tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64707583267499254752024-03-14T04:56:18.189+01:00View through a small windowThoughts from our smallholding in the province of Lugo, Galicia, in the north-west of Spain.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-10720748335080832482022-04-17T22:31:00.001+02:002022-04-18T08:05:58.784+02:00Forest Garden Update<p> Spring is here and oh what a Spring. Every morning we are welcomed by a chorus of birds and the shrieking of our rooster which sounds like the tortured metal of a malfunctioning starter motor. We hoped he was going through a phase but unfortunately not. We have plenty of eggs laid in a variety of hard to access places and have the lurking suspicion that at least one hen is sitting on a cache of eggs that is still to be discovered.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFcWb1Qkx153ssr1z44I0xkmD7vCc0jdPxj2TDYu8Vlnx4V7BTjer1u7fJHPrtxCa1A9Ix6FrJc5SmhaASAPHztbsZ6bjHC846TC8609vZtEiA43aiCsuTbQ_9JSrKiTsiVWft7nDr7Qet70Qu6KisBgl554AgC6nZj2fQnn-sq9T-yz8bGLH8cf7/s4000/DSCN0014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFcWb1Qkx153ssr1z44I0xkmD7vCc0jdPxj2TDYu8Vlnx4V7BTjer1u7fJHPrtxCa1A9Ix6FrJc5SmhaASAPHztbsZ6bjHC846TC8609vZtEiA43aiCsuTbQ_9JSrKiTsiVWft7nDr7Qet70Qu6KisBgl554AgC6nZj2fQnn-sq9T-yz8bGLH8cf7/s320/DSCN0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VgvbditnuURxVsKd49dQLRIaiM8oRI4-iQudBC7QhRxWlq9WBnN83bzuhYs_MhaFd9GNlrrgHGJWVADofQizkZk8UPmc7FDT653F1r6Tl-mWQa5J2eaog6cqfiTJdvuXrKp8r0z-mnGWYxNrO8iPCML9CPC4Sv7Lb0gj8LveBtN35zLJjq19txYD/s4000/DSCN0015.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VgvbditnuURxVsKd49dQLRIaiM8oRI4-iQudBC7QhRxWlq9WBnN83bzuhYs_MhaFd9GNlrrgHGJWVADofQizkZk8UPmc7FDT653F1r6Tl-mWQa5J2eaog6cqfiTJdvuXrKp8r0z-mnGWYxNrO8iPCML9CPC4Sv7Lb0gj8LveBtN35zLJjq19txYD/s320/DSCN0015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n4r2YbC6_hz-1li_KYQyMrEH_xhwkTU8hKr4LYBQcLM9FVpViP2MxLxZyXy-Fj-t06jq-bIfT8NWgsHNHf-ZFuFRH7-djKtkyHksr7Xq17wZmUAkbrm23dxg8_2IwOSt4pmaSaa--roA6qwOULm-FIod2RFc5np9QcCBcomGNUU_L-UlepD6G_cT/s4000/DSCN0017.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n4r2YbC6_hz-1li_KYQyMrEH_xhwkTU8hKr4LYBQcLM9FVpViP2MxLxZyXy-Fj-t06jq-bIfT8NWgsHNHf-ZFuFRH7-djKtkyHksr7Xq17wZmUAkbrm23dxg8_2IwOSt4pmaSaa--roA6qwOULm-FIod2RFc5np9QcCBcomGNUU_L-UlepD6G_cT/s320/DSCN0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>Blossom is everywhere, trees are leafing up and the cuckoo calls constantly whilst the mated pair of buzzards spy on us from above on the thermals of a warm day. We are trying to reclaim the polytunnel for planting. Only the new grapevine planted so far, the aim being that the shade from the leaves will protect it from the worst excesses of summer heat. There are still brambles and bracken to pull and regular watering required to rehydrate the soil, damaged from two years of neglect and no watering. The nectarine has magically blossomed and set fruit, her roots must run very deep.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8yXyIMOWNa0Pm_Olt445GngPbiT41ZoZC4_AaktGx1Qz_-G03Ynr0ySbq8EYuDBFnhDMgmyrwc_GjGafnE3yLC7UgjuP3BEbqtS-otRZWMyvMM7j5EB0uuacW51qsL0_pwCmI8VMBShjFECzvE5eW0QH_q2YVNUW6RmhXlUJr47r80iDypVwk9Qa/s4000/DSCN0021.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8yXyIMOWNa0Pm_Olt445GngPbiT41ZoZC4_AaktGx1Qz_-G03Ynr0ySbq8EYuDBFnhDMgmyrwc_GjGafnE3yLC7UgjuP3BEbqtS-otRZWMyvMM7j5EB0uuacW51qsL0_pwCmI8VMBShjFECzvE5eW0QH_q2YVNUW6RmhXlUJr47r80iDypVwk9Qa/s320/DSCN0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>We do however still have the forest garden and orchard. Some casualties but many trees are thriving, the butterflies are everywhere and our every move is monitored by the resident robins who have to inspect every ounce of turned earth for hidden treasure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ADmhoEp2Qb3m1p3wNsDtXMcKGUS8MiDEs8ycMBz0NHYPUkqQxqqQcxqksMZYJMwf6-V_ZgifwOkblBdop3r7s4qSySEIjxRyInsFnB9c1l6zu4My2mOzahEXR9XXXoLGSXo0b1xbUPWOLIDgyaoOFJJ1yY6ymAi0uk5KaEEpaGODweDlnuDZ1Ay9/s4000/DSCN0024.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ADmhoEp2Qb3m1p3wNsDtXMcKGUS8MiDEs8ycMBz0NHYPUkqQxqqQcxqksMZYJMwf6-V_ZgifwOkblBdop3r7s4qSySEIjxRyInsFnB9c1l6zu4My2mOzahEXR9XXXoLGSXo0b1xbUPWOLIDgyaoOFJJ1yY6ymAi0uk5KaEEpaGODweDlnuDZ1Ay9/s320/DSCN0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Unfortunately it is back to the UK next week for another scan and of course that always brings anxiety. Living one day at a time is a lesson that can be taken from nature and it is what I try to do. There are difficult times for many people at the moment. Poverty is a reality for many people and counting your blessings is the order of the day.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-54504790148055229602022-02-10T17:04:00.000+01:002022-02-10T17:04:18.279+01:00Progress Being Made<p> No new pictures I am afraid, I still haven't found my camera lead but we are making steady progress. We have a young cockerel and four mixed breed hens for eggs. No eggs yet but as the days lengthen we hope that will be remedied. Thanks to a Christmas gift we bought eight fruit trees, a Mirabelle, white mulberry, apricot, almond, persimmon, nashi pear, Williams pear and a black walnut. They have been duly planted around the property. Thanks to a wonderful man called Will our land is being cleared and brambles zapped. Lots more areas to clear but he has reclaimed around two thirds of our land and it is looking incredible. In places the brambles were eight feet high and unfortunately some plants and trees have died but the ones that remain are looking big and beautiful. We have three new hand made windows on order, they should be installed in the next week. It will be wonderful to look out at the views and the cardboard currently blocking the cold wind will be composted with pleasure. Will is also running new plumbing to the bathrooms and kitchen. We have been without running water for nearly two years now (although we were in the UK for most of that) and I can't wait to hear the sweet sound of a flushing toilet, music to my ears. </p><p>Today I planted my first seeds, mostly peppers and tomatillos into the propagator. Life's possibilities are opening up for us now and it feels good. Birds are singing, bulbs are springing and our first daffodils are in bloom. