Exbury Egg Conserves No3: Sloe Gin

Intense rain showers drove me indoors to make a limited edition of sloe gin. The blackthorn berries were picked eight days ago on October 24th and were kept refrigerated nearby until I came back from leave. The freezing is roughly the equivalent of all my solar energy generated in the same period… so I hope the gin will be good. Unlike the blackberry, it does not seem to have been a good year for the sloe and the trees (never abundant), were by today completely bare.

* The images today have been made possible by cutting a live web camera and we are looking at ways to find a little more energy for the winter months.

Stormy

Predicted wild weather met the Egg this week. According to the Met Office, south westerly winds gusted at up to 99mph over the Needles Old Battery on the Isle of Wight, just across the Solent. Alex Fogarty, who works for Wightlink Ferries, said: “We had probably the hairiest night since I’ve worked for Wightlink… At about five o’clock this morning we had the full force 11 gusting hurricane-force winds.”*

My namesake JMW Turner, told how he was strapped to the mast of a ship to better experience such a storm, but I had to make do with two live webcams, as I am currently spending a few days on leave.

The Egg is only afloat for about five hours in twenty four and this, combined with an aerodynamic shape, very sheltered position and secure mooring (though I may need another rope along the dotted line below) allowed it to comfortably ride out the storm.

* http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/uk-england-hampshire-24700370 >

Scrunched

Wind and the high spring tides around tonight’s full moon, combined to push the Egg toward the shore and my floating dock up and over a shrinking riverbank. The lower part of the door now catches on a stanchion and makes getting out a bit of a chore. At the next high water in about three hours time, I will try pushing the Egg toward its correct mooring… at least there should be good night light to work by. The action can always be observed 24/7 on two live webcams at www.exburyegg.org

Brent Geese

Brent geese brought to life a lowering greyness in the sky overhead today. They have been arriving for the past few days looking for eelgrass to sustain them through the winter, until they make ready to leave again in March.

Hips

I have begun to collect hips in order to make rose hip syrup for the Egg kitchen. There are abundant fruits on the thorny stems of dog rose mixed in with Blackthorn and Blackberry that surround a nearby anti-aircraft gun emplacement dating from the last war. During the Second World War such local bushes were sought out for their hips as part of a national scheme to produce rose hip syrup, which is 20% richer in vitamin C (by weight) than oranges. Fresh fruit was in short supply due to the disruption of trade by sea.

The birds love the seeds but we must make sure that they are removed from all edible products. As my photo shows, they are covered in fine hairs which are an irritant to the skin and internally cause digestive problems. The old Ministry of Food recipe from the 1940s calls for careful straining and can be found at http://www.makeitandmendit.com/a-wartime-recipe-for-rosehip-syrup/

Egglet Returned

The Egglet released around a week ago beached on the marsh edge yesterday, just twenty feet from its original point of departure and I immediately relaunched its more weather worn self. The wind is having a stronger effect than the tide on this small but lightweight orb and I hope a Winter north-easterly might eventually carry it toward the Solent.

Launch of Egglet No.1

‘Egglet No1’ was launched yesterday after some delay due to adverse weather (south westerly winds which would have quickly returned it to its point of departure). An easterly wind and a neap tide carried it to a marsh island around sixty metres distant, where it will stay until spring tides around full moon allow it to venture further. It carries the shell of a five year old common whelk as well as the egg cases of the same species, previously gathered from this location.

Nimbus

A rainy afternoon spent compressing time through the Egg window, whilst watching the rain fall.

Twenty Four Hours

Commas

An interval for maintenance has been completed and the narrative of life at the Exbury Egg can be continued. There is a hint of Autumn about the still sunny days and sugary juice from fermenting blackberries is providing food for wasps and a host Comma butterflies before their hibernation.

Known as Commas because of the distinctive silver shape on the underside of their rear wing, they are currently punctuating the fruity surface of the blackberry bushes with their raggedy edged orange and black topped wings.

The Exbury Egg

Stephen Turner's Exbury Egg is addressing the meaning of place at a time of great environmental change. In the guise of The Beaulieu Beadle, he will work on, in and around the Egg for twelve months from July 15th 2013 – July 14th 2014.

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