Saturday 26 September 2015

The lit candle, grubby yarn, and a happy cow.....

 
I like to get up early, between 5.30 am to 6.30 am.
I love the quiet of the morning, when the day is waiting to wake up and I am too.
To nudge me into wakefulness I go straight into the sitting room, light a candle, say a few words to the Universe, such as 'Please help me get the best out of this day', or some such depending on the mood of the moment.
 

The little candle alcove is between the door and the bookcase, and in front of it sits my spinning wheel. So to continue to help ease myself into the day I sit and spin for 10 minutes, or perhaps longer if I have a mind not to want to tackle the day any time soon.
 
 
I am working on what is supposed to be a white fleece. It is really mucky and short haired, so I have to concentrate really hard to keep the yarn flowing evenly off the fleece. If my mind wanders then the yarn keeps breaking, making this fleece good training for concentration.
 
I didn't do anything with the dye pot today. Needed some more canning lids as had the meat I cooked yesterday to get into the canner. Went to my local supermarket and they didn't have any, just a big gap where they should have been. I have the sense of an era passing. That this supermarket chain does not want to give shelf space to DIY food processing equipment. Times are changing even down here in the south west lands of France. But at least the SuperU supermarket down the road still stocks canning equipment, for the moment. I think I must source these lids online, and buy in quite a stock of them because canning can't be done without them as they seal the jars down tight.
 
Righty ho, .... and the veg plot jungle:
 
 

..... and buried in amongst this lot of green madness should be a row of bush beans.....
 
 

 
..... and there were! They are in the small bowl, the other beans are from the climbing beans.
 
And what better activity to do on a lovely sunny day, but sit and shell those climbing beans.
 
 
Not a huge harvest, but better than none. They will be put into canning jars later on.
 
 
Lester prepping a small patch of the veg plot with his 'falling apart' rotovator. Normally we would do a retreat from the veg plot once the harvests are in, leaving the space to go its own way over the winter. But this year I thought we should have a go at growing winter veg, and be 'all year round' veg plot gardeners, rather than 'fair weather' gardeners.
 

First 'proper' cabbage we have grown since we got here (7 years). Normally they either have succumbed to lack of water, or have been eaten into oblivion by caterpillars or slugs, or have gone past their best and rotted. But not this one!
 
And .... "Bonny, would you like to share a leaf of the cabbage with me?"
 
 
"No.........."
 
 
" Lissie, perhaps you would to share a leaf with me?"
 

"Oh yezzzz pleaseeeee"
 

 
Another priceless moment.
 
Time to end the day now,
Bye for now,
 
Vx
 
 
 

10 comments:

Ohiofarmgirl said...

that is a terrific cabbage! great work :-) i get most of my canning supplies from Amazon. it's just easier that way. however, if i take a trip into Amish country i can get tons of stuff for a good price. look forward to your progress on the winter garden. will you use row covers? or you dont freeze there?

Cro Magnon said...

I should think they were out of lids simply because everyone is preserving at the moment. It won't be long before it's Paté time, so get plenty in.

I'm doing the same with my patch. I try to kid myself that come Spring it will remain weed-free and ready for planting. Some hope!

Kerry said...

Love your cows, one fussy, one not enjoying the cabbage. Our greens haven't been successful either, bolting, being eaten, black mould etc. Our neighbours advice was don't bother, as they are hard work. What winter veg are you growing?

DUTA said...

Lovely cabbage! Good shots of Bonnie and Lissie!
With me, getting up early or late depends on the time I went to bed. Anyway, I start my day with thanking God for renewing my chance to live and say some prayer asking for a good, successful day.

Vera said...

OHIOFARMGIRL, I shall look at Amazon for canning supplies, and do feel the need to build up a stock or lids and jars just in case I have difficulty with buying these in the future. Ah, Amish country! Now that is a place I would love to visit! As for the garden, we don't have dreadfully low temperatures here, but did once a few years ago.....so I shall keep an eye on the weather forecast and pop some row covers on if necessary.

CRO MAGNON, perhaps that is the reason why the lids are selling out! Nice to think that there are lots of other people locally who are still preserving food. Hope your veg patch does not get too overgrown this winter...... hope ours doesn't either!

KERRY, I have put in broad beans, (would not grow them in summer because of the black fly problem they have), we also have some brassicas of various types, which I planted in early summer, and I am going to put in some onions and garlic, plus some winter growing salad leaf vegetables. Our cabbages have done well, only because they had coriander, flowers, and weeds, growing so strongly around them that the butterflies could not get to them!

DUTA, ...you pray with similar words to me then. Never feels right when I get up late and am not able to make that prayer!

PioneerPreppy said...

Now that's funny. We got one ewe named Hazel who LOVES cabbage leaves. Most of the others won't touch em but she goes ape over them.

Rhodesia said...

Sorry I have had visitors so am way behind in blogging!! Love your photos and your spinning fascinates me. Making space now in our veggie garden for the winter crops as well. Takecare Diane

Vera said...

PIONEER PREPPY, I suppose that animals have their own likes and dislikes, which just shows that they are as individual beings the same as us humans are!

DIANE, glad you are OK. You were kind enough to send me, via email, a list of winter vegetables a couple of years ago, and this is what has inspired me to get some in this year! Thank you for that list, and thank you for inspiring me. Vx

Le Pré de la Forge said...

"just a big gap where they should have been."....
there has been a "rupture" in supply....
apparently, due to a bounty year in plums, apples, quinces, peaches, etc...
all the preserving stuff has been flying off the shelves....
more people are canning/bottling than ever before!!
Thought you needed the reassurance!
Keep on potting,
Tim

Vera said...

TIM, oh so that is why the local supermarket is running out of supplies! Thanks for the reassurance, and I shall indeed 'keep on potting'!