Local activities in July

http://przystanek.pl/wydarzenia/19_przystanek_olecko.html

After The trip

I am exhausted after yesterday trip to Olecko. I need rest at least 3 days I think :)
And take better care of my animals. Today I found out, that 5 goats got scrambled together. I had to help them to release. Now they are okay. The stallion got his new spot as well. He is fine after the grovermina, so now I can give it to mares aa well without fear.

The strawberry ride

We went to Olecko by bikes. Our aim was to make some essential shopping and hang up around Olecko. It was peculiar trip ;) When we were passing by a field with strawberries, we sensed the sweet, intense, nice strawberry scent and I decided to buy some strawberries for us.
I went to the owner of the strawberry field and asked to sell me 1kg strawberries. Instead, he gave me 3kg. He said it was 3kg. But he didn't have with him the scales, so he just poured the strawberries from a box. It felt like 5kg while I was carrying them in my rucksack.

We went to visit 7 shops while I was trying to find the things we needed.
Mick was grumbling that he would take a book with him if he knew how much time the shopping would last :) It was he, who was usually left with our bikes and the shopping outside, while I was penetrating shops in search of needed things :)

When we got hungry and were after basic shopping which needed to be done before 4 or 5 p.m. since most shops are closed at that time - we went to eat our dinner.

After eating we continued the shopping. We went to petrol station to buy some petrol for my chainsaw. By the way Mick pumped the bikes's wheels using the equipment located at the petrol station.

Then, on our way home, I have decided to do the final shopping. I meant to buy some food mainly, but in the  supermarket they had some nice goods in the friendly prices to which I really coudn't resist, so I bought them. It was a toaster, a ventilator, some colourful plates perfect for pancakes and beautiful and healthy snake plant about which I dreamed before. Apart from that I also bought some food as well. When Mick saw the the amount of shopping I have done he was really shocked, because we really didn't have much place on our bikes and in our rucksacks.

When he saw the snake plant - he burst out of hysterical laughter. But I am a perfectionist in packing, so we managed to locate everything in safe and comfortable way, including the snake plant :)))

The way home was okay, but the backpacks were bloody heavy. We had to do some stops on the way home to rest from the weight and to drink some water or eat some strawberries.


to be continued... ;)

Mick

Mick is the best helper which I have ever hosted here. I wish he could stay here longer! He is very helpful person, eager to tackle with any task which comes to be done. He has both technical skills and doesn’t strive away from any hard physical labour. And he is a total gentleman! Nice, cultural person to deal with. And what’s more he cares for me! He doesn’t want to leave me without fixed kitchen tap :) I am very lucky to have him here around! Thank you from bottom of my heart! :) You are awesome person :)

Gone with the wind

The canopy is gone - the strong wind have taken it away while we were having breakfast under it in front of the house :) We had to evacute ourselves inside the house, because suddenly a rain arrived. So we took our plates in our hands and ran away as fast as we could. It was yesterday.

I sow some new vegetables and moved electric fence a bit. We milked 3 goats this time to have more milk for pancakes.

I am planning to do some more gardening, but as the heater started to work again, first I took hot bath and relaxed for some time in the bathtube.

Yesterday horses tried to get into the garden. It would be disaster if they would succeed. So expanding new territory for them is a must, although they have there enough grass to eat, just they like the meadow next to the vegetable garden.

Today for breakfast we had pancakes, at dinner we will have curry chicken with brocoli and young potatoes.

At supper? I don't know yet. Maybe I will try to bake a cake or sweet bread and serve it with home made apple jam.

The air is very warm and humid. I am so sweat right now. It’s so hot and walk across high nettles is challenging a lot. I think I will need another bath this day. I am spreading electric fence over new area and Mick is securing chicken coup, this time around the metal net which has too big holes, so it needs to be covered with more dense plastic net.

The canopy

The days are so full of different activities, that I don’t have time and energy to write posts, but I try :) At least I try to write :)

Today I took out my new canopy which I bought last year but didn’t have chance to use it and asked Mick to install it. It is standing now giving in hot noons some shadow. We want to install it to house wall to make it more stabile. Also Mick continued today with nets in chicken coup collar. The nets are nearly stretched. Tomorrow they should be ready and I will be able to let poultry graze there safely. We need eggs! And in order to have them, hens need eat well lots of fresh green grass and worms.

I have repaired the wire in orchard where stallion eats grass and made breakfast and cooked lunch for us. This time it was chicken soup with vegetables, chickens and groats with tomatoes. Dessert – pudding and jelly. For supper we have eaten sandwiches with vegetables and egg.

Mick repaired heater cable, so tomorrow hot bath. I have prepared bread for baking. Tomorrow morning we will have fresh, warm bread.

