Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

tomterm8

Davesnave wrote: »

Some of us are prepared all the time. :A

We have half a pig and 22 sheep to get through before we start on any dogs.....The chickens will be spared, so long as their egg production stays at current levels. Into double figures now!

We have a whole fridge full of premium sheep to eat our way through before we starve.

We even tried lamb and parsnip soup today.

It was an interesting experience, which I would not advise people to try themselves:D

Still waiting for an opportunity to try out the mutton pie though....

We've just had our first bit of snow, which has stopped. Starting to consider panic shopping. Ever since last christmas we got snowed in, and had to carry the christmas tree and provisions home in bags, well, we don't want to repeat that again.

misskool

I must be in the only bit of the country that hasn't seen any of it

Bet I get snowed in tomorrow when I need to go to work too.

PasturesNew

It 'never' snows here, but it did this time. I looked at a map and we seem to have just caught a small swipe of snow as it was horizontally down the country (as opposed to going east/west).

It's still all there, unmelted. This is exceptional/unusual weather where I am.

SingleSue

misskool wrote: »

I must be in the only bit of the country that hasn't seen any of it

Bet I get snowed in tomorrow when I need to go to work too.

We've seen it but it hasn't laid as yet....but it is cold! The road was white with frost by last night and icy (my crutch went one way and I went the other )

silvercar

Impulse purchase today: one bird feeding station.

OH saw a robin on the decking yesterday that he is convinced is the same robin that visited last year and the one he saw last week. Then about 8 little birds with yellow chests and blue bits flew around and into the trees. We are clueless, but a trip to the garden centre followed and we now have a feeding station with bath tray, fat encrusted food balls and a big bag of seed. I drew the line at a tub of meal worms! Now we just hope that the little birds get the grub and not the many squirrels and wood pigeons we also seem to attract.

PasturesNew

You can make your own bird balls, by purchasing cheap seeds and draining spare/old fat into yoghurt pots.

So you'd need to get some lengths of string and place those inside the pots, having both ends hanging over the edge by a long way still.... chuck in a load of seeds.... drain off the fat from anything you cook/fry/roast into the yoghurt pots, layering the fat/seeds as you build it up. Once full/set, you can yank it out of the yoghurt pot with the string, then use the string to tie it onto your bird feeding station.

silvercar

PasturesNew wrote: »

You can make your own bird balls, by purchasing cheap seeds and draining spare/old fat into yoghurt pots.

So you'd need to get some lengths of string and place those inside the pots, having both ends hanging over the edge by a long way still.... chuck in a load of seeds.... drain off the fat from anything you cook/fry/roast into the yoghurt pots, layering the fat/seeds as you build it up. Once full/set, you can yank it out of the yoghurt pot with the string, then use the string to tie it onto your bird feeding station.

Thanks for that. It sounds interesting plus I don't like putting the fat down the kitchen sink.

Don't even need the string as one of the purchases was a holder for the fat balls.

Davesnave

PasturesNew wrote: »

You can make your own bird balls, by purchasing cheap seeds and draining spare/old fat into yoghurt pots.
.........Long instructions.

OTOH, if you buy 'em in bulk they work out at 12p each!

The plastic 'Chinese hat' type lids that go over chicken feeders to keep the rain off, make good protectors from jackdaws, pigeons etc.:)

We are in a squirrel-free zone, so not sure how effective against them.

PasturesNew

There were, of course, people still surfing in the sea today. Beach was icy/white, but people of all ages/sexes were in surfing.

lostinrates

I make bird fat balls, as silvercar says, its easier than getting a plumber out or finding other rat free way to dispose of fat. But I buy them too. We put feeders out here a couple f weeks ago but noones been interested in them where they are. With the feral cats I'm concerned to find somewhere more bird than cat friendly and I guess I haven't done that yet.