Sunday, November 26, 2006
Deer whine
Still pondering about how to keep the deer out of the allotment. Plan A was to eat them. Apart from the technical difficulty of catching them a bigger problem was the high proportion of veggies/animal lovers around here. None of whom seem to be in the least concerned by the amount of damage that deer do. (But I am not alone. Even the Daily Telegraph is running correspondance on how to deal with them). Plan B was to erect my very own six foor deer fence around the fruit trees - about 50 yards worth. Which would have cost the equivalent of many years' worth of fruit and a week or more's time. Plus maybe damage so not so robust back. So plan C was that maybe it will be cheaper and quicker to check the existing six foot fence around the whole allotment site - the catch being that some of it disappears into bramble thickets and such like.
Have discounted the theory that the deer are getting in through the culvert from Stamford Green. This looks to be about two foot in diameter and fifty yards long. I don't think a deer would go through such a thing unless chased or frightened. Perhaps just as well because while I first thought that it would be easy enough to block off the culvert using chicken wire or some such, such a blockage would soon block up with (Autumn) debris. Maybe even a modest flood on Stamford Green? In any event it seemed likely that someone would find something to complain about.
Walking around yesterday observed that there was a fairly new stretch of fence about where I vaguely remember a tree falling down and taking a chunk out. Job done! Then I saw a deer in the neighbouring school field. Turned my back for a few minutes and there it was in the allotment field, bold as brass. So job not quite done yet. Inspection will have to continue.
Catering matters relatively quiet at the moment. Today's challenge is the construction of stuffing for a chicken without the benefit of fresh sage - recently dug up, as reported on 6th instant. Nor are there any hazel nuts and I am not at all sure if walnuts will be a very satisfactory alternative. Using frozen bread to make the breadcrumbs, but that should not be a problem. So long as one does not cheat and use a food mixer which turns out breadpowder rather than breadcrumbs. There is also the temptation to let too much crust in which does nothing for the colour of the end product. Brown bread even worse. We will see how we get on.
Rather wet to continue digging. Also rather warm for killing off bugs as is proper at this time of year. Said to be the warmest November since records began.
Have discounted the theory that the deer are getting in through the culvert from Stamford Green. This looks to be about two foot in diameter and fifty yards long. I don't think a deer would go through such a thing unless chased or frightened. Perhaps just as well because while I first thought that it would be easy enough to block off the culvert using chicken wire or some such, such a blockage would soon block up with (Autumn) debris. Maybe even a modest flood on Stamford Green? In any event it seemed likely that someone would find something to complain about.
Walking around yesterday observed that there was a fairly new stretch of fence about where I vaguely remember a tree falling down and taking a chunk out. Job done! Then I saw a deer in the neighbouring school field. Turned my back for a few minutes and there it was in the allotment field, bold as brass. So job not quite done yet. Inspection will have to continue.
Catering matters relatively quiet at the moment. Today's challenge is the construction of stuffing for a chicken without the benefit of fresh sage - recently dug up, as reported on 6th instant. Nor are there any hazel nuts and I am not at all sure if walnuts will be a very satisfactory alternative. Using frozen bread to make the breadcrumbs, but that should not be a problem. So long as one does not cheat and use a food mixer which turns out breadpowder rather than breadcrumbs. There is also the temptation to let too much crust in which does nothing for the colour of the end product. Brown bread even worse. We will see how we get on.
Rather wet to continue digging. Also rather warm for killing off bugs as is proper at this time of year. Said to be the warmest November since records began.
Labels: stamford green deer
# posted by Jim @ 1:51 AM 