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgubc29HayyjkIiScF51MSPvDW1PlnMfTyHPMRym4OlQBKj6dyaht0IZknBNq5iZXaCsUTsNB_v_0SrgkUn7_NYe6T9tImvbtT4xP9p25pVK8Z6z6quQ7_6wmHcLHrBiZMl6CFWPFkUKnokA8vl2PPzMsdPI7M9L8rO3NxcE52Pxre3AZpXwCIlHDu5=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgubc29HayyjkIiScF51MSPvDW1PlnMfTyHPMRym4OlQBKj6dyaht0IZknBNq5iZXaCsUTsNB_v_0SrgkUn7_NYe6T9tImvbtT4xP9p25pVK8Z6z6quQ7_6wmHcLHrBiZMl6CFWPFkUKnokA8vl2PPzMsdPI7M9L8rO3NxcE52Pxre3AZpXwCIlHDu5=w553-h415" width="553" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-66586690619571180232021-06-23T11:07:00.001+02:002021-06-23T11:08:29.266+02:00We Are Back (not with a bang, but with a whimper).<p> We got back here eventually, hopefully for a long time but with cancer you never know. I had more chemo and a big operation on my lungs (thank you Royal Brompton Hospital) and now I am officially no active disease so we begin the 'wait and see' phase. The land is green and thriving, so many birds everywhere but we can't access it due to the impenetrable jungle of brambles and nettles. Our mighty cat is still here, a bit thinner and older but he kept the mouse hordes mostly at bay and the fabulous Amanda fed and watered him in our absence. Leaving him was far from ideal but our temporary accommodation was not suitable for him and we believe he was happier in his home. The alternative was putting him down before we left and we believe we made the right call this time. </p><p>The house still has no functioning water, the roof has leaked in several places, mice are everywhere, they ate their way into our emergency food stash but it is SO GOOD to be here. No pics this time, I haven't found my camera yet, still unpacking to do but my soul is singing in response to Petas. this is where we belong, we have been through tough times but we got here eventually. Battered but not broken, I am pretty disabled, can't walk far, short of breath on the slightest exertion but we have the summer ahead of us.</p><p>San Juan celebrations tonight, the price of sardines has rocketed and I can't jump the fire but I haven't had the energy to sin much anyway. Perhaps next year I shall be more in need of cleansing fire.</p><p>Best wishes to you all, Nicky and Tim xxx</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-55285558439589895082019-11-14T21:56:00.001+01:002019-11-14T21:56:40.062+01:00Time OutMy cancer has come back, it has spread to my lungs and we are devastated. More tests and treatment beckons so I am going to take a break and concentrate on getting through this for myself and for my family. Sometimes in life shit happens and we shall deal with this as best we can.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-90424762351253371532019-09-27T10:18:00.000+02:002019-09-27T10:18:09.609+02:00Autumn HarvestYesterday was a beautiful day and we sat in the sun and processed the dried pea and sugar-snap peas from their haulms ready for planting next year. The whole family are here for a week helping me to harvest our home produced food mountain. We have our biggest ever pumpkin carried by my daughter Cat.<br />
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A huge tub of butternut squashes adds to the mountain.<br />
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The dried bean vines have been set out to dry both for beans to plant next year and dry beans for over winter stews. The turkeys are growing well and are starting to get their wattles. We seem to have three boys and a girl again. They are keeping the grass down in the orchard rather beautifully.<br />
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I am still very busy processing the fruit and veggies for the freezer. The sauerkraut has done well so far and stewed fruit is the order of the day for breakfast every morning. The weather is mixed but the rain is very welcome. The brush-cutter is back out and we are fighting to reclaim some of the forest garden from the brambles whilst still making time for trips out to see the beauty that is Galicia. As usual my medical tests are inconclusive and I now have to wait for a month for the biopsy results to come back. I seem to spend a lot of time waiting for medical results but I am not complaining. It really does beat the alternative.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-61318257288302564652019-09-05T13:54:00.001+02:002019-09-05T16:24:17.853+02:00"Thar she blows"We don't have a hurricane thank goodness and my heart goes out to all of those who are losing everything to Dorian, but the Autumn gales are knocking us about a bit. It has been a dry summer despite the cloudiness but the veggies have held up well. My beans are the latest victim of the gusty wind and we have given up on re-erecting them until the gales have gone.<br />