After supper we went by bikes around the area. We cycled several kilometres across 4 villages. It was nice trip. We checked if my bikes are okay and they are okay. They are ready for longer trips. Mick says, that while he was cycling across France and Spain he was able to cover distance of 100km daily. For me it is too much, but 40-50km I can do daily.

Securing chickens

Today in the morning we first milked a goat and then went with Mick to cut some bushes in the orchard. For breakfast we had sandwiches with ham and tomatoes, some tea. For lunch I cooked mince cutlets, cabbage and rice. For dessert - jelly. After lunch Mick stretched net over the chicken collar. We took a heavy garden table out of stable and put it in front of the house to have meals here. I have stretched an electric tape to protect us from curious horses. Yesterday Mick cultivated a piece of garden, for lunch we had pigeons, for supper muesli with goat milk. Mick cleaned the chimney, so I could cook the dishes over the kitchen stove. The weather improved, it would be good to go for a bike trip to nearby lakes. Before we go, Mick wants to finish stretching the net and I would like to repair the electric wire next to the young stallion.

A grumpy kid

I have arranged a lift for an Estonian man from Tartu in Estonia to at least Suwałki in Poland and he still was not happy and complained! So I have got irritated and told him not to come. Then he sent me his angry 4 paragraph letter and has written a post at his blog :)))) hahaha... Gee... Innitially he was to come here by hitchhiking. And I made to him easy coming here by arranging the lift. And he, instead of be happy and thankful was still whining! Grrr... What a grumpy kid!

Soaking feet

Yesterday we had with Mick special evening :) Mick had idea to use my two new yellow bowls for soaking our feet :) so, we poured hot water into the bowls, sit at the kitchen table and enjoyed Irish music and soaking our feet while drinking tea :) It was very simple, but joyful thing to do :) I think I like Irish ballads...

The worst day ever

Today happened the worst day in my life. People say, that unhappy events walk in pairs. That’s true, at least today. Two extremely negative things happened today to me. Although the Tarot predicted them, I hoped that it had been wrong. Unfortunately hadn’t. What was predicted weeks ago, just happened today. I even don’t have force to cry anymore. I am so overwhelmed with the unhappiness, that I have stopped reacting. I stay calm, peaceful and try to accept what has happened. I know, I couldn’t prevent it. It was written to happen. Such fate.

The flight

I have one person on my mind today... Something finished, before it really started... I feel so sorry, sad and a bit philosophical... what next?

This morning no Sun. Grey sky, wet grass, some shower. I think it will be good day for gardening - making new vegetable beds, sowing and planting some plants. Mick will help me with it, as his hand is soar and he cannot continue his task in the woods.

I have tried to hide my tears before my guest while I was smiling to him this afternoon while preparing breakfast for us. It was late breakfast. I stood up at 11 at noon. Now he went to do some gardening and soon I am going to join him. The life goes on. I cannot let myself fall into depression. But this day my eyes are wet. I hope he cannot notice that.

Monday

Monday is not that sunny like sunday was. At night was raining... Today for breakfast we had tropical muesli with bananas. We milked one goat for the milk. At lunch I have prepared fried chicken with cabbage and boiled potatoes. Now sjesta :))) I need some rest before I go to dig the garden :) Mick is reading the English speaking novel which I have lent out to him. I will have a nap and later take care of the garden.

Too sleepy!

Today I planned to go with Mick to try some fishing, but after eating lunch, I fell asleep and now I am still so tired and sleepy! The weather is great, hope it will last longer. Certainly we will go to fish, but not today. At least bicycles are okay – Mick checked them. So we can go for some trips around the area. I think first we will go to visit some nearby lakes. Hopefully the sunny weather will last longer... Today I am really too tired to go anywhere except to bed! Mick is writing his diary outside having benefit from nice, warm, sunny weather. But I need to rest! I don’t know why I am so sleepy!

The tropical pan cakes a la Isabelle

I have made special pastry for my experimental tropical pan cakes. The pastry consist of:
Goat milk
eco eggs
sliced bananas
tropical muesli
some suger and a bit of salt

I have put the pastry to fridge. When we be hungry – I will fry wonderful pan cakes :) I am sure, Mick will be happy to eat them. He likes pan cakes, and these pan cakes will be fabulous... :)

We have eaten the pan cakes with ice creams :) With ice creams were even more delicious :) Mick also have taken more grand salad, as he likes it very much :) After working outside we have great appetite :)

The grand salad

For breakfast I made grand salad. It was big and delicious.
For the salad I used:
boiled young potatoes
beautiful and tasty eco eggs from my happy hens (they have orange yolks!)
onion
fresh tomatoes
fresh milfoil
salt, pepper
Polish mayonnaise

A summer shower

Today a summer, delicate shower. Mick is cutting wood in my forest, I am about to milk a goat and to extend pasture for horses and then to dig garden in order to sow more vegetables. I am wondering what to cook for dinner. For lunch Mick wanted pan cakes, so I will fry pan cakes :)

Mick liked the pan cakes. He said, that tasted better than Irish pan cakes, so I am glad :))) For the pan cakes I used:
goat milk from my goat
eco eggs from my eco hens
flour
some sugar
a bit salt
a bit of rape oil

For dinner I have prepared fish:
fried fish
fried champignons
fried onion
boiled young potatoes
fresh tomato salad
wine

Everything was highly delicious and my guest have eaten everything with great appetite.

