keeping Chickens

The one  thing we have done almost from the beginning is keep  chickens. Up to now they have been mainly  kept for eggs. Some times we buy a few cockerels to fatten up for meat. Sometimes one of the girls ends up in the pot, not often though for two reasons; They are pretty scrawny, and they are funny. Yes I mean funny ha ha, they provide endless entertainment, despite being fairly stupid they often have big personalities and some have huge egos. At the moment they are pretty much free range, having the run of the garden. We keep them out of the orchard and away from my veg patch though, as they happily destroy every thing in sight, and therein lies the problem. Our slightly hippy totally  free range animal policy has proved to be impractical as probably any country dweller will tell you.
We did take on board some things, we generally don´t name our animals, dogs and cats excepted. You have to have certain frame of mind from the outset, generally animals must pay their way.We are not vegan so some will end up as a meal. A small holding, however small, is a farm, animals all have a job to do, sentimentality has to be kept to a minimum.
So back to chickens, the long term plan is to try and find duel purpose birds meat and eggs. This is a little out of sinc with our neighbours, all of whom eat chickens raised at home but tend to raise two varietities of bird and only eat cockerels (They do use old hens who no longer lay for making chicken stock.) Buying hens for eggs or cockerels for fattening up is easy here, There are plenty of shops selling young chickens and there is a livestock market 3 times a month.
Our current girls are a little long in thebeak and now lay infrequently so we have just bought three more who will join them shortly. In the spring we will add a new cockerel and start looking for a larger breed of bird. Steve has named the new chicken run Stonehenge and has it well under way.

 This is Stonehenge under way, not a great photo,but its gives the idea.

These are the new girls, living in the broody coop for the time being.

Three important rules for introducing new chickens into the flock.

1. Always introduce more than one at a time. A single bird will get badly bullied and may never integrate.

2. Always keep them separate for a few weeks, they may be ill(you don´t want your current flock infected) and they need time get used to you and their new environment. We gradually let them spend time with the other chickens in the daytime before putting them in the same coop.

3.Put them in with  the others in the dark, and try and make other changes at the same time, clean the coop, introduce new toys, rocks, and a big bowl green veg to the run. This distracts the current flock and means than they have other things to focus on.

Remember chickens can be really mean.

I will let you know how it all goes.

Sign of the times

My blogging activity for the last few years has been much reduced. The reason for this is that the days had acquired a kind of rhythm , nothing remarkable seemed to happen. I seemed to blog more and more about the weather, I have felt guilty because we apparently have made little progress toward anything. Of course I could go on, but best to skip to what has changed.
I feel that the world around me has changed. We have had Brexit, we will soon have Donald Trump every day I read new stories that scare me, or make me feel ashamed, or angry or upset. Though actually nothing much has changed yet for me there is now the potential for change, over which I will have little or no control. Then one day I woke and realized that somehow, I had changed, finishing the house is no longer a priority, though I hope that we will. But making our lifestyle more self sufficient, reducing our dependence on actual money (rather than finding ways to make more) has moved up the list. As before nothing is going to physically change straight away, it can't. One of us needs to work outside the home to pay the bills, At least at the moment that is possible. we have too little prepared growing space, and too few animals for the garden to become a small holding over night. Steve doesn't altogether share my certainty about our direction, although he does share my alarm about world around us.
So this blog will change, imperceptibly at first I am sure. Darker perhaps, more frequent perhaps, but I know I want to record the change and my reactions when and indeed if they happen. How we cope with the new uncertainty, whether we can make sufficient money to pay the bills. Our pension prospects, never good, have never looked worse, but you never know. If anything forces us to live in the moment it is the lack of knowledge about what faces expats in a post Brexit Europe.

 For the time being, at least, lets glory in a little triviality. The picture above was taken from my bedroom window. Galicia in her Autumn wardrobe. Stunning! My favourite time of year and the sun is shining I am surrounded by the most beautiful scenery, the air is fresh, life is indeed good. Below are couple of photos taken on Friday night at a couple of bars in town. Yes it,s the annual tapas contest once again, two euros a plate, one euro for a glass of wine to wash it down.

Best laid plans

First proper day trip of new relaxed regime planed for today. But yesterday the dogs dug up the well pipes ,electric and water and ate the mole proof casing! So instead of visiting a monastery, a castle, and a historic church with lunch in a medieval village we will be visiting the builders yard, digging a long trench, and moving enough stone to deter them from trying again. Aaaaaaah!!!!!!

The strangest decision

The summer has been a struggle, too hot, too hard, not enough money (to put it into a nut shell). The reasons are simple for nine months of the year Steve works in an Academy and does some private work, teaching English. The other three months, Academy and school holidays he has in the past taught crash courses for people who need to pass exams or need spoken English for an autumn start at university or job.This year we decided to work on the house so he didn't take on the extra work for the holidays. Bad move as it turned out. Stupidly hot weather hasn´t in any way helped. Either the work or our temper.