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Our soil is thin because we are on a stony hillside and the canes are just not well anchored enough. We have eaten and frozen tons of them and most days I am stewing fruit from our trees or making chutney from our veggies. In good news the lupins are fattening up well. I am not sure how you tell when they are ready to eat but I will keep an eye on them.<br />
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The turkeys remain happy and chatty, they really are very sweet.<br />
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Our sweetcorn has been a great success and very tasty. I shall be saving seed from this variety.<br />
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We are on course to produce the largest pumpkin that we have ever grown. It is still ripening but it is going to be huge.<br />
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This summer has been magical so far. After suffering from cancer and going through the surgeries and chemotherapy I wanted, actually really needed, to spend some time with Tim in our piece of heaven and we have done it. This place is our dream and having been apart so much over the last few years because of Tim's work we have been hiding away together like hermits just enjoying the best food and drink that Galicia can provide (the finest in the world), enjoying our own company, and enjoying nature at it's best and most magical. Later this month yet another round of scopes, scans and blood tests start, always a time of anxiety but I go into it feeling like the luckiest woman alive.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-8349941806589830622019-08-09T08:19:00.000+02:002019-08-09T08:19:46.048+02:00Meat and VeggiesDespite 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.<br />
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The veggies also remain productive. As usual we have a courgette glut so chutney is calling me. I just need to get myself organised.<br />
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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.<br />
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The lupins are beautiful. I am completely in love with them and I haven't even eaten any yet. The bees also adore them.<br />
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The sweetcorn is also very beautiful and the colour is so intense. I await the first cobs with great excitement.<br />
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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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-86592703533975846272019-06-25T10:57:00.002+02:002019-06-26T16:33:34.868+02:00A Month OnThe solstice has passed and we enjoyed a sneaky bonfire and a bottle of wine. You need a permit out here for bonfires but barbecues are allowed and on the night of San Juan everyone has bonfires to celebrate the pagan midsummer and drive away evils by jumping over the fire. We didn't jump over ours but we got rid of a lot of last year's brush and waste. A month on from the last pic and the veggies are doing well despite the rather cold and rainy June. The grass and weeds have grown well as have the slug and snail population but local corn is struggling and tomatoes and peppers are very behind.<br />
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My sweetcorn is doing quite well but I started it in the polytunnel early this year and it has paid off. I also had good germination on the edible lupins so fingers crossed they will do well. I am a bit worried about snails but nothing awful has happened yet.<br />
The polytunnel has yielded our first tomato of the year yesterday and we are eating loganberries for breakfast. I spotted a flower on a courgette yesterday as well so hoping for a good squash year.<br />
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Our lovely chickens are growing fast and are now fed twice a day. They adore Tim, but perhaps it is the jug in his hand that attracts them to him. Whenever he passes by the fence they run to him excitedly, wings flapping to give them extra speed.<br />
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It looks as though the heat wave forecast for most of Europe is going to miss us here in Galicia. We have a low pressure hanging off the coast which is pushing the heat past us and we are all grateful for that. The forecast is for low twenties which is enough for me. Finally a pic of Nosher who is making the most of his straw bale whilst he can. We use the straw for mulching in the summer and he is always disappointed when we take it away. Dreaming of 'ratting' perhaps?<br />
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Edited to add that we have our view back. Unusually they have been cutting back deciduous woodland this week and we just noticed that the woodland at the bottom of our land has gone so we can see for miles again. Unfortunately this was mixed oak woodland as well as pine and probably full of nesting birds at this time of year. We are hoping that they replant with native species but I expect it will be pine or eucalyptus, neither of which is any good for wildlife.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-38439153730469079312019-05-29T10:27:00.000+02:002019-05-29T10:30:56.015+02:00Growth SpurtPost sheep, the grass is coming back with a vengeance and I have been busy planting out home raised seedlings with others brought in from the local market. I am a fan of <a href="http://www.caroldeppe.com/" target="_blank">Carole Depp</a> and in the spirit of good prepping (for the downturn that is to come) I am trying to source, test and refine local varieties of veggies which are tough enough to cope with changes in climate and feed us.<br />
