Malo right at the end of the 15th Century in 1491. He was a very serious explorer and was the first European to travel inland in North America and he claimed, what is now called Canada, for the French.

This beauiful Rose in normally known in the United States of America under another name.. Marquise Boccella. An old historic Rose, OUR bushes responds well to pruning and they will flower pretty much from now until the Autumn / Fall.. such a lovely colour and shape.. and the smell..YUM.

Tomorrow will be here soon.. and SHE has to meet Debbie aka Goaty mum at Balham to give her the very gingery Ginger products that SHE has made for her.. then SHE will come home, collect ME and a mini snacket / picnic, then WE are off to the allotments.

WE had better go to bed, so that tomorrow will come even sooner! Good night, Dear Readers, good night.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 7th, 2013.

A DAY OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOUR!

I have become so used to HER saying "be a good girl, I'll be back later", that I should have realised that when SHE didn't say it, that today was going to be slightly different. 

For SHE went out but came back again, which was discombobulating to a small grey person who was fast asleep on pole. 

SHE only went as far as the North End Road Market, to buy fruit from Karen aka Kaza and meat from Dickinson's. And a few other bits 'n' bobs that are needed for the garden.

A rummage in a bin on Margie's stall and a £5.00 note bought acres of net curtaining with slots for wire, the £1 Store provided bungee cords to act as the wires, heehee, this means WE will get to eat the Red and Yellow Gooseberries! Not the birds.

SHE told Karen about Messrs Waitrose selling undersized Maris Piper potatoes as 'New', "No" said Karen, WE still think it is very funny haha and peculiar. 

WE said WE would let YOU know how HER
appointment went with the Specialist.. 

Well.. He did not believe his ears.. SHE gave him a little bottle with a small amount of the magic liquid which has transformed HER health, plus the information about powdered Magnesium Citrate, then SHE told him HER theory. 

He wrote everything down feverishly, then sat back and looked at HER. 

And said "Miracles do happen. I am thrilled that this has been the case with you, I am going to contact the makers of this, we have a couple of patients with exactly your symptoms and as we have NO idea what causes the problem. I am going to suggest they try this, thank you so much for bringing it in. 

Now I want to see you in 6 months time and I want a blood test done today, is that ok? Oh and by the way.. I am going you the all-clear to fly".

Is that OK? Yes Mr. So&So.. it is! In fact.. It's so ok that it's 'bloomin' marvellous. Yipee and off SHE skipped, to the Blood Test Dept! 

So today, was a goofing-off day, a day away from having very dirty paws and work and WE lunched at a civilised hour. 

SHE has made the delicious and very gingery Ginger goodies for Debbie, they are now cooling in the sitting room. 

Now WE are going to catch up with calls, emails, messages and the world's news. 

WE are so dreadfully saddened and shocked to see the damage that flooding has caused in Europe and WE know that there have over a dozen human deaths reported. But the animal deaths have not yet been released, these must be into hundreds if not thousands. 

Poor farmers, all of their crops destroyed and their 
animals drowned. Nature's forces of water and 
wind are frightening and can be lethal. 

So it these people WE will direct OUR thoughts towards tonight, the people affected by those tornadoes and now this flooding.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
June 6, 2013.

DO THESE FOOD BUYERS KNOW THEIR VEGETABLES? CERTAINLY THE POTATO BUYER FROM WAITROSE DOES NOT KNOW HIS POTATOES.. THAT IS FOR SURE!

Good evening everyone. WE have eaten the most delicious supper, yes sirree. Spring Lamb chops times three with steamed Asparagus and first of the season, Landcress and Mizuna salad.

SHE is tired beyond belief, worn to a shadow of HER former self, YOU would be too if YOU put the hours in that SHE does at the allotments, with no breaks, no sitting down.

SHE gets there, opens up Shack, gets the tools out, starts working, it makes ME tired just to think how hard SHE works when SHE is there.

So tired tonight that the bus went past HER stop and SHE had to walk back and passed a small Waitrose, which was a good thing as there were no Oat Cakes left and SHE was not going to start making these at past eight of the clock, that was for sure! 

SHE went in, to get to the oat cakes, YOU pass the vegetable selection, WE had run out of tatties, so SHE took a look at what they had and that was when SHE started to giggle. YOU know why? 

Now I know Spain is having a really grim time but who, in their right mind, would ever pick a 'Maris Piper' Potato when it was grossly undersized and pass it off to the 'unsuspecting' public, wait for it.. as a 'new' potato! And WHO would buy them for the shop to sell? 

They're really great for chips, roasting and for mashing but they are NOT and never have been, a 'new' potato. 