By the time he goes back to work we will have finished our bedroom (Complete with en-suite and walk in wardrobe) and he has a nice new study both are fantastic and will make the world of difference. But the stress hasn´t been worth it, so next year no work on the house. Actually I mean no new work, no major project. Of course it would be nice to have the house all finished, but we don´t need more than we have. The new plan is a steady list of jobs that we can do bit by bit, more time for hobbies and more days out. We live in the most amazing place and barely have time to walk the dogs let alone anything else.

So here goes, we have already spent several very pleasant afternoons at the river beach, I so love to swim, If you can call laying on the water as still as possible trying to spot fish swimming underneath me as swimming. Between the so called swims we sit with a book and dry off honestly it is the only thing to do when the temperature is 38 degrees.

Anyway having made this momentous decision and faced with a trip to Ikea (don´t get me started on Ikea trips, I really feel that they should offer in store marriage counselling ) We decided to pack a pic nick and stop somewhere nice on the way back.

The somewhere nice on this occasion was The Parque del Pasatiempo in Betanzos It is amazing.The park was originally 90,000 square metres but sadly less than 9000 remains and some of that is is pretty poor repair. A folly in every sense of the the word, built on a private estate and meant to depict not only the seven wonders of the world but wonders yet to happen.

 I wished that I could have seen in in 1920 but I know that had I been alive in 1920 I wouldn't have seen it either, not moving in aristocratic circles.  Now it is crisscrossed by main roads surrounded by an industrial park and shops. The elaborately build viewpoints make no sense and the quiet spots for reading or contemplation are anything but quiet but I was still in awe.

Desk and Dog walks

Having told you that I had a desk I thought that I would include a photo, it stands in the corner of our new bedroom which, although already lovely, needs a few more minor finishing touches. I will of course post photos as soon as I can.

I am still organizing things here in my little writing corner but I am enjoying having this space. Steve has a beautiful new study of which I will also post photos soon. When his work gets back to normal in September he can hide himself away as much as he likes, either to work or to sit quietly with a book. We are slowly making progress here, a study and a bedroom will mean that we can begin to organize our belongings which, to me at least, will make a huge difference to our lives. We don´t have a huge amount of stuff and we do have a large house so actual space has never been a problem, it is organised storage that will make the difference.

One of the advantages of living in a sparsely populated rural place is the evidence which still exists of a past life. It will, I expect, change in time just as people like us are buying and renovating the old farmhouses, so too will the land be bought and made economically viable. The old tiny farms that once were the backbone of life here no longer work, for most people. They were never meant to generate money simply to sustain life. Life in the western world a least has changed and the old farming communities are a thing of the past. The mechanisms of that way of life still exist though, softened as nature takes them back, just as the memories have been softened by time. But if you close your eyes you can see the ghosts of a lifestyle that once existed

 This is the old camino or road between our village and the next, rarely used now. A change in field boundaries means  that it stops short of the next village it is beautiful non the less.
The biggest threat is logging the huge modern machines that make it economically viable destroy everything in their wake, dry stone walls, old paths and ancient woodland. While I understand the need for a buoyant economy and the jobs that come with it, a part of me aches for price we pay for that.


The pictures below are of an old reservoir build as part of an irrigation system and no longer used. I think that very little work would make it function once again so simple and elegant is the design.

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Fire and water.

I cannot believe that it has been so long since my last blog. I lost my desk in the last installment of house updates. I have it back now, though the updates are not quite finished.
As sit writing this I am listening to fire planes flying over head. Fires are everywhere in Galicia at the moment 50 new ones per day according to the local news and the tragedy is that many are started deliberately, some because the fires themselves create employment. Its all made worse because one of the cuts during the economic recession was of fire watchers. Meaning that by the time fires are spotted they are already out of control. Of course there would be fires anyway, we have had no rain for a couples of months and high temperatures (well for Galicia) the wet spring ensured that there was plenty of undergrowth to dry out and provide fuel.
I have tried to get a photo, though its not really that clear.

this is the view from my bedroom window. The haze is smoke.

On the upside we found a river beach that we never knew existed which is quiet, clean and even better only 15 minutes from home. We have been swimming 3 times already If only we had known sooner. Never done much river swimming before but I fear I'm addicted!

Friends

All the time we have lived here, I have gone out of the way to invite people to come and stay. They rarely do, and of course I know at the time that, that will most likely be the case. I am not the most scintillating of company at the best of times and spending holiday time with even close friends can be fraught with potential pitfalls.

 If you are one of the people who has been invited  please don´t think that the invitation is less than genuine, we would truly love to see you. I just want you know that I understand, really I do.

