Stocking up for Winter

Sunday 7th October 2018
The first winter thrushes arrived today, first a lone fieldfare followed by small flocks of redwings heading in across the fields.
Doubtless they looked down on me as I harvested some of this year's pumpkins and pulled potatoes out of the ground. Some of the pumpkins have fared poorly this year, but the Giant Pink Bananas (which are indeed pumpkins) have excelled, as have the Naples Long.

Sue was doing a sterling job making inroads into the wood pile. We won't need to skimp on the woodburners this winter.



Tuesday 9th October 2018
We can provide most of our own fruit and veg. We can provide our own meat. But there are some items which we cannot provide for ourselves. Loo roll, flour, cleaning products - none of these are totally out of our reach but some things are not so practical to produce at home.

In an ideal world I would buy organic, ethical and environmentally friendly, but unfortunately prices are sometimes prohibitive. I know there is often a hidden price to buying cheap, but economics do have to come into account.
Personally I think that some of the worst products should be taxed to directly support some of the most ethical products, but that is never going to happen is it? Until then, ethical shopping unfortunately remains the preserve of the middle classes.

My posh shopping

But I have come across a scheme which offers these products at very good discounts, bringing their price down close to their bulk standard cheap unethical counterparts. It is a national scheme which supplies local food clubs with a delivery once a month.
So not only can Sue and I now afford some of the products we want to be able to purchase, but we can run a food club to encourage local people to do so too.
Ok, we will probably be preaching to the converted, but we can only do so much for the cause.

Anyhow today our order arrived. All this for just over £30! (we did enjoy a twenty quid introductory discount). Now we know it works, we will be looking to get our food club up and running.

Wednesday 10th October 2018
A while back I discovered Priscilla (daughter of Elvis) ensconced in the stables harbouring a nest of eggs. Since we don't actually want more chickens, I left her with just three eggs and forgot about her.

On my way down to the chickens today I heard a familiar cheeping. There under the hedge was Priscilla leading two tiny chicks down to the rest of the chickens.

We set up a house for her in with the Silkies. The two little chicks are certainly very confident and seem strong

Meanwhile, by way of contrast to our harmonious country ways, the farmer next door was doing his best to erode the rest of his topsoil. I would be grateful for his gift, but I don't particularly want my whole smallholding covered in his denuded and chemicalised dust.