I hope for some more fish, as a friend invited us to fish at his lake. I hope we will be able to catch at least 3 nice fish :)

Irish birthday

Yesterday, exactly at my birthday arrived grand Irishman. We spent the whole day and evening together, talking, eating, drinking and laughing. I love his Irish accent! He speaks naturally very fast with Irish accent which is quite challenging for my understanding his English, but I can understand fairly well, just need to focus more.

Mick is very cheerful, open, heartful and generous person. It's great to have him around. Today we went to my forest to cut some wood for the fence and to bark poles. He is very good with his hands. He is hardworking, full of good energy person. While I was preparing dinner, he started to learn Polish language and I have taught him a few words and expressions, also we trained typical Polish sounds like "ć","ź","ż","ą","ę","c","dz" which made us laugh a lot, since in his language he doesnt have these sounds and his pronunciation was very funny, but after some trials we managed to have satisfactory results... We will continue tommorrow :)

Before storm

I have planned to do some gardening today, but first I went to the old stable to cover the whole over the hen pan in order to prevent one smart hen against escaping from the hen box. My vegetable garden is not secured against the poultry, so hens tend to go there and eat my seeds and destroy young seedlings. Now, since the poultry is shut due to fox attacks – the garden seems to be secured. Only this one smart hen was using the whole over the hen pan to get outside. Now she cannot. I have covered the whole with some wooden sticks.

Being in the attic over the damaged stable – I removed a pile of bricks. The stable is in a very bad condition. It should be demolished. I will have lots of building material usable for extending my house and repairing roofs over my house and the other stable. It should be enough material to build small hen pan and a shed or veranda.

Then I went to visit my young stallion Dagonett. He lost his halter, so I found it and put on back on his head. At first he opposed, but then I have manage to pu on the halter on his head. I was considering purchase of an arabian horse, but it seems that I don't need anymore. The young stallion's grandfather and grand grandmother were arabians and now their Arabian features prevailed. It looks like I have got one Arabian in my herd of horses :) He will be great for long distance rides :) He is also highly intelligent and friendly creature. Like Arabians which used to sleep with their masters in their tents some hundreds years ago...

Permaculture applied

Today I moved the mobile electric fence further to open new grass sector for my horses to graze in young orchard. My horses eat the grass very precisely, so I don't have to cut the grass in the orchard. That's great, because I don't have a tractor to do it ;)))

So, I cut the grass in the orchard in the most natural way - by my alive eco mowers :))) They do it much better than any machine would do it, especially if the area is hilly.

So, since my horses cut the grass in the orchard instead of me - I have some time to sow some vegetables in my garden.



As far as recycling is concerned, I used net from bale of hay to secure my garden against poultry and hairs as well as against goats and dogs.

In order to build fast fence around my new garden - I used plastic mobile fence and electric wire plus the net.

Yesterday I had to shut poultry in the hen pan because a fox killed another hen. Besides hawks started to fly around again. So my poultry is not safe outside anymore. They were so happy to graze so far away from my settlement, but now it's over. I specially feel sympathy for geese who love so much to swim in ponds and stream. But the fox is cheeky enough to attack them there as well during day and in my presence.



I have built a poultry-run next to the hen pan, but it's busy now with seedlings and besides the net is not dense enough so hens can get out, so I will need to use there also the net from bale of hay. What's more, hens can be attacked by hawkes from air, so first I need to stretch there a net over the place. I have bought it last year. It's time to use it. I hope some of the volunteers would help me with it. An Irish and Scottish men are comming soon, also Estonian, so we will be able to stretch the net fast...

Later I went to the nearby village to do some shopping and order the birthday cake for my birthday :) I did the shopping in the little village shop, but the cake I ordered at Library :))) The librarian can make really delicious cakes. I tried them a couple of weeks ago and decided to order the nut and cream cake. It is just awesome! I know, maybe I should bake the cake personaly, but this time I decided to order it. I am busy with gardening all day every day and besides the libriarian salary is not big, so I prefer to pay for the woman so she will have some extra money and I will not have to bother with baking the cake - I prefer to take care of the garden and my animals...

I dream about new saddle :)

Soon my birthday :) As the birthday present I would like a new, comfortable and safe saddle good for riding long distance rides... :)

Meantime I continue the work in my vegetable garden. Today is windy, so I cannot sow very tiny seeds. This is why I sow the biggest seeds which I have :)