Anything goes
Paradise on Earth
Tuesday 2 August, 2005
Not related to smallholding, but what the heck! This is a shameless plug for the website Paradise on Earth which I've just completed for my friend David Morin. It's a collection of his poetry, illustrated with loads of photography from the excellent stock.xchng.
David's got a level of enthusiasm I envy, and he loves to receive feedback, so anyone who visits the site and enjoy it, please drop him a message - he'll be stoked. Or even better you could donate to one of his nominated charities and let him know - that really would make his day.
Looking for blether?
Monday 4 July, 2005
If you've arrived here expecting to find the book review site Blether, I'm sorry to say it is now closed. It ran for more than 6 years, but latterly had failed to receive as much attention from me as it deserved. The net has changed a lot in that time, but unfortunately blether didn't keep up. A big 'thank you' to the 200+ reviewers who contributed to the site over the years.
The reviews may appear elsewhere in due course, but not at blether.com - this domain is going to be used for something new in the near future, but for now will point here. If you're interested in fruit, veggies, hens or pigs then stick around!
The former Good Life
Tuesday 14 June, 2005
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.
Reality TV
Wednesday 8 June, 2005
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.
What a difference a day makes...
Wednesday 1 June, 2005
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.
Litter Louts
Sunday 27 March, 2005
I am absolutely sickof litter. Tonight when I went to feed Smokey, I took the dogs for a run across the fields at the livery yard. I started puling plastic carrier bags out of the hedgerows and putting them in my pocket. After a wee while, I had to start using one of the carrier bags as my pockets were full.
The amount of litter is an absolute disgrace. Our local Council seems unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Dan and I periodically pick litter from the road along to our house. Last time we did it, we spent about three hours and took thirteen bags of litter off quite a small stretch of road. You wouldn't know we'd done it now and we really should do it again soon.
A new season begins
Monday 31 January, 2005
Well, the new season has begun. This weekend has been wonderful. The weather has been superb - dry and sunny and tolerably warm if you were working.
Our new strawberry plants arrived, along with the redcurrant and whitecurrant bushes, onion and shallot sets and a pile of seeds. For obvious reasons, the live plants were the priority. On Saturday, Dan built a new raised bed and filled it with top soil. The hens gave it a good going over before the plants were put in and netted. We're putting in two varieties of strawberries - Pegasus (midseason) and Florence (late). We chose these varieties (from The Organic Catalogue) because of their resistance to a number of diseases, as well as good yields of well flavoured fruit. We're planting ten of each variety - Pegasus this weekend and Florence when they arrive.
Biscuits, oil and wax
Saturday 27 November, 2004
Lorna and I are on holiday Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Our schools are closed for a casual day and two in-service training days, so if the schools are closed I'm off too. From 1st October, I reduced my working hours to termtime plus 10 days. It's a bit weird - I've never not worked full-time, but I think I'll manage to amuse myself!
Yesterday, after Lorna and I had walked the dogs for an hour and a half, I spent late morning and afternoon in the garden. It was a seriously nice day. The roses have been pruned, some harder than others. I am a serious pruner - when in doubt, prune! We have a lovely climbing rose that was really pathetic for about three years. Last winter, it got a severe pruning and this summer, it was fabulous. It might be coincidence, of course...
Gallery
Thursday 25 November, 2004
Dan and I spent a happy hour tonight adding images to the Gallery. Apologies for the dull descriptions!
Christmas is coming!
Sunday 21 November, 2004
I expect you'll have noticed that Christmas is coming! We had a fall of snow today. It wasn't much but it fell on frozen ground and, not surprisingly, froze. Conditions underfoot are pretty awful, so no riding today.
It's really miserable ouside - cold and damp. Dan went running and took the dogs. Tess wasn't all that keen to go and when they returned, it was a fight to see who could get closest to the fire. Dan didn't have a chance.
I've done three things in preparation for Christmas this weekend. Firstly, I've made mincemeat. It will be used for mince pies, for inclusion in apple crumble and baked apples and in our Christmas cake. Secondly, I've made our Christmas puddings, four in all; one 2lb, one 1lb and two half pound. They're currently steaming away and will be ready about 6pm. This is the only time of the year I'm allowed in the kitchen other than to pick up humble kitchen porter duties.