What I don´t want to happen is that you would be put off coming to Galicia. When people do come they are almost always surprised, in a good way. There is a gentle beauty here, the rain makes it green, there is miles of coastline and thousands of beaches. I could go on but I would rather you came and saw for yourself.

The weather here is inclined to be changeable though and weather forecasts are apt to be changeable as well.  When a friend did stay with us recently we decided to brave an unpromising forecast and hit the beach. It turned into a glorious spring day and so we headed for Cathedral beach, a popular tourist spot that we have never visited ( Our preference is normally for quieter less well known beaches of which there are many)

 There was a definite breeze when we arrived especially at the sea front, it did warm up later and we ended up carrying as many clothes as we were wearing.

 We walked along the coastal path, of which there is miles, rather than sit on the beach. And then meandered along the coast road in the car stopping on the way for lunch, coffee and a bit more walking.

I am determined that we will have more days like it this year.

Britex, Brexit or what other ridiculous name you would like to use

Well I have avoided the subject so far, but there comes a point when you have to say something. I have to state at the outset that the concept of Britain leaving Europe is strange to me, I have visions of someone pulling up the country's anchor and setting course for a new destination. Of course I know that we speak of the European union, not Europe itself but still I find myself asking why.

I am of course biased, I have have taken advantage of Britain being part of the European union to bag myself a better life style. I do not want to see my lifestyle threatened because Britain has decided to pick up its ball and leave the playground. I am not alone, Over the life of the European Union more Brits have lived and worked in other European country's than the citizens of any other single nation. The fact that we call ourselves ex pats and not immigrants should not be allowed to blur the facts.

Despite my bias I am willing to be be persuaded that Britain should leave if anyone can come up with a really compelling reason. I am neither an economist nor a political annalist and I don´t like (the politics of) either David Cameron or Boris Johnson. So it needs to be a pretty down to earth reason.

 So that leaves me with varying European views, The best boiling down to 'It makes little difference to us really, if Britain thinks she can go it alone so be it,we think Britain will be weaker though.' the worst being ' Britain leaving could spark another economic crisis and create  an ideal breeding ground for racism and politics of the far right' a situation which I am classing as bad but of course if you are a right wing racist it is good.

And the varying British views, There are more of these understandably it is a British referendum after all. The best of these is something along the lines of immigration into Britain will end and Britain will somehow trade on advantageous terms not only with Europe but with all former countries of the British Empire. Democracy will be restored as as the European Commission is un-elected. Britain will be wildly better off by not having to pay money to Europe.The national health service and benefits system will be saved.There is also more than a suggestion that the European union will cease to exist if Britain leaves as Britain provided the stabilizing voice. The worst being that Britain will face ten years of uncertainty.

No-one in or out of Europe thinks that the current union is perfect.

 I have heard much rhetoric about Democracy in Europe but cannot get past the House of Lords which is about the least democratic parliamentary body in any democratic country(pot calling kettle black)

Despite Britain having a high view of its own importance can such a small country really have a meaningful voice in international trade?

Immigration is not about Border control and it is not always a bad thing.( Of course as an immigrant myself I am bound to think that, statistics do back me up though) It is something which requires more international dialogue and negotiation though, not less, surely the European Parliament is an ideal place for that dialogue to take place. I personally have always been proud that Britain is multicultural and am sad that immigration policy appears to be getting more and more racist.

Of course there is the simple fact that I want to have my cake and eat it I love living here in Spain and am proud of being British.

Fairweather Gardener.

When the Boys were younger we lived near a park, The sort with trees and grass and paths rather than playgrounds and sports equipment. Along the top path in this park, between the path and the houses was a row of allotments. This was in the years before Allotments became fashionable and they were largely manned by older (as in retired) Men. They grew many things, but I couldn´t help but notice that runner beans, a vegetable I like, and vegetable marrows( of doubtful culinary value), were more in evidence than anything else. I wondered why. I love runner beans and I have to say that Steve will eat them to the exclusion of all else but in my experience one or two plants at each corner of an tripod will easily feed a family of four, with some over for giving away. So a giant trellis running the entire width of an allotment...... well you can do the maths yourself.  What can I say about marrows other than a single specimen exhausts my stock of marrow recipes, lasts way longer than I want it to and rarely makes makes me think "Oh I wish I had another Marrow" when we finally finish it. And yet these vegetables were produced in huge numbers, the reasons why escaped me then.

Kale grows faster than we can eat it,

When we arrived in Galicia I noticed a similar phenomena, gardens have rows, and rows of tall walking stick cabbages, and a variety of turnip grown for the green leaves, and in summer lettuces, all grown in quantities that defy understanding. The thing is the more time I spend in the garden the more I begin to understand. The whole thing is addictive, the more you plant the more you want to plant, the limitations become about time and space, not the needs of the kitchen. I haven`'t even started on flowers yet. You grow things because you can, because it`s kind of like finding treasure when it works and when you can throw a couple of lettuces to the chickens rather than just the scraps you feel kind and generous and wealthy.

