Quince, Life, and Puppy Dog Tales

The season of mellow mists inevitably means that I suddenly have a deep desire to store food in the form of jams, pickles and syrups.  It also means that I feel the need to create, whether that be food storage, crafting, or blogging.  

I am not sure how long it will last. 

It has been one year since my last post, something which I discovered, yesterday, when I was looking for an old photograph which I knew was on the blog.  Suddenly I found myself wondering - could I?  Should I?  We shall see.

My task for today is to make another double batch of quince jam/preserve.  It is not a sickly sweet jam.  Quince is very sharp anyway, but I also add lemon juice and plenty of lemon peel, which helps to balance out the necessary sugar.

Our quince trees are still fairly young, but this year they have both produced many hundreds of quince.  I gave away wheelbarrow-loads of them to a local jam-maker - so many that she eventually cried for mercy.  

The pantry shelves are filled with lots of jars of quince jam and quince syrup and there are several bags of frozen quince in the freezer.  Today I will make some more quince jam, possibly some pickled quince slices and then I will call it a day on the quince.

Summer this year was a little different, as we had our 'Shanghai family' staying with us for a couple of months.  It was wonderful.  We hosted a first birthday party for young William which was enormous fun.  

My back let me down, so I wasn't able to carry William as much as I would have liked, but it was so much fun to be able to share in his daily life for all that time.  He quickly learned that Granny and Grandpa are a pushover compared to his mummy and daddy! 

Life is very quiet now that they are back in China.

Two days post surgery.  Well medicated and very sleepy.

Winston has grown and matured into a wonderful companion.  That naughty little puppy who was hell-bent on poisoning himself has survived, thrived.  I still have to watch him like a hawk, especially now that it is the season of fungi.  Owl Wood grows a wide variety, not all of them are toxic but Winston seems drawn to those which are as he is a 'hungry' Labrador who will eat anything he comes across.  I have had to prise dead rats, frogs and unspeakably disgusting things out of his jaws.   Just as well I love him so much.

Two or three months ago I had him neutered.  It didn't go smoothly and ended up being a much more serious operation, as they had to hunt for one of the bits to be removed.  We knew this was a possibility as there hadn't been any sign of them dropping, but we had hoped for the best.   It had to be done, things couldn't be left hidden as it could lead to serious problems later in life.

Poor boy, he was in a sorry state for a few weeks.  Lots of quiet,  painkillers and time have eventually got him back to full fitness.   He is a happy boy, even if he still wees like a girl!

The cats are both still with us.  Old Sparky may be in her late teens and frail but she still has her feral cat skills and brought home a live weasel which screamed as she pursued it around the porch.  The cat won.  

Millie has turned into a fat and placid cat.  She only hunts occasionally, going for small and unwise birds.  Anything else would require too much effort.

William.

Life is very busy right now, not enough time to do all that I want to do, so I cannot promise to answer any comments, sorry.

Elaine

Walking the Fields with Winston + First Bread Oven Trial

 When I lost the use of my laptop computer I decided to embrace the change and make good use of the time I would normally have spent online.  Extra dog walks, lots of reading, a little extra cleaning (that one didn't last long) but the reading and walking were enjoyable.

Now that the computer has been restored and secured things are almost back to normal.  Almost, but not quite.  The extra dog walks are here to stay.  Winston is now old enough to be able to do 35-40 minute walks which means that he is able to come on some of my favourite walks along farm tracks, and old rights of way.  

One particular route is still out of the question because he can't jump over the stile and there is no dog-friendly alternative offered.  He is not a particularly agile dog and I don't want to encourage him to jump over gates or fences anyway, lest he take it into his doggy head to set off on an adventure following the cats into the field around the house.

Once we get home he has a quick rub down followed by a quarter of an hour in his crate, while I sort myself out and catch up with jobs, feed the cats, etc.  Then he takes up his favourite sleeping position and is soon snoring.

