Joshua and his girls, part 2

2014 started off with being a flock of seven chickens. That all changed during the summer. Two hens went broody, one opting to stay in Fowlty Towers for some peace and quiet, while Cecily found her way up to my hayloft. I did try moving her and the eggs into Fowlty Towers, but she was having none of that, and went off brood. However, before long she was back up in the hayloft with a new clutch of eggs. This time she got her way.

The results of this ended up with two chicks in the small coop,

 and a massive five in the hayloft.













Which meant that my flock had doubled in number. This was all very exciting, and a bit daunting. But I was hopeful that this would mean a chance to test my butchering abilities.

I waited for the downstairs chicks to have been out and about and capable of living with the other chickens before getting the others down. I should probably have got them down earlier, perhaps that would have been easier. Actually getting the silly creatures caught and moved was one part sneakiness, one part patience, and three parts luck. Once they were settled into Fowlty Towers they were kept in there for a week before I could let them roam, and even then it took some days for the the two mama hens to agree that they each could keep their own chicks. Joshua and I had to intervene several times; I am happy to say I think I did a better job than he did.

As they grew older it turned out the two were brothers, while the Hayloft Gang was two guys and three gals. This meant I would be getting four whole chickens for my larder. That got a bit of a setback during the autumn, when I discovered one of the cockerels missing and next day found him dead and with several wounds. I had guests at the time, and one of them had seen a dog running in my yard. We never heard anything, in spite of the flock being very voluble at times, but I strongly suspect that dog killed it.

A word to you dog owners - please be mindful when you are walking your dog in rural areas where free range chickens roam. And if you discover your dog has wounded or killed one, do the decent thing and 'fess up. I will say, it is possible this dog's owner never realised what it had done, so that is fair. But they shouldn't have let it roam freely around in my garden.

So when the end of 2014 rolled around I had 13 chickens in my flock. And was getting all excited at the prospect of home-grown chicken for lunch.

♪♪ Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat ♫♪

No, don't panic! December hasn't snuck up from behind to surprise you!

Yet.

Chances are, it will do so later in the year.

But yesterday I reveled in the thought that it was exactly half a year to Christmas Eve. I am a total Christmas loon, so any excuse for making Christmas related activities is grabbed.

I have actually already started preparing for Christmas 2015. I have prepared and wrapped a Christmas advent parcel calendar for a friend. So come November, all I need to do is pop them into a package, write a note and get it sent. I also know exactly what I'm getting my dad for Christmas, which is a bit of a surprise, as he is always difficult. It will require some experimenting, some test running, and then I need to order the pieces and build. So I have an idea I will do well to start next month.

Because December has this funny habit of sneaking up on you. I mean, we all know December comes after November, but it always seems such a long way off. Until suddenly there it is, staring you in the face.

I am planning on making every 24th from here on into a Christmas prep day. Making notes, plans, lists. In the designated notebook I have. Starting that notebook has been a good thing for me. I started it several years ago, and one of the first things I did was start to note down how much gift wrapping paper I had. By the time I had added up to some 58 metres and still wasn't done, I made a mental note to not buy any more. And spent the next years avoiding all areas with gift paper so as not to be tempted. I have been successful at not buying any since. Using it up has been more iffy. So I have twice in the intervening years gone through and sorted out a few rolls which have been given away.

I should tally them up this year, but I still know not to buy. There's enough for many years to come, still.

I also discovered back then, that I shouldn't buy any Christmas cards. So ever since, I've been avoiding those areas. Unfortunately I have seen fit to start making a few of my own. And in spite of wanting to send off lots of Christmas cards, never got around to it. Last year I did break the writing block and got a good number off. I am hoping to improve on that run. I am still rather worried it will take a few years before the stash of cards is gone though.

What was successful last year was the amount of food and baking I got done. Both for Christmas Eve itself, but also in general. And the experimenting and creating of my own recipes. I didn't get to any final stage, but I finally got to try out ideas I've been harbouring for years, and had a lot of fun too.

