A short film about food

Feeding time

After Ailsa has fed the kids she plays with them. Here is a piccy - she's under there somewhere honest! I took a film of this but couldn't copy it into my laptop - it was several minutes long so it's probably just as well.

But fear not! Coming soon is a short film taken a few days ago.

A tit bired*

What time is it?

It's getting easier - but there are still kids who haven't cottoned on how to bottle feed. We need three compartments in the kid shed really, not fed, feeding area, and fed. But there's only room for two, unfed, and feeding and fed area combined. This means that the greedy ones climb all over you while you're trying to feed the reluctant feeders - which is great fun but very tiresome.

I've also developed that age-old complaint - kid feeders head. This results from feeding the kids in the stable with a very low roof - which isn't fun but is equally tiresome.

We've started to split labours - the goats are getting better at being milked - so generally Jussi does the milking and me and Ailsa do the feeding. There's one particularly ticklish goat - Matilda - who really doesn't like being milked. Jussi now has a two track mind - milking machines and Matilda curry.

I'll try to get piccies posted today - but I keep leaving the camera up at the croft - and the batteries are flat.

* It's a spoonerism that's somehow strangely appropriate whichever way you read it..

Clock shock, orphans and the feminine side

Yesterday the kids were taken off their mothers. This means that they are now bottle fed. There are two reasons for subjecting ourselves to this ordeal - firstly it makes the kids more human friendly when they grow up and secondly it gives us chance to get the milking goats used to being milked while the volume of milk production is on the up.

But it has radically altered our routine. Currently milking 7 goats, 4 of whom have never been milked before is taking nigh on two hours. Then the kids have to be bottle fed - this takes over an hour or more - and we've discovered why its a good idea to bottle feed kids colostrum. Those that were have taken to the bottle well. The rest are reluctant drinkers. Hopefully they'll come round but right now its patience straining stuff and takes a long time. I've no idea if making soothing cooing noises helps - but soothing cooing noises seem to be an involuntary response I have to bottle feeding kid goats.

Our routine this morning was: Jussi got up at 5am, breakfasted and went up to milk the experienced milkers. I got up at 6, had a cup of tea and lit the fire and went up to help milk the inexperienced ones (this also calls for soothing cooing sounds). Ailsa got up around 8 and came up to help bottle feed the kids. At 9 I came down for a cup of tea and breakfast (and to re-light the fire) - mainly because I was starting to bite Ailsa's head off for no particular reason. By 10:30 all the feeding and watering and haying was done and Ailsa came down for breakfast. Jussi had finished bottle washing etc by 11 and came down for coffee. At around 12:30 we'll all head up to bottle feed the kids again.

At five we'll go up to milk the goats again and feed the kids. At sometime after 9pm we'll go up and feed the kids again.

This regime began yesterday - but milking and feeding started around 5 and didn't finish until around 8. Things like child care are being a bit neglected - Ailsa is a goat orphan (like a rock 'n' roll widow only much much more cool ) even cooler than this). Just as well she is on holiday for the next two weeks.

And then Jussi will get up at 5 in the morning and it'll all start again.

But what's this? The *U*K*N* CLOCKS HAVE LEAPT FORWARD!! *U*K ME!!!!!

Labels

If it hadn't been for all that kidding this week the blog would have been full of moans about the weather. Chuffin freezin. And today is the worst. It's not snowing enough to settle - but those rock hard hail things flung in on those northerly gusts sting a lot.

When I was at Changeworks I was at least 50% responsible for conceiving this. It was a project designed to promote the use of charity shops and to get charity shops cooperating with each other to maximise their sales, profits and resource use. One of the best projects I was ever involved in I think. Anyway.....Yesterday I had time to kill while the kids were being budded and took a wander around Thurso's many charity shops. There are a couple of proper little Aladin's caves - brilliant to explore. But these jeans came from the more sanitised Cancer Research shop.

