28 years old and weirder by the day.

So, it was my birthday this week. Of course my birthday is in October - you didn't expect any different surely? And spoilt I have most certainly been with an amazing pair of honeybee themed Joules wellies that will get plenty of wear over the coming months, some beautiful designer chicken cups and money that I have spent most of buying a blender. Odd maybe, but I can't stop thinking about making home-made (and eventually home-grown) hummus, so there we go.

Twenty eight... too young to be taken overly seriously in many of the circles I'm trying to edge myself into and yet too old to not take what I want to do with my life as seriously as possible in order to get somewhere close to achieving my urban farming dreams. Therefore, I guess I will just carry on doing things the only way I know how - my crazy, make do and mend, lets get more animals right now, yes of course we have room for a cow, eating raw veg straight out of the ground, I'll just help myself to this thing you chucked out 'way'!

The girls have been treated to some seasonal treats this week - if i get to indulge on pumpkin flavoured everything then so do they.

I always think birthdays are a time to reflect on the year that's passed and think about the year to come. In my case that has generally meant analysing what grew well where on the veggie patch and what didn't so that I can change it up next time where it might be of benefit. This coming year is a little different though as, amongst all of my plans for my backyard farm, I'll also be preparing for our wedding... We finally decided to tie the knot! In October Of course!

I tracked down a fabulous lady based in Derbyshire that creates the most stunning vintage hairstyles and knew from the moment I saw her work that I wanted her to do my hair for our special day. I was lucky enough to have a trial run on my birthday.

When I did sit and think about the last year, all I could think was that it's the hardest and fastest I've ever moved forward in my life. Always one for clinging to the past, old ways and habits, ideals and a love for all things 'back in the day', I've never been one to want to move on all that much... but in 12 months I've moved counties, moved jobs twice, bought and renovated a house, I've got more thoughts and plans for the future now than ever before. I look back and see it all as humble beginnings to my now overwhelming ideas for the months and years to come - it was a rocky but good start, now lets be serious and do something worthwhile, let's make an impression, create something awesome and healthy and good. That my friends is why we are here surely?

With my new blender waiting to be used for the first time I hope I will get chance to post a little recipe this week - even if it is just hummus. I'm toying with the idea of hurrying up getting the second chicken pen up before winter gets here - Smallholder magazine reports this is the best time of year to add to your flock  (not that I really needed another excuse!) so i may be posting about some new recruits before too long.

I'm entertaining family this week, so will finally get to showcase how far The Keep has come since it was floor-less wreck. I wonder if they'd like hummus with their tea... have i mentioned hummus?...

Come rain or shine it'll still be mine.

G

The settling in period...

It would be wholly stating the obvious to say it has been a very long time since I managed to post anything,. So, let it be known that there shall never be such a long break between posts going forward - the internet is now live, I have atleast one room in which I can sit comfortably and I'm starting to gather some 'free time' amongst all the sorting out going on, so there it is, no excuses!!

Given that it has been a while since I last bought everyone up to speed, I'll try to make this one as juicy as possible and then keep it as regular as an old lady on the old prune syrup from now on!

The Keep itself has shaped up like quite the homely little home. The living room, or snug as I like to call it when I have my snob head on, is pretty cosy. OK, the log burner is yet to materialise in the fireplace and we still have newspaper for curtains, but now that Autumn has arrived I've managed to enjoy some evenings wrapped up on the sofa with a candle or two burning and a complete lack of moving boxes in the way of my peaceful moment. Amazing what a bit of leg room can do for the soul...

One of the things that has made life feel a bit more 'real' again is finally having a functioning oven. Five weeks, yes really, 5 weeks we were without an oven or even a hob so the first time I got to turn one of the knobs and watch the gas ignite I was mesmerised. All hail the burning, oil spitting, alarm sounding, terrible, fantastic thing that is fire!!

Still no working extractor though I hasten to add...

It shouldn't be too long before I start posting some of my favourite recipes with any luck.

