Free-Range Living

 'Flying high ---- ?'

  Snow on the ground just after Xmas, here at the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK heartlands, and it looks as though the wildlife are having a bit of a hard time, with what seems to be loads of Buzzards just sitting on the bare hedgetops as the car goes by. That means they are only about six feet away (2m) so give a rare and good close-up. The other birds giving too close a presence in the veg patch were the four newish young hens, escape artists supreme - should be called 'Henrietta Houdinis'- as it is they've earn't the monika 'The Wild Bunch'. Once their escape holes were blocked up they then quickly devised a new approach to getting at the much-desired winter greens in the veg patch -they used an adjacent log pile to assist them in getting on top of a shed roof, from which they then flew the six-seven feet over a fenced path into the veg patch. Who said they were 'chicken brained' - ? Having had their wings clipped, literally, and a new barrier to the path fitted, the poor things now have to restrict themselves to wandering the paddock and orchard when let out of their run -it's a hard life. It did seem to be a bit of a 'man v. chicken' contest for awhile, but fortunately, losing it hasn't put them off lay -they're still relentlessly laying an egg per bird per day, and very tasty they are.

Wild ----

Wilder birds are beginning to have a tougher time of it hereabouts. The aforementioned buzzards are probably pretty hungry - normally they're not seen so close up nearly so often. Flights of geese are regular sights this time of year, from their roosting ponds just up the way, and at 9.30am presumably on their way to feeding grounds, to return at dusk, although once or twice it's been completely dark when they were flying overhead. Yesterday a flight of a lone goose was spotted -  unusual. No flights of swans seen yet this year - they're quite a bit rarer to see, with a lot smaller numbers, generally around a dozen. One new and very welcome sight has been that of a small flock of lapwings on the big field of new seeds (grass) over the hedge lining the lane next to the cottage - their numbers have apparently dived in recent years due to changes in farming patterns, so hopefully they are adapting and on the increase. Against this, bird numbers feeding on the garden feeders and thrown-out bread don't seem as prolific as usual - bit of a mystery, although thankfully there still seems to be quite a gang of sparrows who live in the tangled creepers on the end wall of the cottage (keeping the cottage warm with their body heat - ?) Quite a few flights of smaller  birds in the late afternoon, with the piece de resistance being today, with over 200 of the aforesaid lapwings ( aka peewits) formation flying this afternoon over the big field of new seeds (grass) opposite the cottage - a good sight.

Keeping warm -----

They say that with having wood as a fuel, it brings warmth several times over : carting it, cutting it, stacking it, fetching it and burning it. The imminent colder weather prompted a couple of good sawing sessions here just before Xmas, the first with the small electric sawbench which quickly ran through quite a pile of smaller diameter 'cordwood' for both the woodstove and the front-room fire. Sawbench sawing is probably the easiest for a one-person sawing operation, and if the wood to be sawn is handily accessible then quite a rate of sawing can be achieved. As usual the main woodstack which had been drying all summer in the 'logs-istics' centre ( a re-cycled concrete garage) seemed to be reducing at quite a rate, so another sawing session of larger diameter wood ensued, this time using a recently bought new electric chainsaw, which sliced throught the lengths pleasingly like butter. Not quite such a slick operation as having a two-person operation - one 'feeding', the other sawing - but still enabling quite a pile to be cut up, it then involving more work stacking it on top of the remaining wood in the 'logs-istics centre. Satisfying, though, to see that pile at least partly replenished, hopefully with now enough cut-up wood to see the winter out, and to see that the new chainsaw is a 'good'un'.

 The semi self-reliant lifestyle here on the micro-holding lends itself to having wood as the main fuel, which then brings eco credentials. Some of the wood is gathered from here and there, the most recent collection of quite a bit of burning wood has come from the house renovation next door, with the wood gathered by hand and transported on a two-wheeled trolley affair. It has then to be put in a pile, then at some stage cut up, then put into store, then brought out of store to be used, so involving quite a process all of which can be curiously satisfying. Growing quite a bit of organically-grown veg here also has the same 'self-reliance' feel- currently there's parsnips, winter greens, celery and leeks available to use from the veg patch - swedes should be an addition to the list but haven't done much this year, as is often their wont - and beetroot and onions from store. The organic system started as a means to keep costs down but as time has gone on, it seems to have made more and more sense, and 'proof of the pudding', over the thirty or so year period, growing pests and diseases (eg.s onion white rot, club root) have lessened and the soil appears to be pretty 'naturally healthy'.

Alium attack -----

Swede leaves, though, added to a winter greens mix, adds a 'bite' to it. The leeks have been rescued from an 'alium leaf miner' attack as were the onions earlier in the year, by several applications of nettle juice - nettles just soaked in water for 2-3 weeks - amazing stuff. Must help to revive the leek plants which apparently have their 'goodness' sucked directly out of them by this wee fly beastie, to then look pretty sick and bedraggled, the nettle juice presumably then coming to their rescue and reviving them to then give usuable produce rather than a laid-waste crop. Can't be too bad - an eco-friendly biological effective remedy at no cost.