I'm not a designer label kinda guy - and I've no idea what wearing Armani jeans says about me to the label-literate. But £6 for a brand new (they look like they've never been worn) pair of jeans is a bargain. And secured without support sweat-shops too - but are they counterfeit? How can you tell?

Anyway - a good deal. I hope you can muster a little more than natimb*. Me, I'm off to craft a celebratory tune on my ampyxsjo* before tucking in to a steamy hot nestoloo*.

* Explanation here (in the comments).

Proximity to services

This isn't a moan. It's our own fault.

Anyway.

We have to 'debud' the kids - essentially this entails branding their heads. It stops their horns from growing. Goats with horns hurt other goats and passing humans. This has to be done under anaesthetic - which means a trip to the vets. But the vets - who are 30+ miles away - will only take up to five kids at a time. This means that in addition to the £10:50 per kid for debudding we have to drive something close to 200 miles to get the job done.

It was my turn to take five today. They hated Radio Scotland - baaing their heads off all the way - and in our little Skoda Fabia five bleating kids are head splittingly loud. On the way home they were a bit dozy and so were quieter - I was also playing the iPod and I think music calms them. However they did insist on joining in when Julie London struck up "Cry me a river" - such soulful kids. When I joined in it just made everything worse.

This afternoon we castrated (by ringing) 4 of the billies. I can't claim they didn't mind this, but it was a lot easier than I expected. We've not castrated the Nubian kids - they're good pedigree and it would be a waste. But this might be condemning them to an early freezer, cos they mature very quickly and we cant risk them mating with relatives. So if you happen to know someone who would like a show stopping Anglo Nubian billy tell them to get in touch.

Roger over copy that and out beep

When I was a whipper snapper The Man from UNCLE was a fave TV programme. I remember one year being given a Man from UNCLE spy kit that included a walkie talkie - little more than two cones of black plastic attached with red string - if you pulled the string tight you could talk into one cone - and the person at the other end could hear what you said. Well they were all of 10 feet away. Deeply unsatisfying.

Since that day I've wanted a proper walkie talkie. And look what a couple of regular blog readers sent us yesterday! How fab is that. 5km range. Rechargeable batteries. Roger beep!

It will be incredibly useful.

Thanks guys.

The final count

Phew - all done. Another female and curry this afternoon giving us the final count of 17 kids, 9 females 8 curries. All well. Jussi kenacked.

Another curry

The latest addition to our little herd is this rather large male, born around 9pm last night.

He's big. Jussi had to get her hands in last night to help him out.

So our tally is now 15 kids - 8 females, 7 curries. One goat still to kid.

Here come the girls!

Snow drops(2)

Bloggiversary

Some random stats to entertain me. It's cold and horrid outside and this kept me warm and inside for a bit.

These might be of interest to other bloggers and to Tadg.

I'm sorry the links haven't carried across into the .pdf. But actually what they show is that hits aren't content driven - hits are driven by other people making references to you.

Snow drops

This is Matilda with two bouncing baby girls born around 3am this morning. Jussi slept peacefully through the drama.

Matilda's mother, Margo, also gave birth this morning - one female, one curry (both pure white - doubtless a product of the snow storm that welcomed them into this world). The curry is very large and was an awkward birth - giving Jussi her first experience of getting her hands in and helping out (one front leg was facing backwards).

So the tally is now 14 kids, 8 female and 6 curries. Two goats left to kid (due yesterday).

Bonnie - who gave us 5 kids on Saturday, looks like she is recovering. She's spent two days looking exhausted and not really looking after her kids - but after a lot of TLC lavished on her and her kids (ably assisted by a gaggle (squall?) of Ailsa's friends), Bonnie is on her feet and feeding the kids.

Jussi, on the other hand, is doolali.

Spring has prung

Cold winds and a smattering of snow this morning.

Proud Gwennie*

Hidden behind the proud mother is a male and a female kid. Only two. Phew!

They were born this afternoon.

