Rufus doesn’t like being left at home when the kids come with me to the veg patch so today he was allowed to come with us, as long as he promised not to dig any holes in the wrong place….like all over the place ! …like last time. He promised.He really enjoyed picking the squash that were ready and got very attached to the big orange one that looked just like his ball at home.
Do you think Mum would mind if we played football with it ? He won’t let go !
I know she’d mind. I don’t think pumpkins like being kicked around like a football. Let’s find him something else to play with..You can help us put these in the basket Rufus, look, they all have a handle 🙂
He’s more interested in these little tomato ‘balls’ now …let’s keep him away from the big ones..
Rufus was beginning to think this was no fun at all. There were no real balls. Until he thought of playing Hide and Seek. He forgot to tell Hannah and Joe that they were all playing though. Hannah went off to see if the beans were big enough to pick.
She thought they were so she went to look for Rufus to give him his very own job to do. But where was he now? Not digging a big hole I hope..
She asked the dragonfly if he’d seen Rufus. He’d been watching them carefully. He said he did know where Rufus was and that Hannah just had to go back to the last place she’d seen him.
And there he was. He’d been hiding in the basket and then found he couldn’t get himself out. How long have you been in there? asked Hannah.
Ever since we started playing Hide and Seek but I’d like to get out now.
Oh, we’re sorry….we didn’t even know we were playing. We didn’t mean to go off and leave you.
We have the perfect job for you to do. Do you remember Joe’s wheelbarrow ? Of course Rufus remembered it…and he suddenly remembered he wanted a turn being pushed around the plot in it !
Faster ! Faster !
Faster !Ok, once more round the plot then we have to do some jobs ! Hannah has a good one for you. Ok Rufus, I need you to stack these pots up tidily…
What ? That’s not a job for a Rufus !! What kind of a Rufus stacks plant pots tidily ??
Meanwhile Hannah and Joe went to check the big pumpkin..
Well Mum, it’s a bit of a jungle in here. We (you) really need to clear some of this so we can find the pumpkins, btw. I knew I shouldn’t have let her have a mobile phone. But look, it’s starting to turn orange !!! It will definitely be ready for Halloween 🙂 !!
And just look at the leeks we planted a couple of weeks ago !
They’re much bigger because of all the rain we had this week.
And even the cabbages we planted last week are twice as big. Mum wants us to stay here and scare away the Cabbage White butterflies.
She says they can get through the nets and lay their eggs and then the caterpillars hatch and eat all the cabbages so we have to make lots of noise and run up and down ! That’s something we’re good at. That’s also something that Rufus is good at. Where’s Rufus ?
They went to ask the duck family at the end of the plot if they’d seen Rufus….they hadn’t.
They found Rufus near the pots he was meant to be tidying. Instead of that job, he’d found a much better one. He was a wheelbarrow dog now. Even a wheelbarrow full of beans. Actually it was a bit of a struggle to push, but that pile of untidy pots was in the way.
Do you need any help Rufus ?
You are a good boy ! Mum will say you’ve worked very hard. It’s time to go home now. Can you push that all the way to the car ? 🙂
Wow, what an amazing amount of superb vegetables you have been growing in your allotment. Do you not eat the pumpkins? I miss not being able to buy pumpkin over here, except at Halloween, and then only the orange ones, which aren’t so good for eating. Nothing quite like roast pumpkin! I have tried growing them, but along with courgettes I can’t get either to grow on our place.
Glad Rufus didn’t dig up the garden. What a fun wheelbarrow that is – I bet it is very useful for the kids to use when helping in the garden.
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We Do eat the pumpkins. Mostly roasted, later in the year. They keep so well. I have just eaten the last one I had in storage from last year! On my way home I stopped for a chat with another woman who has an allotment and she’s been growing the Cavallo Nero that Monty enthused about this week, so we ended up doing a trade. Two of my little squash for some Cavallo Nero and some of her plum tomatoes. We have a really friendly plot…very rural, no water, but plenty of peace and quiet, and excuses for a cup of tea and a chat. Rufus had better be on his best behaviour next time or someone else will get his place in the basket.
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How wonderful, glad to hear you do eat it roasted – when I first told people we ate roast pumpkin, most looked at me as if I was odd, so assumed it must just be a ‘Down Under’ thing 😉 Sounds like you have a lovely friendly plot indeed.
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Yes, I do roast it, and I eat the roasted skin !! You have to have tried it not to think that’s a bad idea !
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Your allotment community sounds so idyllic, what a great place for the kids to play in along with that rascal Rufus. I envy you the pumpkins, I go mad around halloween for pumpkins as I use them for pumpkin pies, my favourite pie in the world! Pumpkin is wonderful as a stuffing for ravioli too, it’s an Italian favourite.
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Yes, it’s a lovely spot and lots of the plotholders are women so it’s jobs first then a gathering on someone’s plot who has a stove in their shed ☺ I haven’t grown many squash this year. Two years ago I had butternut squash rambling over a third of the plot but I didn’t have time to dig over a bed for that many this year. I will make sure I do it next year – I’ll miss having them in storage all winter.
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What a ‘truly scrumptious’ harvest again this week. I’m most envious. Is it just YOU and a couple of your Sashas/Gregors that are working the land or is there some male-muscle input now and then to help with the harder grafting?
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No, only one or two of the kids help out on the plot. That’s why there’s a lot of grass between the beds !
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