Can I firstly thank everyone who sent Yambol their condolences over the last week; they are appreciated and make a difference.
After the catastrophy we spent the weekend in the village farmhouse and just reflected on lots of things. How lucky we are to be here doing what we do and having people around who care. Family here is everything part of everyday life, never shut out and that is very new and reassuring to me, but that's normal to Galia.
Relaxing is something the farm doesn’t do as the work lay before me on the land. It was a full two days of watering, weeding and setting up another Bulgarian growing system that was taught to me before after the failure of the melons. We now have more crops that should survive with this new system. Also we have our good friend and neighbour who has offered to water the crops mid week now the hot weather is upon us. This certainly helps relieve some of the worry from our side. This same friend and neighbour had also gathered up all the hay that was cut over the last two weeks and stored it in the hay house. Mind you, this hay is winter feed for his horse, but he would have done it anyway!
The evening in Skalitsa are fantastic sitting out in the warm evening air as fresh as you can ever get and no noise whatsoever other than the night noises that used to scare me when I was first lived there. I know what every noise is now and can relax with that thought.
My first encounter with a snake in the field whilst cutting hay took place on Saturday, it was more scared than me. I saw a movement in the long grass and then as I approached the speed of this snake was amazing as it darted toward the outside toilet with me in pursuit. Within a few seconds it had covered 10 metres and was in the hut. I wouldn’t be going to the toilet for while with this 1½ metre snake occupying it. It wasn’t a poisonous snake and like I said was far more scared than I was. It must have been to dart into the toilet so quickly!
And so the weekend ended Sunday afternoon and back to Yambol where we were invited for an evening of eating and drinking with family, we refused as we were too tired. Monday it was the factory farm, which was doing pretty well right now. We have almost finished all the lettuce that we have grown; it is becoming too hot for them now. The potatoes had the first round of Colorado beetles that are hand picked and destroyed on sight, they don’t cause a problem if checked and destroyed regularly.
More advice was giving on the melons growing there as moats were made for more access to water. The branches that were pruned from the fruit trees in Skalitsa in the winter now support the tomatoes on the farm and work pretty well. The peppers need no support other than another pepper! What do I mean? Well you plant two peppers seedling in the same spot and their roots wrap around each other and this gives them a good base stability and no need to stake them up. Last year all my peppers fell over as they were planted singly.
The factory farm really does look like it will provide all the tomatoes and peppers that will be eaten from July onwards and many preserved for the winter ahead. There will be big savings from these crops and of course that was the whole purpose of growing them anyway. It is really strange me working on the field and Galia a stone’s throw away working it the factory office…
After the catastrophy we spent the weekend in the village farmhouse and just reflected on lots of things. How lucky we are to be here doing what we do and having people around who care. Family here is everything part of everyday life, never shut out and that is very new and reassuring to me, but that's normal to Galia.
Relaxing is something the farm doesn’t do as the work lay before me on the land. It was a full two days of watering, weeding and setting up another Bulgarian growing system that was taught to me before after the failure of the melons. We now have more crops that should survive with this new system. Also we have our good friend and neighbour who has offered to water the crops mid week now the hot weather is upon us. This certainly helps relieve some of the worry from our side. This same friend and neighbour had also gathered up all the hay that was cut over the last two weeks and stored it in the hay house. Mind you, this hay is winter feed for his horse, but he would have done it anyway!The evening in Skalitsa are fantastic sitting out in the warm evening air as fresh as you can ever get and no noise whatsoever other than the night noises that used to scare me when I was first lived there. I know what every noise is now and can relax with that thought.
My first encounter with a snake in the field whilst cutting hay took place on Saturday, it was more scared than me. I saw a movement in the long grass and then as I approached the speed of this snake was amazing as it darted toward the outside toilet with me in pursuit. Within a few seconds it had covered 10 metres and was in the hut. I wouldn’t be going to the toilet for while with this 1½ metre snake occupying it. It wasn’t a poisonous snake and like I said was far more scared than I was. It must have been to dart into the toilet so quickly!
And so the weekend ended Sunday afternoon and back to Yambol where we were invited for an evening of eating and drinking with family, we refused as we were too tired. Monday it was the factory farm, which was doing pretty well right now. We have almost finished all the lettuce that we have grown; it is becoming too hot for them now. The potatoes had the first round of Colorado beetles that are hand picked and destroyed on sight, they don’t cause a problem if checked and destroyed regularly.More advice was giving on the melons growing there as moats were made for more access to water. The branches that were pruned from the fruit trees in Skalitsa in the winter now support the tomatoes on the farm and work pretty well. The peppers need no support other than another pepper! What do I mean? Well you plant two peppers seedling in the same spot and their roots wrap around each other and this gives them a good base stability and no need to stake them up. Last year all my peppers fell over as they were planted singly.
The factory farm really does look like it will provide all the tomatoes and peppers that will be eaten from July onwards and many preserved for the winter ahead. There will be big savings from these crops and of course that was the whole purpose of growing them anyway. It is really strange me working on the field and Galia a stone’s throw away working it the factory office…![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_ue-yZnxvy0laxjCqlgT2tjLg6jled9hKBioDn5XnInNGpVXJiOeUwRqrEcZlt_g1Q1ILDeZFYOERrxsctMo8Qf62hvSTuTTuI2EOWbXAR6ehJVzETFa0Ju_5QrKS9-Sj1iimWd_3kejg1vo25rKyPH=s0-d)
Knowing a snake hiding in my toilet certainly won't get me using in any time soon too! :D
ReplyDeleteHello farmer Martin, sounds like to me you have every thing under control when it comes to the gardening , your experience plus the new things you have learned ,you should have a bumper crop this year, which will save money and it is always such a treat to eat the fruit of your labor.You're going to have to move a little faster if you expect to catch them thar snakes , they are fast and you're right they are just as much afraid of us as we are of them read in the Bible Genesis chapter 3 verse 14 thru 16 and you will understand why .glad folks are trying to get their lives back to normal and get on with living , altho those that died will always be missed. take care and give Galia a big hello for us , and it's great you can work the garden so close to her , that way she doesen't have far to go to give you her honey do list ha ha .wish we were there to share a meal with you two , who knows maybe one day it may happen Malcolm
ReplyDeleteLooks and sounds like the good life. I know you both work hard to achieve this. As for the snake-I fancy I wouldn't be using the toilet again!
ReplyDeleteMind you I have improved this year and now I do try not to kill them.
Food tastes so much better when you grow it yourself! I think I would have to stop using the toilet as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Martin,
ReplyDeleteWow...I'm happy to hear the snake was more afraid of you! But sorry to hear it took up the WC!! And your crops look and sound great...congrats!!! You'll be feeding your family very well with healthy, home grown food. Nothing's better than that!
One of these days I would like to try growing some small amounts of herbs and veggies in a container garden on a balcony. However, we have to get a flat with a balcony first! Better would be a garden plot, but don't see one of those in our future any time soon. But maybe a flat with a balcony will be coming up one of these days...I will be so happy to grow flowers and maybe even some veggies and herbs!
Have a great day!
Sher :0)