Chilli seeds

A change of plan this morning as after I'd sorted out the washing pile and got it into the machine,  I noticed there was no power to it.  The first thing to check for is always  evidence of the wretched rats but no sign of them having done anything so then I came and looked indoors and everything was off. 

Normally when the electric is planned to be off, there is a notice in Yator,  we were down there yesterday and neither of us saw one, but then we remembered that today there was a  general strike planned - maybe the cut off was part of that.  Obviously no way of finding out without TV or internet so instead I got out the seed packets to start planting.  And I found that we now have 7 different types of chilli seeds.  For the last 2 years we have bought some plug plants as our seeds were taking so long to germinate, so that explains 2 varieties.  One of the Paco's gave us a string of dried chillis that we have kept seeds from for a few years and this year one of those grew in a completely different way so 2 varieties have become 3.  Another Paco grew some that were pink turning orangey as they ripened and the plants were only about a foot high but dripping with chillis - another variety stored.   And then we have our originals which came from seeds grown by our neighbour Manolo. 

Each type is stored in a self-seal bag and labelled.  But as we have no idea what any of them really are they have their own names:    Paco's long reds,   Paco's pinks,  scotch bonnets (although they look more like a tiny bell pepper,)  droopy reds,  ours 2010,  ours 2011,  and finally jalopeños which we know aren't jalopeños because the green is too pale and the shape is wrong but the taste is similar.  They are mild enough to eat raw stuffed with  cream cheese or roasted with garlic and vegetables, sliced on pizzas or added to salads or sandwiches. 

I've put pots of seeds into the raised bed and covered with fleece against the birds and - this week anyway - a cool easterly breeze.  The radish seeds that were out of date are all growing but still covered until they are stronger.  Lots of birds around that bed,  maybe looking for worms and insects,  but  I've seen them pecking very close to the new leaves.