KW-51 Of nature the laws I obey

For nature is constantly changing.

It rained for two days. And then it warmed up to a toasty 3, 4 degrees Celsius. Or, in other words, the snow buggered off. And when the snow buggers off, an overwhelming urge to do Useful Things In The Garden starts to insinuate itself into your bones.

So, I did some useful thing.

I stuck a rabbit-proof fence around the broad beans. The blighters have already made off with quite a lot of the swiss chard, but that’s ok, I had just about had enough of that for one winter. I did come across a freegan pineapple through the other day, and spent no time at all in finding out if swiss chard and pineapple is a thing (it is) so that was nice.

Rabbit-proof fence. Proof against the existence of rabbits?

The idea was to pop it in the ground and then pull it out again next year, but I rather like it, so I am thinking that I might make a proper animal-unfriendly bed and use it as a fine seed bed in the spring, and a winter bed in the winter. But I have mostly promised myself that there really shouldn’t be too much new stuff next year, so you can look forward to my doing it anyway and coming up with an elaborate yet convincing explanation for it at some point.

I also had four stere of sawn wood which I never got round to stacking properly. It’s not going to rot in the winter, but it is going to get properly waterlogged and as soon as the sun comes out in spring, it’s going to fall to pieces.

messy pile to tidy pile. Grassy messy to roady messy

So I spent two days clearing a space, and literally moving 4 tonnes of wood three meters to the right. At least it won’t rot now.

For the upcoming week, we have:

• Finish the chimney. (I made a big hole this week)

• A thing which must remain a secret for now, but will be known by the code word “House of Pricks”

• Make a mouse-proof cover for a big pot

• The compost toilet

• Lots. And Lots. And Lots of wood chopping

And, of course, whatever the weather wants me to do.

Seeing as this will be the last post before Christmas, then it seems about the right time to wish you all a very peaceful and pleasant holiday time.

On the Barracks, I will be burning the Yule log for the Solstice and giving thanks for the slowly waxing daylight. And please remember, through the dark and the cold, that it is here where seeds germinate. Underground, out of the glow and the warmth of the sun. We all love the hot, long days of summer, where we get to put on our finest displays, and show our flowers and our fruits, but it is in the sunless dominion of the worms and bugs where we create the roots which will nourish us through it all.

Thank you for being here this year, happy holidays and I love you all!