Mittwoch, 25. Februar 2015
bog blog: FAIRTRADE and other Interests
bog blog: FAIRTRADE and other Interests: Usually I follow a good few interests. Actually most of those I treasure since many decades. That makes me look very ancient ... . Now as I...
FAIRTRADE and other Interests
Usually I follow a good few interests. Actually most of those I treasure since many decades. That makes me look very ancient ... .
Now as I m early 'dinosaur stage', like being over 50, I must agree, age doesn't hurt, if you are healthy, doesn't matter and anyway, who says that you have to act your age.
Coming back to my 'hobbies' or 'passions' I can say that I love farming ( I was 4 when I decided to become a farmer ), gardening, animals and plants, flora and fauna in general, but also swimming and cycling, hiking ( all leisurely ), traveling, writing ( amateur ) and controversial enough also motorbiking. But on some topics I will compose a special ode ... :) at a later stage.
This blog should highlight especially one topic, which is close to my heart since the late Eighties:
From 23.th of February till the 8.th of March, Fairtrade International celebrates 'Fairtrade Fortnight' 2015.
Since 2007 Tubbercurry has been officialy a Fairtrade town and it used to be for some years the smallest Fairtrade town in Ireland. I joined it maybe a year later and we used to be a bunch of different people meeting up regularly and planing events especially around the annual Fairtrade fortnight. But then 2012 things changed drastically and apart from myself all other members either moved away or had other priorities. At a meeting where I wasn't present, I was elected to the new chairperson ..... . Suddenly I found myself as the 'captain' and all the crew had been gone ... .
But as Fairtrade has become one of my 'inner circle interest' over the last 27 years, I gave it a try and we are now a small and rather active group again, but with no particular structure.... it's a group where everybody is welcome and to say it formally, we haven't reached our capacity yet ... ( hint, hint ).
This week we are especially excited, as on Friday, the 27th of February, 'Chief Adam', a Cashew nut grower from Ghana, also a member of Fairtrade International and an UN climate change advocate, will come to Tubbercurry, together with Dunstan, a member of Fairtrade Ireland. We asked them to speak at three venues, which I m aware off, is quite a lot. But kindly they agreed and so he speaks first in front of National School Children, then Transition Year students at the local Secondary School ( which already has Fairtrade status ) and finally there is an open talk at the North Connaught College, our local third level institute. It should be of great interest to hear from a person, who's own life, the life of his family and community has been positively influenced simply by receiving a fair price for his goods.
Today at a talk in the Secondary School, a student related Fairtrade to collecting money for charity and asked how we send off the money we collected. But the great thing is that its none of this rattling of buckets and asking for contributions business .... it is simply working by getting a fair price. Often small farmers with only a few acres have no change to compete with big Multinational Companies who dictate the global market prices. But they work hard, have pride in their product and deliver a delicious product, often even with organic standards. I believe, we as their consumers owe them a fair price, it is as simple as that, it's not hard to understand and there is no excuse.
If you are interested in this subject, why not click onto www.fairtrade.ie or fairtrade.net. There are videos, campaigns, products and also guidelines if you want to get involved.
There is a wide range of products available in most retailing outlets, but there still has a lot to be done. My favorites are tea, coffee, sugar, cadburys dairy milk, maltesers, cocoa in general and the best chocolate you ever get is clonakiltychocolate.com. Then surely bananas and if your local retailer doesn't have them join in this years campaign, online or there are also postcards available. Maybe your town is Fairtrade too?
It was a bit different when I first got in contact with an early form of fairtrade. In 1989, I attended a solidarity protest in aid of Nicaragua in the former German capital of Bonn. That time Nicaragua was boycotted by many western governments, mainly the USA ( Reagan area ), because they intended to establish a left wing, communist government. A kind of a civil war between the pro american Contras and the Sandinistas not only claimed the lives of 30000 people, but an international boycott weakened the economy and made it difficult for farmers to sell their main product (coffee) internationally. At that demonstration there was also a stall with coffee from Nicaragua and I bought some and subscribed to get that coffee delivered monthly. Even though I have to admit, that the coffee was very strong, deep black and had a bitter note, I felt I did the right thing and kept the standing order until we moved to Ireland.
