Hello everyone

gai · Hello everyone

Thank you and well done to all involved in setting up this new forum, an Irish one was long overdue.
I'm from Donegal, Irish born but have spent half my life in England and in the North. I'm originally from a farming background but was enticed away by the bright lights of the city. My husband (city born and raised and a large part of the enticement) always wanted to live on the land though and we returned home 3 years ago. We have bought a small smallholding and have been living in a mobile home whilst we build a house, restore the existing outbuildings and try to get the land into some sort of order.
We are fairly self sufficient in meat and veg - current livestock consists of sheep, pig, chickens, ducks and geese. There is a large polytunnel and outdoor veg garden and a growing orchard. Sadly we got a bit behind with the veg this year with so much work being done on the house but we'll be back on track again in spring.
I was a regular poster on RC, Downsizer and Mrs L's forums but just haven't had the time lately. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else is up to.
As this forum is called country talk and tips has anyone any tips for lifting the depression caused by the relentless rain at the moment. I nearly need waders to cross the yard.

wayland

Hi Gai. You are most welcome. Perhaps you might consider giving us progress reports on a regular basis. I for one would be most interested to here how things are going as we are just about ready to do the same as you guys. I hope to get the vegy patch and polytunnels into production in the spring, but the house is most important so a few lapses are permitted me thinks. good luck. Very Happy

gai

Thanks wayland. Anyone who wants to know anything just ask. We're not experts by any means and our ways of doing things may not be the best for the next person. Like everyone I know who's doing this we get fired up with enthusiasm to do things, see the TV series (River Cottage, Jimmy's Farm, The Good Life etc), read the book (River Cottage, John Seymore, etc), scour the internet/forums for information, jump in and realise that no matter how much we think we know - real knowledge only comes from the experience of actually doing something yourself. We've made many, many mistakes and bad decisions over the past few years but we've also exceeded lots of our expectations of what we could actually achieve.

wayland

Making mistakes is very important. So I tell my other half Very Happy

After the mistake is made then we have learnt more than we did before. She retorts of course. "In that case you must know everything" Crying or Very sad

quarryman

Depression from rain. Not to worry Gai, look to the inner child. Do you remember putting on the wellies and the wet gear and getting soaked or even better the mud slides in Glastenbury.

I live in Sligo so I know what day after day of rain is like but we have 3 rain free days on the way.

I was out this morning with the dogs and the sun was shining and thanks to the rain the turloughs were full. The place was alive with wildlife it was just stunning. I was blessed to have a skeen of 9 hooper swans fly about 50 feet above me.

Rember the silver lining...........

Michael

eggcellence · rain

Hi, I would not worry about the rain, we live in France and are having just as much rain as you, I just let myself remember how much sun we had last year, and the problems that gave, especially in the poly tunnel, the heat in there was unbelievable, trying to keep it watered and damped down., we have set up an automatic watering system, and believe me we needed it this year.
We are very lucky in that we have a natural spring that never lets us down even in the most hot weather. We don't have piped water at all, we drink the spring water as well as using it to water the tunnel and garden.

Keep up your spirits, Spring is round the corner.

Cheers Sheila (France)

blowin

I'll certainly second what the others have said and can assure you that many more than that are "with you" Very Happy

. They just haven't put it in writing Wink

And you've given me an idea for at least one new category which , as you say , everyone should find of interest !
Mistakes To Learn From

Maybe also something along the lines of " The Weather Has Closed Down So Please Cheer Us All UP " ( jokes , anecdates , good news stories about anything . Even a better weather forecast ! ) "

Dunno . What do you think ?

blowin

MrsL

Hello from me too, gai Very Happy

gai

Hi Mrs L. Happy Christmas to you and yours. I really must get back around the other forums again too. I've been away too long.
A 'mistakes to learn from' category sounds good blowin. I'd have a lot to contribute there.
Finally a dry frosty day here in Donegal. Proper weather for this time of year. We actually managed to get the Christmas geese dispatched and plucked, it should have been done last week but it wasn't cold enough for hanging them. An unpleasant job but lovely roast goose to look forward to next monday.

tringle

Hi Gai, I know exactly waht you mean about the relaentlesss rain depression, but at least the weather has picked up and the sun has been out for the past few days.

When it gets me down I try to eat yellow and red foods, summer looking to me. And big fires and mulled wine (or hot chocolate with chartuese or grand marner) does the trick in the evenings, pul the cutains tight and you cant see the rain.

Just curious, did you return home to Donegal. Its a lovely place but definitly a long way from everywhere, and not somewhaere I would want to be in a mobile home. (Though, to be very honest Embarassed

, I wouldnt want to be ANYWHERE in a mobile home)

gai

The weather change has definitely lifted my spirits in the past few days tringle. The trouble with a mobile home is that there is no escape from the rain. It hammers on the roof, beats against the windows and makes an already damp atmosphere even worse. I'm OK with a few days normal rainfall but it was just relentless up here for about 6 weeks. Hopefully this should be our last winter in the mobile and I'm already looking forward to the big fire and curtains pulled tight next year. Yes, I returned home to Donegal. We were lucky enough to be able to buy a part of my father's farm with cottage and outbuildings on it. I was born here and although I lived away for 20 years coming home was one of the best decisions ever.