Actually, I was running out of empty feed bags to put chicken manure in, so I filled the car up and we went to top up the manure heap at the allotment.
As the weeds have died back a bit, it doesn't look that bad. The council have even got someone to trim the hedges on either side of the paths. Unfortunately, though, they didn't take the cuttings away, they just cut them and let them fall into the allotments. So now I have a lot of hawthorn branches that need getting rid of. The council won't let us have fires either, so I think I may have to eat them!
The manure heap is cooking away nicely, all the manure that was already there is looking nice and dark and composty, and Matt forked in a good 6 bags worth of manure, straw and shavings. Half a bag also went into the composter at home as that had rotted down well, since I last filled it.
Good news though. There used to be some chickens and a cockerel in the allotment next to ours in a metal shed like thing. Although it was funny to hear the cockerel warning us off when we were in our allotment, there wasn't an outside run for them, so I felt sorry for them in the semi dark all the time. Both the chickens and the metal hut have now been removed. I expect there were complaints, as we aren't meant to keep cockerels at the allotments, and our we are overlooked by the surrounding houses.
Back at home, I am worried I have slept through christmas and spring is here already. Either that, or I have my heating up too high! I have two bulbs in the kitchen that think it is time to bloom. Here is some sadly missed colour to brighten up the winter months...
