skillshare weekend, Mullacott Farm, 10/11 September

After a delayed start, due to the allotment society AGM (I couldn't really miss that!), I went to Mullacott Farm near Ilfracombe in Devon...to meet a "bunch of internet wierdos" to quote one of them!!

Downsizer is a forum for a sustainable and ethical future...but it isn't dry and ultra serious....it is like an online village..with all the arguments, discussions, helping each other, romance....of a real live village!!

We meet mostly online, but we also meet for real as well. This weekend was a Skillshare, wood whittling and knife sharpening, chicken wrangling, bacon making, tatting, foraging, knitting, paper making, plenty of discussion and lots of homemade food !!
The Oily One came too and I was really glad to share the driving. It is only about 130 miles from here, and takes about two and threequarter hours.
We arrived in sunshine on Saturday afternoon. On Friday lunchtime they had a thunderstorm, and half an hour before we arrived one tent succumbed to the wind!!
The occupants decided to use the bunk barn on Saturday night!!
We pitched the tent, choosing the dryest available pitch...not knowing that that was where the other tent had just blown down!! The front guyropes were tied to a solid fencepost, the rear to the car roof bars. A bank sheltered one side and the car the end. So we didn't take off Saturday night, just flapped a bit!!

On the Saturday night there was a "batwalk" with a bat detector, whilst others had a Barn Dance.


On Sunday we went on a foraging walk, but didn't forage as it was rather wet!!
We found some real Devon mud!
and a tunnel!!
and the Oily One (in the red coat)
found an interesting wall
by Lower Slade reservoir
we passed a wind turbine on the way back.
and saw a Devon bank as we returned to Mullacott Farm
just in time for lunch!!

Aberystwyth, Details

Aberystwyth. Sea and Streets

Aberystwyth. Quiet corners

time out

Last Sunday I realised that I needed "time out". I was due to collect pot samples from Aberystwyth on Monday anyway, so came up early.
I'm still in Talybont, near Aberystwyth!!

Giving a hand where I can with the Twins, being useful where asked....I have to make too many decisions on housework back at base, besides doing more than my share!! It is a relief to be told what to do and how to do it!!

Today I did some buggy pushing around Aberystwyth...pictures after I get home, also recipes!!

It has been wet and windy, so no gardening this time.

Lots of vegetable processing to do today before I go back tomorrow morning.

say cheese!

Apple, with Blackberry and Elderberry cheese to be precise!

Made after Blackberry and Elderberry cordial and followed by lightly spiced Apple jelly with Lemon Zest.

This took a lot longer than planned.....and was rather wearing on my hands, pushing fruit pulp through a sieve with a wooden spoon....I will be bartering a pot for a wooden pestle !!

It promised rain all day and it arrived half an hour after The Carpenter went for a ride on his bike :-)


just a note-these aren't flavoured milk cheese, but a thicker, better keeping version of fruit butter, made with fruit pulp and sugar and spices if liked.

an odd week, and a picture for Gary!

Thought you'd like this, Mr Rith !!! We saw it in the Tattoo shop run by a friend of The Carpenter.

This has been an odd week, starting so well on the Bank Holiday, and I'm full of ideas...and inertia.
Good news though, eyes tested on Wednesday, and my long sighted side is static and the shortsighted side has only deteriorated just enough to need new glasses and less than expected. Which means I'll have new ones for clean and the present ones for the workshop!!

I turned the last platter of the batch, but it took me an hour to start the design...


Then there were over a dozen small boxes to finish. One has a dragon...I still prefer these on pots rather than without.
I tried a change of scene this morning, weeded the second half of the brassicas, hoed and fed them too. The runner beans are coming on better now, with today's sun and hopefully rain tomorrow there could be a lot more ready to pick.
Luckily I noticed a pigeon flying away from the bottom end of the allotment, which means one thing at this time of year....
The Elderberries are ready!
This is the end of the latest batch of work, I think I have enough small pots to fit around the bigger bowls and plates to fill a bisque kiln.
Tidy workshop , unpack the last bisque, pack the kiln and start glaze mixing next!

I'm itching to go walking again, I'm feeling stretched thin . I haven't got into the Xmas Showcases in Aberystwyth, so I need to walk and think and plan again!