Snake, stick, nest

A glorious day spent hauling more stone from Terrace No.1 and repositioning the 3000l auxiliary rainwater tank. Then up went 22 210cm bamboo canes and in went 20 tomato plants, Lobello - a mini plum or date tomato - much less susceptible to bottom rot than the big classic Tuscan San Marzano- six Adamo (a San Marzano hybrid) and two oval Ribelle. There are many more to come but it’s a start.

I sometimes wonder at the length of time it takes to plant a few plants. But there is some primal pleasure in clearing land, pulling stones and creating a beautiful deep tilth. It helps if you have a cultivator and a powerful tracked barrow to haul the stone.

At some point in my travails I noticed birds in alarm. The redstarts who seem constant tail-twitching companions had reoccupied their nest of two years ago. But something was amiss. A grabbed a bamboo cane and rushed onto the balcony. Tucked behind the waste pipe I could see their nest and a great big snake was coiled over it. Without really thinking about I started poking the coils of snake. It seemed reluctant to back off having climbed four metres of stone wall to get to the nest. Eventually it slithered away and The Boss and I saw it fifteen minutes later back on the ground. Probably and hopefully a local whip snake and not the Italian adder, which is more venemous than the UK one.

There are three small deep cerulean blue eggs in the nest. Now the snake knows where they are I wonder if they will hatch.

Later as evening fell this white dove examined the auxiliary potato patch. I’ve put some old roofing felt around the edges to suppress the grass. I wonder if it was picking at the sharp chippings on the top.

I fancifully thought it might be dear old Mum popped down from heaven to check the garden was looking shipshape. She wouldn’t have cared much for the roofing felt.