Jussi is hoping for no more births tonight - she could do with a full nights sleep. But there's two goats due tonight, so the odds are against her.

* A Creedence Clearwater Revival reference.

Wobbly curry

This is an experiment. Sorry about the poor quality but it's a bit dark in the stable.

Here comes the curry!

Can you count how many there are?

Jussi was roused from her straw bed (eeeh times are 'ard) around 4am to the cacophony of Bonnie being cacophonic. Nubians are renowned for being noisy. Within the hour we had our next lot of kids.

There are four males in this lot, and one female.

Cute or what?

Ground Elder

Like every gardener in the universe Town Mouse is suffering from ground elder. I didn't realise it could be useful, and it looks good to feed the goats. But we two legs can eat it too:

From Estonia

and omlettes quiche and soup- or even as a substitute for asparagus

Sunrise 6:20 Sunset 18:30

Spring has sprung - officially. I'm no astronomer but I reckon this means we have more daylight than you...na na na.

And boy has it sprung. It's like May - only without the midges. I don't mean to frighten you but I was digging today without a shirt on. And the birds are going apeshit tweetering away like gattling guns (bucolic?).

So like just about every other blogger I follow I've been sorting out veggy beds and planting. This fills me with trepidation - this must be a false dawn (there's a chance of snow at the weekend) - so planting is a wee bit premature. But hey.

There's a joke - never wear a green tie to a crofters meeting - someone will try to plough it. Well when I was thinking about planting plans my eyes fell on that raised bed built for the fruit trees. All that brown weed-free earth - too much to resist so there's some onions, parsnips and leeks gone in there. And the veggy garden has leeks parsnips and spring onions.

Yeehah.

The eagle has landed....

At last! It all started around 5am and was over by 7:30. Three bouncing baby girls. Mother (Gwendolyn) and kids doing fine.

Everyone is very relieved. And just in time - the next expectant mother is now due.

We rapidly move to the fraught issue of names. Of course if it was up to me they'd be named 1, 2 and 3.

But Jussi (and Ailsa) wants them to have names - and we've decided to name each years 'crop' alphabetically - starting this year, naturally enough, at R.

Kids from the British Alpine Mothers will be named with a Mythological theme, those from the Nubian with an African theme, and those from Saanens with a Botanical theme.

So welcome: Roshima, Rhea, Rumina - not sure which is which just now.

But last word goes to Ailsa - hopping up and down clapping she declared:

"I can imagine them running up a rainbow and hopping onto a cloud."

K+3 Jussi's Birthday

No news. Yawn.

As goat number one holds in her kids - other goats rapidly approach their due date - raising the spectre of a glut of kidding goats. C'est la vie.

It would be nice if the first kids arrived on Jussi's Birthday though. So here's hoping.

I spent yesterday in Wick. The highlight being a fish supper for lunch - luxury! The day was reasonably unsuccessful - but I did manage to buy shed loads of seeds. These are now hanging over me - staring accusingly, nipping me every time I think about rest. I thought seeds would be pretty laid back things - but not these - nag nag bloody nag. So I guess I'd better get out there and prepare some beds for them - might quieten them down a bit.

K+2

No news.

Jussi is getting used to Bonnie's snoring and reckons she's getting good nights sleep in the stables - but I still hold out hope that it's not to become a permanent move.

Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was out taking part in democracy. Highland Council Planning Committee came to the village to consider a planning application for a 'wind farm' (two turbines, total capacity 5MW).

The proposal is to put the turbines on a part of the common grazing. We are trying to secure our share of this common grazing - (we've still not got it!). If we get the share, we'll get a share of the rent to be paid by the wind farm developers. So I'm even more biased than I usually am.

The day started with a convoy of cars traipsing about and stopping to look at the views. The Council members had photo-montages showing the impact the turbines will have on the views and at each stop there was great discussion about how poor the montages were. It was a beautiful day as I say, which was beautiful but slightly disappointing for those of us in favour of the proposal. I mean on a clear day there will be quite an impact. But there are very few clear days hereabouts.

