School Closures... Changing Days... Composting Goodness

Miss B's Beautiful Spring Tulips

Have had a chance to process the information given on the scheduled School closures here in Christchurch - specifically Chisnallwood Intermediate, as at the moment, that is the one that directly affects us in our family.
Not to worry, the brilliant staff are not going to give in and take it lying down, Richard Patton put this in the last line of the letter home -
   ...To our Chissy students - I simply say you have been through enough.
Be reassured that your parents and your school are here for you. That we are proud of you, and that all this will work its way out...
And from the signs around the school area, the parents are networking already to do what they can. If it is enough, good - no, great stuff, but I wonder. It is a huge change that is scheduled - unfair and uncalled for, but then there are plenty of unfair and uncalled for changes happening of late.
We are learning to negotiate through them.

What a changing day it has been - just after three oclock this afternoon, the beautiful breezy day that was hit the decks and followed up with a massive gale and icy showers. It has subsided and its time for the heat pump to go on, the cat to cuddle up and the puddles to rise. Our street has a hump in the middle of it (dont know what that is called, but the water runs off to the sides...) and it doesnt usually flood, but because of the angry thick rain, it has started to puddle everywhere. The birds dont mind, their bread has got wet, makes it easier to eat I guess, they are *sitting in* out there, pecking away...

We did some composting this afternoon before the weather bomb landed.
Cardboard layers in, some horse manure on top...grass etc The pile here needs a good stomp on, will get that done next week when the crew arrive to put the new lean-to together. The Aloes cant wait :) They love the light, but dont like the heat so much, nor the frost of course so have been inside over winter.

Then onto the liquid mix - some more horse manure added to a large blue bin and mixed in with water, comfrey leaves and some other goodies like seaweed, some very well crushed egg shell and some dried and crushed dock leaves. Full of goodness for the plants when it gets there.
Ive left it a few days before stirring, and decant it into lemonade bottles (plastic ones) so I can take it across to school for the rhubarb too. Have been giving it away with the lettuce seedlings too... Better than putting raw poo on, or composting it in, and finding the seeds from the grass and weeds that spring up out of nowhere. Comfrey is such a gem!

Speaking of seeds - I have my first lot of red pickling cabbage (*Red Rock*) seeds heading up nicely this week - its really nice to see the flower heads appear, but its so satisfying when you winnow out the seeds and see them all lying in the bowl.

Well thats it for today,
Splashing along :)

EBUTTERFLY
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