Stuck in the Mud June.

During Mid June it seemed as though we were destined for a fantastic summer. Two weeks had passed without any rain of note, everything was growing nicely, the courgette plants and tomatoes were showing their first flowers. The potatoes had shown their first signs of haulm and I was busy preparing the area for the carrots and parsnips. I had been given a tray of Swede and some purple broccoli so had busied myself with watering, weeding and digging over a new part of the plot to accommodate these lovely gifts.

I had just about managed to plant these tasty goodies when the skies opened..........and they stayed open........
Several days of continued rain put the skids on the digging front but being the supercharged newbie that I was I would venture over at the moment the rain stopped long enough for me to do something constructive.

It was on one of these gaps in the deluge that I had the bright idea to take up the household composting materials in the little Peugeot I have. But no sooner than I had emptied the bags into the composter it started to bolt down again. I ran back to the car and revved the engine and was off.....for about two metres.......then the car stopped.......and sank.

I had to go home and bring reinforcements. My wife and mother in law came with me but no amount of my mother in laws revving while I pushed would budge it. In fact, it sank further.

Sooty soaked passed us, saw the situation and seemed to mock our attempts

So back to the house to find a rope. But all I could find was telephone cable. I braided this until it was several times in depth and tied the Peugeot to the other motor. The cable snapped and with it my patience. Thirty minutes later the rain had stopped but my rant had not.

This is when I met Eugene. He came strolling up the allotment as my wife was in her way to halford to buy us some proper rope. Eugene saw our desperation and came to the rescue by digging out some rope from his plot. Thankfully the rope held and the car was free.

An important lesson was learned that night and I will only ever venture up the plot if the ground is dry and even then only if I really really need to take it with me.

Two nights later I was up the plot again (by foot) and I could here Eugene chuckling to himself. Somebody else had got stuck in the mud. This time it was my turn to help so I scooted home and picked up the beast and the newly purchased tow rope. We freed the van from the rut and had the thanks of Michael. Michael was left to reverse the rest of the way down the plot and we thought he had gone. But he had only managed forty or so metres and had done it again so we got him out a second time.

Michael, Eugene and I still laugh at this. You live and learn.