Monday morning maintenance (402)
by Max Akroyd
If you did a pie chart of the smallholder’s day, I suspect a large section of it would be apportioned to running to stand still. If this morning goes according to plan, it’ll be entirely devoted to maintaining things.
Unsurprising, the biggest time burden is keeping the animals fed and reasonably tidy but, as Spring intensifies, a lengthy battle with unwanted greenery is joined. The sound of mower and strimmer becomes a daily grind. I aim to replace these noisy things completely with animals and a scythe in the near future, just as the pigs have superceded the rotavator, but at the moment I’m still trapped into the time-saving myth of minor mechanisation.
Next on the list of time consumers has to be weeding. When the vegetable seedlings are as small as they are, most of this process has to be carried out by hand. It’s a job I really enjoy in small doses, but it takes an iron will to attend to it daily when there are larger, and seemingly more pressing, matters to be getting on with. Once cleared of weeds, the potential crops need thinning out, watering, checking for pests and feeding. It’s the turn of the broad beans today.
The last, and most neglected, area of maintenance concerns the effective upkeep of the smallholder him/herself. I had little idea of the bodily stresses and strains I’d encounter doing this work full time. Not a day passes without some obscure area of one’s anatomy being bruised, or strained or hurting in some way or other. The sheer diversity of movements involved in the partially successful beating-into-submission of six acres of land seems designed to enhance generalised strength/aches and pains! I understand fully now why a stereotypical peasant is slow moving, has terrible posture and is prone to lubrication with alcohol – it just goes with the territory…
The rewards in terms of freedom and great food are massive and I wouldn’t do anthing else. But, unlike most ‘normal’ jobs, those rewards are completely commensurate with effort and I’m still getting accustomed to that!
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Yep……I totally agree with everything you said there. Maintenance Monday…..a good start to the week.
It’s the turn of my Broccoli for extra attention today!
As I have temporarily given up alcohol, my lubrication of choice is currently Elderflower cordial (I have supplies on standby to make my own this year), not quite as reviving as a nice cold cider, but nice all the same!
Have a good day.
Sue xx
Hi Sue,
I’m on the wagon too – mainly because of a temporary shortage of €s at the mo : (
Generally speaking a bit of alcohol can get you around the last lap when you’re completely cream crackered, but then it just deducts it from the next day…
I’d be very interested to see your recipe for elderflower cordial, by the way…
Gardening/farming is definitely the best exercise! My 62-year-old neighbor is fit as a fiddle from spending all day tending to his vegetables and wood.
It is true though, it sure comes at a price. You never notice it at the time (except the big ouchies of course), but later the collection of scars and scrapes and bruises is sometimes bewildering!
Haven’t tried it myself, but apparently potato can be used in a variety of ways for aches and pains: potato juice (soak raw potato slices in water overnight and drink), raw potato applied topically, soaking whatever body part in the water you boiled potatoes in to eat, using mashed potato like a poultice…)
Evening Laura,
Gardening is good exercise, but generally not of the aerobic variety – unless a pig escapes. I’ve foolishly committed myself to completing a half marathon next year to address this shortfall…
Interesting potato remedy. Interesting in a “has she been drinking? Her recipes are usually really good I draw the line at wrapping myself up in mashed potato” kind of way! ; )
Hahaha, not been using those potatoes for vodka, I swear… we are going to have a go at making nettle beer though. I promise those potato remedies were from well-established (and multiple) sources, though I admit the little devil on my shoulder does think it would be good fun to suggest completely outrageous remedies and see if people would do them (I guess this is why physicians are made to take the Hippocratic oath!). 🙂
Good luck with the half marathon, yikes! I used to be a long-distance runner in track, and generally think of myself as in not too bad of shape, but the last time I tried to go running with the dogs I thought I was going to pass out after a single kilometer! (Judith, I’ve been doing Pilates, too – it is great!)
Hi Max
I hate ground elder & I hate these bees (I think) that buzz & hover about 6inches away from you & look menacing!!! They are not hover flies & I am not sure that they would sting but I get the impression they think I am invading their space.
I tend to take some paracetamol before I go to bed at the moment to try & make the aching a bit better for tomorrow.
Interested to read Laura’s comment as I had not heard about the things you can use potatoes for. Not sure about drinking it the day after though. Mind you I think you can make alchohol from them!
Ex husband came round today & asked if I knew of anyone who has any spare tomato plants!!
Ok so he went away with some. My daughter (good girl) did point to him that plants are being sold at the farm shop for 75p each!
Looking forward to another day in the garden tomorrow.
Mary
Never mind Laura’s mashed potato, I reckon a decent poteen would cure all for sure!
Bet your tomato plants are better than those pumped up garden centre specimens – £1.50 each I say!
I’m raring to go for tomorrow too, been organising things a bit and could do with a headstart – might be up with the sun again!
A half marathon or any kind of marathon!!! Are you mad? I would have thought with all the walking , digging, lookng after the livestock, pulling up weeds plus surveying the state, you would have done enough excersise to have got every part of you in tip top condition. If you still have energy left you’ve forgotten something!
Forgot to mention , children & the holiday home.
Mary
Mary, I still have a tummy nearly as big as my wife’s and she’s 7 months pregnant, so there’s definitely room for improvement! And energy reserves, for that matter!
I am glad I have just a small area to look after and even tending that is wearing. It was potato earthing day today. I took up Pilates to help with the wear and tear-two months down the line my back is definitely easier. I’ll try anything that works-that’s legal 🙂
Morning Judith,
Yes, the legality of the pain relief must be considered: nothing healthy about a stretch Inside!
Earthing up potatoes already? Are you an early earther upper, or are your potatoes further on than mine?
Going have to leave them to the vagaries of the weather for a short time soon, so don’t want to come back and find frost damage. Wouldn’t have bothered otherwise as it is so dry.