TAS Diary Archives
June 28, 2005
TAS in print
We're delighted that a couple of our photographs have found their way into print, in the fine new book "A Guide to Traditional Pig Keeping" by Carol Harris. It's always nice when someone want to use our photos, but even better when they feature in such a high quality book.
If you're new to pig-keeping, or want to increase your knowledge, the book is an excellent resource. There's really nothing else like it out there, and we wish we'd had a copy when we started out. It concentrates on traditional breeds, and caters for the smallholder wishing to keep a small number of pigs, as well as those who might be looking to get into breeding pigs.
More info on the Farming Books and Videos site, and there's even a special offer if you order by 20th July. And no, we don't get a commission! We're just very impressed with all the sensible, practical advice the book contains.
June 14, 2005
The former Good Life
Justice is done. No, not Michael Jackson, but ITV's decision to pull The Real Good Life due to poor ratings, and not before time. It truly sucked.
June 13, 2005
Magic beans
Yesterday we spent a good 5 hours in the garden catching up on grass-cutting, weeding, pruning and tidying, and got loads done.
While I was waging war on rampant thistles and nettles with my strimmer, Rosemary weeded the veg garden, saint that she is.
She called me over at one point to check whether a netted area had anything sown in it. It had - drying beans of variety Horsehead, sown the previous weekend, although you wouldn't know it looking at the bed. She grumbled something about there being no row markers, then soldiered on.
About 4 hours later, after a heavy shower and some glorius sunshine, I popped out with the dogs to check for eggs. And there they were, a good inch clear of the surface, rows and rows of Horsehead beans come to life just like that and lapping up the sun.
June 11, 2005
@media 2005
It's always nice to get away, and usually even nicer to get back. Arriving home last night from the @media 2005 conference in London I have to say I had mixed emotions for a change.
Sure it was lovely to see everyone again, and travelling alone just isn't the same, but the conference was such a fantastic experience I was still buzzing when I rolled in at 9.30pm. The conference was about web standards and accessibility - if you're glazing over already that's okay, Rosemary doesn't get it so just lets me witter on about it, but to those of us who work in the industry the rise of the web standards movement is probably the most significant event since the dawn of the web.
The cast there was truly stellar - from North America there was Jeffrey Zeldman, Doug Bowman, Joe Clark, Molly Holzschlag, Derek Featherstone, and from the UK, where we have more than our fair share of prominent industry figures, people like Andy Budd, Andy Clarke and Jeremy Keith.
I met a lot of really nice people, learnt a lot, and probably most importantly for me I discovered a renewed enthusiasm for the web. So expect changes around here soon, I need to practice somewhere!
June 8, 2005
Reality TV
Hmm. Has anyone been watching the new reality TV show "The Real Good Life"?
Dan and I don't watch much TV, unless it's football, but we thought we might watch this programme. If you haven't seen it, it's in ITV on Tuesday at 8pm. This week was the second of seven programmes. In summary, three families have a year to try this self-sufficiency lark. They have given up work and are digging up thier gardens. The TV company is paying their mortgages for 12 months and paying them an allowance of, I think, £40 per family member for at least part of the year.
I suppose it's telly, so there has to be something to catch the interest. Like extremely irritating characters.
So far, it wouldn't encourage anyone to give it a go. None of them seem to have given it much thought - the first week, all were wailing that they don't know what they are doing. Well, fine. Get a book, surf the net - the truth is out there. Veronica had a crisis of confidence while sowing tomatoes - the instructions are on the packet!
Steve and Lisa are the youngest couple. They have no family. Lisa earned £60k as a merchandiser. What the hell is that? Steve's right up for it but seems to have gone from "new man" to "cave man" - his hunter gatherer instincts have really come to the fore and "poor" Lisa has been left to do the domestic chores (this was previously Steve's job, while Lisa was out doing whatever merchandisers do). Last night, she was so pathetic about her role in this "Good Life" escapade. On the video diary, I can only assume she was either drunk or premenstrual and hope that she was appalled when she saw the recording sober / past her bad week.
The second couple have four children. I can't remember their names but they seem pretty sensible. One of their daughters should consider football as career - if she can kick a ball as hard as she kicked her younger brither, she'll do well. The bloke has done some job converting their garden into a little farmyard. They have hens and pigs, although I suspect there will be tears before the pigs go. (Not that I have room to criticise on that score).
