Bits and pieces of news

Autumn is well and truly on its way and suddenly there seem to be a million things to do. The greenhouse has had to switch from summer mode to winter mode which has meant removing the old tomato plants as they quickly become covered in mould and replacing them with more seasonal vegetables. All the pots that had to be removed from the greenhouse because it was too hot for them in the summer have now been put back and some of the heat-loving plants (including Ian's orange tree) will have to be tucked up for the winter.

Lots of toadstools have popped up in the greenhouse over the last couple of weeks. Being the first year we've had the greenhouse I've no idea if that's normal, but even if it's not I like them.


Yesterday we had a journal article accepted in Global Change Biology. It's the paper I first came to Exeter to write - the one I was hired for and yet it has taken several years to finish and publish the work. I now only have two more papers from my Exeter job left to publish, one of which is currently under review and neither of which I'm first author on (meaning that I'll have less work to do when they come back with reviewers comments).

Ian and I are currently working on a website for the Sharpham Estate on the river Dart. To obtain some aerial photographs of the estate Ian volunteered to go up in a microlight. After several weeks of waiting the weather was finally suitable last weekend and on Sunday Ian took a trip up in the sky. He enjoyed it immensely and not only got lots of fantastic photographs but also got to see a buzzard flying below him (the only bit I'm jealous about).

While Ian was up in the air I varnished the deck. Here's a photo after Ian had done the second coat:

We'll leave the deck as it is until next Spring when we'll extend it along the house and add some steps down.