The bread oven is finally complete and has been fired up a couple of times.

Once the correct temperature reached, the ash is swept out and the bread quickly popped in.  Today's recipe was for a milk bread, it rises well and keeps nice and moist for several days.  One for the pantry, one for the freezer.

Unfortunately, the oven didn't retain the required temperature for quite long enough, so I had to pull out the loaves and finish them off in a hot fan oven for an extra ten minutes.  Almost there, but not quite.  Still, I like a challenge.

The bread is excellent, I couldn't resist cutting off a crust and having a nibble.

This photograph was our morning walk,

and this one, our afternoon.  Lots of space and plenty of good sniffing time.  Winston is still able to fit into Toby One and Toby Too's old harness at the moment.  It won't be too long before he needs a larger one though.   He is built on a much bigger scale.

Wishing you all well,

Elaine

Computer Issues

 Hello Everyone,

At the moment I am having serious computer issues.  These problems seem to be beyond home fixes, so the computer has to be taken to our local computer guru, fingers crossed he can fix the issues.

Apologies for not being able to finish responding to comments on my previous post.

Back soon...I hope.

Elaine

How I Spent the Summer Holidays (!)

Hello Everyone,

Where have I been?  

Nowhere.  

I just stepped away from blogging and social media for a while because I couldn't quite trust myself to be sufficiently restrained in my comments about our glorious leader and his fabulous front benchers.    (Don't want to get myself arrested for hate thoughts or speech, could lead to me serving more time in prison than if I committed a real crime.)   

I have spent most of my time with young pup Winston.  His tummy troubles were persistent and reached a point where the vets wanted to do x-rays and various tests.  I decided to try and fix the problem without frightening him with all those procedures.  He wasn't in pain or losing weight, so I tackled it with common sense and a really restricted diet, plenty of water, etc.  I also continued with the probiotic pastes (several tubes were used) slippery elm bark and German peat mixed in with his food.  Many thanks to the people who suggested them, they really helped.

Once I got him stabilised I gradually stopped the bark, peat and probiotics, one at a time, so I could see if there was a relapse.  

I am glad to say that he has been off all 'medications' and problem-free for the last two or three weeks.  Success, and much relief.  

The main problem I am left with is that he is still on a mission to eat anything he comes across.  Just this last week I have had to wrangle a flattened squirrel corpse out of his mouth, a squashed frog, conkers, acorns and assorted types of poop - cat, hedgehog, goose - he doesn't mind, they all taste wonderful, apparently.

Then we have the greenery - and here in the countryside we are surrounded by tempting greens, even at this time of year.  

I love him to bits but I do wish he didn't have such a strong death wish.  I have to take him into the garden on his lead every time he needs to pay a visit because he is a demon for finding potential trouble.  He has an enormous mouth with elastic cheek pouches, very handy for tucking away his contraband until he thinks he can munch in peace.  Fortunately he is an amiable chap and takes it in good spirit.

He will be six months old at the end of the week and is now capable of doing some slightly more adventurous walks although it will be a while before it would be sensible to let him do my favourite three mile walk.  He is getting there.

I wouldn't swap him for the world but it has taken a huge amount of time and energy to keep him safe and well!

Meanwhile:

Apples have been picked and stored, where appropriate.  The quince trees are laden and the fruit is ripe and ready to go.  So far I have been adding them to apple pies and cakes, but I must get some bottles of quince vinegar brewed and perhaps a batch or two of membrillo.  The rest can go out on the lane, so that people can help themselves.  Much better that, than having them go to waste or composting them.

Elderberries were picked and turned into elderberry rob, ready for using through the winter to ward off sore throats and colds.  Blackcurrants and plums were picked and are in the freezer ready for some winter puddings.

Pretty much everything in the vegetable garden was a disappointment, not that I would have had time to process any glut of vegetables anyway.

I have attended a couple of coffee mornings and read a lot of library books, as well as some I selected from the shelves in the village hall.

