I’m back!

Hi folks, I’m back in blogland again after my break. I have’nt been near the computer in 3 weeks. No blog, email, Facebook, Twitter or checking out all the wonderful and inspiring blogs out there. I have to say I enjoyed the break, the world did’nt end and I had no withdrawal symptoms. But hey, I’m back and the weather here in Ireland is fab. Hurrah!!

The Sun has been shining since daybreak. I took these pictures at about 8.30 when I went to open the polytunnel. There’s no going in there later when it gets to 25c. The fields are filled with golden Buttercups right now…beautiful!

So nice to break fast with a few ripe Strawberries already warm from the morning Sun…

and the promise of many more to come.

Everything in the polytunnel is growing at a great rate,  lots of Lettuce for the salads we have everyday. Nasturtiums in flower as are Pot Marigold. Dual purpose plants as they draw in beneficial insects as well as being edible.

The Peach has set lots of fruit…I really must thin them this year. Thinning ensures you get nice big fruits of better quality. Take out any fruits that are touching each other as they will end up squashing and bruising each other. Bob Flowerdew in his Grow your Own, Eat your Own book says ” Peaches over crop as of right, and really must be ruthlessly thinned so that no 2 fruits will touch each other when they’re full size, leave only a sensible number per tree or you will be processing masses of under-ripe squits. Too many exhaust the tree, fail to reach any size or even ripen. Literally decimate them down to the best one in every ten, leave those and they will get huge!” Don’t know if I can be that ruthless…but I’ll try! Bye for now…off to enjoy some sunshine.

 

Break time.

 I was so touched recently by all your expressions of sympathy on the passing of our lovely doggie companion Alice. Alice had been with us for fifteen and a  years so it was a big wrench for us to lose him. We have of course come to terms with it now but we deeply appreciated the calls and comments left by each and every person. It made me realise that this blogosphere does have a community feel all of it’s own. I am happy to be a small part of it.

Right now I feel is the right time for me to take a small break from blogging. Not too long…will be back here again towards the end of the month.

In the meantime I may have some adventures I can share with you on my return.

For now I will leave you with a couple of pics taken in the last few days. This is a mule snapped on a neighbours farm. Not an animal you see much nowadays.

This is a Giant Skunk Cabbage growing in my friend Saffron’s garden. It looks lovely but smells yucky…

this is the inside view. Bye for now. Be back soon!

Bealtaine.

Already the constantly turning wheel of the year has brought us to May Day… Bealtaine…the beginning of Summer in the Celtic calendar. The Blackthorn is in blossom now…soon it will be followed by the Maybush as Hawthorn is often known.

The Romans celebrated this time with the Festival of Floraia…in honour of the Goddess Flora…Goddess of fruit and flowers. They would feast for 5 days.

Imagine the scene in the old days in Ireland…fires lighting on every hill on the eve of Bealtaine…must have been a wonderful sight to see the hills glowing in the distance. The main fire was at Uisneach…in what is now county Westmeath. Fires in the home were quenched and then relit with coals from the embers of the bonfire.

In the not so distant past the churning of butter was an important activity on every farm. Indeed as a child I remember my Mother making butter in a round wooden churn. It was believed that anything leaving the farm on May morning could be used to “steal the butter.” People not of the household would not be allowed enter if butter was being churned for fear of malicious intentions. It was suspected that certain people regularly “stole” their neighbours butter and crops. Potatoes, being an important food crop, were often the focus of these “thefts.” The crop would be “stolen” by the “thief” leaving an egg among the potatoes. The “thief” would then have an excellent crop.

Like Samhain,  Bealtaine is considered a time when the veil between the world’s is thin…a time when, at dawn and dusk especially, we can commune with Fairy and Nature spirits more easily.

What does Bealtaine…May Day mean to you? Is it something you mark in any way? For me it is a time of an increased awareness of Nature bursting forth. Everything is so vibrant… green and alive. The fields and hedgerows are once again clothed in green…insects are flitting about doing their pollinating work. So much to observe and revel in. Even though we’ve seen it all before somehow each year we are filled with awe and anticipation at the wonder of it all.

Kale and Rainbows @ Prospect Cottage.

A rainbow fading out over the hill in front of the house a few evening’s ago. I love rainbow’s…they always make me think about my Granny’s stories of how if you caught a Leprechaun, and could hold onto him,   you could force him to lead you to the crock of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Leprechaun’s were very clever and would always think of some way to frighten you into letting go of them. They  would then run off laughing and leaping with joy at fooling a stupid human again.

 Back to present times and today we pulled the last Kale plants to make way for new plantings. Such a great plant, we were provided with green pickings all Winter, then the seed heads for the last few weeks. Today the Goats got to have a meal from them too. Value indeed! I don’t put the stalks in the compost as they take ages to break down.