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We are trying 'Granny's beans' this year bought from an old lady at the local market. She assured me that they were good eaten green and for drying so we shall see. Another newbie for this year are <a href="http://www.realseeds.co.uk/lupins.html" target="_blank">sweet lupins</a> which can be eaten green or dried. Tomatoes and potatoes both readily get blight here so although I am still trying to grow tomatoes, I am also putting my faith in oca and may move to tomatillos both of which are blight free even if the yields are a little less than their domesticated relations.<br />
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It looks as though it will be a good loganberry year.<br />
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Flowers keep blooming and beer traps are working against the slug and snail menace. All that cheap beer going to waste, it makes me want to weep.<br />
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Finally the darling meat chickens are having a fabulous time in the orchard. Hesitant at first they now spend all day eating, grazing, snoozing, dust bathing and chasing insects in the long grass. I often sit and watch them doing what chickens should. Their chicken mates are at this moment shut up in sheds, never seeing daylight or experiencing the joy of summer afternoons dozing in dappled shade. I know that eating meat is unfashionable at the moment but the argument for and against doesn't have to be binary, there are always shades of grey.<br />
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I firmly believe that there is a place for animals on a small holding, eating good quality natural food, living a good quality of life and providing valuable manure. Money and profit shouldn't be the main driving force behind good animal husbandry and if that makes meat more expensive and out of the reach of consumers on a everyday basis then so be it. We should value meat as the incredible nourishing gift that it is. A life was lost in order to provide it so down with your cheap burgers and nasty feed lots and cages, and a salute to the poor animals forced to endure the living hell of factory farms. We should be getting them out of there and into the sunlight where their joy can enrich humanities soul. Enough of preaching, here is a pic of Sheldon and Cyril et al.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-58018328117854195622019-05-18T10:20:00.002+02:002019-05-18T10:32:08.511+02:00Goodbye Sheep and Hello ChickensUnfortunately the sheep didn't work out this time. There were six hungry mouths and our secure areas got grazed down quickly and the other larger areas which are less well fenced and/or contain delicate shrubs and trees were escaped from, or the entire contents were eaten down including our rarer trees. The senior ewes had been raised with goats, and like goats they had a taste for trees and shrubs and were happy to stand on their hind legs to reach everything below six feet high. They were also adept at leaning hard on our fence posts, some of which gave under the strain allowing them unfettered access to the out of bounds areas including our neighbour's hay fields.<br />
All this meant that we had to supervise them constantly which wasn't going to work out when Tim started work earlier this week. Luckily a friend knew a farmer with a flock and he took them all to join his gang and I have no doubt they are enjoying their company as we speak. Buster the ram's future is less certain, if he doesn't get on with the resident ram one of them will be next weeks dinner but he was originally a meat lamb so he has had an extra year of life, sex and rock'n'roll. We will have a couple of lambs again to fatten on our land but we now know we don't have enough grass to run a flock year round so lesson learnt. Also 'goaty' sheep are much more destructive than innocent run-of-the-mill lambs which are so much easier to manage.<br />
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After the sheep went we moved forward with our plan to raise our own meat with a batch of meat birds. We have eight rubia pollos and they will enjoy the delights of our orchard for most of the summer. We avoided the white Cobb hybrid birds as the poor things grow so fast that they can barely walk and they just sit and get huge very quickly and have to be slaughtered at around 8 weeks old as they go off their feet and have heart attacks due to their size. Another example of man breeding animals for his own use and ignoring their quality of life. At least the brown birds we have will be able to walk, forage and dust bathe and we will let them live until they start to struggle with their weight at which point we will kill them quickly and humanely here on our small holding.<br />
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On a cheerier note the weather is all over the place, up to 30 degrees C for a couple of days and now back to single digits but the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing lustily and the veggies are sprouting madly. Nature's bounty brings such joy.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-89764488658168322472019-04-04T12:06:00.000+02:002019-04-04T12:15:59.683+02:00Passing of the Warm SpellWe are back to single digit degrees Celsius and sleety showers. Much more normal for this time of year but less pleasant to work in. I hope the bees are still able to do their thing with the copious blossom. Sam the mighty wolf has gone back to wearing a coat on his walks.<br />
