haiku

a fox barks -
the chihuahua whimpers
on her lead.

Fungi and signs of spring

It was damp and muddy along the Water of Leith today. Ideal conditions for fungi and there were plenty of them around:

Auricularia auricula-judae (currently usually known as Jelly Ear)

Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Stereum)

 not sure about this one, I thought it was some sort of earthball fungus, but on a closer look I think it might be some sort of earthstar, though one of the species that doesn't have a collar. Does anyone have any idea what this might be?

The air was full of birdsong, specially song thrushes, which always start singing early and though they're sadly in decline across the UK, they continue to thrive in the Dells, by the Water of Leith. The hazel trees are a mass of catkins, I tried to take a photo, but the camera refused to focus on both the dangling male catkins and the tiny, red female flowers, so I'll need to wait until next time I see a hazel tree!

***
Meanwhile I'm delighted to now have a page of poetry on Verse Wrights! 

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more.

shabby chic patchwork repair

Last year I'd been helping a friend sort out her mother's house and she gave me quite a lot of crafting supplies. Plus this lovely table cloth that had become stained while kept in storage. The stains were very stubborn and remained there after two washes so I decided to use patchwork to cover up the stains and give the tablecloth a shabby chic look. Above is a close look at the patches while the tablecloth was on the ironing board and below is the cloth on a small side table. (And no ironing isn't one of my best skills).

Better Bokashi...better earth by Todd Veri

'B o k a s h i (pronounced bo-KAW-she) is a Japanese term meaning ‘fermented organic matter’. It usually refers to a method of indoor composting that uses beneficial micro-organisms (MyCrobz) to quickly ferment any type of food waste. This includes fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, small bones, bread, dairy, soiled paper, cooked foods, and more.'

With a bit of practice, indoor Bokashi composting is a simple way to make quality compost for your garden without producing gas, heat, or rtten smells. It doesn't attract vermin either. It's the best way of recycling your food wastes for the benefit of your garden.

This book gives a detailed history of bokashi, outlining its benefits over both conventional garden composting and municipal food waste collections (though these are probably the best option if you don't have a garden where you can use the compost you would produce).

Next comes the detailed outline of how to bokashi and how to store and use the resulting compost, complete with plenty of quirky diagrams! Veri deals with all the problems you might come across while starting out with bokashi and following his instructions, with a bit of practice you should be an expert in a relatively short period of time.

Even if you have nowhere to use the compost, this is a fascinating book.

Thanks Story Cartel for my free download of this book.

Animal Portraits

It was cold and wet for most of yesterday, but we did pop along to Gorgie City Farm in between the showers and caught up with some of the animals:

No rabbits were around for photos and we cound't find Dexter the farm cat anywhere!

it's a cold, wet day....

pouring rain -
two labradors fight over
a teddy bear

A Fist Full of Bees

 The bumble bees were furry
like your favourite cat

You caught them one by one
stroked  them gently
and held them in your tiny fist.

Their wings
tickled your skin
as they buzzed.

When your mother opened your hand
the bees escaped
and you cried

though you had not been stung.

**
A slightly different version of this poem was previously published on Ink, Sweat and Tears.

Based on Crafty Green Boyfriend's childhood memory....

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more