New season planning.

As the shortest day gets nearer I get the notion to get off my arse and the warmth of the fire and do something constructive, but looking out the window at the sorry state of my land perhaps tomorrow would be a better idea. I could compile a list of things to do. It will be quite a substantial one I fear. What are you lads up to these fine crisp mornings?

Wayland, I would love to be sitting on my arse by the fire but, unfortunately, I'm in the middle of drawing home firewood from the coppice with the iron horse and sawing it up into stove-size logs. Hopefully, tomorrow should see the worst of it done. Then, I have eight cockerels to slaughter. When all that's done, I'm going to have a day on the beer! You know what they say - all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! Next on the agenda is the beginning of the winter coppicing for next year's firewood, poles etc. And, in the back of my mind, is the idea of a new duck pond, made in such a way as be easily emptied and refilled. I think it's vital to always have a new project in mind!

Hi Sean. Your post rings many bells. Having reached the age of an old fart I perhaps spend too much time reminiscing of times gone by. Working on my plots was and is a joy but gone are the days of enthusiastically working from  dusk till dawn. Its not that I can no longer do it, its regrettably an inclination thing. Looking at my substantial reference library I was into everything from Goats to hydro electricity, and a smattering of Archaeology and many other "Off the wall" subjects. Ho Hum what the feck.  

The most useful feature we have here is a natural spring. I use this to continually flush the duck pond. Mucky buggers ducks. I too have logging to do and if this winter is going to be as bad as predicted, I had better get my arse in gear. The fruit bushes and trees will be pruned and my willow plantation needs its annual coppicing and chipping. I like to start planting  spuds in January, in the poly of course so straw needs hauling in to give frost protection. The potting shed which is in a bit of a mess will be cleaned out over xmas and the propagator set up ready for early seed sowing. The over wintering crops in the poly`s are doing ok for the most part, they just need a bit of thinning here and there. So enough to keep me busy for a while. I never have a day on the Beer, just every night Good luck.

As one old fart to another, it doesn't look like you're going to get bored over the winter! Like myself, you have a list of things to do. The trouble is: as soon as you cross one off at the top of the list, a new one gets added at the bottom! My policy is: treat every new day as if you had another hundred years in front of you and let the last hour be the hardest! If you enjoy your work - as both you and me do - it ain't really work at all!