antique treasure

no, not Alan, but the lamp he found last Sunday walking Pécs market. Man said it was from a synagogue, I think it is small for that, and internet info says was used for sabbath at homes. It is a whale-oil lamp, if you believe the catalogues anyway, he is chuffed. Well, the new season got here, stays around 10C during the day, but dismal rain&wind stopped. Should break wallnuts, hunt down still occuring figs and raspberries, process black reddish (can be used like kohlrabi as well as reddish for salad) and chard still going strong, as is amazingly paprika in the poly-tunnel. but I feel like not doing anything today, got a good book on kindle... fire is going, heating is going, curry in the fridge. I am comfy and I'm fed up with all this produce looking at me accusingly. Next weekend we are off to Budapest and to Milnrow, returning around the 17th nov, if you won't hear from me.

a day in the life...

a bit dark and rainy for the last two days, but warm - upto 20 during the day - it was 30 earlier in the week, when short-term wwoofer Miki Szilárd did lots of good works, did not let me do any dishes, alltogether lovely - 34 years old (like some other people) and our first Swiss, speaking good english with a delightful french accent. Even daddy liked him and told him he can come back. and was more left wing than us!! A rare occurrence. Oh, before I forget, Szondzs, we decided to stay home for New Years, to let you be for a few weeks... and the local do wasn't too bad last year. Have I mentioned, that Erika was duly re-elected 110:53 very good turnout us Kiskassa democrats... collected about a kilo figs, (got wet because the trees are junglish and were wet from rain) half kilo paprikas and 3 raspberries this morning... 23rd will be a 4 day weekend here, two sheep will make it to the freezer. probably into Erzsi's as this one is full. The one in the other house broke down a few months ago poor thing, it was a good sweedish make must have been at least 40 years old, bought it re-conditioned when in Hallcroft Gardens. taking cats to Siklós vet second shot of inocs this evening. If we can catch them. Very good hunters, they are now all over the place. Cirmi will be really large. thinking about leaving them out at night, they not keen coming in, even around midnight, they come in for a cuddle, sniff the food and off they shoot if we don't close the door quick enough.

october raspberries extra

here is the evidence, going on the breakfast porridge to accompany the tablets...

pick of the day

Can those city people identify the three different things I collected a couple of minutes ago? Otherwise see duck family, goose nest and pumpkin still-life. I have a bad cold, we had to call of our trip, sadly.

midweek extra

The other day we were surprised, with the missing muscovy, walking about proudly with 7 newish duckling following in line!! It seems, there was a secret laying and sitting location - good enough to be hidden from us and from the foxes. Also discovered in the sheep pen a neat goose nest with two giant eggs in it. So how come the sheep haven't stepped in it?? Alan now made a little frame around it, so this cannot happen in the future either, we have less sheep to do any trampling, as big mummy sheep and the bigger of the now adut lamb, gone visiting the daddy sheep in Újpetre.It is very late in the year for laying eggs, if a goose don't sit on them in a week, we have to eat all those eggs... Also we have little rabbit escapades, it turns out, it is a design-fault in this locally supplied special rabbit cage. Kittens having a good time giving them a chase at times - they are mostly on the front lawn, very idyllic scene... we catch them periodically with Lois's long serving Miscellaneous Animal Catcher and Holder Device (Macho for short) There was the village meeting last night - Erika a nicely and cleverly screened a little docu about her period as mayor - lots of good stuff happened in spite of the dire economic climate and special screwing of little powerless, poor villages. (I listed most of them in the blog). Afterwards nobody contributed, asked, moaned!! They were sitting there like schoolchildren in front of a frightening teacher! I think this is good for Erika - nobody could find anything to pick on her (in public at least) The one opposition candidate Gyuszi, the shopkeepers' husband, truckdriver and shopworker a few days a week - sat there like the others not saying a dickybird. He is a kind, popular man, but totally unsuitable for the job, I have no idea why he is standing, never mind. Hopefully, the villagers won't be stupid enough to vote for him (except his fairly large circle of relatives) Election on the 12th, watch this space. There are a better selection of candidates for rep than last time, even if yours truly is not standing...