These days

Various pictures I found on my phone from the past few days.

A robin that has taken to popping up whenever we feed the chickens.  We throw him a little seed too now.

The Mr starting his latest project, a waterwheel for electricity generation.

This rather sad specimen is our outside tree.  It was a sapling growing under two other bigger trees, and so we decided to let it have it's glory moment with lights and sparkle.

My daughter on her newest herd member.  She's eye catching, and she knows it!

The stove, with bread baking on the top.  It made a respectable baton loaf, but it didn't rise particularly well, but tastes ok.

This week

This week we have :

Read so much.  Water storage solutions, septic tanks and composting loo arrangements have made up the bulk of the reading matter, with some permaculture gardening ideas thrown in for light relief.

Had a seriously good bit of Gumtree luck.  I got six demijohns and all the associated kit for a teeny tiny ten pounds!  Really pleased with this, and it proves that patience pays off.  I've been looking for home brew equipment for over a year but it was always so expensive.

Smallholding sat for a friend.  Taking care of chickens, ducks and two polytunnels.  Learnt that ducks are cunning creatures who will hide their eggs, and that a broody chicken is a determined chicken.

Had two sets of cousins come to stay.  Making the most of them while we live near enough for impromptu sleepovers.

Weeded and weeded and weeded.  We had a lot of Redshank growing.  I googled to see if it was a useful weed, and it's not.  It's tasteless and boring.

Thought long and hard about what we will need in the immediate future and tried to come up with a workable budget.  Priorities are shelter, heat, power and water containment.  We can't find a static caravan for sale nearby and national companies charge crazy amounts for delivery.   I'm hoping patience will win out here too.

this week

Made a great leap backwards in getting the house on the market.  That 4 weeks and counting has turned into 8 weeks and counting.

Ate the Pine Needle Syrup (or Forest Honey) made last week.  The recipe was simple and adapted from a few I saw on the Internet.  2 cups of water to 2/3 light brown sugar and 2 cups of needles squashed into the cup.  Fast boil and then keep at a good simmer until reduced but still runny - about 1.5 hours and then decant into honey jars or syrup bottles and allow to cool.  The consistency is somewhere between runny honey and maple syrup.  It tastes like treacle toffee with a hint of antiseptic....which is far nicer than it sounds!

Went camping on the land.  Which meant I had to accept that I was roughing it, and by roughing it I mean outdoor bodily functions.

Did a lot of walking - 6 miles along the coast, and 4 miles in a friends woods.

Removed too many ticks from the pups.  I blame the mild winter for their crazy numbers

Drove through beautiful scenery with a bunch of teenagers to Bushcraft.  Mountain air at 7 a.m. is a better wake up than coffee!

Planted out more broad beans, spinach and sunflowers at the old house.  Even if I'm not there, someone might appreciate them.

Got all protective over the Coal Tits nesting all of two feet off the ground by the shed at the old house.  The Cat isn't allowed out unsupervised and we've installed a perimeter to protect them from other local cats.  I hope it works.

  Started to think about the reality of what we are doing, so have made contact with the water testing people and started researching filter systems.

this week

This week we have ::

• Made great leaps in getting the old house on the market.  Four weeks and counting until the For Sale sign goes up.

• Loaned waaaay more books than your supposed to out of the library.  Thankyou lovely libarian who let it slide.  Now I just need to remember to renew them in time, or face a scary fine.

• Potted up sunflower and tomatoe seedlings, planted out broad beans into the garden.   (Will we be here to get a crop?  I don't know...)

• Developed wood carving skills to include not just wands but muskateer swords into the reportiore. 

•  Read up about Forest Honey, and recruited a knowledgable friend to go pine needle gathering with.

•  Learnt about 1066 and the Battle of Hastings with the smalls.

•  Listened as the Mr explained SOCAHTOA to the eldest two, and nodded along, pretending I understood.

• Cleared out the wood shed.

• Baked bread for the first time successfully.  I'm a real hippy now, at least that's what the kids said!