In the early Nineties, there was a pre-fairtrade organization active within Ireland. It was called 'traideireann' and sold their products in very few outlets throughout the country. During the annual 'old fair day' in Tubbercurry I used to rent a stall together with a friend of mine. We were also both members of the Ballina Amnesty International Group and divided the stall in two half's ... one with petitions and information of Amnesty and the other one we sold fair traded goods.
Thanks to the 'old fair day' committee I m still at it during our heritage week.
Sometimes people wonder seriously what I do get out of this type of activity. Nothing really, because often it is very weary, to convince an adult, why he/she might consider changing their consumer habit. But I have hope yet, especially when a six year old is aware of the Fairtrade logo and picks a bar or tells his Mum to buy Fairtrade bananas because he/she knows it's only FAIR ... don't we all sometimes wish to live in a fairer world?
Now as I m early 'dinosaur stage', like being over 50, I must agree, age doesn't hurt, if you are healthy, doesn't matter and anyway, who says that you have to act your age.
Coming back to my 'hobbies' or 'passions' I can say that I love farming ( I was 4 when I decided to become a farmer ), gardening, animals and plants, flora and fauna in general, but also swimming and cycling, hiking ( all leisurely ), traveling, writing ( amateur ) and controversial enough also motorbiking. But on some topics I will compose a special ode ... :) at a later stage.
This blog should highlight especially one topic, which is close to my heart since the late Eighties:
From 23.th of February till the 8.th of March, Fairtrade International celebrates 'Fairtrade Fortnight' 2015.
Since 2007 Tubbercurry has been officialy a Fairtrade town and it used to be for some years the smallest Fairtrade town in Ireland. I joined it maybe a year later and we used to be a bunch of different people meeting up regularly and planing events especially around the annual Fairtrade fortnight. But then 2012 things changed drastically and apart from myself all other members either moved away or had other priorities. At a meeting where I wasn't present, I was elected to the new chairperson ..... . Suddenly I found myself as the 'captain' and all the crew had been gone ... .
But as Fairtrade has become one of my 'inner circle interest' over the last 27 years, I gave it a try and we are now a small and rather active group again, but with no particular structure.... it's a group where everybody is welcome and to say it formally, we haven't reached our capacity yet ... ( hint, hint ).
This week we are especially excited, as on Friday, the 27th of February, 'Chief Adam', a Cashew nut grower from Ghana, also a member of Fairtrade International and an UN climate change advocate, will come to Tubbercurry, together with Dunstan, a member of Fairtrade Ireland. We asked them to speak at three venues, which I m aware off, is quite a lot. But kindly they agreed and so he speaks first in front of National School Children, then Transition Year students at the local Secondary School ( which already has Fairtrade status ) and finally there is an open talk at the North Connaught College, our local third level institute. It should be of great interest to hear from a person, who's own life, the life of his family and community has been positively influenced simply by receiving a fair price for his goods.
Today at a talk in the Secondary School, a student related Fairtrade to collecting money for charity and asked how we send off the money we collected. But the great thing is that its none of this rattling of buckets and asking for contributions business .... it is simply working by getting a fair price. Often small farmers with only a few acres have no change to compete with big Multinational Companies who dictate the global market prices. But they work hard, have pride in their product and deliver a delicious product, often even with organic standards. I believe, we as their consumers owe them a fair price, it is as simple as that, it's not hard to understand and there is no excuse.
If you are interested in this subject, why not click onto www.fairtrade.ie or fairtrade.net. There are videos, campaigns, products and also guidelines if you want to get involved.
There is a wide range of products available in most retailing outlets, but there still has a lot to be done. My favorites are tea, coffee, sugar, cadburys dairy milk, maltesers, cocoa in general and the best chocolate you ever get is clonakiltychocolate.com. Then surely bananas and if your local retailer doesn't have them join in this years campaign, online or there are also postcards available. Maybe your town is Fairtrade too?
