Free-Range Living

'Money Matters-- '

  Now at early October here on the organic eco micro-holding in the UK midlands, the weather's getting that bit cooler after a reasonably mild September, and preparations are well in hand for winter. Apart from one sawing session scheduled for a few days time, all the woodstove's wood for the winter is sorted and dry, the small amount of smokeless fuel is on hand and gas canister supplies are up to scratch, as well as emergency lighting in case of electricity cut-off. It's a good feeling to be well in hand, added to by the hedging and lopping maintenance micro-holding work that's already been done - this year's growth's been considerable to say the least, so getting it all 'shipshape and Bristol fashion' (i.e trimmed and sorted) again gives that satisfying feeling of progress and being 'on top of the job'. Wonder how those with a 'press button' life get their goodies - ?

There's still some runner beans to pick in the veg patch, plenty of tomatoes still to be had in the top glasshouse, as well as turnips, celery, beetroot, lettuce in the veg patch and potatoes and onions from store. Amazingly there are raspberries still ripening in the new soft fruit bed, and the strawberries having fruited for virtually all summer, have only recently 'given up the ghost'. The star crop, though, in the veg patch currently, is the winter greens - purple sprouting and curly  or 'cottager's' kale, which have both put on quite a growth spurt - no mid to late season 'growth lull' that sometimes occurs, this season. With some re-grown greens from the spring greens/cabbage patch, 'greens' for veg can often last out all winter, which is quite handy, and they're something that doesn't seem to feature a lot to be able to buy in shops, the 'closed' cabbage being more evident.   Eventually the 'sorry state' trailer acquired for free in the spring, got itself renovated, bit by bit. It wasn't in a too dire state - just needed adding to and strenghtening here and there, then a bit of a paint job, to then have a passable trailer for use. Have to just sort a towbar now ------

'Retreating ----- '

 The mini orchard covering half the small paddock has grown apace the last couple of years, to the extent that a couple of smaller replacement trees for one or two that hadn't thrived will now probably have to be re-sited, presumably not having got enough sunlight. Plenty of fruit on most of the rest of the trees, particularly apples - must start to get organised and give a few more away. A fairly large burrowing animal has made, well, a burrow, with an exit run dug under the wire fence and out into the field. It's either presumably a badger  or a fox, and whilst wildlife is supported here, this does seem to be a bit close for comfort - the chickens can't for instance run out into the paddock area now.

The micro-holder's fortunately still able to 'retreat to the Retreat' in the paddock most afternoons for a rest/nap and a spot of naval contemplation. It started life as a small chalet but then got significantly extended recycling spare materials around the place, apart from a bit of roofing felt, which makes for an interesting building approach, the materials then defining the eventual structure, rather than any building plans, with quite a unique cabin as the outcome. One that nevertheless works, particularly now that a possible world's first 'converandory' (a verandah conservatory) has been added to it, again all from recycled materials and costing not a bean, facilitating peaceful meditations in the 'green oasis' ( the paddock has high-ish foliage all the way around it)  It's a hard life, but somebody ----- '

'Diamonds -  for nothing ----? '

 Funny how, sometimes. paradoxically, the general notion of 'money adds value' can work virtually in reverse. Only thinking along these lines a week or two ago when old Pipster, the resident micro-holding collie, 'went to peace'. He'd had a long life, a good 'innings', no doubt partly helped by the fact he'd never done a tap of work ---- Every time he went anywhere near traditional 'collie territory' i.e. sheep and cattle, he'd run a mile - the famous 'collie intelligence? 'Hang on, this looks like work - I'm off!' He had a great heart, though, and in his younger days was full of fun - kids loved him - a 'fun' dog', who actually cost nothing as he was rescued from the household of a violent man. That thinking then took thoughts back to the first encounter with the Border collie breed -this was via a liitle bitch called 'Shay'.  She was bought for the grand sum of two pounds from a farm advisory client farm - she was the runt of the litter, so why she got selected is still a mystery. She turned out, though, to look totally beautiful when fully grown, and to be an absolute star. Activities in those days included running a beef animal farm as well as having a full-time farm advisory job, so the pressure was on somewhat and at times things became stressful, and poor old Shay 'would get it in the neck' - mostly unfairly it has to be said. Then she'd look 'hangdog', making the perpetrator of her sadness feel a complete heel ------- She'd always forgive,  though --- what a top girl was she.