Some of the plants were huge, this one was 5ft tall. Kale is a very hungry plant so ground where it has grown needs to be well fertilised before the next crop. It is also a very nutritious plant being high in calcium, iron, sodium, vitamin C, carotenes and chlorophyll. Carotenes have anti-cancer properties helping to guard against  the development of cancer if consumed regularly.

Even Daphne, our lovely donkey girlie, came to have some Kale. Smart girl, she knows what’s good for her.

The last of our Kale harvest went into a soup. Together with Leeks, Potatoes and a few Nettle tops it made a delicious nutritious meal.

 

In a shaded part of the garden is this Wild Garlic. I don’t know the proper name of it. I got a clump of it from a friend last year, she did’nt know the name either. Anyone out there know? It can be used in the same way as Ransoms, all parts edible.

On Butterflies and garden progress.

 

The Peacock Butterflies are out of hibernation now, I saw this one on the lane drinking from a Dandelion. Could’nt get close enough for a better photo, it took several attempts to get this one. It is a bit better if you click on it to enlarge. The favoured place for Peacocks to lay their eggs is on Nettles so if you have a patch of Nettles leave them for the Butterflies. They need to be in a sunny spot though. Do of course have the fresh tops for soup…very nutritious and an old remedy for cleansing the blood in Spring.

 

In the garden the Raspberries are at last starting to spread. They were planted 2 years ago and have’nt done much up to now. Thigs are looking good for this year…lots of flower buds. Fresh Raspberries…bliss!

 

In the polytunnel the beds are filling up with transplants. Growth is slow enough as the night’s are still quite cold.

 

With good planning it is possible to have salad crops all year round. These red Lettuces ready for picking now were planted last August. They don’t make much growth over the Winter as our polytunnel is unheated but once Spring comes they take off again. Having fresh salads is a big priority for us as we eat a lot of salad…in all seasons. I never buy supermarket salads as Lettuce is one of the most sprayed crops grown commmercially. I remember reading once that the average Lettuce is sprayed on average 22 times in it’s short forced-grown life. Washing does not remove these poisons…for that is what they are…and then it is eaten raw.

 

Pot Marigolds or Calendula are flowering early in the polytunnel. I love their cheery faces. The whole plant is edible but I find the leaves a bit coarse so I only use the petals which look lovely decorating a salad. The petals also make a soothing eyewash and a salve can be made can also be made from them. It is very good for cuts, grazes and rashes.

 

 A handful of Lettuce leaves and Parsley to make the evening salad…with a nice dressing to accompany it makes a fitting complement to any meal. Topped off of course with a Spring Onion and a scattering of Marigold petals. Art, happiness and Nature’s Bounty on a plate at the end of the day. Perfect!

Seasonal plants, Water and the craziness of Fracking.

Rhubarb season is in full swing now. Jam has been made, chutney recipes are being searched out and crumbles are on the menu. Last night I made a Strawberry, Rhubarb and Sweet Cicely crumble. Delicious! In our haste to eat it I forgot to take a pic to tease you with.

The Daffodils have lasted such a long time this year. They are starting to lose their vibrancy now but they’ve been flowering for about 6 weeks. Usually the Spring brings lots of rain and wind which flattens them pretty quickly, but this year we have actually had a Spring with proper Spring weather.      Huge areas of England are already in drought conditions with hose bans in force in many areas. I find it crazy that in midst of their water shortage the English government have given the go ahead to the resumption of hydraulic fracturing for gas in Lancanshire. This destructive process using millions of gallons of water each day to fracture the rock which then releases the gas.  This water is then poisoned with chemicals and naturally occuring heavy metals and radioactive elements. So poisoned that it is not reusable by man or beast. It does’nt make sense to me. We need to remember that all the water that will ever be is already on the Planet. It is not a renewable resource.  Here in Ireland the fight continues to make our government see sense and not allow hydraulic fracturing in our country.

In the back field the big Sycamore is in full leaf . I really love this tree and how it’s branches have taken the shape of outstretched arms…reaching to the heavens in it’s daily worship of Mother Nature.

Underneath the kitchen window this little Azalea is about to burst into full bloom. It never fails to give a great display year on year.

On the lane Primroses are giving their annual display. All parts of the plant are edible and a few of the flowers look lovely decorating a salad. An infusion of the fresh plant can be used to make a cough remedy and a mildly sedative tea. It is however protected in the wild so unless you have a profusion of them in your own garden it’s best to admire them and leave them to Nature.

A  plant which you can pick to your heart’s content is Sorrel. It gives a lovely lemony kick to a mixed salad and can be cooked as a vegetable. The succulent leaves are pleasant to eat raw and are a great thirst quencher. It grows in abundance here as it likes the damp, acidic soil. Mother Nature provides.

