Beauchene Winter Update

We've been busy! Really busy! Our first winter has exposed us to some of the realities of country-living. The key is to tune in to the rhythms around you as soon as you can. We've been doing an inventory of what surrounds us, what materials we can utilise sustainably:

  The challenge of moving materials from where they are to where they are needed:

 But we certainly don't lack an abundance of sustainable arbour!

We've been celebrating when we can... this was the burning of the clocks in December to celebrate the return of the Sun on the longest night in December.

Sometimes the selection process has been taken from us and Nature in her infinite wisdom has chosen the timber to be harvested next!

  

These two being a couple of our apple trees. On closer inspection, the root systems on the pair of these were not looking great so obviously Nature knew best!

 

 It has also been a VERY sobering experience keeping on top of the wood processing. Cutting, chopping, splitting, repeat!
 
 There's been a fair amount of snow in each of the Winter months and some in the first Spring month too!
 
We've tried to keep the local birds feed throughout and they have repaid us by staying around and providing entertainment on the cold winter days.
 
 Our experiments of storing food has turned out well! Our attempt to clamp some of our potatoes using what was abundant on the land, bracken, was a huge success.
Next year we will certainly do multiple clamps!
 
 The pond at the bottom of the land threw up some surprises for us!
Dozens and Dozens and Dozens of mating frogs...
 
 I'm sure this would be frowned upon in polite society!

 But the critical thing to do... the most important thing to remember...
NEVER
 
EVER
 
STOP
 
EXPLORING
This country living can be fun!