Everyone was unsure about today; no weather forecast could agree, and none seemed to have got the weekend correct so far......Pinecone anyone?

Arriving at Stargarallot today were.

first place Martin - the only full runner today, second Michael with a half run half cycle (thanks nextbike station) third Nathan cycling through the gates. closely followed by Ben and then Lucy.

To be fair, the wind was not a friend to the cyclists today slowing down any hope of being on time. It is great to see people using more active travel when they are unable to run, or just not feeling it. Do Good, Get Fit.

Today's task was to clear another patch for the group to use for planting, it had been used for the old wood and paving slabs for quite some time, but over time we had used quite a lot of these to either create pathways or edge new planting areas. Now, we just had to move a few more bits to clear the space so that we could then remove the vegetation and dig through the soil.

Sounds easy right?

It may not have been the glorious sunshine that we have experienced in tasks of past, but it was still pretty warm, so the first 20 minutes of clearing still worked up a sweat as we moved slabs up to the seating area (future patio task I think), and bits to the 'rag and bone' area.

Then to work with forks and spades, something that we knew all too well by now. But wait, what is that you say Martin? You cannot get through the soil, it is like concrete........your fork, does it work? Is it blunt........?

What do they say about a person blaming their tools??????

Anyhow, a new......much sharper fork and we were full steam ahead, turning the soil, removing the unwanted and digging down to aerate the soil. Then, the hour was up, and a newly dug patch was ready for planting, soon they will be planning the winter veg.

Hold on…. what did you say about the pinecones?

Pinecones are one way to tell if dry weather is coming. Pinecones open their scales when the weather gets extremely dry. They do this to scatter their seeds. When the air is moist, they close to keep their seeds dry. Pine seeds are transported by the wind, so they must stay as dry and as light as possible to fly. Dust and sand, of course, travel in much the same way. So, if a pinecone's scales are open, be on the lookout for dry weather.