Not A Paper Day

For today I have planned to do papers. I have some urgent correspondence to which I have to answer fast. I am glad that there are no city whores under my roof who would comment in this way: “She spends all day in front of computer instead of farming”. Some city idiots have too small brains to imagine that farming includes also doing papers. Specially since we joined EU which produces lots of paper requirements.

But first part of the day I spent mainly outside. I milked goats and took them back to the orchard to let them graze on weeds. Horses are in another orchard. I brought them some oat there. They love it. Also geese love oat. 
I have given them as well. My Cat and dog were given milk.

I also collected some vegetables. I don’t have them a lot, but enough for me and eventual guests. For winter may come 3 men. A Greek, an American and a Jude maybe. We’ll see. The American is nice. The Greek too fussy I think so I hesitate whether to host him or not? 

I have cut some fruit trees branches and brought them to the yard. But now I don’t have time to remove all leaves from them and cut them into small pieces and plant them. I need to take care of the documents. I have two deadlines. I also need to make dinner and take a bath since I am sweat.

I switched my current on in the electric fence and it is quite strong which is good. The horses should stay in the orchard without any problem. They have there enough food. But I need to check the west fence there. Maybe was broken by deer or boars. 

Today for dinner I am going to cook pumpkin, eggs, potatoes... and maybe beetroot’s leaves soup for tomorrow? I will see. I am a bit tired now. 

Today finally I have found cheap enough fruit tree protectors, but unfortunately I don’t have money to buy them now. Anyway – I have bought by now 30 protectors. Maybe it will be enough for now. I don’t have so many trees like before. Unfortunately... ;(

Unfortunately after long day work I was too tired to take care of papers... I took bath and went to bed to collect seeds from pumpkin.

Online Shopping

I have made some essential farm shopping online. 30 tree protectors, 500 bags for grain which I am going to use as a tree protectors because they are much cheaper than original tree protectors, besides they enable straw application which is needed for winter time. By the way I bought gloves for roses. And I bought also new scales, because my previous one got broken during weighting. 

A Big Shopping

I am very glad :) I have bought lots of oat, wheat, potatoes and some bailey :) I have bought: 800kg of oat, 500kg of wheat, 700kg of potatoes, 100kg of bailey. Huge shopping :D A bulk shopping :) My house is full of grain and potatoes :) I hardly can move here ;))). But my animals and I are secured for the winter and even for all year :) Well, still I need some hay and straw. But I have already made an appointment with my new supplier... :) He is great... A farmer from Podlasie :) He was very nice to me :) I think, I like him :)

A Small Shopping

I went to nearby village to bring there plastic rubbish (there are special containers for segregated garbage), to buy chicken, plums and to chat with one local gardener about gardening. He is an experienced gardener and has lots of plants in his garden. A shop assistant was surprisingly very chatty about gardening as well, so I stood there patiently for 20 minutes until she finished talking. Nice girl. Maybe I will swap some plants with her. 

She told me something interesting. Local villagers – these ones who live in Sokółki in block of flats or  houses – they usually grow their own vegetables in their little gardens. Big farmers, who own lots of land and cows – every second of them doesn’t have a garden and he prefers to buy vegetables in the village shop. It’s surprise to me, since they have got so many modern agricultural machines, that they could easily make a garden for themselves. But they don’t. Probably busy with mass production of milk or meat have no time for it. Or maybe they are too lazy to work in their own gardens after working all day with their animals and fields. 
Anyway – I didn’t know the local market structure looks like that. I was rather thinking that it’s opposite. I thought that the villagers from block of flats don’t have their own vegetables and buy in the shop. Well, I thought that, because I saw some of them buying vegetables in the shop. But maybe it changed recently? Or maybe not all of them have gardens or are eager to grow there their own vegetables?

Then I visited a local gardener and bought from him plums for seeds. I need lots of seeds.

My plantation is destroyed and I have no money to buy new trees, so at least I try to grow fruit trees from seeds and branches. I also collect young wild fruit trees. But digging them up is very time consuming.

