One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.



-- 
Greymaus
 .
  .
...

In message , greymaus 
 writes
>One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.

Bit early to pick Sloes?

Walnut is laden. I might take it down this year as we have others 
cropping and it throws a lot of shade and leaves!

Cob nuts dropping. Three Squirrels so far this season.

Plenty of grass. Need some sheep.

regards
>
>
>

-- 
Tim Lamb

On 2008-08-22, Tim Lamb  wrote:
> In message , greymaus 
> writes
>>One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>>get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>>not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>>look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>>check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
>
> Bit early to pick Sloes?

Yes, just showing her where to find them. How to make a good drink, get
sloes, put them in jar, get bottle gin, and drink it. :))))))))))))

>
> Walnut is laden. I might take it down this year as we have others 
> cropping and it throws a lot of shade and leaves!
>
> Cob nuts dropping. Three Squirrels so far this season.
>
> Plenty of grass. Need some sheep.
>
> regards
>>
>>
>>
>


-- 
Greymaus
 .
  .
...

greymaus  writes
>Yes, just showing her where to find them. How to make a good drink, get 
>sloes, put them in jar, get bottle gin, and drink it. :)))))))))))) 

Following discussion of a few years ago my conclusion is that the nicest
sloe gin is:

Bottle with sloes for 12 months.
Result flavourful but somewhat medicinal and a little bitter.

Decant, store for 1 year.
Result complex and refined.

Drink.

Few sloes about this year, which is strange.

-- 
Oz

In message <fYdI+gATV7rIFwQC@farmeroz.port995.com>, Oz 
 writes
>
>Few sloes about this year, which is strange.

They flowered very early this year. Frost? Pollination issues?

regards
>

-- 
Tim Lamb

In article ,
   greymaus  wrote:
> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.

Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
have none that I can see,

Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.

Cheers
Jane

-- 

Jane G       :      j.gillett@higherstert.co.uk            :        S Devon

On 2008-08-23, Tim Lamb  wrote:
> In message <fYdI+gATV7rIFwQC@farmeroz.port995.com>, Oz 
> writes
>>
>>Few sloes about this year, which is strange.
>
> They flowered very early this year. Frost? Pollination issues?
>
> regards
>>
>

I keep seeing news articles in which it seems to dawn on people that this
is a very cold year. Myself, checking farm this morning, Coold.


-- 
Greymaus
 .
  .
...

greymaus wrote:
> On 2008-08-23, Tim Lamb  wrote:
>> In message <fYdI+gATV7rIFwQC@farmeroz.port995.com>, Oz
>>  writes
>>>
>>> Few sloes about this year, which is strange.
>>
>> They flowered very early this year. Frost? Pollination issues?
>>
>> regards
>>>
>>
>
> I keep seeing news articles in which it seems to dawn on people that
> this is a very cold year. Myself, checking farm this morning, Coold.

Its really interesting to hear you all getting our weather for a change.
cool, grey, drizzly or wet sometimes in most 24 hour periods for weeks on 
end, it all sounds SO familiar.
We have had a much more pleasant spring and summer than most of the recent 
years, not as wet or as windy, especially as last year.
More early raspberries than we have had in years, currants coming out of our 
ears, but it was a bit wet for picking, elders coming on great, as are the 
brambles.
We have little native hedgerow yet, planting is always on the autumn plan 
but never quite happens, and I have not had any time to go along the road to 
see whats happening elsewhere.

-- 
regards
Jill Bowis

Domestic Poultry and Waterfowl Solutions
Herbaceous; Herb and Alpine Nursery
Seasonal Farm Food
http://www.kintaline.co.uk

Jill  writes
>Its really interesting to hear you all getting our weather for a change.
>cool, grey, drizzly or wet sometimes in most 24 hour periods for weeks on 
>end, it all sounds SO familiar.

Yes, but its presumably why you emigrated to the far distant northwest.

You like it.

We don't.

I think a trip to some where warm, say some southern greek island, might
be a good idea...

-- 
Oz

Jane Gillett wrote:
> In article ,
>    greymaus  wrote:
>> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
> 
> Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
> least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
> yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
> lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
> have none that I can see,
> 
> Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
> to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
> stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
> blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
> ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.
> 
> Cheers
> Jane
> 


The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me. 
Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks - 
which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good - 
lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in 
the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!

