Preparing for the growing season by either digging in 'green manure' (self-set weeds and grasses in this case) or scraping off weeds from the soil's surface to then go onto the compost heap, is the priority for February here on the organic eco micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands. Formerly it was also the month in which the woodash and compost went onto the soil, but as an experiment this year there's been a change in practice. Home-grown produce has been in relatively short supply, although the winter greens - purple sprouting and curly kale - have been coming to hand relatively early in this cool rather than cold winter.
The last of the beetroot 's not been long picked, which mean't it had lasted seven months for picking - not too shabby, particularly after a 'difficult' first half of the growing season. Similarly the celery's done well this year, getting to a good size and lasting well for picking, right into the winter. Seeds for the new coming season have been sown already and the broad bean seed is due to go into earth pretty shortly, this year into buckets with glass over the top as last year for the first time they were 'nipped off' as plants under the normal arrangement of an old windscreen.
Mid to late winter is probably the toughest season to endure hereabouts, especially this year with the lane outside the cottage a perpetual mess with cars dragging water up it from the flood down on the corner. The cottage too is in need of some TLC, looking shabby currently, in need of a lick of paint, or more probably, several licks. It's often a time too where problems rear their head with this year being no exception. The drain run-off from the septic tank drainage system has decided not to work, after decades of service, but maybe getting a bit less attention lately than needed. One or two other problems came to light. but no doubt in the fullness of time and with now a definite 'improvement' approach, will get themselves solved.
Fraud, robbing via scams and general 'on the make' commercial practice can at times give the impression of living in a society that's not exactly brilliant for everyone and and that actually it's more like 'everyone for themselves' rather than an actual society, which in reality it is. One quote in a paper recently may have hit the nail on the head :
'The trouble with winning the rat race ------ is that you are still a rat'
Another rat got stuck here at the bottom of a 1000 litre water container --- and had to be provided with a metal section acting as a ladder to assist its escape, which may be not everyone's preferred line of action - it was just that it was so hopelessly cornered and the heart wasn't in it to despatch it. There was though a rat corpse a day or two later so maybe Tia the snow-leopard lookalike cat got it - at least then it had been a fairer contest ---Tia is a gorgeous looking feline but my, she sure can hunt, no doubt 'earning her keep' and doing a fair job of keeping the rodents at bay -----
