<Ooops, cross posted with Dan - better delete my comment then!
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To get back on topic, in our first year of smallholding, we limited ourselves to one new animal, so went with ducks. I spent many hours watching them wibble about, and also telling them jokes. This wasn't always worth it, but just occasionally one would crack up and shout
QUACK! Quack quack quack quack, so I know they found some of them funny.
We also raised some Hubbard chickens for meat. The purpose of this was really to see if we really had it in us to rear cute fluffy things, then kill them, gut them and eat them. That first time was HARD. I drank several shots of whisky before killing the first one, then promptly threw them up again whilst gutting it. I'm happy to report that I've developed a harder head and a stronger stomach since then, but those first hubbards were important as 'proof of concept' that we had it in us to actually do this.
We also planted a little bit of everything in the polytunnel, to see what worked. Most of it didn't. However, much to my surprise, some did. In year two, Mrs Womble declared me useless at gardening and banned me from the polytunnel. She's far better at it than me, so I now organize the meat and she provides the two veg!
After year one, we resolved to do less and take it easy in year two. Ditto years three, four and five. One day we intend to jack it all in, retire to the country, relax and live The Good Life - you know, quit all this busyness, just grow our own veg, keep a few hens, maybe some sheep. <sigh> One day Mrs Womble, One day.