Please Lord.. please protect us from these, over paid, under qualified, department buyers in food corporations who do not have the faintest idea of what they are buying. 

All food has a season unless YOU want to eat 'French' Beans grown in Kenya, try following the local food seasons for where YOU live in the world. 

I guarantee the cost of YOUR food bill will shrink and YOUR produce will be much fresher. 

SHE eats Asparagus (admittedly SHE grows it) for eight weeks only, then Beans, summer Cabbage, Spinach, Chard (yum), Artichokes, both Globe and Jerusalem varieties. Tomatoes. 

Winter vegetables are pointed Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Parsnips, Turnips, Swedes, Onions, Chard, Perpetual Spinach, Broccoli tops, Squash. Yes, SHE grows most of these, 8,000 sq ft is a lot of space.

One thing SHE has never had luck with are Carrots, that may change. As on Friday SHE is building a very high raised bed, the soil going in will have a lot of sand in it.

OUR baby NEW Potatoes are small, firm and beyond delicious. They are not floury and soft.. they could almost be described as slightly 'waxy'.

Growing for US at the moment, WE have.. Anya, Charlotte, Pentland Javelin, they will keep us out of trouble and OUR tummies very happy. 

Sorry, Dear Readers, too late and WE are tired, bed time for US. I will be back tomorrow with the news of how that Hospital appointment went.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
June 5th, 2013.

VIVAT REGINA..

No, I am not being a clever clogs and speaking Latin again.

Well, yes I am but YOU would have to be from outer space in order NOT to know that phrase.. especially as OUR Queen is celebrating 60 years of being OUR Queen today.

SIXTY years.. of being in the public eye, under a microscope, of being judged, of those 'red' boxes which find HM wherever she is, of always having to be on 'parade'.

HM is 87 years of age.. she has been doing her 'job' since 1952 which was when her father, King George 6th, died. But out of respect for him and in mourning, her coronation was delayed for sixteen months.

SHE was recently at The Tower of London and saw The Coronation Crown.. today, it left the Tower today for the first time in 60 years, in order to meet up with HM to help celebrate her Coronation of June 2nd, 1953. 

Known as either The Coronation Crown or King 
Edwards' Crown, it is largely made up of the Crown that was made for King Charles 2nd, the very dastardly General Fairfax (a Parliamantarian) having sold or melted down all the Crown jewels to pay for the (Roundhead) Army.

HM Queen Elizabeth 2nd is a first cousin 9th times removed from King Charles 1st. Charles 2nd was his son.

Yes, SHE is a Royalist, but apart from HER own reasons, can YOU think of any person, be they President or whatever, who would do HM's job for this length of time.. with no time out for good behaviour? I think not.. 

Yes, WE pay for HM and the immediate members 
of the Royal Family.. but the senior members of it still work for 'the firm' and they are all way past retirement age. Do they earn their 'keep', are they a bringer-in of tourists to this country, undoubtedly.

Vivat Regina.. Long live the Queen.. OUR Queen.
HM Queen Elizabeth 2nd.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 4th, 2013.

BLACK BEAUTY & COBRA..

Good afternoon Dear Readers.. Fare thee well?

WE be faring very well, old sun obviously got a talking to because he is actually working instead of larking about and playing hide and seek with the northern hemisphere..

Curcurbita pepo ovifera together with Phaseolus vulgaris and lots of Ocimum, who are cousins of Lamiaceae, have been planted this morning.

As HER appointment is in the middle of the afternoon, such a inconvienent time 3.30! SHE and I broke OUR fast very late, WE played silly cuddly games underneath the quilt and then went to YumYum HQ and had an omelette with that scrummydumptious Goaty Curd in it.

I think this is MY favourite way with old egg, well, although I must say that I am very partial to buttered egg as well.. difficult choice, I leave it up to HER to surprise ME.

SHE is awaiting an email from a very helpful shop, some time ago SHE found long bags with a drawstring and a toggle fastener at one end.. they 
are made of fleece and absolutely perfect for slipping over the currant bushes and cherry branches, but as always, when YOU find something wonderful like this, there were two in a pack, YOU don't buy enough of them! 

Whoops.. SHE has remembered SHE has to do something en route to the hospital, I've got to go.

By the way.. YOU should learn Latin.. but very 'special' Latin.. SHE certainly didn't learn HER Horticultural Latin at school.. they taught HER amo, amas, amat and that is a fat lot of use when 
YOU want to order plants or seeds, isn't it?

But in order to save YOU scrabbling about for YOUR Latin dictionary, if YOU have such a thing, 'Black Beauty' Courgettes, 'Cobra' Beans and lots of different varities of Basil are what SHE potted up this morning.

