Beetroot And Ducks !

Rural Life, I Love It.

   Some would say my life is just one of work and worry, by no means a secure way of making a living and I would be a fool to deny it, but there are times when living a more rural life can make up for such a life style and this afternoon was one such moment.
   The sun was shining over the fens, the birds were singing their spring song and I was in my garden setting out beetroot seedlings, now how on earth could I ever want to swap my life for a safe reliable one. I have to say the sun makes one hell of a difference to the way I've been feeling and the fact I was able to get out in the garden really does help take my mind off things, it gets me thinking of those childhood days helping my grandad in that wonderful old veg garden that surround the thatched cottage in the heart of Ashwell, the river running through the bottom of the garden where watercress grew in huge patches and willow trees hung over the banks, now that was what you call a dream way of living.
   People think of those days being simple with no modern gadgets or laptops taking up hours of our time, they say they were times that lacked excitement and luxury but believe me, if I could live such a life now with none of the stress that modern life brings with it, I'd be one very happy man. I often mention on here and to family and friends how I would love to live a more self sufficient life and as you already know we are slowly getting there, this being the first year that I'm really trying to grow most of our veg and partly because of the lack of funds and partly because of our health we have cut done big time on any rubbish foods such as processed and alike. Our shopping bill is now a good third of what it was and to be honest I really don't miss any of those foods we now go without, yes it would be nice to have a treat odd times and I'm sure when we afford it we will, but I now enjoy my food more, I taste the flavours and not just flavourings and salt which fills so much of our food these days.
   I really can't wait for those first early potatoes from the garden or those first salads that taste like no other, your own fresh produce has the most amazing flavours and is on your plate within minutes of cutting, no bags of salad that are days old, no tomatoes that have no flavour or cucumbers that taste like cold water, all just beautiful flavours that you have produced from those tiny seeds and some hard work.
   I did manage to sit by the ponds with a cuppa while watching the pair of ducks that we seem to have adopted, it's amazing how quick they seem to take over the place, they sit in the sun looking like they own the place and every time I stopped work they sat there watching me as if to say, come on get more done !