The field of dreams and allotment fishing: who knew?

Sunny side up

Sunflowers are like the human spirit: they thrive with the warmth of the sun's benevolence and they follow the light with steadfast optimism.
The world needs more sunflowers. The picture above doesn't quite give you a sense of the beauty of my sunflower bed. I should apologise but as they are over 10 feet tall, it's hard to get a good photo of my shimmering field of dreams.

Lost to blight

Tumbling Tom

It was a wonderful day with Katie and me working hard to get us shipshape and Bristol fashion for tomorrow's annual show, while Joe tried fishing in the brook. I have to say I thought he was being optimistic even though I had seen large chub in there, but having stopped off at our local angling shop and discussed the very spot with the shop owner and bought some flies he had made himself for the very purpose, Joe was determined to give it a go. Ever since our last trip to Cornwall, he has really got into his fishing and I liked the thought of him spending time taking in his environment. Like gardening, fishing is a wonderful way to connect to nature and take the time to notice the natural world. Our allotment is a magical place and the brook at the rear is of particular beauty, abandoned tires and shopping trolleys aside. It serves as home to a noisy moorhen family, ducks, parakeets and today I even spotted our resident kingfisher, so fishable fish should not have been such a stretch.  

While Katie and I cleared away the blighted tomatoes for burning, we saved what we could, Katie held on to some of the fruit that was unaffected and told me she loved the little ones, particularly my golden Tumbling Tom Thumb which she thought looked like sweets.

Then with a shriek Joe emerged from the bushes that separate our site from the water with an eight-inch chub at the end of his line, he was absolutely thrilled. There is nothing quite like the excitement of a 15-year-old boy with a jumping, gasping fish on the end of his line. He decided to put it back but nevertheless he was hooked.

Joe stayed with the fish as they were jumping while Katie and I finished packing away our heavy haul of vegetables, fruit and flowers.

Tomorrow is the open day and I think Lot 31 will give a good showing and, despite our weak courgettes, abandoned tomatoes and slow pumpkins, we have some super runners, the best raspberry crop ever and of course those sunflowers, our crowning glory.