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Dying dyed ginger hair to pink
After struggling to find information on the internet about dying bright colours over ginger hair, I thought it would be helpful, to some, if I post before and after pictures of my result, to help those...
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The Cheviot
Another Christmas has whizzed by and a New Year has begun. Inbetween the celebrations we visited Dave’s parents in Northumberland and scaled a hill I have wanted to climb since our first hike in the...
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Can you tell what it is?
This weird and wonderful form is the cross section of a hornet nest. The nest that was in the wendy house I wrote about earlier in the year.I have been waiting patiently for the colder weather to...
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Felling trees
As spring is fast approaching, I have been keen to make a vegetable patch but living in a wood can make usually simple tasks, more difficult. The issue is trees. They are always in he bloomin’ way. So,...
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Take part in the World's biggest wildlife survey: The Big Garden Birdwatch
This weekend why not spend an hour watching and counting the birds in your garden, yard or local park? Bird numbers help determine the health of the environment and the RSPB want as many people as...
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8 things in the UK my eyes want to see
Fingal’s CaveImage sourceThe stunning hexagonal-shaped columns in the cave of Staffa looke carved, like a cathedral, yet they are naturally formed basalt rock created from cooling lava. I’m a sucker...
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Giveaway: Nest box from Feed The Birds
The emergence of snow drops is a sure sign that spring is on its way, yet the recent snow and icy mornings is a reminder that we still have several more weeks until we start seeing true signs of the...
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Oh, rats!
Since getting hens and feeding the birds in the garden we have had a big problem: Rats!Rats tend to leave fields after harvest in search of cosier place to live with a good supply of food and safe...
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Websites to help save money on your car
Many of my friends have their cars on hire purchase schemes or pay for their autos monthly. But for a thrifty (tight) couple like us, buying a new car isn’t cost effective. As soon as a new car is...
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More hens. More money?
Look who’s arrived at the wood! 6 new hens!Last September I bought 6 point of lay hens in an effort to be a bit more self-sufficient and also because I absolutely love keeping chickens.I worked out the...
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Forest gardens and the future of sustainable farming
source: shikigami2011We’ve spent the best part of 5 weekends preparing an area of the wood to become a forest garden. It’s taken a lot of work and it still isn't ready for all the plants quite yet.The...
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Catching a fox on camera in the wood
This photo may not look like much but I am super happy about it. That's a fox's blurry back end in the left of the photo!Last Monday I set the camera up overlooking a ground hole in the wood that had...
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New hens and the horrible truth about debeaking
In the last post, I announced the arrival of the 6 new ladies in my life. They join our existing flock to bring us to a total of 12 hens.I intended to re-home some ex-caged hens but the person I was...
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Staying at Cae Mabon, the Welsh Shangri-la
A couple of weekends ago we stayed at the wonderful Cae Mabon; an eco village hidden away in stunning oak woodland close to Llanberis on the edge of Snowdonia, Wales.Dubbed the ‘Welsh Shangri-la’, Cae...
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Reboot to get 20% of new walking boots at Mountain Warehouse
My boots have walked their final mile. Last summer one boot got ripped down one side. I’ve been filling it with silicone and covering it in wax since then (see the pics), which has held up quite well....
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Views from Snowdon
A couple of weeks ago Dave and I visited Snowdonia for a long weekend along with 23 other friends and friend of friends. Our home for the weekend was the magical eco-village of Cae Mabon. Nestled away...
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And then there were eight
Today is a sad day. While stuck in traffic on the way back from a work meeting, I received a call from Ian to say that 4 hens had been taken. I suppose it was better that I was prepared for seeing the...
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Introducing Outdoor Bloggers; a network for everyone who blogs about the...
I’m super excited to announce the launch of Outdoor Bloggers, a network for anyone who blogs about any outdoor topic and wants to chat to, and meet, other outdoor bloggers in the UK. The concept for...
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Making charcoal, the traditional way
Ian, my step dad, has been a traditional charcoal kilner for over 25 years. He spent the first two years living in a Showmans caravan in the middle of Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, felling trees...
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An orphaned song thrush chick
Meet the first (and hopefully last) of this year’s rescues; a song thrush chick.Every year we get birds nesting in the most inconvenient of places (for us) such as the log splitter, the wood pile, the...
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