When do you put the central heating on?

I think it is safe to say that the Summer is now over and that Autumn is here. Whilst the skies are still blue the temperature is well, shall we say, crisp. The temperature has dropped quite noticeably even in the day time now.

Last night I was on the sofa watching telly wrapped up in a blanket. Jon said "you can put the heating on you know". This led to a discussion as to the eco properties of doing so coupled with the admitting that it is 'no longer summer' effect.

At the moment it is only just nippy so I am happy to close the windows and doors and pop a jumper on or cover myself with a blanket but what I want to know is when is it acceptable to pop the heating on? Is September too early? Have other people turned it on yet? Am I just getting old and feeling the cold now?

It's funny as I grew up in a house with coal fires whereby you only made a fire in the depths of winter as it was so messy and such a faff to do so, therefore I am more used to wearing a jumper than just turning the central heating switch. It has however, become very convenient to do just that. At what point do you stop making life hard for yourself and flick that switch?

Maybe little animals have it right with hibernating - all that energy they save.

I do love the Autumn and Winter though - long walks in woods and coming home to a homemade soup - bliss"

Image credit: http://middlechildcomplex.tumblr.com/post/16467408759

I want a small holding!

Last Sunday we went to Holt Hall in Norfolk to the Smallholders event run by the Norfolk Smallholders Training Group.

We were blessed with a warm sunny day which was quite surprising considering the wet weather we have been having lately. I really wanted to go but I was a bit apprehensive as I thought that it would be full of real country types who would frown on us turning up in anything other than a beaten up 4x4. I didn't know whether to wear my wellies or not as the are flowery! It really was nothing like that. The people at the gate were really friendly and nice and it was really cheap to get in too - only £5 which I think is good as I have paid in the past £15 to go to a Country show. There were very few wellies in sight, mainly trainers which in hindsight was a little of a mistake as the ground was a bit muddy in places!

The show wasn't entirely what I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be more of a show aimed at people who have or want a small holding so I thought there would be tools and equipment and advice etc. There was this to a certain extent but not as much as I thought it was going to be. The show was more aimed at people who already have small holdings or cottage industries selling their wares, which was equally lovely. It was in essence a large farmers market which was OK by me as we bought some lovely breads and veggies.

I loved looking around all the animals. I soooo want an Alpacca and a goat! It was a great show and I am glad we went. It was really inspirational seeing all the providers and what the have produced. It certainly gave us a lot to think about so we had to go for a lie down on the beach after!

The Day Chip came to stay

The day that Chip came to stay with us was a lovely day, a scary day, a happy day and an emotional day.

Little Chip is a duckling, a little tiny urban duckling who lives with his Mumma behind shops. Normally he is with his Mumma but on this particular day his Mumma decided for some reason to leave him. So there he sat on his own, in the cold all day and into the evening. Chip chipping away calling for his Mumma.

I am a bit soppy person with a big heart and a lot of love for fluffy things. I had two choices.

1. Leave it there in the hopes that it will make it through the night and that Mumma will come back
2. Take it home and see what happens.

I decided on option 2.

I know most of you reading this now and are tutting and mumbling that you should leave it to nature as it is a wild animal but I just couldn't do that. I mean just look at that little face. When I got home I called the RSPCA and sought their advice. Little Chip stayed in a box full of hay in our bedroom and he was as good as gold. He chipped for a bit until he settled and he was quiet all night until the alarm went off at 7.30 this morning.

As soon as the shops were open I drove into town and bought duck food I also checked to see if Mumma duck had come back and she had not. So we went home and got settled. It was a lovely day. We had snuggles where he curled up on me and went to sleep, he ate like a trooper, had a play and splash about in water (supervised), had a run and a play around the house and all was very lovely. In fact I was really getting used to the little one being around and following me everywhere. It was really very sweet.

The RSPCA gave me a call to see how we were getting on and said that I was to keep doing what I was doing and then when it got to about 4 weeks to call them to discuss either releasing it into the wild or to an animal sanctuary. I was happy with this. I have always wanted a duck! Just after lunch though I had a phone call, Mumma had returned to the scene and was sat looking depressed. What was I to do? Chip had clearly gotten attached to me and I to it. It was now my Baby. Of course I had to take away my emotional feelings and do what was right for little Chip and not for me. So I popped him in his box and drove back into town. As soon as I opened the door and Mumma could hear Chip she started quacking. They couldn't wait to be reunited. So reunited they were. They had a little play in the puddle and then they waddled off towards the road. This is where I couldn't bear to look anymore.

I just hope my little Chip and his Mumma are going to be OK.

And as for me. Well I now have empty nest syndrome! Whilst I have the menagerie of animals I am really missing that cute little ball of fluff but I also have deep in my heart the knowing that I kept it safe all night ready to return to Mumma the next day so I think I did the right thing even if other people have tut tutted at me!