On Earth Day…Commandments for the Earth.

1.  Thou shalt love and honour the Earth for it blesses thy life and governs thy survival.

 

2.  Thou shalt keep each day sacred to the Earth and celebrate the turning of the seasons.

 

3.  Thou shalt not hold thyself above other living things nor drive them to extinction.

 

4.  Thou shalt give thanks for thy food, to the creatures and plants that nourish thee.

5.  Thou shalt limit thy offspring for multitudes of people are a burden onto the Earth.

 

6.  Thou shalt not kill, nor waste Earth’s riches upon weapons of war.

 

7.  Thou shalt not pursue profit at the Earth’s expense but strive to restore it’s damaged majesty.

 

8.  Thou shalt not hide from thyself or others the consequences of thy actions upon the Earth.

 

9.  Thou shalt not steal from future generations by impoverishing or poisoning the Earth.

 

10.  Thou shalt consume material goods in moderation so all may share the Earth’s bounty.

 

These commandments were written in 1990 by Ernest Callenbach.

If only we would live by them.

 

Loss…

It has been a sad few days for us here in Arigna. Earlier in the week our lovely black collie Alice slept his last sleep and said goodbye to us. He (yes, he, a man called Alice) had been with us since January 1997 when we got him as a 4 month old puppy.

Dogs are such great companions, ours are always with us when we are working around the place. As humans it is our nature to become attached so it is so difficult when the shorter life span of dogs and other animals takes them from us. But that is the way of it and so we must cope and carry on.

 I love this pic, the last one taken of the 3 of them, sitting together in the Spring sunshine on April 4 th.  There is a flower bed out the back near the chalet where Alice liked to sit… despite my attempts to get him not to. We buried him there and maybe in another life another place we shall meet again.

Each day it gets a little easier but it is still very fresh and our hearts are heavy and full of sadness…and I wonder how the Sun can shine when our hearts feel so bruised.

But life goes on…and veggies grow…

and flowers bloom.

The Search for the Sacred Well. part 2.

As the weeds and brambles were removed the old stone that surrounds the well was revealed…

and our  excitement and sense of  achievement was invigorating. Loads of baby frogs in the water here…now they can stretch their legs and swim.

As the well was revealed John was moved to recite a poem….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jtDP4W7ECo&feature=share

The men showed off by trying to move this large stone into it’s previous position. They had partial success! On another day we will return with wellies to rescue the old stone that has fallen into the well.

Being in this seldom visited spot makes me wonder…who were the last people to use this well…when last the last bucket of drinking water taken from here…did people come from far and wide to seek healing here? How long since these beautiful stone walls were built in this sacred place?

According to John’s research the well water here was reputed to be a cure for stress. How fitting in these times that we should seek it out and rejuvenate it.

Oblivious to all else a small child builds a fairy house from moss and twigs…topped by a white feather.

Reluctantly we realise that evening is creeping in…and we must return through the forest…

past the skeleton of a long dead tree…

to where the Bluebells grow.

Click on pics to enlarge.

The search for the Sacred Well.

Anyone know whats going on with WordPress? Anyone else out there having problems with visiting blogs or leaving comments on other WordPress blogs? Last week Blogs I Follow was changed to Reader…not accessible…to me anyway. This means that I can’t access blogs I follow or leave comments. Sorry folks…hopefully WordPress will sort this out soon!

 

To destress after that whinge I will share some pics from our woodland outing yesterday. We went to Deereen Wood, near Knockvicar where the Bluebells are in full bloom  at the moment. My pic does’nt do it justice but you get the idea.

Our quest yesterday was to find Toberdarragh Sacred Well. This required us to go deep into the woods, far off the beaten track. John Willmott, who leads the Poetree Walks had found the well on old ordnance survey maps.

 

After fighting our way through the undergrowth the woods opened out into a much clearer area of lovely mature Beech trees. On we went through the Fairy Ring…

 

stopping to admire the Bluebells which were only within the circle of the ring.

 

On we went past more beautiful Beeches… I do so love Beech trees.

 

Finally, thanks to John’s sense of direction and his trusty compass…we came to a broken down stone wall…over the still merry band went…and there was the well. Much overgrown and long disused we set to work immediately to clear the brambles and weeds choking this long forgetton but once important water source.

 

Fallen branches were cleared…

 

and willing hands remove the tangled mass of weeds. It’s amazing how quickly a few people working together can get a job done.  In the spirit of the  old ways this Poetree Walk had turned into a Meitheal. Meitheal is an Irish word for the once common practise of people working together…usually on farms…to help each other get the work done. Sadly now in Ireland Meitheal seems to be practised only by alternative living people or “hippies” as the locals would say. So be it….

Check in tomorrow for part 2 of the well clearing.