First sowings!

Planted the first seeds of the year today - Both Dobies Leaf Salad Mix. One is 'French Mix', the other 'Stir Fry Mix'. French Mix was a staple for last year, some in a trough on the deck by the back door with flat leaf parsley at one end and mint at the other & the rest in rows in the poly tunnel. It contains Rocket Salad, Chervil, Red Batavia Lettuce and Radicchio Verona and is a "cut and come again" salad. The Stir Fry is a new one but as we stir fry alot then it should be a welcome addition. It contains another mix of seeds -Pak Choi Cantong White, Chinese Kale Full White, Tatsoi, Kailan, Choy Sim Hon Tsai Tai, and Yukina Savoy. They are £1.45 and £1.50 per packet & you get alot of salad for the price of one bag in Salisbury's. They can, according to the website be sown outdoors from April to October, but here 'On the Hill' in 't north an early life indoors helps them along.

Not alot has happened this week that doesn't involve school, reports, entering data, preparing lessons & in some cases dealing with some grotty behaviour so its nice to have some time for ME! The year 7 reports are done. I have posted to both of my Geography Blogs -for Tropical Cyclones & Snow Leopard conservation see Geographylost & Geography Room! The work that the upper sixth are doing on conservation of areas of environmental importance & high biodiversity is throwing up some really interesting research & fascinates the 'information junkie' in me! Mondays lessons will be OK -prepared or nearly so, himself is at his parents laying a new kitchen floor, son & heir is out so its me & the dog! The washing is either on the line or still in the machine. The Rayburn is out of action AGAIN! It worked perfectly for..... 3 hours on Tuesday after a Rayburn engineer spent two hours here. Then the cooker tripped off & wouldn't re-light until it was cool, On Wednesday whilst himself was on the phone to the engineer the boiler also decided to give up! Next week...hopefully... For the moment its the wood burner, fan heaters & camp cooking!

I think that Moss the dog & I will go for a walk whilst its still dry, maybe take the camera & see what signs of spring we can see, then its knitting & rugby on the TV I think, with a few chores thrown in. Tomorrow Harrogate RUFC U 17 are in the first round of the National Cup having won their division. The bad news is that they are playing away in Cheshire (at Altringham), which is about 90 minutes away, so that will account for most of Sunday.

I have finished the 'stash socks' so I will take a photo of those when I get the camera out later. Another sock book should arrive next week. Brenda Dayne of 'Cast On' recommended 'Favorite Socks' & if Brenda thinks its good then ..... a quick visit to The Book Depository website saw the deed done (cheaper than Amazon & an earlier delivery date). I have purchased a gadget that allows me to hear stuff that is on my mp3 player (a creative zen micro not an i-pod) so I have been listening to Cast On in my way to& from work and I can honestly say it has helped to keep me sane this week. The chat, the essays, the music are all great & at the moment I have still have back episodes to hear so I have plenty to listen to. If you don't know about Cast On, have a listen.... and as Brenda says.. "if its cold, wear a sweater, that's what they are for!"