Then we went to the meeting proper, which was in the village hall. The Councillors sat at tables laid out in horse-shoe fashion, everyone was microphoned up and it was all rather cure really. Pompous Councillors do exist - but these guys, on public display, tried very hard to ask intelligent questions and to look like they cared a great deal about the decision they had the duty to make. Aw sweeeeet!

The meeting (which was constantly interrupted by the Council solicitor warning Councillors about procedure and what they were and were not allowed to ask/say) commenced with a detailed description of the proposal from the planning officer, followed by questions from the Councillors. There were then presentations from the proposers and supporters (the grazing committee) followed by questions from Councillors. Then the objectors had their say.

Like I say I'm a tad biased. But the objectors were intensely irritating and stupid. One of the main points was that it was silly to generate electricity in the north of Scotland and export it all the way down Birmingham, which, according to them is where the power would be consumed. Thus displaying a stunning lack of understanding of how the grid operates.

Another objector, from the community council, raised all sorts of issues about access to the land for peat cutting - an extra-ordinary intervention given that the only folk with peat rights are the crofters all of whom are in support of the proposal.

Of the four objectors given the floor, only one knew what he was doing, carefully dissecting the planning officers report and highlighting flaws in the application.

These presentations had been arranged in advance - and were selected from folk who had made representations when the planning application was open to comment over a year ago. Democracy being what it is, the public were not allowed to participate in the meeting.

A statutory consultee - SNH - had objected (on grounds of visual impact), but hadn't sent a representative to explain their objection - something the Councillors were very unhappy about. I'm proud to declare myself an environmentalist - but not of the ilk of SNH. Those who wish to protect the fluffy without regard to those who work the land, have done for centuries, and whose forefathers created the very environment SNH-ers work so hard to conserve (like jam) deserve derision. They also give precious little regard to the overriding threat of climate change. I'll save this diatribe for another time.

Anyway - the most fascinating aspect of the proceedings was the rift in the village - between the crofters - represented by the grazing committee, and the incomers - represented by the community council. The incoming busy-body who views their surroundings smeared in jam (there is a good metaphor in there somewhere, but I'll leave you to put in the effort to make it work), deserves much derision. Another diatribe for another time.

The proposal was passed and now goes for review by the Scottish Government.

K+1

No news

K-Day

Today is the day the goats are due to start kidding. Everyone is very excited. Jussi 'slept' in the stables last night - though not terribly well on account of Bonnie, who snores. But for the next couple of weeks Jussi will be encamped.

If all the goats kid on time - which of course they wont - there's a couple to kid in the first half of this week, then more then some. The stable extension isn't complete, but Jussi reckons she worked out how to do without. The next big decision is when to start bottle feeding.

Bottle feeding massively increases workload. Instead of just leaving nature to do its stuff, you have to separate mother and kid, milk the mother twice a day and bottle feed the kids at least 4 times a day. So instead of spending all day leaning on the fence going "Aw" there's 14 milkings and approximately 40 feedings to take care of.

Experienced goatherders are telling us to start bottle feeding asap, many even suggest starting immediately to ensure that you know all the kids get a good dose of colostrum. The advantage being that the kids will grow into much friendlier (and more manageable) goats. The disadvantages are, I trust, obvious!

Comic relief

There was some bizarre red thing at the school this morning - dutifully attended by Jussi and I. We stuffed ourselves on home baking and so before a consequently late lunch I had chance to plant the Jerusalem Artichokes Lulu had given me. Friday 13th seems like an auspicious day for planting so after lunch and a cuppa watching the Cheltenham Gold Cup, I put a few broad beans and cos lettuce into the cold frame (which I built - the lid almost fits).

Of course I'm supposed to be writing a business plan - but planting and digging is more fun. I made a completely new bed for the artichokes - they have a belligerent reputation. Last year we brought up some from Dunbar - originally a gift from Laura - but they disappeared without trace. Fingers crossed for these ones.