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Toby the Wrecker whose super power is 'getting in the way' is much happier as he never feels the cold but struggles in the heat. Our dogs are like chalk and cheese.<br />
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We have pear and cherry out at the moment with apple still to come. My daughter is here providing some youthful energy and enthusiasm and she has started battling the brambles and mature broom that fill the forest garden.<br />
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To help us in our battle we have secured the services of some sheep, their owners couldn't keep them and so we welcome Buster (Gonad) the ram and his lovely ladies (Lamb)Bretta, Chestnut and their lambs, Hansel, Gretel and Bam.<br />
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They eat young brambles and so we need to cut down the two metre high brambles to ground level and let them feast on the young emerging sprouts to keep it down, but first we need to get some electric fencing up and running to keep our own and neighbours dogs away from them. In the mean time they have the fenced chicken run and orchard to themselves while we do the preparation work.<br />
Add to that soil improvement work, digging out the compost heaps and wormery and planting out the seedlings into the polytunnel and there is plenty of work to keep us going.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-45243610904826127002019-02-24T10:50:00.001+01:002019-02-24T10:57:11.693+01:00A Lovely MorningToday is so warm that it seeps into your bones. I just hope that it is not a false Spring where the budding plants get caught by a late frost. Bumblebees are working their magic and I heard my first woodpecker drumming this year.<br />
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Nosher is working as hard as ever, always on the lookout for rodents. The daffodils are exquisite and crocus open in the sun.<br />
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I am very pleased with the growth the green manure has put on over winter. It will soon be time to dig it in but I am tempted to leave some to set seed for next winter. The locals use overwintering turnips as green manure with the added bonus that they eat the green tops and animals will eat the roots. It all gets ploughed in before they plant their potatoes or corn.<br />
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Finally the nectarine is putting on it's beautiful show. My only problem is removing the excess fruit after it sets, it literally sets hundreds every year. A very hard working tree with beauty, an excellent bee tree, some shade beneath it and delicious fruit, what more could I want?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-91372599539485167652019-02-17T08:32:00.000+01:002019-02-17T08:32:21.793+01:00SunriseAs ever photos don't do nature justice. The scene through the small window took my breath away this morning. Time to feel insignificant against the wonder that is our planet.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-16162865241836201862019-02-11T13:32:00.001+01:002019-02-11T13:32:46.233+01:00The Sun Has Got His Hat OnHip Hip Hooray. The birds are singing lustily and when I sit on the patio with chores it is warm. Graham is crowing loudly again and servicing his ladies. Egg production is ramping up again, more than I can eat so the dogs are the eager recipients. Yesterday I started to dig over the polytunnel but there is much more to go. The dogs always help on these occasions so the terrier digs my holes deeper flinging soil everywhere including over me whilst the big stupid dog (you know who you are Toby) just lays down on the soil in front of me sighing deeply so I have to try digging around him. The brassicas are finally growing now. I am very proud of the broccoli.<br />
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As ever kale is indestructible, the leeks are fattening and we are still getting lettuces out of the polytunnel.<br />
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I heard a bee buzz past and Dinah is out enjoying the sun.<br />
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I have started some chilli seeds in the propagator and I am trying to sprout some sweet potatoes again. I succeeded two years ago but then cancer struck and they died in my absence.<br />
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Finally a gratuitous camelia picture. They are always the first to bloom and they are stunning.<br />
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Roll on Spring, we need you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-59239100959654510222019-02-01T12:03:00.001+01:002019-02-01T12:04:34.989+01:00A blizzard but not as cold as the USAAfter storm Gabriel causing local flooding we now have storm Helena and the snow has started with high winds and more to come. Luckily we are well prepared, the stew is prepped, the wood is in and we have plenty of books and candles if required. We have already had to brush the snow off of the satellite dish with a broom to make it work. There is worse to come but this old house has stood up to plenty of storms. I am thinking of the fishermen on the Galician coast. It is a red alert for them with waves expected over 8 metres. A high tide as well due at 2pm with the storm pushing it higher so flooding very likely.<br />
