SO, A WEE BIT O’ SUNSHINE...
MADE ME CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT NOT WORKING HARD IN THE FIELD TODAY. HUBS AND MYSELF GOT TO WORK CLEARING MORE OF THE BRAMBLES.
FOLKS MIGHT THINK, “OOH, BRAMBLES..GREAT STUFF! BRAMBLE JAM, JELLY, WINE, ETC” AND BE HAPPY TO HAVE A FIELD FULL OF THEM.
BUT HERE’S THE THING....THIS FIELD HAS NEVER BEEN CULTIVATED. IT WAS PASTURE, AND THAT WAS MANY DECADES AGO. THE BRAMBLES ARE WILD, AND HAVING BEEN HERE FOR SO MANY YEARS, NOT PRODUCTIVE. BARELY ANY FRUIT ON THE BUSHES BUT JUST A MESS OF SUCKERS, ROOTS, THORNS AND GROUND COVERAGE THAT BECOMES AN IMPENETRABLE BARRIER. AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE NEED THE GROUND FOR THE HEN FLOCKS, AND GARDENING. MORE RAISED BEDS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE SOIL IS VERY HEAVY CLAY, RICH IN NUTRIENTS BUT IT TAKES HEAVY MACHINERY TO WORK IT AND WE’RE JUST TWO OLD RETIRED DISABLED FOLKS WITH A FORK, SPADE AND SHEARS. SO DIGGING IT OVER IS OUT OF THE QUESTION, HENCE THE RAISED BEDS.
EVEN THOUGH THE SUN SHONE ALL DAY AND IT WAS EVEN HOT FOR OCTOBER, THE GROUND IS STILL SODDEN..CLAY IS LIKE THAT. IT HOLDS WATER LIKE NOTHING ELSE. I COULD MAKE POTTERY OUT OF IT, LET’S PUT IT THAT WAY...
BUT WE WORKED AND CLEARED ONE MORE PATCH AND WE’RE GRADUALLY GETTING THERE, EATING AWAY AT IT.
I’M HOPING BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR TO HAVE MOST OF THE BRAMBLES UNDER CONTROL, HALF A DOZEN MORE RAISED BEDS (THERE ARE EIGHT, TWO BESIDE THE TINY GREENHOUSE, ONE OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN WINDOW AND I ALSO INTEND TO PUT AN ARCHERY RANGE AT THE FIELD BOTTOM NEAR WHAT WE CALL THE “GHOST TREE” (BECAUSE IT’S COVERED IN REINDEER LICHEN SO IN TWILIGHT GLOWS SOFTLY), AND IN ONE CORNER, BRAMBLES PREVENT US REACHING THE REMAINDER OF OUR WEE ACRE, WHICH HAS MORE TREES AND DEADFALL I’D LIKE TO COLLECT FOR WORKING WITH AND FOR FIREWOOD IN WINTER. SO, YUP, HEAPS OF BRAMBLE CLEARING TO BE DOING, SIGH.
SO SOME PICS FROM TODAY..HUBS AND PUP IN THE NEWLY CLEARED BRAMBLE PATCH, WITH A SIDE VIEW OF WHAT WE STILL HAVE TO CLEAR. AND THAT’S JUST THE BRAMBLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. THERE’S MORE ALONG THE EDGES AND AT THE BOTTOM.
AND A VIEW OF WHAT WE’VE CLEARED SINCE WE’VE BEEN HERE (DECEMBER). IN THE CLEARING, WE DISCOVERED TWO TINY STONE BUILT OUTBUILDINGS BEHIND THE BARNS (ONE I’M CONVINCED WAS THE ORIGINAL OUTHOUSE) AND THE ORIGINAL RAINWATER COLLECTING TANK, WHICH FILLED FROM THE GUTTERING ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF THE BARNS. WE INTEND TO GET THAT UP AND WORKING AGAIN. WE’VE ALREADY GOT THREE RAINWATER BARRELS BUT THAT TANK WOULD BE FABULOUS TO HAVE AND USE...THE COTTAGE IS NOW ATTACHED TO MAINS WATER. SINCE I’M NEVER KEEN ON RELYING UPON UTILITY COMPANIES FOR ESSENTIALS, I’M PLANNING AHEAD. :)
I ALSO PUT THE WYANDOTTE CHICKS OUT IN THE HEN BARN WHERE THE SWEDISH FLOWER HENS ARE. THEY’RE IN A WOODEN HUTCH, SEPARATED FROM THE SWEDES SO THEY DON’T GET PICKED ON. BUT I FELT SO GUILTY FOR PUTTING THEM THERE...THEY’RE WARM, PLENTY OF BEDDING AND STRAW, AND HAVE PLENTY FOOD AND WATER OF COURSE, AND THEY’RE THE SAME AGE AS THE OTHER HENS WHEN WE PUT THEM OUT IN THE BYRES TOO..AFTER ALL, THEY CAN’T STAY IN THE HOUSE IN A BOX FOREVER!
BUT I LOOKED AT THEIR WEE FACES PEEKING OUT OF THE HUTCH WINDOW AND FOR A MOMENT WAS TEMPTED TO BRING THEM BACK INDOORS!
BUT THEY’LL BE FINE, AND ONCE THEY’RE BIG ENOUGH I’LL TRY PUTTING THEM IN WITH THE BRAHMAS. WYANDOTTES ARE LARGE HENS. I’M NOT KEEPING THEM FOR PETS (VEGANS LOOK AWAY NOW PLEASE), THE BIG HENS ARE FOR BREEDING UP FOR MEAT BIRDS, THE SMALLER SWEDES ARE FOR EGG LAYERS. SORRY THOSE WHO THINK ALL CHICKENS SHOULD BE PETS...
BUT I’VE RAISED LIVESTOCK MUCH OF MY LIFE AND IT’S BEEN FOR FOOD, EGGS, MILK AND PELTS. MY DAD WAS A CROFTER (AND PART TIME COAL MINER AT THE NOW CLOSED SMALLEST COAL MINE IN SCOTLAND, BRORA MINE) AND IT’S FROM HIM I LEARNED HOW TO SMALLHOLD.
NOW, SADLY, AGE AND HEALTH ISSUES MEAN HENS ARE ABOUT ALL THE LIVESTOCK I’LL BE KEEPING. IN THE PAST I REARED GOATS, SHEEP, GEESE, DUCKS AND HENS, PIGS AND A SMALL LOCHAN OF TROUT.
DAD KEPT SHEEP, COWS, PIGS AND HENS.
ANYWAY, HOPE EVERYONE’S HAVING A BEAUTIFUL SUNNASDAG. THE SUNSHINE HAS BEEN GORGEOUS, THOUGH IT’LL BE CLOUDY AGAIN TOMORROW. THE BEST WEATHER FORECASTER IN OUR AREA IS AN AULD FELLA WHO IS BETTER BY FAR THAN MET EIREANN. WHEN HE SAYS RAIN’S ON THE WAY, HE’S RIGHT.