It's a big time of year. It's roughly a year since I left Changeworks, it's almost the anniversary of us moving up here, ditto me starting to blog, it's Jussi's birthday soon and them there goats are due to start kidding any day now. Jussi is plotting how she'll sleep in the stable - there's a good chance she'll be sleeping there on her birthday night! Oh and Hull City will be thrashing Arsenal in the FA cup soon. Maybe.

Scottish environmental and attitudes survey 2008

Just published - hot off the presses - go read it here.

Depressing headline: - when asked what the single most important issue facing us today - 4% named the environment or climate change. Pathetic!

It suggests two things to me. Most obviously people are hugely influenced by a what is on the media - the survey was taken when the press was dominated by the credit crunch. This isn't the full story but for reasons of brevity that's all I'll say for now.

Secondly - there is a grave deficit in leadership. Our leaders are not doing much to combat climate change and this is inevitably translated into people not thinking it's all that important.

A dilemma and the beginning of a solution. The dilemma is that there is a mounting body of evidence to suggest that we mustn't focus on how grim the situation is - in the face of such cataclysmic projections people tend to give up - climate change is so mammoth people feel disempowered and don't believe they can do anything. But if only 4% recognise climate change as THE issue facing us today, what can we do? Maybe the shock horror tactics employed by the green movement in the past is needed to wake people up - and then we harness the positive aspects of change once people are listening.

The beginning of a solution? Politicians have often told me that they will do more about climate change when people clamour for more action. Afterall it's a democracy. Putting aside the woeful understanding of leadership exhibited I wonder what people politicians listen to. Maybe a loud voice in their ears is their constituency party activists. I spent a substantial amount of time in the 1990's telling Women's Rural Institutes, church groups and the like about climate change - maybe organisations like Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centres should direct more attention to constituency parties.

Horror headline. The survey was able classify respondents according to how they viewed the environment and (somewhat unhelpfully I think) classified the environmentally aware as 'deep greens'. Deep greens tend to be educated and wealthy. They have the financial power to make environmentally friendly choices and the wherewithall to understand their impact.

But check this: deep greens are the most likely to have flown for leisure purposes in the last year - because they can afford it. For Fakks Sake!

A solution to this? It must involve hitting people, very hard, in their (trouser!) pockets. And the fairest way is to have a financial system based on Carbon - with personal carbon allowances so the poorest can get what they need to live - and the rich, if they must, can pay through their noses for carbon profligate activities.

And our current financial mess is an excellent opportunity to move the system onto this basis. The 'gold standard' was introduced after the crash in the 1930's, now we can introduce the carbon standard.

Of course it wont happen - greenies, lead by the still shimmering Mr Obama, have been diverted down the 'green new deal' route, to my mind completely missing the scale of response needed. And anyway our leaders are headless chickens in the face of real crisis.

As I say in comment on the other grim environmental news story this week, It's a fact, we're fakked. Or so says my heart. My head insists we can do it, we can overcome this crisis - but only in moments of delirious optimism. Truth is the hour glass is running very very low.

Free tea service

So today we receive two gifts. One gift actually cost £350 - the cost of getting the van through its MOT. The man giving it to me handed over with the words "Now you can go home make yourself a cup of tea and reflect on how evil cars are" - quite profound for a garage mechanic.

The other- WOW. A goat tea pot. Delightful don't you think? Thank you Mona!

Warming cuppas are the order of the day - having decided to attack my head with Number One clippers - I'm feeling distinctly cold and wander about in a bobble hat (so last year...or maybe five years ago).

No apology!

In 2007 the IPCC came out with predictions that got splashed across the media the world over. For the first time this body of hundreds of climate scientists agreed that climate change was happening, and it was happening as a result of human activity.