It was a bit different when I first got in contact with an early form of fairtrade. In 1989, I attended a solidarity protest in aid of Nicaragua in the former German capital of Bonn. That time Nicaragua was boycotted by many western governments, mainly the USA ( Reagan area ), because they intended to establish a left wing, communist government. A kind of a civil war between the pro american Contras and the Sandinistas not only claimed the lives of 30000 people, but an international boycott weakened the economy and made it difficult for farmers to sell their main product (coffee) internationally. At that demonstration there was also a stall with coffee from Nicaragua and I bought some and subscribed to get that coffee delivered monthly. Even though I have to admit, that the coffee was very strong, deep black and had a bitter note, I felt I did the right thing and kept the standing order until we moved to Ireland.
In the early Nineties, there was a pre-fairtrade organization active within Ireland. It was called 'traideireann' and sold their products in very few outlets throughout the country. During the annual 'old fair day' in Tubbercurry I used to rent a stall together with a friend of mine. We were also both members of the Ballina Amnesty International Group and divided the stall in two half's ... one with petitions and information of Amnesty and the other one we sold fair traded goods.
Thanks to the 'old fair day' committee I m still at it during our heritage week.
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| probably 1991 our stall at the Tubbercurry Old Fair day |
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| ...and she is still at it .... 2014 at the Old fair day |
Sometimes people wonder seriously what I do get out of this type of activity. Nothing really, because often it is very weary, to convince an adult, why he/she might consider changing their consumer habit. But I have hope yet, especially when a six year old is aware of the Fairtrade logo and picks a bar or tells his Mum to buy Fairtrade bananas because he/she knows it's only FAIR ... don't we all sometimes wish to live in a fairer world?
Dienstag, 17. Februar 2015
IT SMELLS LIKE SPRING ...
... now that the first daffodils are just opening up at sheltered spots around the garden. Then I know that spring is here ... hopefully to stay. Its just so beautiful to see that stretch in the evening, which slowly extends my days, especially regarding gardening.
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| the rhubarb also starts budding, despite some frosty nights |
Leaving soil bare is never a good thing anyway, as mold and fungi develop. Sometimes I clear all the beds in autumn and then spread some winter rye or a mixture of green winter manure on the bare patches... .
In Gardening and in many aspects of my life, I don't keep strict rules and so I don't have a preferred or 'right' way of gardening. I did try out a wide range of techniques, like the moon calendar, the neighboring plants systems, the 3 - field tactic or some ways of 'permaculture'. Every year I do a mix of all 'systems' and the secret is, not to take it to serious. But what I never did is spraying neither herbicides nor fungicides or used any of the 'magic'. artificial fertilizers.... horse-poo in different rotting stages seems to improve the ground best. My motto is grow ( knowledge and experience ) and let grow.
Anyway, once I was sure that I didn't have to go to the A & E, I kept digging our potato patch after all the previous action in the tunnel Again I thought nothing can stop me .... only that I broke the spade after a while. In the end I knew it was just as well, because the next day I could feel the workout all over.
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| some autumn plantings of 'Italian kale' start to regrow |
A stroll around the farm at 9 am this morning proves once more, that spring has gently set in. The soft green grass shows some strength against the rushes.
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| little new moos cushions spreading all over the old bridge |
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| the rooster is making an effort to impress 'a girl', well any girl |
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| Maunzi, the 16 year old cat, looks after her coat in the mild morning sun |
Valentinesday was very busy in the flowershop in Tubbercurry, we were totally sold out after a 16 hour shift the night before Valentines. Is the economy recovering or did this early touch of spring affect the male hormone system? Whatever it is, I hope many people who value Valentine's were happy with the attention received. Well, I bet one Lady was very surprised with a Hand-tie of 12 red Roses obviously from her 'Ex' and the card saying 'Gone but not forgotten' ....
Montag, 9. Februar 2015
the weekly update ....
It was a mad week ... and it is even not Valentines-day!
Working in a flowershop is often very unpredictable. There are the usual busy days like Valentines, Mothersday and Christmastime. Also weddings and special birthdays, anniversary's and other celebrations in the locality can be rather busy and challenging, especially if there is an accumulation of events.
