Time I did an update on my progress for my 16 for 2016
16: Plant sixteen different vegetables in the garden
Lettuce, radish, broad bean, runner bean, dwarf french bean, climbing french bean, squash, courgette, leeks, onions, beetroot, carrot, cabbage, romansesco, purple sprouting broccoli, red cabbage, mange tout, pea, kohlrabi, mustard, tomatoes, cucumber, mustard leaves, rocket, parsnip
15: Read fifteen books in the year
I sometimes keep a list of what I am reading but haven’t done so this year, but a quick count in my head has brought me to 7, which is about half way. I love fiction but have read two excellent natural history books so far this year. Dave Goulson’s “A Buzz in the Meadow” and Michael McCarthy’s “The Moth Snowstorm” which I do intend to do a blog about very soon.
14: Send fourteen wildlife records to the National Biodiversity Data Centre
Had the lovely wood white butterflies, and also cowslips, two bee species and a peacock butterfly all from Moorehall. And this week at home it’s been an amazing week for wildlife. The highlight being a long-eared owl on Sunday night (and heard again last night), two hares and the lovely Grey Dagger moth. So I make that eight in total. My husband has also seen a three legged fox, quite fit and healthy too. I actually still have to send these last three records in,
13: Find thirteen interesting items
Not doing that well on this one. Found a lovely bit of drift wood.
12: Give away twelve plants to worthy homes
I gave six lupin plants to a friend a couple of weeks ago (and didn’t actually think of the challenge when I did it), I have also give my mother 3 (I think), and I gave my sister a couple of tomatoes plants, and just remembered gave a friend some romaseso seedlings – does that count. That would make 16!
11: Have eleven fun days out with the kids
Brought kids to Enniscrone, Moorehall, Feile na Tuaithe at Turlough House, and to the beach at Ross (but summer holidays still to come when we will hopefully have some more).
10: Complete ten butterfly and or bee transects this year
I did my fourth one on the 2nd June, so a little behind.
9: Try nine new recipes.
I’ve tried a couple of cake recipes but they don’t really count. But have tried one from the Happy Pear cookbook which everyone liked, a sort of potato and fish curry.
8: Go on eight cycle rides
Now I have been picking my youngest up from school on the bike the last couple of weeks but I don’t think that really counts. We did have one ride around our country lanes though, but way to go on that one!
7: In addition to number 2 below have seven Mayo days out to some of my favourite Mayo places.
Have been to Moore hall, Ross beach and Raheens wood
6: Try to do six random acts of kindness to complete strangers
I have let strangers ahead of me in the shopping queue a couple of times but most try harder on this one
5: With the help of my family make, and put up five bird, bat and /or insect boxes
We’ve done this with the school garden club but must do some at home too
4: Make four home-made presents for family and/or friends
Oh dear falling short on this one – though I did make my father a birthday cake – does that count?
3: Have three swims, ideally in the Atlantic
Only paddles yet!
2: Find two new places in Mayo to explore
None yet but hopefully over the summer holidays
1: Record one new species for the garden
Actually the Grey Dagger moth (see above) would count for this one. The long eared owls we had about ten years ago but not since, so also nice record for the garden.
Wood whites
Grey Dagger Moth
Brassicas
Murtagh's Meadow 