The seedlings I have made are okay. Looks okay. I hope, they will survive until spring and willl grow well. Some of them I have planted around month ago, some just recently. They need at least a month - a warm month to develop roots. I am not sure if I should leave them outside or bring them inside. I have decided to bring them inside and keep them in basement. I need over 600 fruit trees. If my seedlings grow, I will save lots of money and will have very various, local species. Local species are proof to frost much more then these ones from the south of Poland. 

It’s cold today. Not very cold, but much colder than a couple of days ago. I think I should start burn wood in the oven. Also I don’t have gas to cook fast some dishes. I need to start the oven which is annoying, since it doesn’t work properly. Before it starts work – I will have clouds of smoke everywhere. 

I brought from the village a chicken. I think I will back it in a special prodiż together with potatoes. It would be much faster than waiting for oven to be hot enough for cooking dinner. I need to start the oven anyway, but maybe I will do it tomorrow morning after cutting some apples and plums for the jam. 

While coming back from the village this time I was walking instead of driving a bike and I was collecting seeds and branches for seedlings. Now the branches are here, in the yard, but it’s already very dark and cold, so I will make seedlings from them tomorrow. Tomorrow I cannot move anyway, since I am waiting for potatoes and oat delivery. I have to be at my yard, so I will take care of the branches tomorrow. 

Mistake?

I am all in tears. They took away one of my dogs. It’s because of that two bloody lesbians. The enemies. Traitors. Dog Satja gave birth today and was very thin after that. Vet inspectors who suddenly came today asked me what I am going to do with the puppies. I didn’t know. I cannot afford buying so much food for so many dogs. They assured me that the dog and her babies will have great care and lots of food in the shelter. I have enough food for two dogs, but not for nearly 10. Vet visit was surprise to me. I was so confused. I agreed first to give away the dog because of her numerous puppies. Before she was taken I gave her a big bowl of milk, fresh bread and a pot of jam because gas is over and I couldn’t cook rise today.

The car from shelter came. There was nothing inside for puppies transportation. I was afraid that they will die during the transport. The dog started to bring babies outside the car. She didn’t want to go! :( Suddenly I felt sorry for her. She didn’t want to go! Here is her home! I started to cry. But I had signed the papers. I had agreed to give them away. I had to give them away now... The men who came to take the dogs said, that she will be adopted for sure, because she is lovely. I know she is lovely. I told them that I want her back after she will feed babies. In two months. She is in Giżycko now. In the shelter. I don’t have a car. It will be problem for me to go there and bring her back. Maybe I shouldn’t give her away? Maybe I should keep her here while she is feeding puppies? But what with the puppies after two months when they grow big and bigger? This all happened too quick. I didn’t have time to think it over. The vets, exactly one female vet who was enchanted by my horses urges very much on issuing papers for my youngest horses. They will be described and will get passports soon. Horses, goats, poultry, the other dog and cat are fine. Very fine. The vet inspectors have written this in their protocol. Satja also was fine, but after giving the birth was very thing. I didn’t know that she was pregnant. She should get twice as much food than the other dog. And she should eat medicine against worms. Now I have just one dog. The most aggressive one. Very good defending dog. Satja was too mild. Too calm. Maybe let her be adopted by someone from a city? She would have good, warm place to live and lots of good food. Here she had freedom. Here was her home. But my dogs were fighting with each other. Maybe let her be adopted by someone from a city? If she will be missing me, maybe she will run away and come back to me? If she will, I will not let her to be taken away never again. 

I am still in emotional shock. I am still confused. I don’t know if they did right thing taking her away from me. I am not sure if I did right thing letting them to do it. I am totally confused. Now I think that I have 3 litre of milk everyday, rise supplies for next couple of months – enough to feed the dog mum and even her babies. But what later to do with the puppies when they became dogs? At shelter at least they have shelter and lots of food. The shelter is financed by county or state and they can afford to feed all dogs very well. But I feel I did mistake. I shouldn’t let them take her away :((( I am so sorry now... :((( I am shaking now...