But when it comes to funerals, it just hits you and you have to try to manage to support the grieving family the best you can. Some of you might think, well it's their business and it surely is, but in a small town, you know most people you are dealing with and feel with them in their sorrow.
So within a few hours I had four funerals in my order book. I also was on my own and that means you have to still attend the shop, the phone, all the other orders, deliveries, getting a huge load of greenery and try to finish 3 coffin-sprays and loads of wreaths and sprays. As long as I have some bits ready for the removals it is o.k. and it can be finished off by working late, but having enough flowers, was my biggest problem.
I was lucky that my former boss :) was around and helping me out for a few hours helping me to green in wreaths, getting more greenery in 'selected gardens' and sourcing more flowers ... . So we managed and its great if you have a good friend, who knows what she is doing, when it comes to flower arranging.
When I m working, I just do very basics on the farm, before I cycle into town.
That includes feeding all the gang and making sure, they are o.k. for the day. While feeding the hens I could hear some peeping noise up in the hens balcony. It just dawned on me, that there was a duck hatching ..... .
Its a bit complicated with this particular duck. She is a cross between a Muscovy duck and a Kaki Campell and lays herself a tiny little duck egg, which I know, is infertile. I tested it over the last few years and it is not that the drakes don't love her, it is more the fact, that a Muscovy is a different breed of duck altogether. The most significant difference is, that a duck needs 28 days to hatch, but a Muscovy even 35 days.
Anyway I usually use this duck as a natural incubator for hatching out any egg. So it must have been 3 weeks ago, that I placed a few hen eggs under her, when she started clocking ... .
So up I went on the balcony and what did I find: 3 rather upset chicks in the nest and one was on the way, but still caught in the egg. As it was freezing and 'Mummy' must have been for a splash at the river, I decided to take them in under a lamp, as I knew they wouldn't last otherwise. The weak one just had come out and was only lying there .... He needed most of all body heat and as I was in a rush, I took him, wrapped a bit of tissue around, as he was still moist and packed him in my bra. Its not the first time I did that and sometimes it works out alright. However, while cycling up the hill to Tubbercurry, I knew he was still alive.
The first customer was not noticing anything and I nearly forgot my little chick. But while serving the next customer he started peeping rather loud and the Lady just wondered 'did I hear a bird'?
A bit embarrassed,I pulled him out and showed him to her ..... .
He was slowly drying off and somehow I wasn't happy with his performance. The Lady from the Credit Union next door came in too and admired the tiny little creature as well. We decided to put him in a little box and Marie went into her office and shredded some paper. To keep him warm and cosy we bedded him into the paper mix and placed him on the radiator. Every now and then I checked on him, but unfortunately he didn't make it .... .
The other 3 chicks are doing great ... :) and the crossbred Muscovy changed from hatching mode into being 'available' and is hanging out with the lads again.
Working in a flowershop is often very unpredictable. There are the usual busy days like Valentines, Mothersday and Christmastime. Also weddings and special birthdays, anniversary's and other celebrations in the locality can be rather busy and challenging, especially if there is an accumulation of events.
But when it comes to funerals, it just hits you and you have to try to manage to support the grieving family the best you can. Some of you might think, well it's their business and it surely is, but in a small town, you know most people you are dealing with and feel with them in their sorrow.
So within a few hours I had four funerals in my order book. I also was on my own and that means you have to still attend the shop, the phone, all the other orders, deliveries, getting a huge load of greenery and try to finish 3 coffin-sprays and loads of wreaths and sprays. As long as I have some bits ready for the removals it is o.k. and it can be finished off by working late, but having enough flowers, was my biggest problem.
I was lucky that my former boss :) was around and helping me out for a few hours helping me to green in wreaths, getting more greenery in 'selected gardens' and sourcing more flowers ... . So we managed and its great if you have a good friend, who knows what she is doing, when it comes to flower arranging.
When I m working, I just do very basics on the farm, before I cycle into town.
That includes feeding all the gang and making sure, they are o.k. for the day. While feeding the hens I could hear some peeping noise up in the hens balcony. It just dawned on me, that there was a duck hatching ..... .
