Meat and Veggies

Despite the still changeable weather we are having a productive year. We recently killed the meat chickens and they were/are beautiful. They have done really well. All eight grew well and the place is awfully silent without the daily chorus of crows of varying tones and tunes. They have all dressed out at around 4.5 kilos and cost us around 8.50 euros each in total but more importantly they lived well, ate well and died well at our hands. I could not do this if I thought that they had suffered unduly.

The veggies also remain productive. As usual we have a courgette glut so chutney is calling me. I just need to get myself organised.

As ever the tomatoes have gone blighty but we are getting a few and the peppers are slow to come online with the continuing cold cloudy spell. It was stormy last night, unusually strong for the time of year and our winter wood has got wet again. We just need a long enough hot dry spell to get it dried enough to put away in the woodshed.

The lupins are beautiful. I am completely in love with them and I haven't even eaten any yet. The bees also adore them.

The sweetcorn is also very beautiful and the colour is so intense. I await the first cobs with great excitement.

In the background you can see the forest garden which is slowly developing. I should write a blog dedicated to just that sometime soon. Although some sections have 2 metre high brambles, most of the trees have survived and are starting to look like trees. They are now steadily coming on line and we have our first kiwi's, plums and persimmons to add to the many other varieties of fruit we already enjoy. Roll on nut heaven if we live long enough to see that. Our dream is to eat walnuts from our own trees.