[food] Cheesemaking

• the Graun on the topic of mozzarella (this has more-or-less worked for me, I just need to? be slightly braver???)
  
• an overview of whey
  
• an overview of the ricotta process

WE SAW A BAT

I was sat on the sofa discussing house misc. with A, as one does when one is in the process of inexplicably buying a house, and there was something FLITTING AROUND ABOVE THE GRASS outside the westward-facing window, and I said BAT??? excitedly, and we both jumped up and turned off the lights and stood arms-around-each-other watching the bat for Several Minutes, and it was lovely.

We are choosing to believe that it was Our Friend Bat, you know, the one that emphatically does not consider us a friend.

[growth] in which I count my chickens

I have, today, planted six butternut squash seeds in an eggbox. With any luck they'll have germinated by early next week, and with a tiny bit more luck I'll get a letter through from the council saying I've got the allotment I first thought of well before they actually need planting out, so that I'll have time to clear one of the (rather fallen into disrepair) raised beds and negotiate with U to dig manure through it.

I have more-or-less decided to proceed on the basis that I've Probably Got The Allotment, because (i) the allotment manager was encouraging, and (ii) if the pronouncement actually ends up being a letter from the council rather than an e-mail from the allotment manager I... would not be surprised if it takes for ever. It's still the case (as of yesterday) that nothing's been done with it; I'm resisting the urge to actually start weeding it until I Know For Definite, but I've given in and ordered the hot compost bin I was eyeing up (it can eat weeds, including roots! it can eat compostable caddy bags provided I slice them up good and proper first! it takes three months to produce matured compost! A is getting very used to the background refrain of "you can put that in the compost bin, dear"! I'm delighted about how much less we're going to be sending to landfill!). However, again, I'm not actually going to install it until I've had word one way or the other.

On the upside, if I don't get the plot and the winter squash do germinate, U has agreed to take them off my hands -- they've just cleared the final raised bed in their plot (so much carpet. why was there so much carpet.) and, given the weed-suppressing nature of squash & my willingness to be Generally Helpful (nice things about redcurrant bushes: they're quite easy to weed while sitting absolutely stationary), they're a reasonable thing to put in there if etc etc etc.

But hey. Maybe my resolve will waver and, come this Wednesday, I will start weeding one of the beds. (The council provides free manure and wood chippings. I have so many plaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaans.)

Elsewise: the tomatoes are coming on great; almost all of them now have two fairly convincing trusses (i.e. stalks with tomatoes on), with sizes ranging from Plausible to RIDICULOUSLY TINY. None of them are yet ripe but they're Thinking About It. The bay shrub is cautiously putting out new leaves; the rosemary continues to adore the hot weather; the mint is sending up new leaves and the parsley is thinking about flowering; the sage is settling in enthusiastically. Even the windowsill basil is doing fairly well, albeit in need of feeding next time I water it.

I am really very enjoying having Plants.