Its a bit complicated with this particular duck. She is a cross between a Muscovy duck and a Kaki Campell and lays herself a tiny little duck egg, which I know, is infertile. I tested it over the last few years and it is not that the drakes don't love her, it is more the fact, that a Muscovy is a different breed of duck altogether. The most significant difference is, that a duck needs 28 days to hatch, but a Muscovy even 35 days.
Anyway I usually use this duck as a natural incubator for hatching out any egg. So it must have been 3 weeks ago, that I placed a few hen eggs under her, when she started clocking ... .
So up I went on the balcony and what did I find: 3 rather upset chicks in the nest and one was on the way, but still caught in the egg. As it was freezing and 'Mummy' must have been for a splash at the river, I decided to take them in under a lamp, as I knew they wouldn't last otherwise. The weak one just had come out and was only lying there .... He needed most of all body heat and as I was in a rush, I took him, wrapped a bit of tissue around, as he was still moist and packed him in my bra. Its not the first time I did that and sometimes it works out alright. However, while cycling up the hill to Tubbercurry, I knew he was still alive.
The first customer was not noticing anything and I nearly forgot my little chick. But while serving the next customer he started peeping rather loud and the Lady just wondered 'did I hear a bird'?
A bit embarrassed,I pulled him out and showed him to her ..... .
He was slowly drying off and somehow I wasn't happy with his performance. The Lady from the Credit Union next door came in too and admired the tiny little creature as well. We decided to put him in a little box and Marie went into her office and shredded some paper. To keep him warm and cosy we bedded him into the paper mix and placed him on the radiator. Every now and then I checked on him, but unfortunately he didn't make it .... .
The other 3 chicks are doing great ... :) and the crossbred Muscovy changed from hatching mode into being 'available' and is hanging out with the lads again.
Freitag, 30. Januar 2015
Longing for Greens ....
the days are recognizably getting longer, there is no doubt. It's a great relief, as in December I m usually under pressure, if I don't start feeding the animals at around 4.00 pm. The night just comes over you and within minutes all is swallowed up by great darkness. Now, at the very end of January it seems to happen in slow motion. The daylight seems to fight for every minute and especially on a bright day, you can feel this 'cocks step', the old neighbors used to talk about, when the days started to stretch themselves.
Yesterday I went around the garden, picking up the last 'leftovers' from the 2014 garden year, like a huge parsnip, some stumps of carrots, a medium sized celeriac bulb, cabbage leaves from a winter broccoli, and curly kale, a leek and new shoots of parsley. Together with some potatoes and sweet potatoes it made a wonderful soup.
As the beds are still way to wet and so is the tunnel, I only have sorted my seeds so far. But to get something growing, I put down some trays around the house with sprouting cress, mustard and wheat-grass. All of this can be cut and used as well in salads and soups. My parents used to do a lot of gardening. My Dad would have had a kind of hotbed in the garden and the first thing he would have put out was cress, radishes, lettuce and spinach. It's a kind of tradition so.
As the winter was relatively mild, there is still a good bit of growth going on.
Watching the goats on their tour over the bog, they feed mostly on Bramble leaves and rough heather, but they also pick on the stingy gorse, with its budding yellow blossoms or peel of, selective as they are, some bark from cut down willow or haw-thorn. But they also wander along the river and pick the new fresh grass, which is now appearing, as the water levels gone down a little bit.
Going for my daily walk between the hedges, I am already able to pick some dandelions leafs or the narrow leafed plantain, which some of it I cut into small pieces hiding it in salads or soups. Well I usually divide it in two fair shares, as Moses our tortoise is just out of hibernation. He loves both herbs, but especially dandelions.
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| Moses and Snoopy sharing the basking lamp .... but not the dandelion leafs |
Yesterday I went around the garden, picking up the last 'leftovers' from the 2014 garden year, like a huge parsnip, some stumps of carrots, a medium sized celeriac bulb, cabbage leaves from a winter broccoli, and curly kale, a leek and new shoots of parsley. Together with some potatoes and sweet potatoes it made a wonderful soup.
