A steamy time was had by all ........

As usual, over the Christmas break I bucked the trend by refusing to sit around watching rubbish TV and eating Quality Street – well apart from Christmas Day on which these are mandatory activities. Instead, I do what I always do (see Christmas Time is Mulching Time) and stood knee deep in my local stables’ muck heap shoveling lovely free manure into bags and ultimately dumping it out onto my allotment. Four van loads of 40 small bags are sufficient to cover my entire allotment and work off any excess food consumed during the seasonal blow out.

The cold, snowy weather made this always enjoyable activity (I know, most people think I’m slightly strange) even more pleasant – most bracing as well as deeply satisfying. The steam coming off the muck heap as we dug down into it really sorted out my blocked sinuses (a hangover from a vicious virus that was refusing to go away). This same steam also caused great amusement to passing walkers, one even stopped and asked if he could take some photos. Ever the opportunist and a shameless self-publicist I said no problem as long as he sent me a copy and whipped out a business card. So, here are a couple of shots of me and my chum Bob hock deep in muck and loving it!

I am already anticipating a bumper crop next year – can’t wait to get digging which is another of my favourite activities.