Voices

Since some days, I don’t know exactly from when because I didn’t pay much attention to it – I hear new voices.
I thought it was a bird singing. But recently I have learnt that beavers also make such birdlike noises. They whistle. So this sound which I am hearing maybe is just beaver’s whistling? I could see many beaver’s traces in the grass. It looks like my beavers are very active and are able to come very near my settlement. 
Right now I am also hearing a whistling... Very close to the house... It looks like they are everywhere...
I feel a little bit like surrounded by zombies :) Beavers come up only at night. And it’s night. Very late night.
The biggest beaver can have even up to 140cm length. It would be scary to meet such one in my yard at night ;)

Reading Evening

I am spending the evening reading funny short stories about travel traffic in Australia. Well written – and very interesting. So I can learn much about travellers without travelling and meeting them personally... The stories also taught me to be more careful with people. You never know to what they are really up to... ;)
Well, I have some my own experiences with travelling people.
I think the most important in this travel traffic is to remain yourself and don’t let others to fool you up. My farm, my house – my rules. Take it or leave it. It’s also important to express clearly basic rules before people come here. Other hosts have no problems with assertive expression what they expect from others. I also shouldn’t. Maybe I was sometimes too soft or shy. We have now generation alpha. Generation alpha rules. I should be more assertive and tough and clarify things before people come. Then such meetings should be okay and go smoothly. 

Poles

I had to take back horses from a meadow to which they got broken into. It is my meadow, but I want them to graze in orchard first. I have cut some poles for the fruit trees. Not many, because the chainsaw stopped working. But several. Anyway, now need to bring them to the orchard. Okay. Basement. Need to make space there for potatoes. And need to make a gate for the tractor coming across a field. A new cat is visiting my settlement since two days. It is wild, but I hope to tame it. I brought out some milk for him/her. I found more eggs today. Today I will eat pancake because I have already ready pastry for it, but at supper I will eat scrambled eggs.

I think I need to replant these plants to other spots. But rather next year - I have too much other tasks to do now.

Another Active Day

I think I am run out from titles for my posts ;))) 
Today I had another active day which I spent outside. The morning and noon was sunny and warm. I love it. I made some more seedlings, fed poultry dogs and cat, milked goats. I made some order in the stable. I took two goats closer to the house and installed them in the orchard to let them graze on the weeds which horses don’t like to eat. I collected some meant. Horses have eaten most grass in the apple and plum orchard. Only some places are left for goats now.

I wanted to go today to buy potatoes, but first need to make space for them in the basement and also make a gate for the tractor which is to come here through the field with the potatoes. First part of the day was so nice, that I preferred to spend it making seedlings outside in front of the house. The seedlings which I made before looks good. But those which were planted a day later after cutting branches don’t look so good, so next seedlings I will make after preparing containers or pots for them first. They should be planted instantly after cutting them. 
And I think it’s better to remove all leaves, but not always it is disturbing. Some seedlings which have leafs still look good. Maybe leafs help them to start grow roots? Maybe. I need to ask about it at a garden forum.

Now it’s raining and I can use this time for indoor activities. Just I am already tired and need to rest a bit. I also want to listen to some new novel taken from http://www.free-ebooks.net/

I have found a very interesting readings on the Internet which are opening my eyes for many social things and are reading them since hours... until the pain in my back :) I wish I could lie down and listen to it, but the thing is, I can understand better while reading by my eyes than listening to the text spoken by a native speaker. Specially automatic native speaker... ;)

An Active Day

I spent all day outside doing something active. I cut fruit branches and made seedlings from them.
I milked goats. I fed poultry, dogs and cat. I brought some more bricks and pots to make another raised vegetable bed. I moved an electric fence a bit. I made some order with branches lying next to the road. I checked meadows and one part of the river. I took some photos of beavers work. I made some arrangements with some people. Unfortunately I couldn’t buy hay and straw. The men with whom I was talking before didn’t call this time or were not present at home. I don’t like to loose my time. So tomorrow I am going to buy potatoes and make new windows to the stable. A friend of mine is to do the windows. I will need to pay for it to him. 
I could do the windows myself, but I am busy with other things and he is more experienced in such kind of tasks. Days go so quickly... I managed to read a bit about growing fruit bushes. I am using this knowledge in my orchard now. My young trees, these which survived looked decent now. I need to buy for them plastic protectors in order to protect them against hares and deer. It’s late now. I am a bit tired, but not so much. I need to read mail which was delivered to me by postman recently, but I don’t feel like doing this. Maybe tomorrow... but tomorrow is another busy day... hmmm... I am sleepy anyway and want to lie down :) I need to rest.