That the IPCC must have unanimous agreement before issuing its declarations is one of its great strengths. Fundamentally however, it is also its greatest weakness. The predictions that IPCC offer are wildly conservative: many would say dangerously and irresponsibly conservative.

This week in Copenhagen it was announced that rather than a sea level rise of about 40cm by the end of the century we are now looking at a rise of up to 120cm. Most of the evidence to support this prediction had already been collected in 2007 - but the scientific process is slow and it's taken two years for all the checks and balances in the process to be completed before this study could be released. If a panel of the general public had been asked to assess this data about melting ice sheets in 2007 - they would have agreed that they are melting faster than the IPCC accepted.

Similarly, we knew in 2007 that the oceans were acidifying at a frightening rate, but this research has only just been released in Copenhagen. This doesn't threaten sea level rise - just a complete collapse of the marine eco-system.

And in 2007 we also knew that the melting of the permafrost in the tundra was releasing millions of tonnes of methane - threatening a cataclysmic accelaration of climate warming. The scientific process has yet to unleash the impacts of this one on us.

On a happier note it is now thought that the Greenland ice sheet is more stable than we thought - so the 6 metre sea level rise is much less likely than some were saying in 2007. And this highlights the strength of the IPCC approach - nothing is announced until the evidence is unequivocal (or as near as dammit).

Less than two years before the 2007 IPCC reports, hurricane Katrina wreaked its havoc on New Orleans. One of the lasting effects of Katrina was the displacement of some 300,000 people. A massive human tragedy. But the revised projections for sea level rise are somewhat more devastating. A one metre sea level rise will displace not 300,000 people, or 3,000,000, or 30,000,000 or 300,000,000 but some 600,000,000. Roughly a tenth of the total human population on the planet.

Katrina had it's Gretna controversy. How will the world respond to 600 million displaced souls?

Is this boring you. Really? - How much more important does an issue need to be? When will you engage with it and try to do something?

But what to do eh? That's a huge and very difficult question.

My advice - do what you can - and feel good for doing it, and then next time to a bit more. But maybe also we need to accept that this thing is going to far too fast - and our politicians aren't up to the task of stopping it. So get prepared for the worst and start building resilience - Transition towns are a good start. Above all though, make sure you enjoy doing it. Transition Towns are as much about the joy of community as anything else - and leaving the car at home is about feeling alive to the air on your face, the oxygen coursing your veins and the wierdo on the bus!

Slow blogging

I'm neglecting blogging a bit. Truth is there's so much to do just now. And the kids aint even here yet.

OMMAGAWD.

Legacy

Thank you Sarah and Chris!

I was a bit kenacked having charged over to the west coast and then hurtled back. But it was great to have visitors - and they brought real crunchy fresh veg and real crunchy fresh carrots and real crunchy fresh gossip and real crunchy fresh joy.

...And I'm sorry I didn't put coriander in the curry - I thought it was parsley.

That trip West - in full

There seems to be something wrong with the clock on the ipod. And I can't get a two page print out to show. Not that you're really interested anyway.

Whither the weather?

On Wednesday morning I complained about sleet, yesterday morning about driving blizzards.

Yesterday afternoon was bright and sunny. Brill. In the morning I was nicely cooled in the blizzrd doing the mucking out and in the afternoon nicely warmed in the sunshine mixing concrete. Cement mixers rock!

This morning it is absolutely glorious again. Uplifting.

But the forecast for my travels - which entail criss-crossing the Highlands - is of frozen roads and driving rains and snowy hills. But I don't care. This is the first time I've left Sutherland (apart from trips to Thurso and Wick) for months. It's exciting!

Phlegm

....and next we have an email from a regular reader in East Lothian noting some of the less palatable aspects of British cuisine. As he points out - Honey Roast Ham - Yum. But Spit Roasted Chicken?

Visits

I'm off to Ullapool tomorrow, staying with Lulu and Christian Friday night and then viewing a wind turbine installation on Saturday. I'll get back in time to share on evening with Chris and Sarah who are visiting from Dunbar.

