Preparing for Winter

Frugaldom

Oops, sorry Sophiesmum! :rotfl:

Westcoastscot, are you near me? There's a herd of feral goats running out on the Galloway Hills not far from here, they're the only ones I can think of and they'd eat anything - they even pinched my crisps one time we were having a picnic at the Grey Mare's Tail! :rotfl:

Mardatha, edited - it's a different fiona Houston. Still enjoying the book, though, but will also need to read the book by the other Fiona Houston, as it's about foraging and free food!

Coalman due here tomorrow, will see what he says about future prices and decide if it's worthwhile stockpiling even if it means storing coal in a large compost bin or the garage.

westcoastscot

Westcoastscot, are you near me? There's a herd of feral goats running out on the Galloway Hills not far from here, they're the only ones I can think of and they'd eat anything - they even pinched my crisps one time we were having a picnic at the Grey Mare's Tail! :rotfl:

I'm on the west-coast and these seem to be the remnants of a small herd that lived "over the hill" years ago. When I lived on Mull it was very remote and we had a beautiful herd of feral goats - I used to turn my milker out for stud services - she was used to them as we used to take a daily walk among them.

Frugaldom

Westcoastscot, the herd is still living 'over the hill', and are now kept as part of the 'Wild Goat Park', which is next to the 'Red Deer Park'.

Sorry for going slightly off topic, but I like goats.

oystercatcher

'Oystercatcher' is thinking wishful thoughts about the Scottish coast :cool:

westcoastscot

love goats too! I miss mine - keep running out of milk still and it's been 6 years since we moved to the mainland

Oystercatcher it is a beautiful place - a long way from anywhere though - i envy folks their choice of supermarkets sometimes!

zarazara

Tommorrows Candlemas Day when we should all have "half our corn and half our hay"

in otherwords, winters half over. its also midway between the winter equinox [shortest day] and the vernal equinox [ that day in spring when the days and nights are of equal length.
So, do we have half our winter stocks of logs,candles etc to see us through to the start of spring?

kingshir

I feel 'healthier' since I've cut down on the c/h, layered up my clothing and used the woodburning stove much more. The house isn't at hothouse temperature and the air and rooms in general feel fresher. Trouble is I now feel stifled in shops, at work and in houses where the c/h is on full blast and they're swanning round in t shirts!:p

Frugaldom

zarazara wrote: »

Tommorrows Candlemas Day when we should all have "half our corn and half our hay"...

So, do we have half our winter stocks of logs,candles etc to see us through to the start of spring?

I have now that the coalman's been. :rotfl: I've been a bit mean with it, apparently, and still had a bag left from last year, so only 4 bags added @ £11.50 a bag, so more than enough to last until Spring. With all the stockpiling I've been doing, I think I have enough food to last as well! If I could give up coffee and didn't need milk, I doubt I'd leave the house before spring! :rotfl:

Found the rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,
The half o' winters to come and mair.
If Candlemas day be wet and foul,
The half o' winter's gane at Yule.

Although it was raining first thing this morning, it's been lovely and sunny for most of the day here, so we may not even be ha;f way through winter here. Best be keeping the stockpiles topped up a bit longer.

carriebradshaw

nykmedia wrote: »

Westcoastscot, are you near me? There's a herd of feral goats running out on the Galloway Hills not far from here, they're the only ones I can think of and they'd eat anything - they even pinched my crisps one time we were having a picnic at the Grey Mare's Tail! :rotfl:

ooh that brings back memories we used to go for picnics to the grey mare's tail too when we lived in the Sc. Borders years ago,beautiful round there isn't it


We've had snow all day here again on and off it had been melting away but seems to be lying again now and the sky looks full of it, I just hope it doesn't freeze like the last time

euripidesralph

Just thought id share my bargain which im very excited about, myself my dh, mum and ds have all been suffering from the cold and trying to save money, at xmas id wanted to get us all slankets but at 30 pounds a pop, that was well and truly out of my budget,

just got them in the local petrol station for 5.99 each, blue for dh and cream for the rest of us, spent less than a single one for four of them!!!

as ours are cream i susoect they will be washed often, but even so for a cozy snuggle addict like me they are a bargain!!!

it was a bp garage in case anyone is looking for the same....

love it when a bargain is something you have been hankering after!!!!!!