Fancy joining me every 24th (or 25th) in doing small preparations for Christmas? The more, the merrier. You know where to find me. I'll be right here. Having fun. And getting organized. While singing about poultry putting on weight.

What's in your fridge? 23.6.15

I am currently at that annoying stage in fridge time, where you are starting to run out of things to use for making meals, but you are leaving for a holiday lasting several days in just a week's time so you don't really want to stock up on things which will then go bad.

And I have discovered I can't even get my mum to use up some of the things.

So this is the state of my fridge now. And yes, those red cartons are all 1/2 litre cream cartons. Two of which are decidedly sour. I really should use them tomorrow for cooking leftover bulgur and assorted seeds and let my chickens snack on that. At least, they love it when I use buttermilk or old yoghurt, so I'm counting on this working.

There's some leftover pizza in there, which will do nicely for tomorrow's supper. Which reminds me - lunch tomorrow is going to be tricky as I'll be out of the house.

The large bottle in the bottom of the door is elderflower cordial - from two years ago. Mum has refused to make any this year, because nobody drinks it. That's mostly because I can't remember I have any. This should make a difference, having it next to the milk.

That strange purpley/fuschia thing in the door is not for me - that's a snack for Ramses. I only give him 1/3-1/2 of the soft food sachets at a time, and store the rest in the fridge. Then I give him the remainder and pour hot water over it to warm it up as treats. I can't afford giving him a whole sachet at a time - it is a bit much for one helping, and once it has been in his dish for some hours, he refuses to eat it up.

I honestly have no idea what I'm eating this week. Partly because of the random items in there, partly because my brain is already seriously in travel jitter mode, and getting the last things done before leaving, and so therefore cooking is ... erratic.

Danish strawberries have hit the shops now though, and mum is very fond of buying and bringing me some, so I am getting a good bit of my nourishment that way. And I am not eating them all with sugar and cream - I am eating them nude, so to speak. All of which isn't having much effect on my fridge.

Après Garden Walk

Thursday evening was a success! Well, apart from the weather. I found myself wishing I'd brought gloves along, and I know several people wished they'd put on socks.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here.

First up, I spent a good deal of Thursday preparing cakes. I had planned for Wednesday to be the day I decided which recipes to use and make sure I had the ingredients I needed, and then Thursday to be baking and nothing else. Well, apart of course, for the garden walk itself. This meant I was actually able to have a pretty stress-free day.

So I made some oatmeal cookies with nuts and chocolate chips and then concocted a lemon roll by combining a few recipes. That was a very successful experiment; so much in fact I will have to right it down as a recipe in its own right. (And perhaps even make a few people happy by giving it to them.) And then mum helped out by making a chocolate cake. I had actually had ambitions of making a third cake myself, but in all honesty, if I had made a third, I'd not have had the energy to go to the walk itself.

The first garden was started about 12 years ago, and contained a tree, one box, a red tin shed, and grass. And the red tin shed was pulled down real quick, and they set to work. Their main problem is the wind. The garden is on part of the ridge on the island, so there's wind from every direction. But they have made a number of rooms in the garden, and put in lots of roses.

This portal-cum-pergola is going to be a spectacular sight before long; just a run of warmth and sun. And a good deal of the shrubbery behind is roses, more roses, and some aquilegias.

 Around the sides of the decking they have built raised beds containing strawberries, herbs, and spuds.

Yup! That length of raised bed below, by the zinc trough, is a spud bed.

 Unfortunately the weather was at its worst while we were here, so the lighting is a bit off on these pics, and we also did get a bit wet.

You know you're having problems when the camera insists on using the flash while taking pics outdoors.











Then we headed off for the next garden, in a somewhat more urban area. This time, they have had the garden from 1978 or so, starting from a newly developed plot. Over the years, the requirements for the garden have changed, so there has been recent rescaping. Many of the older plants are from an old vicarage garden, and then there's the 40 odd different roses, many of which are more recent additions.

 View of the front garden, with a glimpse through the opening leading into the back of the garden.

 Once through the green arch you are in a corridor of green with a row of old apple trees, leading on further into the garden.

