Free-Range Living

'Weighing up ---- ' 

Spring was sprung super-fast this year hereabouts at the eco organic micro-holding (small smallholding) in the UK midlands – one minute at the end of a cool/cold March it was still a winter landscape, next minute, only three weeks later in a sunny April, the landscape was transformed into 'the green and pleasant land'. In fact, just sixty so yards down from the cottage in an opening to several fields, twelve differing shades of green were spotted, and now the oilseed rape fields are shining bright yellow in flower, and various blossoms are still out, it's a stunning vista. An uplifting time of promise, especially, maybe, for nature lovers.

Lots of colourful (brown, green, yellow, gold and red) Goldfinches around this year often down in the lanes themselves – looking for grit, maybe - ? Last year they were making a cacoon nest in the Magnolia tree here - that is until they got disturbed by a mower . Neat colourful birds - imagine if they'd been 'made by man' - ? They'd have been lauded as a 'marvel' – now we'll just have to marvel at them ----. The seasons themselves are fairly marked hereabouts, and are probably in themselves a sort of 'balancing act' - the dormant 'sleep' winter period then emerging with new growth and energy in spring, coming to 'mellow fruitfulness' in summer, and winding down in autumn.

The micro-holding mini crops are 'blossoming' too – the potatoes now in early May a foot high, as are the onions and the planted-out broad beans, all looking tickety-boo, fingers crossed. Last year the onions suffered sudden attack by the recently arrived pest that is the alium leaf miner – the fly apparently sucks the goodness out of the plant leaving it mushy and twisted (and the grower bitter and twisted). Fortune decreed that nettle juice had been made for the first time and that chance applications of it on the stricken plants then worked their magic and revived them – how fortuitous was that - ? (and the same for leeks later).

Apparently nettle juice is a good (and for free) fertiliser for plant growth, whilst comfrey juice (made as nettle juice by simply soaking the cut plants in water in a tub for three weeks or so) is good fertiliser for the fruiting stage. Needless to say there's a couple of tubs already 'on the go'. Most other seeds such as beetroot and parsnips are in and coming through, and some french beans (non stick) are in and have been surviving some cold nights, not their favourite conditions, with the early runner (stick) bean plants about to be put out.

Wood weigh ----

Having wood as a main winter fuel means having to think and plan ahead, as the need is for dry wood for the woodstove. Quite a bit of free wood is still being salvaged from the house renovation next door, and the bought supply is currently arriving on the driveway, to then be wheelbarrowed into the 'logs-istics' centre, to then spend the summer getting thoroughly dry. About 70% of the considerable amount the woodstove consumes – about 3 – 4 tonnes in all with it on for eight hours a day for the six winter months – is bought in, which also saves quite a lot of sawing work, and the other 30% comes free from over- time accumulated woodpiles about the place, storage (and hence 'fuel security' ) being a good advantage of wood as a fuel. At around £55 cubic metre (approx half a tonne - ?), wood here is a relatively economic fuel source, as well of course as having good eco credentials. The 'big' wood from one of the stacks generally gets sawn in a two-man operation – one 'feeding' and clearing, the other chainsawing , a slick operation processing quite a bit of wood in an hour (possibly around 1 -1.5 tonnes ? ). The 'small' wood is a one-person plus sawbench operation once a week in winter, a satisfying, meaningful chore. .

'Heavy ---- ?'

In practice 'real' life seems often to be multi-dimensional, with people having to gauge and decision-make between different priorities, often conflicting. One study of the objectives/priorities of small rural entrepreneurs (farmers), for instance, found that as many as sixteen different and discrete areas – from profit making, to personal lifestyle priorities, to local social objectives, to environmental objectives – were relevant and important to them. This appears to suggest that life is complex as opposed to simple – there has been the idea put forward that modern commercialised life has been 'dumbed down' and over- simplified, (the 'it's all about money' syndrome), and that there's then not the need to 'weigh things in the balance' - ?