All this depends on the weather calming down a bit.

I'm aware that this piccy is so like numerous other piccies - but I'm too scared to do more than poke my nose outta the front door. Believe me, it's worse than this picture makes it look.

School run

One of the great things about this croft is that Ailsa can walk to school - it's very rare to find a croft within walking distance of a school. But her walk takes her over a very exposed hill, and if the wind is in the West, or North, or East, South or any point in between, the walk can be very unpleasant and what with the driving sleet yesterday and today's driving snow we've given her a lift to school two days running. But we've driven her to school on less than a handful of occasions so I guess we're either very lucky with the weather or meany parents.

While I've been whinging about vans and weather and concreting and the weather and the weather Jussi has been quietly getting on with mucking out the stables. Today it's my turn to do this heavy and smelly work. It's OK - I quite enjoy it really - but I fear today the goats will be in the way - cos there's no way they'll go out in the snow. I've just got to be careful not to prematurely skewer a hapless goat.

Taking stock (improved version)

How to amuse yourself in grim weather? Hey let's count how much beer I have! (Please click in the image).

The striking thing about this, to me anyway, is the fact that in January and February this year I've brewed 80 litres of beer (that's about 140 pints), and of that there only remains 38 litres. So somehow we've got through over 70 pints. Given that beer is (generally) only drunk when: a) there's footba on tha telly, or b) we've got visitors, the conclusion we must reach is what fine and hospitable hosts we are.

Gityerassesupere.

No such thing as bad weather...

I confess to having an extremely irritating habit of reciting:

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." I promise you - it irritates no one as much as me, although it can make you feel a little bit better when faced with the prospect of venturing outside.

But - whoever thought it was a good idea to mix snow with rain and then hurl it across the landscape at great speed - whoever that was, well - they were...erm...rotters!

And so today I shall hide.

Hey Presto!

The bag splits and sand and gravel splurges all over the place. In the way and not where I wanted it. So I've just shoveled the stuff into a tidy pile. Warming work and worthy of another cuppa - hence sitting here instead of working.

Leak? Water pump? Blown gasket?

Or negligence? It's looking like the latter. Tut tut - that's plain nude swimming with jelly fish that is.

Visitors

We're expecting visitors at the weekend - but we're not sure when........

Meanwhile I've had an email from someone asking for an invite. For Gawds sake! We don't invite people - we just expect you to arrive (advance notice helps of course).

Gityerassesupere.

Winter returns

Today we awoke to a winter wonderland - and it is decidedly colder. This is bad news for me - wanting to do more concreting and trying to keep the beer warm. I'm not too worried about the beer - it's due to be bottled anyway.

Yesterday was a deluxe white van man day. After driving to Wick to get the 5p per litre off diesel (and double club card points - oooh!) I drove to Thurso to pick up a load of animal feed, cement, sand and a tonne of sand and gravel mix. Eeeeeh manly or what.

But the geezer with the fork lift didn't put the bag in far enough - and it was a bit of a struggle keeping the back doors closed. In fact at one point I had to stop and scoop as much of the sand and gravel towards the front of the van cos the back doors were straining.

And...

I'd put the cement and the sand and gravel all around the back door - the side door being clogged up with animal feed - and this meant that a substantial amount of weight was behind the back axle - which made driving usually ..erm..fun - as the back was lifting the front wheels off the road. So I had to stop to redistribute the weight.

And...

The engine started over-heating. This was coupled with the failure of the cab heating. So we've run out of water somehow - leak? busted water pump? blown gasket? Bollux. I'll have a look at it this morning. The van is booked in for MOT next week so it'll be sorted soon enough - but it's more evidence of nude swimming.

So the main jobs today: bottle the beer (Muntons best bitter), investigate the van, empty the van, and stick metal rods through the floor of the lean to - to anchor the walls and floor.

Emptying the van is fun. The tonne bag will be tied to a tree, and then the van drives off. Hey presto!