 'Shaymus ---- '

 Shay had zero training and yet knew the ropes 100%, and many a time saved the day, worth her weight in gold. One summer time. for instance, the fly were striking the animals including some big in-calf heifers which were grazing with the beef animals. All the cattle were going crazy -it was quite frightening - and some started to crash right through a hedge, then gaining access to an old track which ran for miles in either direction - real trouble. Not if good ol' Shay had anything to do with it, though. Off her own back, she worked tirelessly for about an hour and a half, then coralling the cattle in a covered yard where they had some protection from the fly. On counting them, every man Jack of them were in that yard, including the ones that had 'escaped' onto the old lane - an amazing feat - no wonder she was known as 'Shaymus O'Dearie' ---- And ' all for nowt' virtually - there you go ---- not all diamonds are for 'pots of dosh' ---- ?

'Wealth is wonderful ---- ?'

 It's the thing though, it seems, today to be into the 'pots of dosh' game, the fame game, the 'flash' game - cars, holidays, houses etcetera ---- (although many - sensibly? - aren't). Does that though come at a cost -? Does it mean, for instance, that it's then necessary to focus so fully on 'money making', that other, maybe important life areas, get somewhat neglected - ? And when all the wealth has accunmulated, all the flash lifestyle is in place, is the reality of it really all that great, or , as some have in fact said,  there can be something of an 'empty' feeling - ? Some might say for instance that it's putting the cart before the horse, that a better and longer-term take is to have money as a means rather than an end, and that pursuit of money can obscure 'real meaning' in life - ?

'People work for money' used to be a notion often encountered in the world of business, and as such was a truism, increased of course the more the money angle was pushed and 'money conditioning' then came prevalent. But (plainly) people don't eat money - people, in a money economy need money to satisfy their needs, which according to the development pschologists are many and varied - people are 'bio-diverse', so trite sayings such as 'people work for money' probably over-simplify and under-respect what are in actuality complex situations, then causing problems - money can seem to have that effect at times of obscuring any fuller, deeper views. Originally it happened to facilitate exchange of goods and services (shouldn't the primary function and therefore objective of a business be to provide effective specialist goods and/or services to the rest of society, rather than, say, making maximum profits - ?), and darned useful it was too - it was pretty difficult to trade A's thatching of B's roof with the boots that B made ---

'Debt city ---- '

 Perhaps it's not surprising that money then came to be a desired entity in its own right, given the 'greed' potential -some politicians in the UK back along were pronouncing the 'greed is good' creed, which may be partly why it was announced in the news today that a large proportion (a third) of younger people were stressed because they were now up to their necks in debt. Some people in recent history have lost the roof over their head due to indebtedness, which can't exactly be a too wonderful experience. The Bank of England has recently warned banks about rising consumer debt and that they would in the future have to ensure greater cash reserves and new more stable banking standards are currently being developed by those regulating the industry. Not before time many might say -the old bankers must be turning in their graves with the damage to trust, the cornerstone of banking, that modern banking practices has caused, and now publicly acknowledged. And not in time to help those already in peril on the financial high seas - maybe as a penance the banking fraternity should be made to throw them a lifesaver - ?

'Anti dosh ----- ?'

Although the eco micro-holding (small smallholding) here in the UK heartlands produces quite a bit of home-grown food through the year, plus of course eggs from the hens, and the use of wood and the air-source heat pump help to keep costs down, a cash economy is still very much needed, fortunately then to be able to avoid borrowing and having to pay very high  credit card interest rates - not sure how these rates can be justified given a base rate of virtually zero - ? Spending, though, still tends to expand to use financial resources available, although if the hatches had to be battened down no doubt quite a bit of slack could be taken up. Ah well, all grist to the mill - better get out there and weed the new strawberry bed, which has done very well fruiting from June till early October - 'fat of the land', no dosh involved -----