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The chickens have been spoilt with a lettuce yesterday and pasta and squash seeds today so they don't have to go out to forage for their greens. We will start the fire later. There is something snuggly about sitting in front of the log burner with a good book whilst the storm rages outside. It is not often that it thunders with snow but we have that today. Keep safe everyone.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-37403667503231381912018-12-24T10:05:00.000+01:002018-12-24T10:05:16.159+01:00Seasons Greetings to AllMerry Christmas, Happy Mother Night and Sun Return, and Bo Nadal. Our feasting has begun and Tim and I would like to raise a glass to you all. Roll on seed sowing time.....<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-53622752863983924072018-11-26T11:00:00.000+01:002018-11-26T11:04:55.129+01:00Magosto Galician StyleOn Saturday night we went to the local Magosto celebrations. Most small villages here have a thriving social centre and ours is better than most (well I would say that). There was a massive paella, barbecued pork chops, roasted chestnuts and a huge selection of deserts.<br />
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The band played on as people danced, some very well, some not so well. People sang the traditional songs and the room was full of joy with children playing amongst the adults. There were multiple generations gathered to celebrate the chestnut harvest, the end of summer and the beginning of winter, and their heritage. A privilege to be amongst our friends and neighbours at this time. Thank you Carballo and to Mercedes for the fabulous pictures. A night to remember!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-17965490628327470192018-11-01T11:25:00.000+01:002018-11-01T11:27:17.355+01:00A Special SamhainWe sat in front of a log burner watching the fabulously cheesy Van Helsing movie, drinking port and toasting our dearly departed. I had carved one of our sweet dumpling squashes which was glowing in the window and for those few hours we forgot the awfulness going on in the world.<br />
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Autumn is proving to be as fruitful as ever. We are eating parasol mushrooms for breakfast most mornings. Chestnuts roast on the woodburner for nibbles and we continue to pick ground cherries, our last cucumber and tomatoes from the polytunnel.<br />
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I still haven't decided what to do with my basket of quince, compote is nice, I have made membrillo before but with Tim's diabetes, a lower sugar method of preservation might be a more sensible approach. The lettuces are almost ready to start using and my late planted peas are now in flower, the green beans continue to grow. Only time will tell if I get a crop from them over winter.<br />
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As usual the tyres have come up trumps and the kale and chard are looking good so far. Fingers crossed that a snail doesn't come and massacre them all (it has happened before).<br />
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Tim and I have spent the last week between downpours of rain trying to prepare the veggie patch for next year. When I was ill it was left untouched for eighteen months and the result is thick tussocky grass and brambles. We have covered as much as we can with the available chicken poop, mulched with cardboard (until it ran out) covered it in a layer of barley straw and then covered the lot with plastic weed suppressant material weighed down as much as possible against winter storms.<br />
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If left for a minimum of 6 months we hope to uncover it to reveal a weed free fertile veggie bed perfect for sowing straight into. Obviously the reality may be otherwise but as ever in small holding, hope is everything.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-91973749365665752762018-10-28T10:03:00.001+01:002018-10-28T10:03:15.419+01:00Early SnowJust last week it was 22 degrees C and last night we got snow with more to come by the look of the sky. It feels all the colder because of the rapid change. Porridge for breakfast with home made apple compote and our first fire of the year last night.<br />
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The animals are hunkering down in warm spots.<br />
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With the crazy weather all over the world this year I hope that our winter is relatively normal and 'mild'. Fruit is still on our trees waiting to be picked and many of the autumn chores await completion. Evening fires and the occasional glass of 'red' go someway towards compensating us tho. Compared to others who are freezing and starving, we still feel very blessed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-82857058487704741672018-09-28T11:34:00.002+02:002018-09-28T11:34:50.639+02:00Wildlife EverywhereIn these days when wildlife is under pressure it is good to know that there are small havens where it still thrives. Galicia as a whole, and specifically Petas is one of those havens. We have adders around our biggest compost pile, my daughter nearly trod on one. Last week I saw our youngest cat getting excited. A fully grown slow worm was dragging a huge protesting frog backwards into the orchard. I haven't got any pictures because I don't have a smart phone or carry my camera around with me. I did however get a rather unfocused picture of one of the praying mantis that live in my poly tunnel.<br />
