Making the most of it!

The weather is still just gorgeous, before it turns I am determined to make the most of it!  Although I am still full of the lurgy, getting out in the air has to be good!  The reservoir near me is beautiful, it has a sailing club. As you walk passed the shore bound boats, the chiming caused by the rigging hitting the masts in the wind is quite musical!  My Dad loves to sail and although I am more of a land lover, I really love to watch, feel and hear the wind and the atmosphere it creates around me.

This morning I have also been out in the garden  Some of my winter veggies are almost ready...

             

The savoy cabbages have already been shared somewhat with caterpillars, flies etc, but the hearts should be fine.  I am new to organic gardening and perhaps need to learns the tricks of the trade before next year!  The Purple sprouting broccoli does not look so ready yet, it is extraordinarily tall, but it appears to be minus the sprouting broccoli!  The nasturtiums have gone mad and appear to on a mission to take over the world!

The rainbow Swiss chard is amazing stuff, it just keeps on coming back.  Not bad for a 99p Shop packet of seeds!  Earlier in the summer I was using the baby leaves in salads, but now I am just finely chopping it and using it as greens.  Any ideas for anything more interesting to do with it would be most welcome.  Then there are my sprouts, I think these ones may have been ready a couple of weeks ago and now need eating urgently,Ooops!

               

I also grow food for the tortoises to eat.  This is all in an unheated green house, so over the next week or so it will all need to come in, before the frost gets it!  It's hard work having it all in the house, but I have a bit of a plan for this year.  My work has just moved buildings and one of the problems on the health and safety report for the building was high CO2 levels causing head aches and an inability to open windows due to air con..  The recommendation was for more plants in the office!  Woo Hoo they are all off to spend the winter on the office window sill!

Talking of Tortoises, I would like you to meet Heidi.  As you can see, she is not in the best of shape for a tortoise and she is a big girl!  She arrived as a rehomer/rescue, last year having spent her first 9 years in a tiny glass tank.  Her shell was deformed as you can see and this will never repair.  The shell was also very soft and actually would move under pressure, but this has improved and she is doing really well.  I weighed her today and she is a hefty 1.4kg.  When she arrived she was 1.25kg, so she has gained a significant amount.  Last year I didn't hibernate her as I was unsure of her health.  Weight and size is a good gage for knowing if a tortoise is OK to hibernate, but with Heidi, she is such an odd shape, I don't think I can rely on this.  Never the less after weighing her this morning and discussing it with friends yesterday I have come to the conclusion that this year will be her first hibernation.  I am quite nervous, but I believe that it will be better for her in the long run, plus it can't be much fun in an indoor enclosure over winter!