'Big is better ----- or not - ?'

Maybe there's never been a time such as now, with the microcosm 'powerless' individual having to cope with so many large, powerful organisations, from business and government - and many of them seemingly wanting to 'rook' the individual (egs. mis-selling insurances, mis-leading quotes re energy supplier change, 'hidden' finance charges etc. etc.). The Uk government has been charged with 'micro managing', seemingly wanting to run everyone's lives, creating the 'nanny' state ( maybe then at the expense of good and proper 'macro' management - ?) The level of commercialism too that the individual is faced with has surely got to be greater than ever before - ? Just look at the number of TV channels running adverts, and the amount of air time devoted to them ----. One way or another the control and manipulation of the individual is potentially considerable ---  and the need for the individual to be able to make the decisions necessary for the wellbeing of themselves and their loved ones, may never have been so pressing - ? One recent quote, for instance, was that the modern deluge of information and commercial messages was in danger of then 'squeezing out' room for common sense - ?

'Spend, spend ------'

Or, go 'with the flow' and be the conventional 'good citizen', avidly borrowing and spending, even if longer-term risk is involved - ? Quite a considerable portion of the eligible population - is it something like 50%? - don't follow the 'living beyond means' doctrine, so it may be useful to consider some of the reasons why not. Undoubtedly some could likely see living in significant debt as a dint to any notion of self-reliance, and particularly if debt levels then start to impinge on freedom of action. The longer-term view of some of the 'non-debtors' might be that sometime in the future, 'the chickens will come home to roost', and whilst life may be easier/more materialistic in the short-term via indebtedness, is it worth it if in the longer-term things then turn less than luxurious - ? Security is said to be important to people and could be compromised by considerable indebtedness, not only from a physical point of view but also from the psychological perspective - ? Personal freedom and self-value could be affected over time - maybe the internal values people hold important can tend too to be overlooked in the 'goldrush' type journey to 'nirvana land' of materialistic plenty - ?

'Flying low ---- ?'

Debt, though, certainly seems to be the 'in' thing. Personal debt in the UK currently at 40%+ of income is now apparently planned by government to rise to an (astonishing?) double that level, but there was no indication from government as to whether that such a high level of debt was/is a prudent level - ? It does seem it could be quite a potential burden, particularly when high (compared with base rates) interest rates  are levied, presumably most of it being plastic credit. Will there be help for individuals who then get into debt difficulties and run the risk of losing the roof over their heads - ? Again, it could seem pretty important for individuals to take a 'freerange' stance to the question of debt levels to ensure personal safety, particularly when the 'big' government view appears to endorse high levels of personal indebtedness - ? It can't be too much fun, for instance, losing the roof overhead due to mounted debt - ?

 Future desired economic growth (some have recently questioned whether this has become an all too 'all-consuming' goal-?) would appear, to some at least, to be based a little on shifting sand : the rising consumer debt level as above, and  expanded property values, to then fuel the 'wealth' trend, but at the cost of an increasingly indebted society, which whilst it may continue to make some individuals rich, may not exactly be taking a longer-term prudent and 'husbanding resources' route - ? 'Big', then may not always be necessarily best - ? And might the individual  be  advised to adopt the 'freerange' 'small' stance and make her/his own judgements as to what course(s) of action might be sensible for them - ? (as many undoubtedly do).

One writer (Michael Foley 'The Age of Absurdity') talks about an 'authoritative momentum' which seems to have been created in recent times, carrying everyone along and with the individual feeling powerless to resist. With such a seemingly ongoing continuous message of 'change, change' for quite a few years now, perhaps such a situation should be no surprise, bringing for some at least the feeling that everyone is expected to conform to a 'norm' of, say, riches accumulation, and which can then bring difficulties for those (freerangers?) seeking to play it their own way ( a variation of the 'David v. Goliath' theme - ?) Going a 'minority route' might then need some support such as affirmation from the words of others to bolster courage and determination - ? One author that's served that role here recently has been John Steinbeck ( 'Travels with Charley: In Search of America').

'Landed ----- ?'

More recent apposite words, this time from the US star Bette Midler, also apparently now an environmentalist in her older age, have also provided some welcome support :

 'In the end, you have to seek out a patch of green - your own golden pond - where you can find a little rest. It's to do with mental health. You have to connect with nature, in order to keep your sanity'

Those sentiments fit well with the micro-holding lifestyle here, hanging on in the green backwater, anchored against the 'fastflow' and trying to keep a bit of sanity. No doubt 'part-time' 'green' life, with, say, garden and allotment (small patch of ground to rent on which to grow vegetables) can help to the same end. Then, lots of micro 'specs of sanity', could add up to a 'bigger' sanity ---- and maybe there'd be fewer problems in the world - ?