The third family consists of Veronica, her intensely irritating husband and her two apparently bone idle sons. I think Veronica is pretty much up against it, but I think she might be pretty good once she gets going. I know teenagers are weird, but the urge to slap those boys must be pretty strong.
It's actually pretty irresistable viewing for me and I do hope they succeed in what they are trying to do. Actually, I'm probably just a bit jealous....
The rise of the Under Gardener
Dan's in London for a couple of days, so I'm, notionally at least, in charge. In case I get bored, Dan's left me a "To Do" list.
So tonight I had two and a half lovely hours in the garden. Gardening in our place is not a solitary occupation. Tess generally goes off and does her own thing, but Meg will be throwing you her ball (and barking at you if you don't throw it back), Cassius will be supervising all you do, the hens will be chooking about in case you dig up a worm or a bug or two. And the midges eat you.
I did a bit of weeding, some sweeping up, which is always therapeutic, and I started work on the orchard. Now, I haven't finished the book yet but I decided (actually, it was on my "To Do" list) to clear away the weeds, top dress with bone meal and renew the mulch around each tree. This was also an opportunity to repair the damage the sheep have done to the rabbit / hen guards. I managed to get five (out of 14) completed and two partly done, before I ran out of bone meal. I will complete this job on Friday, weather permitting.
Tomorrow morning, I will have the watering to do - it's been very warm here today and I think it is a good forecast for tomorrow. Dan usually does an hour in the garden before going to work, which keeps on top of most things apart from the weeds. The good weather also means the grass has started growing - I love when the lawn is new mown but the task can bet just a wee bit repetitive.
So, I'd better get off to bed - I'll have to be up at first light to get everything done! Come home, Head Gardener!
June 6, 2005
Game for a pie
With the weather so unpredictable I spent a lot of Saturday in the kitchen. The main event was a game pie, based on a recipe from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, and made with a pile of game which had been in our freezer for over a year waiting for me to get organised. We had a rabbit and some venison bought from Stirling Farmers' Market, and 4 pheasant breasts bartered last year for some pork chops. Shug's recipe had an option for a cold version - simply add a pig's trotter to the mix, simmer for an extra hour and you've got a stock which will turn to jelly when cool. Since we've got about half a dozen trotters in the freezer I thought we'd go for this version.
Everything went pretty well, and the pie tastes great. A few pointers for next time, or for anyone who fancies having a go themselves.
The bottom part of the pie was fab, thanks to the jellified stock. Unfortunately the top of the pie was stock-free, and a little dry in places. More stock is the order of the day, so fill it to the brim (Shug said to leave 2 cm from the top of the pie dish, I say piffle). The first slice of the pie was a bit of a bugger to get out of the dish cleanly - so grease the pie dish well and cook it a little hotter and maybe a little longer to get a better bottom crust.
If anyone wants the recipe just yell and I'll put it on.
While waiting for the various bits of the pie to need my attention I also knocked up some lentil soup and fresh wholemeal rolls. The recipes are on the site now, the lentil soup is dead easy and very tasty, and the rolls even easier and tastier.
June 1, 2005
What a difference a day makes...
I don't know about where you are but the weather here has been pretty poor. Every year I say I'm going to keep a diary and actually record what the weather has been like. I wish I had this year - surely it can't have been as bad as I think?
It's the first of June; it's cold and wet. I mean real cold and real wet. Not fun.
However, we had a very busy day on Sunday (Saturday was windy and rainy) at least on the tidying front. Dan has strimmed for Britain and the place looks less like the Clampett's. Unfortunately, the "beautifulest gate" has not survived the winter. Dan reckons the timber wasn't properly preserved. The spars have been piled up for disposal and a new gate will emerge in due course.
I am taking over the orchard. I'm not really sure why because I have no more idea what to do than Dan but he does have a lot to do in the vegetable garden, so I'll do the trees. Maybe Dan was impressed by my magnificent pruning of the roses and the buddleia last yer. They have almost recovered!
I'm not sure where to start - with a book and a surf on the net, I suppose. Watch this space...