Is Self Sufficiency Worth All The Hard Work ?

June 2013 - the weather was good, the days were long, dates for visitors were looming, so where to start ?
That is one of the problems here - you need to make the most of the dry days, but still keep the momentum going for the renovation of the house - not forgetting that you need time out too to enjoy the beach and the scenery.

Days are filled with feeding, watering and cleaning the animals, walking the dog, and of course cleaning, washing, and feeding and watering ourselves ! Someone asked me one time, how we filled our days, and it is so difficult to say. The time just flies by ! Once we sit down in the evening, it is very easy to doze off in the chair - all that fresh air, and physical work. I'm not sure how Craig keeps going sometimes.

Craig was desperate to get the vegetable patch up and running this year. Our neighbour ploughed and rotovated it, but the hard work was done by Craig - in all weathers, he was out there trying to overtake, or just keep up with, the weeds ! He planted everything you could imagine - from lettuce to leeks, from tomatoes to turnips. It looked great - very orderly, very impressive.....

And it wasn't long before things started to grow apace.....

It was the right time of the year to buy some new chicks too - we tried to hatch from eggs, but weren't very successful. It's a big learning curve here ! We used a manual incubator, which meant having to turn the eggs regularly - who knew that you had to do that eh ?! - and even after following all the correct instructions, the success rate was very poor ! It proves easier, more cost effective and less time consuming to buy day old chicks, and raise them. Yes, they need an infra red light, a secure warm 'house' inside, and regular feeding and cleaning, but the success rate is much higher (and they're very cute!). Arthur loves them - every time we have them, he is on a mission to watch their every move. I'm not sure I would trust him alone with them though, after all he is a terrier !

Talking of Arthur, he has a regular check up at the Vets - his MOT we call it. He has his injections etc, and every time the Vet asks us if he needs the Rabies jab. This is only necessary now if we plan on a visit to the UK, and up to this point we haven't taken him. It would be quite disruptive for him, although the car is one of his favourite places, but we know that we could take him if necessary - he is chipped, and has a passport ! As usual the Vet is pleased with him - Arthur has a good life with us - some would even say he is spoilt !!!

While all this outside work took place in the drier days, the bathroom was progressing well - Craig split his time between the inside and outside, and we were on a countdown towards the arrival of a few sets of visitors - we needed a fully functioning, private bathroom as a priority..........................