We've been busy on a number of jobs this last month. We've fitted new guttering to the workshop, so rain is no longer pouring in front of the door and along the passageway. We joined this to a downpipe and then into a tank, so we have another source of rainwater in future droughts. We also fixed a water butt to one of the house downpipes, and have another that we'll put on another downpipe soon too. It's all slowly coming together for rainwater collection!
We also sorted the uneven ground here with a gravel path and fixed broken wooden slats in the workshop walls and painted it, so it's a lot more waterproof now.
 |
| Water tank collecting rainwater from workshop roof (the downpipe looks less crazy since this photo!) |
We've started a lot of jobs that aren't finished yet, but they're all pretty big jobs so will take a while. We've (with a lot of hard work!) dug a hole (in the pouring rain) and half buried a telegraph pole as a gate post in the entrance to our field. We then (with great difficulty) removed some brackets from a pole in our barn and used them to fix a gate to said post. We now need to find the strength and will power to put another gate post on the other side of the gate.
 |
| New gate at field entrance |
Whilst avoiding this task, we started another task of beginning to erect a polytunnel. We have the frame up after lots of measuring and banging in of poles (hmm...thinking about it, this is a similar job to the one we were avoiding!) we now need to build door frames, and dig trenches to bury polythene and stretch it nice and taut over the frame. We need it to stop being windy for this bit, so perhaps the gate post job will be re-visited!
 |
| Polytunnel frame |
Harvest-wise this month has been pretty good! We've been getting runner beans and french beans to replace the broad beans which have now finished. I harvested the rest of the broad beans as dried pods to save seeds for next year.
 |
| Drying broad bean pods to save as seeds. |
We've harvested our first carrots and potatoes, our first turnip and beetroot as well as lettuce and radish pods, oh and the last few radishes too. We still have chard feeding us well, mange tout and courgettes are starting to supply us with veg, and the onions and garlic are all ready and drying out for storage (although to be honest, we've eaten a lot of the onions already, so they might not last us through winter...note to self, grow a lot more onions next year!).
 |
| First potato harvest |
 |
| Beans, baby carrots and radish pods |
 |
| Some lavender from our new plants |
The biggest job and biggest change this last month has been the installation of an air source heat pump and a new water cylinder.
This has all been very complicated with our off-grid set up, and it isn't working 100% correctly yet, but I think it will get there soon. We've kept our stove heating system, so that in the winter we can heat the house and water in the same way we were, which doesn't need lots of electricity (we'll have far less solar then). But in the summer, when we have more power, we won't need to light fires which heat the house when all you want is a shower or to do the washing up! Instead, the extra solar will run the heat pump to compress outside air, which creates heat, so only the water is warmed.
 |
| Air source heat pump |
It's a brillaintly clever system. It's a shame that installation of these things never seems to be straightforward!
We had our first friends to camp in our field this month. (Unfortunately, due to heating delays, the pump was fitted whilst they stayed, but they were very patient with bathroom disruptions and lack of hot water!) It was very exciting having the field used in this way, and we celebrated with a campfire, melting marshmallows and stargazing with bats flying about our heads! Barnie even turned up and silently swooped overhead, it was very magical. :)
The camping and dining in the field turned out to be a good thing, as the workmen somehow managed to empty our big gas bottles when moving them to make way for our new water tank. Goodness knows how they managed that, but fingers crossed it's all ok now, we have new gas bottles which seem to be working without leaks (we'll get someone to check them over to be safe). They caused themselves bother too though, as it meant they couldn't have any tea or coffee! I wonder if we'll ever find any skilled workmen...
On a very positive note, this last month has also seen the birth of my nephew and also our friend's daughter, so aside from all the normal bits and bobs, I've found time to squish in a bit of crocheting for baby gifts. :) Congratulations and welcome to the world Jonty and Lyris!
 |
| Crocheted bunny for Lyris |
