Posted in being greener, general wittering on 24 July 2012 | 1 Comment »
It’s becoming a how many south Devon beaches can you fit into one blog moment isn’t it.. but whilst the sun shines, we are making the most of it it.
Today we took a huge delivery of scrap wood. Then rushed out to Beesands for a hasty cream tea lunch, some beach combing, before rushing back to the fold.
Posted in being greener, frugal living, house and home, self-sufficiency, smallholding on 17 January 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Since Autumn we have been hedging in earnest. And we are not talking a bit of clipping here, but small tree felling. The hedges had been let go for some years before we came here, and we are slowly working our way around, cutting out the overgrown trees, laying the smaller stuff, and trying to get the hedge back.
It’s quite encouraging, to see the work we did a few years ago, how much growth has appeared, although it looks like it needs redoing – and we haven’t had a first swipe at the rest of the hedges yet.
We have 2 acres here, but it is arranged long and thin, apparently because it was medieval strip fields, so there are a lot of hedges. And we only have hand tools.
And the mild winter means the window of opportunity is shorter than ever, and it is pretty short here in the westcountry anyway. The elder is sprouting, honeysuckle is in leaf, and we have spotted birds flying about with nest material in their beaks. So, that’s it. Time up.
Good job too, as the orchard and the top of the big field are strewn with branches and trees. Time to start the clearing up, bean pole and pea stick harvesting, and the log pile grows.
They say it is better for wildlife, to only do a small proportion of the hedges at time, and this year we did more than ever, but probably only 25% of the lot. Still, just think, we might be bored otherwise!
Posted in being greener, general wittering on 30 September 2011 | 1 Comment »
I was planning on making poor man’s goose to celebrate Michaelmas, but this unexpected heatwave threw us off course.. so instead, a steak dinner cooked al fresco over the charcoal barbecue.
Kind of makes up for August really. Looking back, we often get good weather in September.
Tonight, making the most out of the light/warm weather combination, that is the sun dipping conveniently early at this time of year so we can light a bonfire without annoying the neighbours, and yet it is still warm and lovely even after dark, we had a bonfire tea, with steak, sausages and toasted marshmallows all cooked over the camp fire.
Steak twice in one week (so far), but I promise to make frugal slow cooked dinners once the cold weather returns, and we relight the rayburn!
Posted in being greener, chickens, frugal living, general wittering, grow your own food, livestock, self-sufficiency, smallholding on 23 September 2011 | 2 Comments »
I was saying to himself, over a munched lunch of freshly picked sweetcorn, that last year we were eating the corn in the sunshine in the garden and what happened to the weather eh? it’s like autumn etc etc. Then we remembered the date.. and perhaps the weather is not unreasonable after all. And our sweetcorn is late.
Most of our veg seems to be late this year, and it has been an odd year for growing, with a drought in April, hot weather early, bringing out the elderflowers weeks earlier than usual. And August, bar a couple of days, forgot to happen.
But Autumn it is. Thoughts turn to getting wood in, and the last of the harvesting. Even the animal numbers have peaked, and are going down again, no more births, purchases or hatchings, but the fattened and knocking on making their way, with a little help, into the freezer.
Today we culled two of our older laying hens, and one was one of the first chicks we hatched here. Sort of sad in a way, but mostly just the natural passage – she has had a longer than average free range life, and her place will be taken by one of this year’s hatchings.
The harvest is brought in and stored, as we prepare for winter. Yep, everything is progressing as it should.
Posted in being greener, house and home on 7 September 2011 | 4 Comments »
As we have put the rayburn on again. And it’s ace – the heart of the home back again. And we have hot water. lots of lovely hot water.
Particularly poignant after a summer of putting the immersion on for a bath or shower… mostly using cold to wash hands etc.. and then a few days of no hot water at all whilst plumbing was underway.
We have had a plumber in this week, as part of our big hot water plan – he has plumbed in the huge thermal store, and the rayburn, idling away, is making lots of hot water.
Obviously the kitchen is a bit more broken, as is our bedroom, where the store resides, and the many demijohns moved out of the box room and are now scattered in various locations, as in there, we are going to have a new efficient gas boiler.
We did um and arr a lot about whether to have a boiler – the plan is to switch the rayburn for a wood fired one, and have the solar tubes, and do we need more? Many get by with electric or the immersions.. but we went for the boiler in the end.. it will stick it’s big toe in the water, and if we have made it hot enough with woodburning and solar efforts, then it wont be needed, but it can top it up, or make hot water from scratch if necessary, if we are ill etc.
Being tied to having to cut wood for heat and hot water is very depressing, doing it to save money and energy is rewarding.
After this, when funds allow, we shall put in the solar tubes for hot water.. but we have been waylaid by considering PV panels too, and how to position everything and what to have etc – we have decided to have the tubes on the south facing bit of roof, and the PV panels on the west (where they will be 8% less output then if facing south, we are told). All well and good.. but for the money. And the fact we probably need a new roof…
Still, progress is being made.
Posted in being greener, frugal living, general wittering, house and home on 23 June 2011 | 3 Comments »
You know how it is – you go swimming, and come back with a table. and fortunately we had a lift back from the pool.. did not have to take it on the bus….
Fortunately himself is tolerant.. I did describe it.. and he rashly said he trusted my judgement.
We have been looking out for exactly this, and when I walked through the market.. there it was. An old bit of furniture – I love ‘pre loved’ – I like all the dinks and marks, but best of all the solid wood.. and the fact you dont have to worry about it. We wanted a drop leaf table, so we can have the space when we want to, extra table when we need it, - but one that did not shake much.. as we make a lot of pasta with a hand machine, and need it to cope, and it needs to be strong enough to cope with home butchery and ..well lots of abuse. And it has drawers and a cupboard too.. great – somewhere to stash the pasta machine!
I even haggled a bit (I hate haggling), with the whole “your breaking my heart with an offer like that, routine ” and banter, and got it at a good (cheap) price, we are happy with.
Now, after lots of looking for the right one, we can play musical tables, and the big pine table can move upstairs and become my craft and sewing table. Luckily himself thinks its just right too.
Ok so the new table I am excited about doesn’t look much, but with some sanding, polish, and one day a paint job on its lower half to match the rest of the kitchen (also one day), it will be ace.
Posted in being greener, general wittering, grow your own food, livestock, self-sufficiency, sheep on 19 June 2011 | 2 Comments »
It’s a sad truth, that the ideal weather to grow vegetables and grass – warm, sunshine and showers, is also the ideal weather for any number of pests and lurgies.
Now I’m watching the sheep intently (well ok not right now) for signs of flystrike, and the chickens for myco…. And the spuds for signs of blight. The slugs and snails have come out of hiding, various nasties can grow in the fruit trees….
such is life.
Are now the owners of two new IBCs, and will connect them up to collect more rain water.. that should change things again..
Posted in being greener, grow your own food on 29 May 2011 | 6 Comments »
Horrace has been helping me in the greenhouse. He lives under the trays of seedlings and eats up the slugs and woodlice for me. It is his choice. I put him outside once, but he came back.
Every now and then I lift a tray to take the plants out to harden off and there he is. We have an understanding. I don’t bother him. He eats the pests. I water him sometimes, he seems to like it. Then he wanders off to hide under a different tray.
Eco friendly, and financially sensible is our Horrace
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