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Written by Stephen Baines
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Monday, 18 September 2006 |
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It's been a few weeks since I wrote last. The last time I wrote our chicks were just starting to hatch. Well, they are now just under 2 weeks old and growing into big strong girls and boys (we hope!) and developing real characters. The Blommehöns are settling in well, and we are now trying to hatch some of their eggs to further boost the numbers. I guess this egg hatching malarky is going to get quite addictive...  <img src="http://gallery.vollans.co.uk/d/11010-2/PICT3179.JPG" alt="2 week old chicks" />
Now that we've seen where stuff grows, the way the land lies and where the areas are wettest etc, we're changing what we're planning to put where. No big deal, really, but we think it's really important to go with the land rather than against it. We've also been asked about selling half-a-lamb or half-a-pig deals in advance in the spring time - not a bad idea, and one we are seriously considering.
Nights are really starting to draw in, and the evening skies can be really quite wonderful. On the nights when there is no cloud the stars are amazingly visible compared to the views we're used to in the UK, and the sunsets are really quite magnificent. Some nights it is now noticeably cold outside when walking the dog, and the mornings often now have mist. Summer is now over in Sweden, and we're awaiting the trees to change to go up to Söderåsen and wander through the forest with the dog.
<img src="http://gallery.vollans.co.uk/d/10915-2/PICT3149.JPG" alt="Sunset" />
Probably most importantly this week we've started to make some real friends in the village. Last weekend we were invited down to a couples house further down in Billinge to say "hi" and welcome us to the village. Jacqui is a South African with a Swedish husband and has been through the stuff we're going through now - the learning the language and trying to work out where everything is and how it all works. They are a really nice couple and we're glad to have started to make friends here. We also made some progress with one of our neighbours who asked us if we could help her carry some sheets of plasterboard. I know it doesn't seem a huge thing, but she said on day one she hates speaking English as she doesn't feel confident, and it's great that she feels she can ask us to help now.
In exciting village news, on Thursday this week the village gets a shop and a post office! We can collect our parcels from there, rather than 20 kms away in Eslöv, and can buy stamps, post letters, buy milk... Small things, I know! But you can't post parcels. Don't really understand why!
We've also done our first proper energy calculations to see how we're getting on compared to the UK, and we're delighted to say so far we're well and truly on target to cut our energy consumption. An average month in the UK was 1 800 KWH of energy (gas and electric) per month, our target was to half it. Currently (and I know it's summer) we're at about 600 KWH per month, not bad for a first attempt! Our electric is now 100% from renewable energy (initially it was all carbon free, but about 50% nuclear) for an extra 2 öre per KWH (or 0.1p roughly) so we feel happier still knowing exactly where it is all coming from. |
