The Office Allotment

Jackdaws chack from the trees as they gather in groups. A cool breeze blows up the hillside. The allotment garden is sheltered from the worst of the winds by the office building, an old farm steading. I eat slowly, preferring to have lunch before we start spreading manure on the soil. My fellow office gardeners arrive late, one in his pin striped suit, fresh from an important meeting. We work for different organisations and this is a good way to mix socially. We divide the garden tools between us and set to work, I choose to weed rather than spread manure. A whole area of the garden has been entirely cleared since yesterday! That must have been the elusive extra member of the gardening team, who only ever appears when no-one else is around, but does loads of hard work. We chat about what we want to grow and what has the best chance of growing well here. Some plants haven't thrived at all.

what ate last year's peas?

a pheasant calls and struts

in a nearby field.