TT - Straw for Berry Fields for June?

I think the only P.Y.O. strawberry field in the area. Here a Lamborghini pulling a straw round bale chopper which then lays the straw between the rows of plants. Not quite sure how long it will be before the season starts but as we are destined to have near snow conditions by Thursday, I suspect it may be delayed a bit.


Morning started with a delivery of wood pellets for the central heating. The load we got last April, about 5800kg has lasted just over a year, the first time we have managed that. Wood pellets are calculated as having double the weight of the equivalent quantity of heating oil - i.e. just under 3000 litres of oil. Whereas the cost of pellets was once half of oil, the delivery today was about the same! Excellent service though from the company who have done almost all our deliveries the last 11 years. Superb, careful drivers and a great backup team in sales and admin. Shame none of the very local companies can get anywhere near this level of service, a lage one just a few hundred meters from the title Blip. Extra photo of one of the smallest tankers in their fleet. The drivers previous stop had meant laying out 50 meters of pipe. He was still a bit red faced but just as friendly. 

Then over to Schlegelsberg, a small village near Erkheim for the dog walk and to have a look at the identical tractor to mine that was advertised on ebay classifieds. It's been there it seems since January which probably means there is a "problem". Turned out to be OK probably but I didn't even bother to ask for the thing to be started. Quite clear it was overpriced and the owner wasn't even going to discuss the price. However I was more interested in his 40+ bee hives and so we could have a chat about those. The hives are in the middle of the village which probably means the bees have more choice of blooms now that the dandelions have gone - the inhabitants seem to have well tended gardens and a good number of old fruit trees.

Back home started mowing the fields with the garden tractor, simply mulching off the tops of the buttercups. Rain due tomorrow.along with the first day of the "Ice Saints" - St Mamertus. This year their arrival fits exactly with the weather - they seldom fit especially if you take in to account Gregorian calendar changes.