Ecofarmer

re-settled in Hungary from Rochdale, Lancs, England, and into a little village, doing a bit of greenish farming hoping for a quiet life... but stuff just happens...

Sunday, January 25, 2009

milder week with tree search




that is, Alan is into heavy family-tree search finding all sort of
dodgy folk... He's been whipped to the pub by Pali, that is the reason I could get to the computer at last...
Yes, we have even seen the sun a few times, when temperatures gone over 10C, roll on the spring... Alan already has some lettuce sprouting - in the little inside tray-things, this year kept in the living room.
I helped to clip the wings of the geese - they were ready to take off. I got the pictures at last.

Bonzo is off his chain at last, Alan put a ballast (I think it is a hammer head) on his collar, he still can jump fences - but not the front lot - so he is based in the front of the house, sleeping between the doors. where a dog should, sometimes together with the cats. He is a happy dog.

We got lots of goodies from Anna, including "pork-cheese"; a type of jellied weird shaped salami thingie. But also stuffed cabbage leaves, rolled pork with sausage meat... should amaze the wwoofers when they show up eventually, we have quite a lot of interest, but no confirmed dates yet. We wont ask anybody to come until the end of March Alan thinks.

Cleared out and cleaned the larder and the freezer room - well Alan did it, because we discovered mouse damage. Lovely to have it all neat - and mouseless... all-in-all about four packets of flour/breadcrumbs/etc have been damaged, it was noticed in time,
little buggers. I let the cats in and opened the door all day
when it happened, cats had a comfy nap on the chair, without any inclination to hunt, but maybe they frightened them... that is the theory...

Thursday, January 15, 2009

freezed in...



It's only aound -2C, but we had freezing rain, all surfaces became
iced, so there was no mail, no bus, nothing! It was too risky to go to the shop - to go anywhere more than 2 steps... I was glad I collected some ash in a little mound, used that to sprinkle around the paths. Geese are not good at walking ice either, we noticed.
Well, I was well prepared for such times... should have rejoiced with all the food, bread - but of course we run short of milk, as we are not milking the goats, should have had a few extra long-life ones... but charitable Bela got some for us from the shop, anyways, so the tea is free to flow... Alan got all energetic yesterday, so we got the computer room re-organised, the the bed moved out, hope I can show picture, the camera played up a bit again. Other pictures are from Martin/Szonya if appear. Surfaces permitting I am off to Budapest tomorrow for the weekend. Allegedly there was abust today... but weather is supposed to turn milder, it was raining in Budapest. Hm, computer corner didn't work, xmas goose carving and contented goats did...

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

its all over...




took down the beautiful xmas tree - sad. Tons of harvested
szaloncukor to eat - good. Room looks big and tidy - good.
But still - it was better with the beautiful xmas tree.
We stayed home for New Year instead of spending more time with
kids in Budapest - Alan caught a nasty viral throat infection with fever, being sick, the lot - so bit unlucky this time. Kids enjoyed spending time together and found a nice place for New Year's Eve, done useful things... and missed us terribly...
Anyways, Alan is nearly back to normal whatever that is, spending a few hours outside, taking the goats for walks, even though the weather turned proper winterish with serious under zero temperatures.
If I manage the pictures: they show the village from the middle looking both ways - the south facing roofs are red, the north facing ones are white which is groovy methink. And the yellow flowers that appeared on the plant we brought inside. Should catch the 3 geese of hours - I'll remember one day to show them.
Tons to read and watch, we managed to get wonderful presents again. Alan already finished "It's all Greek to me" and started on an Obama book; I finished Isabelle Allende's House of spirits and now am into "A thousand splendid suns.
We managed to finish up all the cakes and had quite a good go at the drinks...