While we have been busy working on the inside of The Keep, my girls have been busy making the outside their home and getting the job done while they have been at it. I got an egg the very first day they came home from their stint at the chicken hotel - can't complain at that.

One of the Orpington cross's got in first with this little beauty.

A lovely gift from some good friends - a worthy egg basket if I ever did see one.

I've made some changes already to their new home and I'm sure I will keep making them as they let me know what isn't working for them and I work out what will make my morning routine a little easier.

Inside the house I've put high and low perches in - as my girls are a mixed bunch I found that some of the less flighty ones were sat on the floor at night as they didn't want to flap up to the higher perches. I've got some buckets that cost me just £1 as nest boxes at the minute but I hope to trade them in for a proper nest box eventually.

A big old plant pot on it's side is playing the role of a dust bath currently - again it will no doubt get traded in for a better model.

I invested in a new feeder and drinker - both save me time, are more hygienic and save any waste should it rain.

I put some logs from the old tree in as day time perches for preening - just to add a bit of something to the coop really. I hang cabbage etc off these as treats - seems to be going down a storm with my little flock.

The one thing that is not living up to expectation is the astro-turf we laid in the chicken coop. Yes it is keeping things far more dry than ever before, but cleaning it is becoming a real chore. We initially intended to 'blast' it off every other day with a hose, which I still think will work well and allow me to keep things clean. However, our current hose is no where near long enough to reach the coop and, on calculating, we need one that's around 120 feet long... It's left me no choice but to brush it off as regularly and as best I can until our budget allows for a new hose. The jury is out on this one - I'll update as we go.

I have big plans for the coop - adding atleast one more and really showcasing them as 'urban farm' prototypes. Hopefully we'll make it work and get it set up in a more workable fashion.

I'm still like a magpie - constantly picking up things that nobody wants anymore and making them work for me. Just this week one of my neighbours left out an old ottoman, so ofcourse I couldn't help myself, I bought it home, re-upholstered it and it is now our bedding store!

I must be getting a name amongst our neighbours - one of them knocked on our door the other night saying they had noticed me admiring a vase outside their front door if I wanted to help myself to it... I guess there's worse things than a thrifty mind and artistic eye to be known for.

One thing I really wish I had posted about when it actually arrived  is Autumn. My very favourite time of year. A time of harvest and chilly air and fires in the back garden and beautiful scenery... it's just magical - on par with a snowy Christmas (if they even exist anymore!). Our new home has not failed to provide all of the above and I find some of my most cleansing moments are simply walking the dogs on the park or by the canal and taking in all the lovely sights and sounds. They seem to enjoy it too.

With plenty still left to do inside the house before my own personal deadline of Christmas, I'm sad to say the garden has taken a sorry second place in the priority stakes.With the nights drawing in, I don't get many daylight hours in which to really crack on with it. I've taken to mentally mapping the vegetable patch, working out where each raised bed will sit, what will go in it and what it's neighbouring bed should have in it to compliment it. I know I want to pack as much into that little plot as humanly possible and this time next year I want mental mapping to be long forgotten and carrying my edible garden, still producing, through the winter to be the reality. Having unearthed a lot of my most inspirational books - the likes of 'The Thrifty Forrager' by Alice Fowler or ' The River Cottage Cook Book' by our Hugh, or Even an old little book called 'First Buy A Field' that my mum knew I would love when she gifted it to me - I am brimming with ideas and motivation, I just need a new year with which to nurture every single one of them.

So, while all at The Keep continue to settle in, I do hope some of you get to enjoy everything this stunning time of year has to offer. It is the years' last hurrah before what is often a very miserable and soggy winter. I for one adore these days every year and fill them with chilly morning dashes out to open the chicken shed door, evenings in with a good book and as many pumpkin spiced anythings as possible!

With a promise to post far, far more regularly now that we are achieving some sort of normal again, I bid you a delightful start to the beginning of the end of the year.

Come rain or shine, it'll still be mine.

G