Some more seedlings.

My Beloved Beavers!

Since a year beavers nest at my land. They build dams at my inner river. Today I discovered another dam. It’s close to my garden, so fantastic – I will have good spot for taking water and bathing... Beloved beavers...

I cannot afford making my own fish pond, I mean deep enough to breed fish, but they did it for me!
I love my animals. They are the best my friends... The pond they created is deep enough for breeding fish...

A friend of mine visited me. Maybe he will move into my house for the winter... We’ll see...

Today I am reading about beavers. I prefer to know how to deal with them and what expect from them. They don't eat fish and even help to fish to survive in winter, because they make wholes in the ice, so fish can breath and survive. That's good. 

I found also an interesting fishermen forum. The men gathered there have amazing experience and  can be much help to me. I would like to learn how to fish... :)

Making more space

Today day is warm. Even very warm. I milked the goats, washed a pot, pour some boiling water in it and left it to rest. I went to one of the stables to see if there is enough room for hay and started to make more space. While being there, I discovered that Jeff left their rubbish. I got angry. The rubbish lay around in the stable. I told him not to bring there rubbish but he didn’t listen to me and did it against my will. Some helpers are really irritating. Now I have extra work with cleaning all the stable from the garbage. I got tired and sweat and returned home to rest a while and eat some plums. Now I am going to goats meadow to change position of some goats who need fresh spots to graze. I need to make new seedlings as well.

I have changed goats position and watered them. Now need to finish cleaning in the stable. I have taken most garbage, but there are some more lying around. I need one more bag for it.

Sleepy Sunday

I waked up and after making breakfast felt sleepy again. Fuck. I need to rest a while and go to prepare stables for hay and straw transport.

A Deal

A farmer called me. He wants me to teach him how to use internet. He said he will bring a bag of potatoes and some fruit trees and seeds for exchange. I said okay :)

Other farmer called. He said he wants to sell to me hay and straw in friendly price. We need transport because he lives a bit far away. It will be huge truck - up to 50 bales can be loaded on it. I wonder how much the driver wants for the delivery. I will know it tomorrow. It would be good to buy the hay and straw from the farmer. Good price and hay and straw in one transport from the same farmer. I want to buy 40 hay bales and 10 straw bales.

International Holiday Helper project

I am tired now. I spent first part of the day on my internet project and I am not going to spend any hour on it in this coming week – I have too much work outside and in the house. The other part of the day I spent on cooking and washing dishes. I have eaten a good dinner and now need to rest before I will go out to milk goats. I should milk them in the morning, but it was raining. Now is sunny again, but I am tired now. Need to rest at least a half of hour.

http://www.internationalholidayhelpers.blogspot.com/

Hunting For Winter Supplies

I AM GLAD. I managed to get 200kg of grain (wheat for the hens), 5kg common local plums (my intention is to extract from them seeds and plant them in my orchard), 4kg potatoes (my intention was to taste if I like them, because I was to make decision witch specie of two to buy in bulk amount for all winter), 150 strawberry seedlings (for my intended small plantation). My shopping was delivered to my farm for free! which is great thing and I am happy about it. This time the grain was weighed properly. I took my scales with me and wanted to use them at the seller shed where he keeps the grain. They didn’t agree for it, but he put more grain to the bags than usually :) Their scale said it was okay. The man was slightly more generous and intended to put a bit more grain to the bags than necessary, but his wife was mean and she was making sure he didn’t put too much grain to the bags. But I think this time it was honest deal. I got also from the woman a souvenir: a small branch of 
grapes. Of course they contain seeds, which I am already extracting :))) I am great seed collector :D

Anyway, I am going to check one of these bags as well, just because I am curious if their scales is really okay working. This type of scale which they have is not precise. My scales are much better. I got also new elegant bags from the seller. I had to pay for them, but at least they are neat and I have my grain well secured in the bags. I left my bike at their shed and we went with the seller’s car to my farm and yard. He helped me to load the grain and other shopping to my house and I came back with him to take my bike and continue my ride to other villages in search of straw, hay, oat and other needed staff.

