Yesterday we had a sharp reminder that we are not out of the bad weather yet. We had hours of steady rain, strong winds and hours of sleet and then snow. The rain butts are full, the ground sodden. This morning, when he released the hens, George found that one of the ash trees in the owl wood had fallen down, luckily it had just missed the fence and the hen house.
So, the shape of our day was a little different to that which we had planned. The up side of this is that the tree will provide us with top quality logs and kindling for next winter. Ash doesn't need to be seasoned, it will burn beautifully even when it is green!
The hens soon came along and started pecking and scratching, they don't like worms, but they love insects and grubs. Living in our wood is a lovely retirement for three old battery hens. They are three little characters, we enjoy their company.
Before long we had this pile of wood, the next stage will follow when the weather is better.
Billie likes to think she is boss.
We may have lost a tree but Mother Nature balanced things a little because we thought we had lost our rhubarb when the new soakaway had to be dug last year. Imagine our surprise when we found this!
We have covered some with the rhubarb forcer and look forward to some lovely fruit before too long.
Not such a bad day after all!
I didn't know ash need not be seasoned...you learn something every day!
ReplyDeleteJane x
my rhubarb is just a little behind yours
DeleteHi Jane, The Woodcutter's Poem says it all! Ash is truly the king of woods, but we vary the type we use according to what we are doing - slow cooking, high temperature baking, or simply heating the water and the house. It is a whole subject in itself!
DeleteHi John, I am amazed our rhubarb survived given that it was dug out chopped around, found, rescued and forgotten! Treat it mean seems to work (on this occasion).
Oh for some home grown rhubarb...
ReplyDeleteHi Green Dragonette, Once it is ready just send me your number and we'll fax it over!
DeleteWe had some rough weather on Sunday here as well. What a lucky find your rhubarb was. It looks more advanced than ours.
ReplyDeleteHi Molly, I think we have just been lucky with the mild weather for a couple of weeks, it got a shock at the weekend though, we were definitely back to winter then.
DeleteI haven't seen a rhubarb forcer since 1945. And I didn't even know what it was then, or now, until I looked it up. I may be the only person left in my county who likes rhubarb, and have to get my piece of pie at country stands.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, A tall up-ended bucket or tub works just as well as a forcer - not much use if you haven't got the rhubarb though. If I could send some to you, I would.
DeleteWhen I saw the rhubarb forcer, I thought I might buy one for a decoration in the garden. I can't seem to find where to buy one in the usa. Anyway, it is too hot and dry in my part of Texas to grow rhubarb. You and George had a busy day!
ReplyDeleteHi Meggie, I am just taking a tea-break, I have been digging another vegetable bed - that's three completed now, daren't think how many more to go! The rhubarb forcer is a lovely shape, I wouldn't have bought one for myself but Davina, my daughter, and her husband got it for me a while back, which was lovely of them. Apart from their practical applications I just think the shape is beautiful.
Deletehow bizarre was that snow yesterday!?!?
ReplyDeleteHi Dom, It was a crazy day, after all that lovely mild weather. It is perfect weather for digging today.
DeleteI suppose that when the tree fell at least the hens were there to hear it fall and then clap with one hand (or wing).
ReplyDeleteEveryone from the village is probably going to think that you are deforesting the Owl Wood faster than the Amazon now though - you know how folk pass by and jump to (the wrong) conclusions!
Hi Owl, I guess it would be an easy mistake to make when they whizz past in their cars and see George wielding his chainsaw ... Still, I have got the photographs to show what really happened, just in case!
DeleteI guess that is what they mean by a silver lining in the cloud(: I'm glad you found your rhubarb (:
ReplyDeleteHi Shu Han, I'm really looking forward to trying the first batch - I won't have it the way my father used to prefer his, he liked it to be peeled and then dipped into white granulated sugar, crunch-crunch!!
DeleteSame here with the Rhubarb. It's suddenly just broken the ground and it motoring on now. Rhubarb surprise!
ReplyDeleteOdd that the tree just fell down. We have Ash here and it's such a bloody weed I wish they too would just keel over too instead of us having to dig the blighters out!
Hi Chris, The wood is located on a slope and the ash which fell was in soggy ground so maybe that was a factor, along with very strong winds.
DeleteYeay, for rhubarb!
Rhubarb -- that brings back memories. My grandmother always had a rhubarb pie or cobbler(YUM!) for family gatherings. Apprently she grew it in the sandy soil of the Texas panhandle, but then she had 2 green thumbs and 8 green fingers.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of a rhubarb forcer before! I just love your sweet little hens. They seem so companionable.
ReplyDelete