Nothing thrilling or exciting, just normal life.  The perfect antidote to all the trouble and chaos, the corruption and deceit in the world.

The bread oven is almost complete and will soon be put into action.  Watch this space.  No doubt there will be some spectacular failures, but I will enjoy the challenge.

I hope you have all found yourselves enjoying life in your own way.

The Blue and the Dim and the Dark

Winston's tummy problems have meant that during the dark hours I prowl around the gardens with him and the cats in tow.  We often hear assorted owls calling and the barking of a muntjac deer but it is the night skies which have enthralled me.

From deep within the memory banks I found myself remembering a poem by W Yeats.

Heavens' embroidered cloths

Enwrought with golden and silver light

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half light

Some nights have been deepest indigo, others much lighter.  Walking in the dark, with only the animals for company, has been a marvellous way to put the madness of this world into perspective.   

Last night I stumbled out of bed to check up on Winston.  He was quite contentedly sleeping in his crate, but on hearing me he lifted his head and didn't bother to get to his feet to be let out.  I could almost hear him say 'go back to bed, mum.'  

So I did.   I must admit that I felt a slight twinge of regret at not viewing the night sky but I rejoiced in the thought of my bed and some more sleep.

He is such a sane and sensible young pup, given to a little silliness, but generally a Mr Sobersides and very affectionate.

Here he is this morning, I notice he has snaffled a pair of my socks.  He has form for this, he doesn't chew them but he does like to hold them in his mouth. 

As Fussy as a Dog with Two Tails + Bread Oven Progress

 I have had to write this post so many times, I keep drifting off into commentary on my views about the dangerous direction this country is being 'steired' in.  No use airing my thoughts here, so I shall redirect my thoughts to life with Winston.

I hardly dare say that last night was a good night.  Good in the sense that although I got up twice in the night to check to give him the opportunity to go outside, his bedding was clean for the first time in several nights.  The signs are good...

He had an excellent day yesterday, and was beside himself with delight when Tina, our friend and neighbour, the woman who bred him, called in for a visit.  As soon as she parked up and opened her car door to call out a greeting, he was up at the gate with his tail wagging madly as he stood on tip toes prancing along to get a better view.

He was, as my father would have said, "... as fussy as a dog with two tails."  I had forgotten about that expression but it was certainly apt for Winston's delight.  Tina was delighted to see him and was especially pleased that he hadn't forgotten her.

She took this photograph of Winston (me in the background, trying to keep out of camera shot!) so that she could post in to show the owners of the other eight puppies from the litter (Tina kept the tenth puppy for herself).   It shows just how much he has grown despite his tummy troubles.

The cushion he is lying on is actually his old bed.  It is far too small for him now but he still tries to cram himself in there and ignores his larger bed.  One day I will make it disappear but for now we pretend it is just a big cushion.  

At the moment he is taking a special paste, twice a day, and I am feeding him on half his normal food, mixed with some special gastrointestinal puppy food.  So far, so good.

This morning he was obviously feeling great so I walked him down to the railway bridge and then took him into the barley field and down as far as the second field.  He loved it, so did I.  It took me right back to the two decades I have spent doing just that walk with my other dogs - Pip, Toby, Ned, and Toby Too.  It felt right and we both enjoyed it.

We got back home just before 6am and the lane was very quiet, so quiet that I saw something I have never seen before, a live badger.  This one just popped out of the field and crossed into the woodland over the road.  Not sure who was the most surprised, Winston, or me.

I was hoping to take him out for another little session in the field but the weather has turned rather wet, it is teeming with rain, so that won't be happening for a while.

The bread oven is coming together, great progress has been made but there is still a way to go.

Winston is set for a whole other adventure this weekend as my three grandsons who live in London are coming up to see us.  They have a red Labrador of their own, along with a grey French Bulldog...only the boys and their parents are visiting though.  Phew!  Thank goodness for that.