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| some ingredients of a January garden soup |
As the beds are still way to wet and so is the tunnel, I only have sorted my seeds so far. But to get something growing, I put down some trays around the house with sprouting cress, mustard and wheat-grass. All of this can be cut and used as well in salads and soups. My parents used to do a lot of gardening. My Dad would have had a kind of hotbed in the garden and the first thing he would have put out was cress, radishes, lettuce and spinach. It's a kind of tradition so.
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| sprouting mustard |
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| cress seeds laid out on a moist tissue |
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| cress after about 5 days |
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| wheat-grass can be cut for salads and soups |
Spring is just around the corner, as is St, Bridget's Day ( 1.st of February ), the official start of the Celtic Springtime. I m eagerly waiting .... and so are Kitty and Ollie....
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| Roll on spring |
Sonntag, 25. Januar 2015
Birthdays, star signs and Flowers
Its January and somehow this month is full of birthdays, especially the second half of January, where nearly every day I can congratulate someone. Apart of being crap regarding Maths, I can remember birthdays pretty well. Some dates seemed to be engraved into my brain for as long as school days in the early seventies.
Over the next 10 days there are two 18th. and three 40th. Birthday ... all of very special people. Aquarius seems to be the star sign for me anyway. My husband is an Aquarius and so are some of my closest friends. When he describes a typical Aquarius, he puts it this way, that born under this star sign you are walking all the time on a narrow path, between pure genius and madness. Well I figured that out anyway over the last 28 years :).
Usually with my friends we don't do big presents, something small and practical and often also home made. It can be jam, eggs or cheese, but also a cake and flowers is something which are my favorites. In summertime I love to pick flowers from the garden or the wild and arrange them 'my way' to bring them along to someones party. Winter time is a bit more challenging on the flower side, but being a florist, I love to think up new ideas and experiment with bits and pieces I collect in the wild, mostly along the road side.
Sometimes I try to introduce some new ideas in the shop, where I do work part time since more then 20 years ( actually my first 'boss' is an Aquarius too :) ). The shop is called 'Guns and Roses' and is in the meantime a landmark shop within Tubbercurry. I got 'passed on' from one owner to the other and work now for my third 'boss'. Well that all sounds a bit distant, as all the 'bosses' have been a treat and are wonderful anyway.
The big 'bay window', which I also think would look great with a large table and a comfy corner bench, in case it will ever get converted into a coffee shop :).
A few flowers 'wrapped' in a construction out of dogwood ( or willow ) and a bit of ribbon
My own little bit of creation, made out of dogwood ... in the back ground one of my big bog oaks.
A different type of dog wood weaving ... looks really nice with plain tulips or other spring flowers
A selection of flowers on a Monday morning ... all waiting for a new home :)
A basket with a little fence made form willow or dogwood .... it looks like a little garden patch
we do also silk flowers ... not everybody's taste, but we try our best ... and another bit of weaving ...
Maybe this looks like an add for some flowershop in Tubbercurry Co.Sligo, ... a bit of a commercial has never done any wrong :). So if you ever are in the area or want to send flowers to someone between Collooney and Charlestown, Ballymote and Aclare, just ring 0719185030 any day of the week between 10am and 6pm except Wednesdays and Sundays. We do weddings and funerals and everything in between.
Ups, nearly midnight .... I have to go and text two girls a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Linda and Judith .... enjoy your day :)...
Its January and somehow this month is full of birthdays, especially the second half of January, where nearly every day I can congratulate someone. Apart of being crap regarding Maths, I can remember birthdays pretty well. Some dates seemed to be engraved into my brain for as long as school days in the early seventies.
Over the next 10 days there are two 18th. and three 40th. Birthday ... all of very special people. Aquarius seems to be the star sign for me anyway. My husband is an Aquarius and so are some of my closest friends. When he describes a typical Aquarius, he puts it this way, that born under this star sign you are walking all the time on a narrow path, between pure genius and madness. Well I figured that out anyway over the last 28 years :).
