Second day on the plot

Weather at the allotment today: 17 degrees at 10.30am, down to 14 degrees at 12.30am, as a brisk southerly wind brought the first spots of rain in.

I popped up to the new allotment for a few hours this morning, before the rain hit. I thought I'd only have time to do a couple of jobs — but, like a TARDIS, time seems to expand when you're on an allotment...

* Installed my tools and other useful stuff in the shed.

* Fitted a time / temperature / humidity etc monitor for the shed, so I never have to bother with wearing a watch on the plot. It also means I can keep a basic record of actual temperatures over the year.

* Got a decent chair for the shed.

* Cut away all the brambles that were swamping the little oak tree.

* Found a load of bamboo bean poles under the grass at the top.

* Chopped up the cut brambles to start a bonfire pile for Bonfire Night.

* Got a pile of old planks no-one wanted.

* Filed the rust patina off the tines of the fork I've inherited, and rubbed them down with WD40.

* Discovered the member's Club House orchard and its free apples.

* Discovered that the members have a tool shed from which items like strimmers can be borrowed. The shed is nicknamed "The Tardis".

* Discovered that the planning permission request for the new new allotment holders's HQ hut has gone in recently, but that funds still need to be raised for it.

* Met Gareth, and the current Chairman. Four pallets to make a compost bin should be on their way to me at some point.

* Bonfires are best had when the wind is light and from the south.

* Found and squashed my first caterpillar-grub thing.

* Took back a garlic clove to dry (will dig out the rest of the old cloves later this week). Also took back four of the good apples from the tree, but found they they're a bit too sugary and floury for me. Was kindly also given some free tomatoes.

* Found that one advantage of being high up and on a slope is that you an excellent view of the skies, and can tell at a glance what weather's coming and what's going (and in what direction).