TAS Diary Archives
February 26, 2007
Muffins
A friend loaned me a book of muffin recipes. While I was on holiday at half-term, I sorted out a basic recipe then started adding things. During the week I made blueberry; banana and walnut; apple and cinnamon and, finally, blackberry and vanilla (the last one was supposed to be raspberry and vanilla but what I thought were raspberries when I took then out the freezer, weren't). Dan (always conscious of his waistline) was taking them to work to hand out and I was sending his Mum home with some most days - she put on a pound and half that week. Dan started to count up the calories - but I argued that they're GOOD calories.
Tonight, I was bored so I made chocolate ginger muffins. We've tried them and they seem really nice but they were too hot to really tell. Ho hum, have to try again later. They're just so (too) easy -and the possibilties are almost endless. I'm toying with pineapple and coconut, chocolate orange, passionfruit...
February 20, 2007
Hen swap
The things that go on in suburbia on a weekend!
Our friends, Carol and Graham, have our Hobbes' brother and are keen to breed some pure Light Sussex chickens. A deal was struck whereby we would give them two of our Light Sussex hens, as mates for Hobbes' brother, and we would get two Black Rocks in return.
As agreed, Carol and Graham delivered the two Black Rocks on Saturday. Carol dropped by after work tonight to pick up the two Light Sussex - so Miss Green and Miss Purple have gone to a new home in the hills.
The two Black Rocks are laying away - I hope the two Misses don't let us down!! The Black Rocks have been in the wee ark until tonight when they will be added to the main flock. Hopefully, they will integrate without a problem.
Peas and beans and other seeds
I sowed some more seeds this weekend - cucumber "Rocky F1", pepper "Marconi Rossa", pease "Greenshaft" and broad beans "Aquadulce Claudia" - plus some salad (which is already sprouting two days later).
I'm particularly pleased with the peas and beans. We lost a major part of the crop last year to pea and bean weevil so I'm starting under glass this year. I've sown into guttering, cut to the length of the raised bed, so the transplanting will be a case of sliding the seedlings straight into the bed, in the existing compost.
Dan built me a frame to hold the guttering - it's just to have more holders fitted once I've been to the builders' merchants. I think it will hold 10 lengths of guttering, which will be enough to get on with. I will direct sow peas and beans later in the year, but hopefully this will get them off to a flying start.
Black gold
We've finally managed to get hold of some manure. It's a bit last, but better that than never.
It's come from two sources - the farmer next door very kindly gave us a bucketload in return for some pork and some bacon. It's lovely manure - really black and rotted. Young Dougie, his younger son (who's an awfully nice lad), delivered it on Sunday. Now we have to get it on the garden.
We also managed to get two trailer loads from Jellyholm Farm. I saw the heap when walking the dogs, so asked the farmer if we could have some. He agreed for a small fee), so Dan's Dad and I dug out two trailer loads on Sunday, one for us, one for him. We're also "cleared" to get manure from a livery yard where a friend's daughter keeps her pony. If it's not so well rotted, we can lay it down for the autumn.
Lastly, we're going to "poo pick" Smokey's field this year and lay it down for the autumn (or maybe next autumn 2008 - got to plan in advance!!).
Hard work, this gardening lark.
February 11, 2007
Tess & the pigs
A video of Tess having fun with the pigs back in 2003 which I came across yesterday while going through old photos. Apologies for the poor quality, I'll try to improve it.
February 10, 2007
Bad news about Cassius
We've had some bad news about our big cat, Cassius, this week.
He's been off colour so I took him to the vet on Tuesday. He had a canine tooth removed about a year ago. It was very deep rooted and we've never been able to get the site clear of infection, despite several "flushes" and courses of antibiotics. We've now been told that he has a tumour on the site. It is likely to be quite aggressive, so we have resigned ourselves to parting with Cassius in the not too distant future. He has lost a lot of weight and is on anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs now. We will keep him as long as he seems well - as soon as he starts to deteriorate, we will bid him goodbye.
However, he's not quite a death's door yet. He was outside for his ablutions this morning. When Dan and I were eating our Saturday night steak, he came and sat on the table (yes, I know he shouldn't) and munched his way through a fair wee bit of prime sirloin. He also whacked the dogs today, which was heartening (for us, at least).
So, he's on R&R - fire, electric blanket, fresh chicken and salmon, for as long as he's around. Which is pretty much how it's been for the last six years, in fact.
Orchard day
Despite, the cold, wet and windy weather, Dan and I decided to do some work in the orchard today. We weeded round the trees, limed where required (an opportunity to use my pH meter), fertilized and mulched. Dan pruned the apple and pear trees. Once we were working, it wasn't so bad and we had a great feeling of satisfaction when we'd finished. The hedge needs trimmed, but that's for another day.
We also forked over the comfrey bed, limed and added some compost from our bins. The bed was pretty panned, mostly because the hens use it as a rest and relaxation area. The comfrey is important to us, so we need to look after it.
One of our New Year resolutions is to manage the compost bins better. We have five but tend to add stuff in no particular system, so we have all the bins half rotted with new material on top. We also find that the hemp that we add from the hen ark is quite dry and absorbent, so it will have to be dampened when it's added.Dan did some rationalisation today and we've all to work to the rules!!
Hopefully, our manure will arrive in the next couple of days. Better late than never. And we're determined to poo pick in the horses' field regularly this year, so that we have plenty organic matter for the garden next year.
February 5, 2007
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Hobbes (and Mrs. Leghorn) in a short film about a brash young cockerel making his way in the world.