-- 
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

On Aug 23, 5:54 pm, Jette  wrote:
> Jane Gillett wrote:
> > In article ,
> >    greymaus  wrote:
> >> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
> >> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
> >> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
> >> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
> >> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
>
> > Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
> > least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
> > yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
> > lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
> > have none that I can see,
>
> > Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
> > to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
> > stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
> > blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
> > ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.
>
> > Cheers
> > Jane
>
> The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me.
> Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks -
> which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good -
> lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in
> the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!
>
> --
> Jette Goldie
> je...@blueyonder.co.ukhttp://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
> ("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

1.   What is a sloe?
2.  How do you make sloe wine?

Burkie

In article 
, 
Burkie  writes
>On Aug 23, 5:54 pm, Jette  wrote:
>>
>> The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me.
>> Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks -
>> which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good -
>> lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in
>> the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!
>>
>
>1.   What is a sloe?
>2.  How do you make sloe wine?
>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackthorn

-- 
Malcolm

On 2008-08-23, Jette  wrote:
> Jane Gillett wrote:
>> In article ,
>>    greymaus  wrote:
>>> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>>> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>>> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>>> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>>> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
>> 
>> Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
>> least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
>> yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
>> lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
>> have none that I can see,
>> 
>> Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
>> to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
>> stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
>> blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
>> ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.
>> 
>> Cheers
>> Jane
>> 
>
>
> The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me. 
> Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks - 
> which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good - 
> lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in 
> the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!
>

Lots of Rowan berries around here, Kildare, Ireland, the winemaking
daughter is collecting them by night, (most of the Rowan Trees are in
housing estates). Hawthorns have lots of hawes (keeps reminding me of
stories I heard yonks ago about the hiring fair in Hawes), but they are
small, still early, I suppose. There is an old saying here "When all
fruits fail, you'r welcome, Hawthorne", Once I tried getting enough `meat'
off them to see what it would be like, but you would need a _lot_. Must
look up Woody nightshade to identify them. Poisonous, I suppose?


-- 
Greymaus
 .
  .
...

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 20:13:59 -0700 (PDT), Burkie 
wrote:

>On Aug 23, 5:54 pm, Jette  wrote:
>> Jane Gillett wrote:
>> > In article ,
>> >    greymaus  wrote:
>> >> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>> >> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>> >> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>> >> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>> >> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
>>
>> > Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
>> > least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
>> > yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
>> > lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
>> > have none that I can see,
>>
>> > Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
>> > to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
>> > stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
>> > blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
>> > ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.
>>
>> > Cheers
>> > Jane
>>
>> The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me.
>> Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks -
>> which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good -
>> lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in
>> the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!
>>
>> --
>> Jette Goldie
>> je...@blueyonder.co.ukhttp://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
>> ("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)
>
>1.   What is a sloe?

A very thick vet employed by the British government because nobody
else would employ such obvious criminals let alone give them
responsibility for the health of any animal. The go in for mass culls
encouraged by other low life, because they can't cope and the rest
want the compensation. 

..otherwise, a very small wild plum. In the spring is has a very
pretty blossom, white. The plant, I think,  it is called by different
names in different places, usually either whitethorn or a
blackthorn.The farmers here will correct me if that is inaccurate in
any way.

You find them everywhere in the British Isles. They were used pre
barbed wire to "fence" the fields as a living barrier.

>2.  How do you make sloe wine?

As you would any other fruit. Same basic recipe. They are very sour
and otherwise inedible.  Other wild fruits such as elderberries make a
better wine in my opinion.

Sloe Gin is also widely made. Basically that is commercial gin with
sloes added. In those happy carefree days when I enjoyed a drink, I
could never see the point.

-- 
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com  and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/
>
>Burkie

