Quick note - going forward, some of my posts will be in the form of diary inserts, which I may or may not turn in to a podcast or book. Other posts won't be diary style. I'll include the date like below when it's a diary style.
Sunday 16th April.
It’s the eve of day 1 and we have enjoyed a meal cooked over the fire outside in the newly built kitchen & seating area. Wood foraged from our own trees and food from our land was enjoyed by all. I’ve a lot to do to get ready for Monday, tomorrow. Starting as I mean to go on and to make the mornings easier, I try to be as organised as I can the night before. My evening routine involves cooking the family meal, clearing away with everyone’s help before having some time to digest our meal whilst we play darts or cards, if the weather allows. This time of year, and what this paragraph’s opening Day 1 refers to, is the turning of the page to the Spring Chapter, which amongst other things includes evening meals outside. This year, now we have the outdoor cooking space, I will be transitioning most of the kitchen necessities to outside allowing me to appreciate being outdoors to cook and eat.
Once we have enjoyed our meal, which as the year marches on, will include more and more produce from the garden, we set about filling the animals’ water and checking on them before bed. The lambs, who are on bottled milk have their last one of the evening, as late as possible before we put them in the safety of a stable (whilst they’re still small). That means someone will have to head back over to the barn to do that later. I set about filling up buckets of feed ready to just pick up and carry to eager mouths the following morning. Anything to make the morning’s go smoothly helps.
Today there was a nip in the air this morning, but as I wandered over to the barn to do my share of the chores, I notice the air had warmed up somewhat. It’s been terribly cold again lately and oh my, the rain! Let’s just not go there. I saw my first wasp of the year today. I wish I could say I liked wasps, but they give me the jitters, especially at the beginning and end of the season when they always seem angry and aim right for you.
Once the animals are tended to, for the second time of the evening as they have their supper around 5:30, we say goodnight to them and either sit outside some more or head in. The pots from our own supper are seen to and returned to the outdoor space. In the main kitchen, it’s a quick whip around to get it ready for the morning, lunch boxes out, kettle filled, ingredients set out for breakfast. In the UK, it’s far too chilly to sit outside for breakfast at this time of the year, even for the stoic of us. Time for a hot drink before a shower and bed. Goodnight.
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