Lettuce A Galician necessity no idea what people do with the huge amount in their gardens

I did not plant these but I´m not complaining

Wish there was a bit more blue.

Because of this I am becoming a gardener, Its not really about knowledge or your methods (I will never be an expert) more a willingness to work at it even when the weather is bad, or I´m not feeling great.Maybe it`s just than spring is a time when I can be optimistic and enthusiastic because despite the cold and wet at the moment i am thinking it will be a good year in the Garden. 

The best laid plans

I had a list for today, I am wondering if that was the problem. If writing a to do list guarantees that the day will turn into a shambles and so far it has been, a shambles that is.

Lets go back in slightly in time, The Christmas break and whole whole of January were pretty much of a washout the aftereffects of flu sapped me, not only of energy but of interest. Everything seemed like a chore, so essential jobs were about all that got done. I told myself that my year would start on the first of Feb., and indeed I was beginning to feel much better. The weather however has been awful, meaning that every time I started a job in the garden it got  rained off. I had two or three crochet projects that I seemed to have lost interest in. Do you ever look at something and wonder why you ever thought that it was a good idea? We have started moving furniture so that we can get on with the next house project, only to find the the electrician is on a big job elsewhere and can´t be here for another month, better for Steve as two of his winter teaching students will have almost finished for the summer pilgrim season, giving him more time. Leaving me feeling as though I am swishing around aimlessly. Hence the list.

The reason for this mornings panic/ shambles is that I had lost the instructions for my thermometer. yesterday in my new spirit of organisation and enthusiasm I started to make some marmalade( Being strictly honest it is orange jelly not marmalade). the oranges had been boiled and left in the jelly bag over night.

 I was already to go with the first job on my list which was "finish marmalade" when I realized that my thermometer was on the timer setting and I couldn't remember how to change it.
For those of you feeling puzzled with the words "how complicated can thermometer be" at the for front of your mind I had better explain.

 A year or two ago I was in Lakeland ltd the British kitchenware shop. A shop that draws me like a magnet, I am not as a rule a natural shopper but Lakeland sells things, things that home cooks dream about, things that you didn't know that you wanted till they are there, looking beguiling, in front of you. Things you never before (or sadly after) knew that you needed.  Instead of the jam thermometer that I went in for I saw the thermometer to beat all others: Not only could it tell the temperature of everything. Meat, cakes, sugar, jam but it tells the time and has a timer and who knows what else. Of course I bought it, and of course I should n`t have. not because it doesn't work but because the thing is so complicated you need an engineering degree to operate it.

Anyway after two hours of banging around and failing to find the instructions and repeatedly pressing buttons I was running behind trying to do more than one job at once and thoroughly disgruntled. I did make the marmalade though I fear it may not set well. Still a tray of jars of sparkling orange jelly marmalade on a tray ready for the pantry did make me feel better.

The strange thing is that despite everything I have completed all but two Items on my list of jobs, and since Steve is at work till nine I have some chance at least  of completing everything.  So I think I will have a list tomorrow after all, maybe this new regime will work wonders.

Christmas been and gone

I did start writing this this post 2 weeks ago, still struggling with flu and with the rain pouring down outside, however what I wrote was so depressing that I have deleted it. Truth is that we did both have flu over Christmas and new year which wiped out the festive season. Next year year I will seriously think about a flu jab, I do not want to be that ill again. It also true that there has been a bit of an epidemic and people younger that we are have died. The small part of this that is good news is that I can now happily join in with the favorite topic of conversation hereabouts, Ill health. If weather is the default in the UK, health is the default here. Steve and I are rarely ill (I get colds) and nether one of us is inclined to bother the doctor with anything non life threatening. Since most folk around here have or have had this flu we now have something to discuss at length. Almost a silver lining if it wasn`t for those poor folk who are ending up in hospital.

We have also had all of our average winter rainfall over about three weeks and much of Galicia has been affected. We sit fairly high and dry here in Frades, so aside from the odd leaking roof (not ours) we have been fortunate. things are drying up a little and to be honest I still have post flu tiredness so am not inclined to do more than I have too. A bit of sunshine will certainly change things, and a few days in the garden would I am sure make me feel a whole lot better.
We have finally got our act together and put our spare room on air b&b so if you know anyone who's coming to this part of the world give them the heads up. I will put pictures and a link up later in the week.
I am in the process of tidying up some of my etsy listings trying to offer a bit more choice with each listing. New stuff when I'm feeling better. Once again pictures later in the week!