greymaus wrote:
> On 2008-08-23, Jette  wrote:
>> Jane Gillett wrote:
>>> In article ,
>>>    greymaus  wrote:
>>>> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>>>> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>>>> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>>>> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>>>> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.
>>> Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
>>> least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
>>> yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
>>> lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
>>> have none that I can see,
>>>
>>> Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
>>> to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
>>> stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
>>> blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
>>> ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> Jane
>>>
>>
>> The hawthorn, brambles and rowans are heavy with berries around me. 
>> Some of the rowans have been blazing scarlet for a couple of weeks - 
>> which seems a tad earlier than last year. Elder berries not so good - 
>> lots of them being eaten unripe.  Woody nightshade are like jewels in 
>> the hedgerows - shame nothing seems to eat them!
>>
> 
> Lots of Rowan berries around here, Kildare, Ireland, the winemaking
> daughter is collecting them by night, (most of the Rowan Trees are in
> housing estates). Hawthorns have lots of hawes (keeps reminding me of
> stories I heard yonks ago about the hiring fair in Hawes), but they are
> small, still early, I suppose. There is an old saying here "When all
> fruits fail, you'r welcome, Hawthorne", Once I tried getting enough `meat'
> off them to see what it would be like, but you would need a _lot_. Must
> look up Woody nightshade to identify them. Poisonous, I suppose?
> 
> 


Yes, but not quite as poisonous as their more famous cousin.

-- 
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

In message 
          Jane Gillett  wrote:

> In article ,
>    greymaus  wrote:
>> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
>> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
>> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown. Then I started to
>> look at the other trees, a lot of the elderberries are eaten, unripe. Must
>> check the beechmast next. _I am beginning to get a bad feeling_.

> Here too. I think this is going to be a bad year for the birds - here at
> least. So few berries. Sloe makes up a major part of our hedges and I've
> yet to see a single sloe berry. Hawthron similar; we have one bush with
> lots of berries - presumably flowered at just the right time - but most
> have none that I can see,

> Our bitch Moss is going to miss them; she loves sloes, even using her paws
> to hold down branches to eat the fruit straight off the stem. I wouldn't
> stick <my> nose into a thorny sloe bush! She'll have a good year for
> blackberries - she takes whole trusses into her mouth and sucks off the
> ripe fruit. Load of blackberries coming; starting to ripen now.

> Cheers
> Jane
Lots of rowanberries.  Blackberries are too watery to be worth picking 
so far.  Silage contractor complaining bitterly.  He reckons he's 
never been so far behind as this year.  Mowing the lawn this 
afternoon, the next rainband drove me in.  I don't like using electric 
mowers in the rain.  Pat reckons I'm soft.

I came across a site called geograph.org.uk yesterday which has photos 
submitted for each os grid square in Britain. I was surprised to find 
that there are images from all four of my farms in the relevant grid 
squares, nearly all of them by the same man.  He must get about a bit.

What is coverage like in your parts of the country.


-- 
Edward..
What can they know, whose talk is only of bullocks.

"greymaus"  wrote in message 
news:slrngb28nd.8pd.greymausg@maus.org...
 > Lots of Rowan berries around here, Kildare, Ireland, the winemaking
> daughter is collecting them by night,

  Sounds like an opening sequence from a Hammer Horror film.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:21:38 +0100, Edward wrote:

> 
> I came across a site called geograph.org.uk yesterday which has photos 
> submitted for each os grid square in Britain. I was surprised to find 
> that there are images from all four of my farms in the relevant grid 
> squares, nearly all of them by the same man.  He must get about a bit.
> 
> What is coverage like in your parts of the country.
> 

Sparse - one photo only on adjoining grid and none on ours.

In message , Edward 
 writes
>I came across a site called geograph.org.uk yesterday which has photos 
>submitted for each os grid square in Britain. I was surprised to find 
>that there are images from all four of my farms in the relevant grid 
>squares, nearly all of them by the same man.  He must get about a bit.
>
>What is coverage like in your parts of the country.

Nice picture of our farm, labelled as another one half a mile away!
-- 
David Hartley

On 2008-08-24, Buddenbrooks  wrote:
>
> "greymaus"  wrote in message 
> news:slrngb28nd.8pd.greymausg@maus.org...
> > Lots of Rowan berries around here, Kildare, Ireland, the winemaking
>> daughter is collecting them by night,
>
>   Sounds like an opening sequence from a Hammer Horror film. 
>
>

This lady has a record of making unwelcome approaches uncomfortable.
Hey, Lets make a Hammer Horror film!.


-- 
Greymaus
 .
  .
...

"greymaus"  wrote
> One of my daughters that makes wine arrived today looking for sloes, so I
> get her up on the quad and we went to the blackthorns. Very  few sloes,
> not enough to gather, possibly the bushes are overgrown.

No sign of them here in north Co. Tipp...but then I wouldn't expect to see 
them for another couple of weeks, and I wouldn't be picking them until 
October at the earliest...