Foraging, preserving

 We had a day out foraging today, not far away from home, and by the Clyde.

A quarter mile walk, along the cycle route again then Pirate saw a path into a harvested field....and we were there for a couple of hours picking blackberries/brambles, elderberries and sloes.

Deposit those in the car, then we walked a mile up to the local Co-op shop to buy lunch. Lunch in the car after walking back as it turned chilly for a while. 

A walk in the other direction took us along the Lang Scots Mile a little, then down onto what was beach and dunes and now has been colonised by all sorts of plants and trees.

There we found rosehips and apples!

A small detour on the way home up to the trig point on Brown Carrick hill..and unfortunately the trig point itself has been stolen. But the views are still good, including looking over to Ardrossan where we were two days ago!!

Plenty of preserving to do, including plum jam for our neighbour who supplies us with eggs and tomatoes!

On the bike!

 On Friday our friend came over from the Kingdom of Fife with a few bike bits for us to sell! We share the proceeds, so all of us profit. The day was fine and dry if chilly and breezy so we headed around the local lanes, hiding from the wind in the shelter of the hedges. We not only managed 25 miles, but got the route right to have a tailwind home!

Yesterday we got inspired and combined having a look at more classic bikes..(and buying another frame of course!) with a ride on our newest steeds down the Clyde coastal bike route from Ardrossan to Irvine and back.

With a stop at a gelateria in Irvine of course!

Chutney at last!

 Winterspice Beetroot done, with lime and ginger.

I cheated and bought some extra beetroot..I sowed ours in a patch that was too rich and we are getting a lot of leaf! Still, both ends taste good.

Next on the list is carrot and garlic. The last time I made it we only got to eat one jarful as the rest flew off the shelf as presents!! The feedback (pun not intended!!) was so good I will make another batch. 

I found the recipe on the downsizer.net forum recipe base (which I think anyone can access) and it is an adapted version of Sophie Grigson's recipe. As she says if I remember rightly it is the nearest she managed to the M&S carrot chutney..and it is!!

The weather has been miserable, we have more showers today..chilly in August!!

I am trying to work on time management to treat selling like working. It seems to be better for both of us, setting a block aside for cleaning (him! After all it is his bike stuff) and computer work. We managed to have a short walk in a weather window yesterday and he did a couple of laps around a local circuit while I got the chutney under way.

Foraging

 We went to check one of the trees on our walk, and found that Storm Francis had given us a hand.

Success at last!

 The first ripe tomato from the polytunnel!

Tree walk

 We grabbed the chance of a walk around Hannahston reserve in a break in the wind and rain. It was a good chance to see how the brambles, hazels , elderberries and apples are ripening. Another week or so...maybe more...

Now back to eBay and bike bits..the sales are coming in...and Etsy needs some attention.

Storm Ellen

 It is blowing a hoolie outside as it has been since yesterday evening. Thankfully the rain has stopped for a while.

Yesterday late afternoon we took a gentle ride on both the new steeds. Pirate's Alan now has fewer teething problems...literally..one less link in the chain means that it is moving from cog to cog ok. Mine needs a lower gear, but apart from that rides well. How did I manage to ride clubruns in the New Forest on that size gear 50 years ago?!

It is at present having the chainring changed for one two teeth smaller!

We are sticking indoors so far. Most things have been successfully covered/stored/tied down... hopefully!!

Ebaying bike bits carries on steadily, despite the time it takes to get just right.

Just for a change I sorted and packed some Aquilegia seeds. We will see next year if they are viable.

August garden