Friday 25 July 2014

Word of the Week - Smallholding

Posted by Rosie

The Reading Residence

Smallholding

ˈsmɔːlhəʊldɪŋ/
noun 

an agricultural holding smaller than a farm.
the practice of farming smallholdings.


With friends visiting last week, I have to say that getting things done on our smallholding here at Eco-Gites of Lenault did rather take a back seat.  After all there was wine to be drunk, gossip to be caught up on and dinners to be shared!  So this week we have definitely being playing catch up.

In the veg patch, after periods of both rain and warm weather things have really leapt forwards.  I have been picking red cabbage, onions, tomatoes, courgettes, lettuces, beetroot, carrots and weeds!!  Yup, the weeds have grown at triffid like speed so I have also spent a lot of this week weeding!

On the animal side of things we have had a bit of pig rearranging.  Coco Chanel was put in with Boris Johnson with a view to having piglets in November.  That sounds as though it was an easy thing to do but nothing is ever easy, it seems, when Coco is involved.  When she is in season she will do anything to get to Boris, breaking through fencing to reach her amour.  However when she is NOT in season she can see no good reason to head in with a man many years her senior, especially when there is lush grass and fallen cherries between her and Boris.  1/2 hour later and lots of running round we ended up moving Boris nearer to her and finally got them together!


Coco trying to hide behind a duck!

I also discovered that Hilda the duck is laying eggs in the top of an almost inaccessible building resulting in a bit of climbing though upstairs windows to retrieve eggs for me ... Thanks Hilda, NOT.

Then there has been grass mowing, hedge trimming, thistle chopping, fruit picking, vegetable processing/cooking, fence mending and catching the odd escaped chicken.  Definitely a week where the smallholding has kept us busy.

Have you got a word that sums up your week?  Why not blog about it and join in with the linky over at The Reading Residence.

11 comments :

  1. Sorry, but this did make me laugh! I'm loving the names of the pigs especially :)

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    1. Once we finally got Coco and Boris together we laughed too!

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  2. I am loving the names of your pigs, though it does sound like something of a nightmare to move them! You've been very busy then, but surely worth the price for the week before with friends? Thanks for sharing with #WotW x

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    1. So glad you like our pigs' names! We also have Charlotte Rampling and Peardrop the Adorable :)

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  3. Loving Boris, Coco Chanel and Hilda! great names and well done on the success of your veg patch, can't beat fresh home grown produce. Have a great weekend :) x #WotW

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    1. Thank you, Jayne - glad you like our animal names!

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  4. Ha, love the names of the animals ;) #wotw

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  5. I'm exhausted just reading your post!! I'd love to grow vegetables but I'm not green fingered at all! #WotW

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    1. LOL - in fairness this list was both Simon and me and he did much of the really heavy stuff!

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  6. Love that photo! Coco trying to hide! Sounds like a busy time in your Gite! But fun except for the weeding tho. This is how we are in Manila. We have a small space mind you but we have ducks and chickens and we have plants where we get a lot of our veggies from. I suddenly remembered my mother after reading this =) #wotw

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