Today we are singing a cheerful little song with no particular tune that goes:
"We love Yannick,
Yannick the mechanic
He comes and fixes our tractor
for nothing....."
God bless the likes of people like him.
I suspect also that he's aware our starter motor is a wee bit buggered and quite soon we are going to have to shell out a ruddy fortune. He did start this morning's fixing of the big orange with cries of "You are going to change your tractor soon?!"
Till then offer up prayers to the god of agricultural equipment and keep your fingers crossed.
Tuesday 31 January 2012
Sunday 29 January 2012
Wowsers it's parky.
It's astonishingly chilly today and my nose is dripping onto my electric secateurs as I prune. (oh so attractive, I can hear the voice of my Grandmother saying "oh heavens Cesca can't you write about something nice!").
Poor Granny died this week, after a lengthy decline, culminating in a brief recovery followed by a bust-hip and surgery. I think for most of us it's a relief that she's no longer suffering, and I for one have lovely memories of the good times we spent together recently. Altogether now....
So today, I stand in the icy-sunshine and remember her.
Poor Granny died this week, after a lengthy decline, culminating in a brief recovery followed by a bust-hip and surgery. I think for most of us it's a relief that she's no longer suffering, and I for one have lovely memories of the good times we spent together recently. Altogether now....
| "I had a duck-billed platypus when I was up at Trinity, With whom I soon discovered a remarkable affinity....." |
So today, I stand in the icy-sunshine and remember her.
Thursday 26 January 2012
Electric secateurs and pig slaughtering party.
Well we have electric secateurs and I love them. They have given me a new lease of pruning life. It helps also that I'm currently in the newer vines and they are so much easier to prune.
Anyway I love my secateurs they make pruning, maybe not a joy, but definitely more pleasant.
The less joyous thing this week was next doors having the "slaughter-a-pig-party" and my being outside whilst they did it. P and I were wrestling with roots out the front and I knew it was going to happen as the regular collection of cars turned up, the bench was wheeled out and I ignored it all, thinking I should not be so woosey.. I like bacon, what can I say. I just wish I hadn't turned round as the pig was being led towards to wall and wasn't liking it. I spent quite a while walking the vines with my headphones in breathing heavily through my nose. The earphones weren't quite enough to block out the moment itself either...
I could be vegetarian without too much grief... but then I also live in the least vegetarian country in the world. On the other hand, it had a good life, a pretty speedy death (tazor would have helped I feel) and they will use every single bit of it. Could the same be said of supermarket pork?
Anyway the secateurs are brilliant!
Anyway I love my secateurs they make pruning, maybe not a joy, but definitely more pleasant.
The less joyous thing this week was next doors having the "slaughter-a-pig-party" and my being outside whilst they did it. P and I were wrestling with roots out the front and I knew it was going to happen as the regular collection of cars turned up, the bench was wheeled out and I ignored it all, thinking I should not be so woosey.. I like bacon, what can I say. I just wish I hadn't turned round as the pig was being led towards to wall and wasn't liking it. I spent quite a while walking the vines with my headphones in breathing heavily through my nose. The earphones weren't quite enough to block out the moment itself either...
I could be vegetarian without too much grief... but then I also live in the least vegetarian country in the world. On the other hand, it had a good life, a pretty speedy death (tazor would have helped I feel) and they will use every single bit of it. Could the same be said of supermarket pork?
Anyway the secateurs are brilliant!
Friday 20 January 2012
The list is not decreasing...
Well after a sudden and unexpected trip to the UK for the past 10 days, I'm back and unsurprisingly the pruning is still needing to be done. Oh if someone could invent something to allow you to be in two different places at the same time....
On the plus side I now am stocked up on 5 lovely new (well from the library) audio books and will be pruning today whilst listening to 3 men in a boat.
Before then I need to get my French language hat back on as we're off to talk to another man about some piquets... it's the numbers which always beffudle me...
P is wrestling with the thing that cuts the roots of the vine so we can get the stumps out, but still I don't think we are going to accomplish January's tasks.
Nothing new there then!
On the plus side I now am stocked up on 5 lovely new (well from the library) audio books and will be pruning today whilst listening to 3 men in a boat.
Before then I need to get my French language hat back on as we're off to talk to another man about some piquets... it's the numbers which always beffudle me...
P is wrestling with the thing that cuts the roots of the vine so we can get the stumps out, but still I don't think we are going to accomplish January's tasks.
Nothing new there then!
Thursday 5 January 2012
Pruning...
It's that time again and as always I'm always surprised about how slow it is! Or rather how slow I am.
It's made a little easier this year as we've arrached a large proportion of the parcel over the road. It's also easier as last year, as opposed to three (yikes) years ago, we actually knew what we were doing. My choice of "numberone" latt is so much clearer and nearly always in a sensible position.
However the downside of decent pruning means I'm having to get the pruning saw out and hack big chunks of several very thick aged vines with all too, forearm aching, frequency.
I'm going to need more audio books... am on my second run through of "The Moonstone"... we're planning a swapping session with Mr R.
P has nearly finished the doors, just trying to shave off the bits that are stopping them shutting.
All is much the same, the weather however is shocking, with rain pissing relentlessly down and turning the whole of our land into a quagmire...and the wind it is a gathering momentum.
Mind you having seen what's happening to the uk, musn't grumble.
It's made a little easier this year as we've arrached a large proportion of the parcel over the road. It's also easier as last year, as opposed to three (yikes) years ago, we actually knew what we were doing. My choice of "numberone" latt is so much clearer and nearly always in a sensible position.
However the downside of decent pruning means I'm having to get the pruning saw out and hack big chunks of several very thick aged vines with all too, forearm aching, frequency.
I'm going to need more audio books... am on my second run through of "The Moonstone"... we're planning a swapping session with Mr R.
P has nearly finished the doors, just trying to shave off the bits that are stopping them shutting.
All is much the same, the weather however is shocking, with rain pissing relentlessly down and turning the whole of our land into a quagmire...and the wind it is a gathering momentum.
Mind you having seen what's happening to the uk, musn't grumble.
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