the accidental smallholder :: diary archives

Felix and the onion

Felix has a new toy (actually, had) - it was an onion. We've bought him loads of toys but yesterday, he had a happy time playing with an onion on the kitchen floor. Unfortunately, Dan used it for soup.

New Year plans

Well, as the bells approach, we're planning for 2006.

Hopefully, we've got two Tamworth boars coming in March (don't want to count my pigs before they are hatched!) and I think we've got our new hens sorted too. If the plan works, we'll be getting 6 Light Sussex pullets and a Buff Sussex cockerel. The pullets are only eight weeks at present so we've asked the breeder if he can hold on to them until they can go outside (they're still under low heat at the moment). They won't come into lay for another three months, but our current lot should start laying again soon. Photos of the new arrivals to follow, of course.

We've also had a sort out of the seed box and got our order in to the Organic Catalogue. Some of the varieties we've ordered are ones we've tried before; some are new to us.

Tomato Supersweet 100 and Ailsa Craig
Cucumber Rocky F1 (we don't usually grow cucumber, but this is a mini variety)
Pepper Jumbo
Broad bean Stereo (remember to pick them early this year)
French beans Canadian Wonder (for eating fresh or drying)
Beetroot Forono and Red Ace
Cabbage Minicole (another mini variety)
Cabbage Savoy Vertus
Carrot Autumn King and Resistafly F1 (to be lifted and stored before the rabbits eat them)
Leek Bandit and Pandora
Lettuces Various
Onions Red Baron and Turbo
Rocket
Shallots Longor
Sweetcorn Sweet Nugget (brilliant in 2005)
Potato Red Duke of York, Desiree (my favourite), Maris Peer
Herbs Coriander, Sage, Parsley, Mint, Basil and Thyme

I'm planning to grow all new herbs this year and only ones we actually use.
We've got some seeds left from last year - parsnip, runner beans, peas - that we'll use this year. In fact we're going to sow some salad this weekend, just to get us started.

So, here's to 2006 - may you all have a peaceful and prosperous year!

Strange bedfellows

I was reflecting today on how the winter sun makes strange bedfellows. The search for warmth has lead to Felix and Cassius sharing the sheepskin pads on the windowsill. Cassius is remarkably tolerant of Felix - in fact, I think he quite likes him. The photo says it all!

Both now sleep on our bed, Felix at the top and Cass at the bottom. Felix sleeps on my pillow, above my head. It's great just now - like sleeping in a fur hat - but it might be too much come the summer.

Most surprisingly, Cass and Felix have been seen to play together - Felix chased (!) Cass behind the curtains, following which there was much batting of the curtains from both sides.

For sure, I never thought I would see that!

Grassroots mp3

For your listening pleasure, we present the 27th August edition of BBC Radio Scotland's Grassroots programme. When we were first approached about featuring in the show we expected it to be a 5 minutes slot, but it turned out we were the show. All I can say is the skill is most definitely in the editing...

Download the mp3 - it's 25Mb wide and 27 minutes 15 seconds long.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot...

Last weekend, I decided to go through my address book and write our Christmas cards. In a Christmas magazine I read recently, one of the tips for destressing Christmas was to stop sending cards to those you had neither heard from nor seen since last Christmas. This seemed very sensible, so I wrote my smaller than usual pile of cards.
Today, I received a card from a girl (well, we were then) I was at Queen Margaret College with in 1987. Pam and I haven't seen each other since then but we do exchange Christmas cards every year, usually with a wee note and a promise to meet up next year, which we never keep. But it was so nice to hear from her, and maybe 2006 will be the year we DO meet up.
I suddenly realised that this is such an important part of Christmas for me, following the magazine tip was just plain daft. Let's face it, I won't get really stressed for a couple of weeks yet, and writing a few more cards isn't going to tip the balance.
So, thanks, Pam, for reminding me about one of my favourite bits of Christmas - catching up with people who are still twenty-one, at least in my head! The card's in the post!