"Ego vobis valedico" = I say goodbye to YOU.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 4th, 2013.. The Glorious Fourth!

THE TEXAS TWO STEP.. OR A LINE DANCE..

Did YOU know that gardeners get things for free?

Today, after going to see those lovely men at the ironmongers' shop in Streatham Hill, SHE jumped from one bus to another and wiggled HER way across London to the allotments.. sadly, I was not on this jaunt.. but it would have been one hell of a bumpy ride, that's for sure! 

There was so much to do.. as SHE had planted all the cauliflowers, cabbages and celery, they had to be caged to prevent those flying thieves, aka pigeons, from stripping them bare.

Along with a sharpener for the hand shears, four rolls of galvanised metal mesh had gone into old wicker, along with some very clever clips. 

The wire was in rolls and wanted to stay rolled.. SHE did not have time to fool around, SHE undid the roll, slapped two planks of wood on it, trod on the planks and that was that, flat wire. 

Then plumbers' pipe was attached to the top and the bottom, four stout sticks were stuck into the ground and these were attached to the four sides, then with plastic mesh over the top.. hey presto.. one pigeon proof cabbage and cauliflower bed. 

The celery was planted in three ditches, it will need to be 'earthed' up and tied up later on, these are amongst the garlic, they grow very happily together but they would just hate to be near any beans.. ugh! 

Whilst SHE was planting the last few celery, SHE un-earthed a huge amount of Centipedes, who all whizzed away at high speed and it made HER laugh as SHE realised they can't dance the dance that SHE was taught by Mister Bill. 

A Texan Two Step is not possible for these little people.. they have a hundred legs, it would have to be a Line Dance! What a lovely, silly thought, just think of lines of Centipedes Line Dancing! 

SHE is off to see the Medical Team tomorrow at the hospital for HER six month appointment and SHE has everything written down so that nothing will be forgotten to be told to them.. there is going to be a lot of 'egg' on a couple of people's faces.. not one drop will be on HERS.

So 'ninny-byes' time it is.. WE had lamb fillet and broccoli for supper.. I am full and SHE is tired.

Oh.. what things do gardeners get for free? Strong muscles and a great suntan! SHE looks as if SHE has been to somewhere very exotic!

GeeGee Parrot.
June 3rd, 2013.

SPANISH.. SI TE GUSTO LOS GATOS.. QUE TENER CUIDADO PORQUE LOS LIVIOS SAN VENENOSAS PARA LOS GATOS..

Well.. mouth knew how to say it.. but old brain had to have a little help as to how to spell a couple of the words.. But here it is in Spanish and SHE is much pleased as SHE has not spoken any Spanish for the longest of longest times.

Maria La Gorda would be very shocked to know this.. as they used to chuckle, discuss and share the local 'gossip' about who, what, when, where and how in the market..

Be very careful with Lilies and Cats.. the toxic pollen and leaves can kill or maim a cat. This also applies to Lilies in the garden, pollen on a furry coat will be licked off, not good for feline person.

SHE slept SO badly.. HER brain was just like a wheel.. round and round, up and down the garden paths it went.. so boring and so very tiring to fall asleep at four of the clock, only to have to get up at half past eight of the clock. SHE certainly feels a bit 'bashed' about the head.

So I am doing MY best.. which consists of a very gentle special head massage.. and a quiet tuneful tune.. to ease pain in old head and to make smile appear, for life is better with smile on face, don't YOU agree?

There, that's much better. SHE stroked and tickled MY nape and called ME one of those special but very cheeky endearments that SHE calls ME.. so sorry Dear Readers, I wouldn't dream of telling YOU what it was, certainly not, family knowledge only.

The day has to start, I am off to pole.. pippip.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 3rd, 2013.

FRENCH.. SI VOUS AIMEZ LES CHATS.. ETRE PRUDENT CAR LIS SONT TOXIQUES POUR LES CHATS

Dear Readers... 

WE will be posting this information in as many languages as SHE can remember how to write in.

It has been brought to HER attention that Lilies, although beautiful, are highly toxic for cats. And, it is not only the pollen that is poisonous for them, it is also the leaves.

There are several other beautiful flowers that ARE poisonous.. Lilies of the Valley are another for instance. The glorious Poinsettia is known to be 'not too good' for birds.. this means that WE never ever have them in OUR home in the winter.

WE will be updating this list of poisonous flowers and plants and posting this warning in other languages.. 

Bed time.. yawn.

GeeGee Parrot.
June 2nd, 2013.