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Whilst watering the polytunnel yesterday a water vole dashed away from the hose and out of the door. The locals call them mole rats and curse them as they eat vegetable plants from underneath. I curse them as well but in the UK they are a protected species because of their rarity. I have written a previous post on the various amphibians we have lurking under stones. As I watched another breath-taking sunset and darkness fell the night was alive with the screeching calls of barn owls and hoots of tawny owls whilst bats flit around the windows hunting the last of the insects. We have little owls as well and the cries of hunting buzzards are a daily occurrence. Deer and wild boar are often seen from the car as we drive by. I could go on but I expect you get the picture by now. It is lovely here.<br />
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Back to business, the first trees are starting to change colour. Our biggest mulberry is luminous even in the morning mist.<br />
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We harvested the squashes. Considering we didn't get back here until March we were lucky to get anything. We have four sweet dumplings and three huge blue banana squashes.<br />
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Flowers are hanging on grimly and the roses still put out their wonderful scent. Galicia is fabulous in Autumn and it has barely begun. The chestnuts are nearly here and mushrooms soon hurrah.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-26340864136223044172018-09-20T10:45:00.002+02:002018-09-20T10:56:41.268+02:00Autumn Equinox AhoyWe have got this far and are counting our blessings. My latest cancer scan and bloods are clear, I have just got over a horrendous tummy bug, it was brief but AWFUL. A fabulous misty and drippy start to the day and we can plan for our Autumn activities. I made the first chutney of the year earlier this week before the lurgi struck and as you can see I have planted some seeds to over winter. Chard, red kale, bush beans and peas. The peas and beans are an experiment to see if they will get productive in the polytunnel. I have read that you can sow autumn beans so fingers crossed.<br />
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I have bought the standard over wintering veggies for the outdoor tyre stacks, cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower, more kale, leeks and some lettuce again for the polytunnel.<br />
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Somehow the flowers keep on blooming. The ginger exotics are blooming again despite last winter's heavy frost. They just like the shelter of the porch and pear tree which keeps their rhizomes frost free.<br />
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We still haven't managed to get the brambles thwacked but the wood is away into the wood shed, some of the big bits still need splitting further but we will get around to it. There is always more to do than we have time for. I am just so lucky to still be here and enjoying the views.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-49507155274945248212018-08-15T11:54:00.001+02:002018-08-15T11:54:18.055+02:00Summer AgainAs usual there are loads of annoying flies and it's too hot to work outside in the daytime heat but the buddleja is back buzzing with bees and butterflies and there is nothing better than watching all the activity in the early evening from our armchairs under the porch with a cold beer.<br />
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As everything has been so overgrown, and still is, I am making do with containers this year. There is the one planted with culinary herbs and the fabulous hanging basket.<br />
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Everything is watched over by the ruler of this place, Nosher the elderly tabby, from Kent in the UK. The warm weather agrees with him.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-8315832992569564032018-07-23T12:17:00.001+02:002018-07-23T12:20:06.799+02:00Getting HotterMost days have been cloudy and humid with an occasional hot one. This is unusual for Galicia but I blame climate change as weather is becoming increasing unpredictable. Our fabulous friend Billy came and did some brush-cutting and strimming for us. There is still more to do but it has changed my mood immensely from overwhelmed to positivity as order reigned over chaos in some areas. He has created raised beds in the polytunnel using locally grown and milled chestnut planks, and now I need to source some compost and manure to fill them up. At least watering is more effective as the precious water doesn't run off the beds, it now gathers on top and has time to infiltrate into the still rather poor soil. Once I have got the soil wetter I will mulch with barley straw.<br />
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The orchard is looking great as well. Lots of fruit setting and the strimmed grass and bracken is now a mulch beneath the trees.<br />
