A Dot on the Horizon

Do you see that Little Dot on the Horizon? 

It could be a box, or a bag or a bucket blown in the wind but no -That is Tima.

Looking back to the house she is This far from home. Searching the fields for that one little forgotton kernel of corn. 

It took the dogs and I ages to walk her home. She was quite puffed by the time we got to the back gate. But she does need the exercise my little fat pig. 

The first chapa.  A chapa is a piece of iron on legs that you place over an open outside fire and cook on. Sometimes they are curved like this sometimes a big flat sheet of metal. Or  you can use a cast iron pan if you want to. There are no rules. All you want is Solid Hot Metal! Fede tells me this is how they cook in Argentina. His family cooks on the chapa every weekend.

John found a very old heavy steel disc blade in one of the barns, he ground off all the rust and made a trivet for it  and after I had cleaned it again and seasoned it, Hugo made a fire in the garden and we cooked steak with potatoes in the coals and mushrooms over the open fire. Hugo and I sat around the glowing coals and talked under the stars , one side hot and one side cold, turning ourselves like slowly roasting chickens, long after John had gone to bed. The weather was still and cool, and with no insects it was a perfect night to cook like an Argentinian. We will be doing this again and again until it is too cold. I love it.

After the potatoes were cooked I smashed them flat with my hand (very fast – they were hot) then scorched either side on the chapa creating the perfect crust, serving  them drizzled with pesto.

Talking of disc blades The Plonkers have almost finished turning over their field. This is part of the plan as in the spring this will be sown in alfalfa.

Sheila is more inclined to lie in the sun than turn over a field but yesterday she and her considerable bulk took out TWO fences on her way to find the boar, scattering little pigs and calves and chickens in her wake. She took a bit of convincing that this was inappropriate behaviour and is now on lock down with Poppy. She is a big pig.  There are very few fences that can stand up to her when she puts her mind to it. And thankfully she very seldom puts her mind to it.

This week Hugo and I (among other things) will put the blueberry bushes to bed for the winter (they need mulch and rabbit protection), continue planting up the glass house in winter greens, prepare the beds and plant the garlic and tow all the hay making equipment back to the West Barn.

Then prepare the West Barn for the cows and Manu to move in next weekend.

The weather promises to be mild and gentle so we will have a good week I think.

I hope you have a good day.

Love celi