Usually with my friends we don't do big presents, something small and practical and often also home made. It can be jam, eggs or cheese, but also a cake and flowers is something which are my favorites. In summertime I love to pick flowers from the garden or the wild and arrange them 'my way' to bring them along to someones party. Winter time is a bit more challenging on the flower side, but being a florist, I love to think up new ideas and experiment with bits and pieces I collect in the wild, mostly along the road side.
Sometimes I try to introduce some new ideas in the shop, where I do work part time since more then 20 years ( actually my first 'boss' is an Aquarius too :) ). The shop is called 'Guns and Roses' and is in the meantime a landmark shop within Tubbercurry. I got 'passed on' from one owner to the other and work now for my third 'boss'. Well that all sounds a bit distant, as all the 'bosses' have been a treat and are wonderful anyway.
We also do gifts for all occasions ....
Maybe this looks like an add for some flowershop in Tubbercurry Co.Sligo, ... a bit of a commercial has never done any wrong :). So if you ever are in the area or want to send flowers to someone between Collooney and Charlestown, Ballymote and Aclare, just ring 0719185030 any day of the week between 10am and 6pm except Wednesdays and Sundays. We do weddings and funerals and everything in between.
Ups, nearly midnight .... I have to go and text two girls a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY Linda and Judith .... enjoy your day :)...
Mittwoch, 14. Januar 2015
Finally so far, one winters day ….
We do not get a lot of snow in this part of the country. Actually all over the country snow isn't guaranteed in any winter, but this winter we seem to get a little bit….., at least for a day or two.
Snow is always dividing the nation, there are loads of people who just hate the sight of it, others who simply don’t like it, children who love it ( because there might be no school!! ) and me who adores it.
Right now I can see some of you shaking their heads and thinking: ‘why in the name of holy Moses would she like this white, frozen stuff, which endangers the species of the modern human kind. We all could slip or fall or crash or get spluttering coughs, colds or the consumption ( yes, we did watch Frank Mc Courts 'Angela's ashes' over the Christmas ). This ‘bog blog hippie’ is probably sitting all day in her warm house and doesn't have to face the elements, while others have to risk their lives on icy roads. ’
Better snow, frost and sleet in 'official winter time' then later in the year and while thinking ahead, about gardening in a few weeks time, I prefer to have some good frost and snow to reduce pests and disease on plants.
Snow days on the farm don't really make things easy, as at least twice a day stock has to be fed and watered ... whatever the weather. Apart from cleaning out the horse shed, filling buckets with water from the drums or the river, feeding more hay and grains as normal, it is fun to watch all the different reactions of our animals, when they face the immaculate snow in the morning. It reminds me of the same feeling, when you are about to jump into a still pool, where the surface is just so calm and clear.
The dogs seem to love it and Lucy dives into the snow making funny noises, while good old Murphy, tries at least to hop around me to show his excitement.
Letting out the cats for a wee in the morning, they seem to look at me questioning, what happened last night? When the first paw touches the snow, they would think twice about sneaking back in … but, business has to be done outside and there are no other choices … .
The horses got loose on me this morning, for a little gallop up the road. I didn't close the gate properly, while pushing the wheelbarrow to the Compost heap. But without trouble they followed the noise of shaking oats in a bucket and came back after their short spin.
It’s definitely no weather for goats. Not only is all the ground covered in snow, but the bushes and trees too. So they need plenty of hay and water to keep them happy.
The plain white complexion of the geese got literally swallowed up by the same colored snow. Only the bright orange peak and legs stood out.
The ducks nodded permanently quacking to each other, discussing obviously the weather, while the hens were divided in two parties. Some stayed only indoors and others rushed over to the bird feeders construction, waiting for some crumbs to fall down.
The wild birds got an extra big feast today with peanuts, sunflower seeds, mixed seeds, fat balls and a mixture of raisins and oat flakes. Moses, the tortoise left his hibernation box the other day and sunbathes under a 40 watt basking lamp, enjoying the rays in his own little universe.
While finishing off this 'bog blog', number 4, nearly all the snow is gone, the river became really high and there is a red alert weather warning for trough out the night, high winds and precipitation in all possible ways from all possible directions.
Corsallagh Snowmen/women over the years:
Abonnieren
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