Maybe that's why some of the 'modern culture' problems occur - ? Just recently here in the UK papers there are reported stories of employees in one large commercial outfit being constantly threatened with dismissal, another that the 'big stick' approach of the UK's school inspectorate is proving to be counter-productive over time (other reports indicate that over 50% of teachers are looking to get out of the profession), and reports that the ever-increasing division between rich and poor in the UK is manifesting 'cultural alienation' for many, and questioning the 'trickle down' theory often used to justify wealth concentration.

Maybe, though, 'wealth creation' is not quite as wonderful as perhaps it's sometimes seen - ? Another paper recount of a 'rich' report indicated that 'the wealthy live in perpetual misery'. Crikey, is it all worth it - ? May even be better to be (relatively) poor and happy - ? Maybe it is time to pay attention to achieving a reasonable social/individual balance, as one ex UK Prime Minister was recently quoted as saying. The developmental psychologists, such as the American Abraham Maslow, always maintained that 'social needs' were an integral and natural part of human needs – so any denial of them maybe 'selling selves short' - ? From long ago, and maybe with modern resonance (?), Lao Tsu's words relating to 'Tao' (pronounced 'Dow') - the 'universal force' said to influence 'how things work/happen' - may yet be helpfull? :

'Simple living -----  keep a small home, uncluttered and easy to clean ----- have 'uncommitted' time ---- have a spiritual practice  --- let family customs grow.   Of course the world is full of novelty and adventures. New opportunities come along everyday.      So what - ?'       ( 'Tao of Leadership'   John Heider )

' Lighter --- ?'

Not necessarily the easiest job to recognise and accept that outcomes can and do come out less than perfect – it's perhaps one of the advantages of experience – i.e 'failure'/negative outcomes will likely have been part of that bank of experience, bringing awareness that 'things can go wrong', and facilitating a willingness to accept any due responsibility for that, plus some experience by which to handle such a situation. Modern 'pressurised' life maybe though doesn't allow too much leeway for, say, 'mistake making' - ? Who, though, went through life without making any - ? Paradoxically, too, might it be the case that putting people  under pressure could lead to more rather than less mistake making ---- ?

'Balancing act -----'

Bank managers, for instance, used to take to business plans which include a 'downside analysis' – how do the plans pan out if things don't work out quite so rosy in practice, due sometimes/ often to no fault of those involved. This they would see as a more weighed-up 'balanced' approach, and if the 'downside analysis' shows that the business/enterprise should be able to weather the downturn, that's reassuring to those lending the money, and at least equally important, to those involved in the enterprise, who'll be investing loads of energy, time and emotion into it. Younger people, not unaturally, may not have had the amount and level of experience to plan along these lines, in which case it might be an idea to then bring an older and trusted head on board - ?

'Imbalanced ----- ?'

One UK paper recently highlighted the case of a consumer who wasn't amused that his energy company had unilaterally and arbitrarily increased his monthly direct debit payment – by quite a massive 62% . He was in (moderate) arrears but this had been planned in the knowledge that for the forthcoming summer his energy use would drop radically and by the end of summer he could well be back to all square.

How, though, can large firms take such action, without consultation and agreement with the person concerned, without which they don't know his/her payment strategy, nor her/his financial situation - ? And in a freeworld country, isn't one of the cornerstones of personal freedom/civil liberty the right the individual has to run their own affairs - ? So the question then can become as to whether such a practice of taking money off people without their say so, stands up in law - ? More investigation needed -------

' Load lightened ------ '

With most of the 'heavier' spring work on the micro-holding now done, plus one or two smaller re-cycling building projects under way, now's probably the time to take the foot off the gas a bit, and 'smell the roses along the way'. It's good here to enjoy the fruits of the 'labours of love' right now after a good rain and everything growing away, plus the surroundings looking , as John Betjamin (UK poet) had it : 'Splendour, splendour --- everywhere'. Maybe even to settle down and enjoy it with a pint of beer – Bank's beer - 'Unspoilt by Progress', as they say -------- .