This Time I'm Really Going To Do It

OK, lets see if I can explain to Tahlullah without the use of pics! A speedyskip is like a shovel with a rake that relies on a human raking up the poo into the shovel/bucket and then putting it in a wheelbarrow and wheeling that to the muck heap where the barrow is emptied.

I agree with Alchemilla that it is therapeutic. But, with a lack of time and 2 horses at present (I've had 3 in the past and am considering buying a couple more later this year ... but I digress) means that my fields had lots of poo to shift as I havent done any poo picking up since early July. If I did daily it would be fine. But I dont. And I know myself well enough to know if I am not doing it daily during fabulous weather I sure am not going to be doing it in the depths of winter.:)

A paddock hoover is - well my new one - is a big plastic box with a petrol engine that powers the suction. It has a hose just like a domestic hoover - but a lot lot bigger. And switched on it just sucks the poo off the grass like your indoor hoover would suck up the dirt off the carpet. Its pulled along by a quad bike although you can get a smaller one that you wheel along. And to be honest you could pull the one I've got around by hand but the bike is quicker and easier. It holds about 4 barrows of muck in one go and has a neat tipping action. It also sort of mulches it up as it up too so as it rots down it will make great stuff for the garden!

A bit of me thinks it wasn't money saving to buy it when I could have used effort and it uses petrol and requires the quad bike to pull it which also uses petrol so its not really very eco/green either.

But most of me is just relieved to have a way of doing this job that is quicker and easier than doing it by hand.

Mind you ... after spending about half an hour during the day then 2 to 3 hours at it yesterday evening ... I so ache :rotfl:

I reckon a couple more hours this evening and the worst will be done but I might see if I can get Mr Watty to do some hoovering rather than sitting on the quad bike watching

It doesnt really need 2 people as one person could easily do it by driving across the field to the next poo area and getting off the bike and hoovering but Mr Watty does so love a gadget that he wanted to come out and "help" and yesterday his help consisted of driving the bike and me walking and hoovering. I think this evening we might try him walking/hoovering so he can see how the gadget works!!

FloppyDisk wrote: »

Or maybe offer to do half a days poo hoovering at friends' yards for £50 say?

Floppy Disc this comment has set off a whole rumbling of thoughts. I was mulling it over whilst hoovering on Friday evening (it is going to take hours to clear that paddock) and I begun to think about field managment. See we ending up buying quad bike, topper, tractor blah de blah because we couldnt find anyone to do the work. We had a lovely chap when we moved in but he gave up because he could make enough money ..he said it was a living not a good living and he wanted more.

Whilst I was out hoovering I began to wonder if others would pay me to do their field management. Mr Watty has pointed out I will need to get certified in spraying etc but I've looked it up and it is all quite doable.

Now I can't possibly even try this whilst working full time in my current line of work as it pays well and we have that hefty mortgage to clear.... but....it is something that I might look into as the mortgage comes down. And the whole MFW started because I would like to clear the mortgage and work less.

I've always wanted to do something more outside and I've just the rumblings of a business plan rattling around here ....so maybe Floppy has given me an idea here :T

Yesterdays wedding was fab. And such an inspiration as the reception was in a farmers barn, with a few fairy lights and the catering done by guests ... everyone was asked to bring food and their own drink. And it was charming. Bit cold but charming none the less. And the catering. Wow! There was way more food than if they had done a buffet I'm sure and so lovely to just wander around the tables with borrowed seats or hay bales and chat to folk. I loved it. And was truely inspired.

Today was shaping up to be a good day with sun shining despite the forecast. Took the dog to his training class this morning, and we get the class for free as a long time ago I helped the trainer find the location and somehow that morphed into me getting free classes:T.

But the dog and I were sidetracked by lunch in the local pub and one roast lamb, mineral water and coffee later we were down on the day!! Then bought a sunday paper, and as I handed over the £2 for the paper I thought ummm...thats another £2 I could have saved. Picked up 2pence on the floor though :rotfl:

Home, mucked out the two horses and thought would take the dog blackberrying but then the heavens opened so back inside. Dog gently snoring by the woodburning stove and I'm now about to try a meal plan for the week having reviewed the contents of the freezer and cupboard. Having read Tilly's diary batch cooking seems a fab idea so might actually just make extra large portions of some things as a starting plan.

Also going to read up on the oldstyle board for some moneysaving food ideas. More later.