I continued hunting in two other villages. I was riding my bike of course, so it took some time and effort to get from one village to another, but the weather was great – perfect for riding bike so I enjoy it a lot. I had managed to repair the bike so I was able to use it this day, which was very helpful. 

In the third village I found a bit cheaper potatoes and cheap straw, so I am very happy about it. I made arrangement for delivery of the straw and potatoes. The villagers with whom I made appointment were very nice to me, specially the Mom. She was so generous, that she has given to me 5kg or more potatoes for free. Just to taste it if I like it before I buy bigger amount of the potatoes. While coming back, I collected two baskets of wild pears, which were lying along the village road. They are tasty and sweet and they have inside seeds, which I desire the most :) I am going to plant the seeds as well, in my pear orchard. So I returned with two full baskets of pears, potatoes and some tasty apples as well, which I collected by the road in other village. The apples are not only tasty, but also the seeds are easy to take them out, so I am glad. Now two days of space preparation for tomatoes and straw and on Monday I should get the straw and potatoes... What’s more, I got a phone number to a driver, who has big transport which will be good for hay delivery. I have found a farmer who has good hay, but he has no transport, so I need to hire one on my own. I hope it will not be too expensive... I made also appointment with the nice Mom for next year straw. I have already ordered from them 30 bales of straw... So the day was definitely successful :) I can rest now and enjoy my success :)

Making Winter Supplies

I already know where is proper grain and tomatoes. Now need to get transport and bags as bloody farmers who sell bulk amount of grain and tomatoes don’t care about bags. So now I, in order to buy some bags of potatoes and grain need to buy in the Internet 100 empty bags. What a shame! How annoying! 

While in the village I met my local ex helper and he told me where I can get all I need. Probably all I need. So it would be wise to visit the farmer and see if it’s true and if yes - make a deal with him. I need straw, hay, grain, potatoes.

My bikes are broken. I will have to walk there. It’s not so close. A few kilometres. I would like to go there tomorrow, but I made appointment with the villager about cutting the wood. Now I regret. I can cut the wood on my own. I don’t need him. And I don’t want him to be in my farm while I will be away. 

Honesty

I was curious if the villager from whom I buy grain is honest. I had impression he wasn’t so I used my scales to weigh grain which should weigh 25kg per each bag. Well, in each bag there was only 23 kg. I bought from him 5 bags, so I lost 2kg x 5 = 10kg of grain. 

I also weighed potato bag and this one was okay. I bought potato bag in a village shop.

Planting

I have planted 5 plum trees. It’s not many, but the soil is still hard to dig and I have other duties to do. There was just one rain this night. It’s not enough. The soil is still dry and hard. But if I manage to plant at least 5 trees a day, after 10 days I will have planted 50 fruit trees.

I have made an order with branches in the inner road. I have fed poultry and dogs, also cat. 
Now time to milk the goats.

Two villagers came. One of them wanted a piece of glass and door from me. I asked him if he wants to earn some money for helping me with cutting wood for the winter. He agreed to come and also to bring some wild fruit trees.

I have milked the goats and poured the milk through a strainer. I gave some milk to the cat.

A man from Orange called me to say, that I will get the Internet cable, but late.
If it is true – I will be able to resume my internet business and start making money.


.

My Tools

Looks like some my tools are missing. That’s it! I stop hosting so called volunteers. It’s enough.
Too much harm, too little help. And I hate to be robbed, specially by people who declared that they wanted to help. I collected my tools for years, often resigning from good food and eating very poor dishes – only to be able to buy tools and building materials. And I hate when I am robbed by bloody thieves. Also it looks like my towels are missing. I am not going to share my house with strangers. I feed them for free, let them use my house for free, I teach them every possible thing and bear their fussiness and yet they rob me. I hate it!
I can manage on my own and have no motivation to share my house with hostile unskilled strangers who pretend to be your friends.