 A view from the central area in the back into the most secluded spot, now with a fireplace.

 A neat detail which I may well end up copying: the roses had been hung with small wood signs bearing the name of the rose, the type, the breeder, and what I take to be the year it was planted.










The final garden was more informal than the previous. It has been created to be able to manage itself in some ways. The owners can go away on holiday for several weeks and come back to more or less the same garden; no massive weeding required, or watering. The most formal part of it was a small vegetable patch.

Triangular beds placed around a central point for easy access.

I was really captivated by what I think are two cranes, but the one on the left makes me think of the Great Forest Spirit in Princess Mononoke. 

 I was really happy to see the black elder, Black Lace, which I had bought many years ago but didn't survive. I really need to get one again.














And then at the end of it all, it was time for coffee/tea and cake.


Three very different gardens, lots of ideas and inspiration.

Veggie box end of season and garden bake-up

I got my last veggie box of the season two days ago. I did take pics of it, but never got around to posting. I was tired after being away on a short trip, and then Wednesday was not the best of days, so I opted for giving my body and mind time to relax and recharge. I knew I needed to be strong for today, because this evening the local garden society is having our yearly garden walk. This always ends with cake and coffee/tea, and I had volunteered to make a couple of cakes.

Currently the cake part of a lemon roll is cooling, I have the filling for it ready, and then I opted for some oat cookies with nuts and chocolate chips, which are all done and ready in their containers. I have been fortunate enough that mum offered to make the third cake. I might have been able to make one myself, but then I think I wouldn't be able to go this evening.

But this all doesn't have much to do with veggies.

This is more like it. What really struck me about this picture was that for a bunch of greens, there's not a lot of green in there. There's the rocket leaves on the right, and the top of the fennel on the left, and the leaves of the kohlrabi and cauliflower (although you can't see those), but the rest is white and different shades of red.

There's two beetroots, a garlic, three red onions, and a whole bunch of cherry tomatoes apart from the aforementioned veg. And I will be perfectly honest with you guys; I still haven't got a clue how I am going to eat them up.

I have been so focused on the cakes and the walk this evening, that meal-planning has been non-existant. So I will have to leave you hanging on that for a few days more. On the other hand, perhaps some of you have good ideas for me. Especially the rocket and the cauliflower are going to be problematic.

So I'll do a trade with you guys. Give me some suggestions, and I'll reward you with pics of cookies and cakes and views from the three gardens we are going to visit this evening (hopefully it won't rain). And now I better go check up on the roll, once it is cooled I can spread the filling.

Dehoarding and planning and crafting = a happy me

This past week has been rather turbulent. I have been dealing with unforeseen changes of plans, and a lot of decision making. And decisions is not something I am stellar at. Never have been.

This is one reason why my dehoarding progress is as slow as it is. Because I have to decide the fate of every single item in my house. Well, some perhaps not. I have, for instance, made the decision that  my Lego is exempted from dehoarding. I am toying with the prospect of having to give up my Playmobil. I am even willing to consider reducing the number of dinosaurs in my collection. But my Lego? No way!

I have been able to deal with some of my crafting supplies. Some have been rather easy. That was because of the unfortunate fact that paints do not last forever. So I have had to toss a good number of pots and tubes away, much to my dismay. I have also learned the hard way that gel pens are not immortal. There is still a long way to go before I have my crafting supplies under control, but there has been a rather fun development as a result of the dehoarding.

I have started using some of my things!

For many years I haven't been able to get to them, or it has at least been seriously complicated. And then there was the matter of having space to actually use them. And the feeling that I should be doing "sensible" stuff and not having fun. Problem was, I wasn't really doing much of the sensible stuff either, so I was just doing nothing, and being miserable to boot.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have forbidden myself to do things because "they are fun" and I somehow didn't feel I was allowed that. I got back into knitting some 7 or 8 years ago, and the amount of relief and support it gave me was priceless. Of course, it did land me a massive hoard of yarn.