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Pears are developing well, the quince has set fruit, there are tons of apples but I expect the trees to drop some as it gets hotter. I also hope to get my first taste of bletted european medlar this winter as the fruit has definitely set. No sign of kiwis yet. I think I need to wait until they are a bit older. Plenty of male flowers but no female flowers that I have seen. Even the hardy kiwis that are self fertile need bees to pollinate and the long cold winter and spring has resulted in fewer bees than usual. Perhaps some will emerge in the foliage as they get bigger. Talking of bees we have another small colony that have set up in our Warré top bar hive. As yet they are few, last years swarm died possibly due to hunger while we were both in the UK. Tim and I have our fingers crossed.<br />
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The loganberry is a vital part of our breakfasts and the edible day lilies are great in salads, other flowers are just beautiful and feed the soul.<br />
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Finally mixed news on the chick front. We are down to seven chicks from the eleven we started with. One drowned in a water bowl when sneaking through a crack in the stable door and falling into the big chickens' water. The other three have been eaten by crows we think. The survivors are enjoying the sun with their mother but they are small enough to get through the fencing into the cattle field where they are easy targets for crows. The remaining chicks are less adventurous and dive into a bramble patch when the alarm is raised. We hope that they will remain healthy into chicken adulthood now they have became less foolhardy.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-86471421823909600832018-06-26T11:56:00.000+02:002018-06-26T11:57:38.434+02:00Galicia Is The BestI have been back here for nearly a month now and I have to say Galicia rocks! Cancer makes you appreciate the good things in life. After fearing that it was all going to be taken away there are so many good things here. My Galician friends are fabulous, always asking after my health and just saying I am fine is not good enough, they ask again "How are you really?" They care and that is very special. There are so many friends who have helped Tim and I, from running us around to taking Tim into town, lending us freezers and looking after the place. Thanks guys, you know who you are.<br />
Cancer wise I am still in remission, I am being monitored every three months for signs of it's return. The reversal surgery went well so I now produce waste the same way as the majority of people do. It was very rough and painful at first but now I am getting into a sort of routine and although it will never be the same as it was before, I can live happily like this. Hello onions and salads, how I have missed you. Lentils will be phased in at a later stage but now I can eat almost anything.<br />
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Petas is looking awful or stunning depending on your point of view out of this small window. The grass, wild flowers and brambles have completely taken over but the green lushness is amazing. We haven't fought our way into the forest garden as it is blocked by head high growth but trees appear to be thriving. Veggie patch? What veggie patch? Shrubs are blooming, fruiting trees and kiwis have been full of blossom. The poly tunnel has a small cultivated area but the rest is bracken fronds and weeds but we dutifully water the cultivated bit. The lime, mandarin and nectarine look good in there. We have more chicks, eleven of them the darlings of their mother's eye. She is in heaven with her little ones orbiting her feet as she clucks reassuringly. For this year we have mostly given up trying to tame the wilderness. We know a man who will brushcut and strim for us and so we will be hoping he will rescue the worst of it. I still can't lift anything heavy and I have developed an incisional hernia so probably another op needed to fix it. Tim continues to work hard during the week and we are indulging ourselves at weekends because we more than anyone know that life is short and you have to enjoy yourself when you can.<br />
There is always next year.......<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470758326749925475.post-76482617785966278802018-05-07T16:28:00.003+02:002018-05-07T16:29:54.322+02:00Countdown has started for Operation Re-ConnectI have a date for my last (I hope) surgery. On the 15th of May I will be under the knife again unless they run out of beds or something. This will all happen in the UK so I shall be missing Galicia again like a Norwegian blue parrot pining for the fjords. I expect to remain there recovering and healing until early July which is the soonest possible date for my return. Tim will be here bravely soldiering on, on his lonesome keeping the creatures in check and disciplining our newest two chicks born on the 1st May. Their mother is a psychotic silkie bantam who is mild mannered when alone but turns in to a ravening lunatic when her chickies need protecting. He needs a chair and whip just to replenish the bowl of feed. Luckily he still has both eyes intact.<br />
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Waiting for treatment is always the worst bit of having cancer and once this is over I feel as though I can get back to something resembling a normal life. I will of course have a new best friend afterwards.<br />
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