Who the fox that?

This morning we encountered Foxy. Bold as brass it was, - scratching it's erse and staring at us like we had interrupted something very important and private (I suppose erse scratching is both of those things).

I couldn't help but be put in mind of the mighty Crack Fox. It was a little un-nerving I have to say.

"So..." I hear you cry. "What were you doing hanging out on what looks like waste ground with loads of sheds, a bottle bush and a suspicious looking fox of a Friday morning?"

You're right to ask. Normally a picture like this would be a bi-product of a massive night out followed by a staggered walk of shame through some random part of the city you never knew existed in a bid to hide from the workers and normal people. Alas, it is nothing so rock 'n' roll.

Far from it. The Dog and I have become allotment owners. Well, renters. We got the key today so we took a wee wander round to see what our patch looks like. It looks like hard work is what it looks like (alas, of all the work types, my least favourite).

After 6 1/2 years of being on the waiting list (patient, aint we?!) we finally got our wee patch of ground to grow stuff. And in that time, the list of things to do to prepare for this fine day has included: visiting car boot sales for garden essentials (pots, tools, sheds, wood for raised beds etc), attending the 'grow your own' courses put on by the lovely people at Edinburgh Backgreens Association, reading up on lots of gardening books and magazines and joining some sort of allotment websitey support group (Hello, I'm Abi and I'm an allotmenteer).

Things achieved from that list? Nada. Lickety split. Not a damn thing. I think I might have a tiny little trowel given to me by my lovely mother in law one year for Christmas for the purpose of growing basil in a pot, but other than that - my gardening tool equipment cache is pretty bloody bleak.

So, start from scratch we must. It's really great timing actually, because I was just thinking I could really do with a project this year and up till now I really had no idea what I'd do with my time, so phew for the allotment eh?!

Ooft.