pumpkinstrokemarrow

It turns out that the mysterious workings in the middle of Howell Hill were the construction of an emplacment for a speed camera. Perhaps we are coming to the end of the program and the people who sell the things are knocking them out on an 'end of line' basis - which means that they are popping up in the most unlikely places. But then think of the huge saving your council is making by buying two for the price of one.

But we remain decidedly schizoid in matters of control freakery.

A few days ago the DT reported the case of a farmer who had his field trashed by 200 or so protesters - with the protesters being escorted by two mounted policemen to make sure that there was no trouble. The idea that the farmer might be entitled to some protection for his property seems to be missing. The subject of the protest - GM crops which the farmer was erroneously thought to be growing - is more or less, to me anyway, irrelevant. Perhaps the police were mindful of the case in Norwich a few years ago when a jury refused to convict protesters of this sort whom the police had bothered to take to court.

And then today there is a report of an allotment holder who was prosecuted by the RSPCA for attacking a Harris hawk which was attacking his chickens. Not proscuting the owner of the hawk for not keeping it under proper control. What chance have I got with my moles?

Or ants. Have been hoeing potatoes and the ground they are in seems to be full of them. Do they eat potato roots?

But on a more optimistic note I have now completed the planting of my smaller allotment - the one containing the deer exclosure - with two half rows of leaf beet and one half row of onions. Runner bean trench ahoy!