The English Paysanne

Sunday brought a bit of wind our way, continuing on through to last night. Monday was spent clearing a rather large tree which had come down from the corner of our field blocking the road another one came down next to it but thankfully landed the other way in our bottom field. In between moving tree branches and limbs farmer J was up the ladder re clipping the poly-tunnel plastic trying to keep it with us and not flying away. It was only later in the day we noticed the top of the trailer had some what slipped from the beams it sits on. This morning tiles had fallen during the night from the barn where some of our hay is stored. We have to wait to see what the wind speed was as the insurance is only covered if it was over 100 kms. Farmer J has managed to place the tiles back to keep out the rain. He now just has a bit of wood to pick up from down the road along with his right-hand woman.

We don't have a lot of opportunity for road rage around here, you just don't get the flow of traffic needed to get cross (apart from maybe the huge holiday mobile homes that only get driven once a year on small French rural roads.  So I've had to result to cheese rage,let me explain. Shopping is a rushed affair, usually in the order of after lunch drive into town, shop, out, back home, unpack, change clothes, animal routine. So at the cheese counter after taking my ticket (the only person in line) being glanced at by Mrs happy behind the cheese counter,being ignored by Mrs happy as she finishes her conversation with fellow charcuterie worker I got served. I only wanted a chunk of equivalent of cheddar, it was even pre cut and sealed so no work was really involved from putting on the scales pressing the label ticket and sealing it in a bag. Now I saw the price,  6,68 on the scales so didn't look again when it was handed to me. I didn't look at it when passin...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie An AWOL cow from the bottom of the hill found her way to our farm having a holiday this week she will be leaving tomorrow.

It really felt like a Monday today, with more heavy rain over the weekend it has been pretty wet and today the rain continued. First thing a chicken was found unable to walk, she is in the puppy crate at the moment resting, not sure she is going to improve it seems her legs have given up. With all the rain the barn which houses the chickens and ducks flooded one end. This means a very clean barn floor that Gorgon could eat his tea on and happy ducks. Those ducks are so happy with the amount of puddles and flowing water in the field there's no chance of them getting in that pond at the moment. Streams have also have been flowing from the top of the pig hill down to the road. Lots of mud and soggy pigs with only one sows cabin leaking, which was rectified they were all given straw to line their cabins. Having floors has helped keep dry unless they are like the two pigs at the bottom of the hill who are having great fun lifting up their floor (it is in two se...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie At nearly 48 years old I had my first bonfire . (and I used matches and paper not fuel like some around here)

Today was the last day for us delivery our Christmas pork and beef, last stop was Saint Antonin market where we swapped a box of beef for a turkey, a free range turkey that has been foraging on grapes at  a winery while it has been growing, we also got a couple of bottles of wine as well in the exchange which are now in the fridge. So now its time to take a breather, with big jobs now done we can start to enjoy the lead up to the festive period (cows and chickens still need to be cleaned out tomorrow and four enclosures of pigs moved) but things can slow down a little (the moving of pigs will be very slow i fear). Master C returned home this afternoon, just in time for beans on toast and hunt the Christmas tree. You see Farmer J, still in humbug mood (he will chill out very soon) was not prepared to pay for a tree this year so a trip over the woods was on the cards this afternoon (a treat for Connor, he doesn't know about the other jobs lined up for him...

Franklin is now much better, with his wounds healing nicely. Being able to put weight on his paw means he has been caught a few times this week sniffing out anything that may of been left on the work surfaces. Maude didn't come back, fearing the worst I think Mr Fox has been around so Mabel is now own her own wondering around. Caught on camera resting with our old duck I'm hoping they will pair up and be friends. I managed to get in the veggie patch which has major weeding issues, the weather has been dry and mild still so Jerusalem artichokes were dug up. It has been windy here on two fronts this week the weather one with incedible winds and the digestion type with so many fartichokes being eaten. I'm hoping I got them all but cant be confident that next year there will be more. Gorgons happy, he loves artichokes and I found a recipe from Mark Diacono book a Year at Otter farm which had artichokes as a magic ingredient, along with brand...

Like old men old dogs seem to get a bit grumpy. In Franklin's case his always been a little bit tetchy especially when it comes to touching his feet or if his woken up, turfed off the settee or not allowed on the bed. Milo is the least grumpy, most of the time he bumbles along without a care in the world or a care for anyone else. Tyser, who found us nearly six years ago now is getting to be the grumpiest giving a growl as both dogs pass him (he won't growl at Fizz, who puts a fear in him) this is becoming a bit of a problem as both Milo who is totally blind and Franklin now with cataract's cant see a big old dog in the dark. Franklin is no angel as he maybe winds Tyser up by barking to get him to move out of the way, who knows what goes through a dogs head, but something went through Tysers thats for sure. The problem came to ahead Saturday evening a week ago. Taking Tyser, off lead as he listens to me and Franklin, on a retractable lead (he would run a mile given...

Around this time each year, to coincide with Halloween, there is a village apple press, a fund raiser for the village school with Halloween activities for the children.  Everyone can bring their apples as long as they have not been treated with any chemicals. You can drop them off having had them weighed and noted, for each kilo of apple you get 500ml of juice. If you bring your own containers it costs 45 cents (for the new top and pasteurisation) or 85 cents for a new bottle and cap. This year we took part staying for the process. Around 5 years ago we scrumped around 90 kilos of apples to take along, where we also helped out bottling and capping, that juice comes out very hot and as we remember it was a very cold day (completely different from this years weather). We ended up with a lot of bottles of juice that lasted a couple of years, since then we hadn't participated as other things got in the way - lack of apples for one. We do have, or did have ...

Ten years ago the Stickler family left the UK travelling over the channel in convoy with one puppy, three guinea pigs and three rats. A truck load of stuff and a Fiat Brava (still going) crammed full for a new life in south west France.  We fell in love with the view and a small village, Najac in the Aveyron. No rush hours, no more stress and no more keeping up with the Jone's. A time to connect with the land and a slower pace of life. We brought a working farm with potential to have a couple of gites. We were not intentionally wanting a farm but a bit of land was on our wish list to have a few animals and a veggie garden. Farmer J still had his business in the UK where he flew back to during the week and spent weekends converting the milking barn into gites. With a corner of the barn falling down, a septic tank that left its position in the ground to roll down the hill an eccentric architect and a lot of stone moving the gites were built. Farmer J w...