There is still a long way to go before I get to grips with my craft and hobby hoard. For one, there's that huge amount of yarn which I have managed to acquire. Unfortunately, my knitting mojo has died a bit. But I think it may well get revived this weekend. I have also managed to get myself a sizeable hoard of cross stitching items. Blame my mum and gran for that. They were avid cross stitchers, and managed to infect me. Actually, they also are to blame for the knitting. At least in my younger days.

Now, I am having fun. I have started making and creating. I may well decide that this or that hobby or craft is not something I actually love, but that's fine. Because then I will know, and I will be able to start getting rid of the things and make room for the things I do enjoy. And this sudden burst of creating has come alongside an increase in doing some of all that sensible stuff. Because I am planning and structuring my days and weeks. So there's room for both the sensible and the fun.

Another Luddite bites the dust?

Some of you will already know that I am not the most forward of people. Technology is not necessarily evil, but it isn't necessarily good, either.  And some of you will be familiar with the fact that I don't have a mobile phone. I wouldn't know how to send a text message. And I have been almost proud of it.

I do have a mobile lying around. One my parents fobbed off on me when dad got a new one. It isn't in my name, and I only take it with me when I am going to the mainland for appointments on my own, or when going off to visit a friend. And it only gets used to say "I have arrived" and "I'll be taking this ferry; can you pick me up" and "I'm delayed". It gets fed some money and then I can phone. I don't even know how to feed it.

This is going to change.

First of all, there are perhaps a few things I need to explain about why I have been so anti-mobile phone.

To me, a mobile has meant a yuppie. Yes, those smart and fancy dudes during the nineties, who flashed their mobiles given half an opportunity to show off. I have never understood them. And I have not wanted to be mistaken for one. And I guess I missed the point in time when mobiles went from being yuppie status symbols to being a useful tool.

Mind you, it's not just the yuppies which have made me regard mobiles as loathsome objects. So have the people who will sit in the bus and phone somebody and inform them that they are on the bus. And not actually have anything else to say. Or the young women who need to discuss the latest activities in the bedroom (or elsewhere) and the qualities of their partner in a train compartment full of people (this has only been the women; I haven't ever overheard any guys do it). Or those who discuss confidential business matters in the rear of the bus in a loud voice.

Like all tools, a thing which can be used can also be abused. That doesn't mean the thing itself is bad. Likewise, it isn't all people who behave like bloody idiots when wielding their phones. This has taken some years to get into my head.

Another reason I haven't wanted one, is because somehow it is assumed everyone has one. And a number of services or functions are only open to people with a mobile. One which has been of hindrance to me has been the annoying issue of buying things over the internet (or more accurately, trying to buy) and being stymied by the final step involving typing in your phone number for a code to be messaged so you can verify it. And no option. I mean, youtube has this step for allowing users to upload videos longer than 15 minutes. But they also have the option of receiving a call with a code.

But the payment system couldn't even do that. They say it's for security measures. So if someone has stolen your card, it is inconceivable they might also have made off with your phone? Or just use a pre-paid phone?

This has annoyed me no end, both on my own behalf but also because there are people, many of them older, who don't have the needs, the money and/or the ability to use a mobile or computer. And so many things are being rigged up to only being accessible via a computer, and now increasingly via a mobile. And only a mobile. And that bugs me. It is still too early to solely go that way. I am among the first to have had contact with computers as a child, and that started when I was in my teens. To demand people several decades older than me to be fully functional is not cricket.

So, why am I now about to jump on the bandwagon?

Well, I am hoping to go to America sometime during the next few years. And I am hoping to go to London this autumn. And I know I can't take the mobile I'm borrowing with me, because it won't work abroad. And being able to call people while travelling is one of the good things a mobile allows. And will make life easier. And I will need time to get used to how it works.

Also, some of the places I like to frequent on the net make use of Instagram for some of their things, and I'd like to be able to join in. So, I am looking in to getting myself a phone. This will take some time, as I am a total newbie. But I will succeed.

And I know one of the questions I need answered is "can you text people on the other side of the world, and does it cost more than normal texting?" Because I may be able to get in touch with friends on a whole different level. And getting in touch with friends is good!