My First Year At Lottington

It Started With A Fire

It seems like forever ago since I first set foot in lotty, it was nothing like my expectations of a few metres of plot with nothing to separate one from the next. It was a shock to find the massive, fenced off piece of land that lotty actually is. Having never lit a fire of my own before it was one of the reasons John took me there in the first place, and make a fire we did. Cat food boxes filled with shredded paper, and a few bits of wood to start, and John sat making me a fire lighter from a cane, string and a bit of petrol. We've had plenty of fires since, but that first one will always be the one I remember most of all. We toasted (or burnt) marshmallows on it, we made grass fuses and tried to dry myself out by it after being drenched with water by John. It was an amazingly hot day for the time of year, but the heat wasnt going to spoil the fun of the fire or my first weekend in Nottingham with John.

I dont remember doing too much actual planting or anything else there from that weekend, but I did enjoy it and knew that I would be back there again soon enough.

Getting Into Gardening

It wasnt long before the veg caught my imagination too. I remember feeling slightly jealous sitting in Bristol looking at photos of the potatoes that John had picked and eaten, and wanting to be there to share that with him. At first I felt like I was in over my head, not knowing what to do or when to do it (though I do still feel like that at times) and had to constantly ask what I could do. It wasnt long before I could go there with a list of tasks and a weekly routine.

What really captured me about lotty was silly little things like seeing a poorly plant and doing my best to get it healthy and producing veg. Our sickly tomato plant for example went on to be one of the healthiest looking plants there.

Not only have I learnt alot about growing food but also about cooking. Having to find things to make with what we have available at the time was tricky to start with, but the more I did the more I thought about what I could do.

Trying New Things

Until id picked and cook my own I had never tasted freshly cooked beetroot that hadnt been pickled, and I was surprised at how much I liked it. The Blur was the one who really took on the trying new foods idea. Despite having always eaten vegetables before she was now willing to try just about anything. It was great in the summer when John and the Blur would do their daily picking and testing rounds of grapes and peas. The Blur tried radishes, beetroot, beans, peppers and chilis for the first time. I found that there were recipes for pumpkin other than pie.

Things To Make And Do

One thing I have really learnt this year is how to build things with what you have and no tape measure. It started with the chicken coop, the went on to rebuilding the Charlton Heston shed. I led in bed thinking how the shed had gone from being battered and falling to pieces to something the looked good and was usable, and all by our own hands. The Charlton Heston mystery kept us amused for a few weeks. Trying to work out what the message said, the finding all the little coincidences surrounding the film and Charlton Heston. We also made a swing, a tree house of sorts, a bird table and the base of our aquaponics system. To begin with the morning after a busy making day at lotty would leave me feeling like id been ten rounds with Mike Tyson, but gradually its made me stronger and I now wonder what it would take for me to ache like that now.

Chickens

Now one of the main events for us all was the build up to and the arrival of our girls. The coop we built together is one the best features of lotty and the best one coop I have ever seen. Every part of our chicken journey has seemed full of excitement, from owning building the coop and owning our first bale of hay to the two times we drove to and from the farm to collect our girls. I never would have believed on the first day how much joy and amazement they would bring to my life. Theres not a moment I spend with them when I dont feel happy to have them. They're so much more than I could ever have expected, watching their personalities come out, seeing Alison finding her place in the world. Rita being our middle aged, upper class lady who's got something to say about everything. Betty who seems to need the reassurance of some time in my arms having a cuddle. Marge being the first at your feet when there's something good on the menu (or even if its not that good), she's also a damned good explorer. And Penny who likes to see the world from higher places and will always come sit on the bench next to me.

I cant not mention Cairo. Bottom of the pecking order but always willing to fight it out to make sure she got her fair share. There's always a place in my heart for her, and she'll be remembered just as well as all the other.

Random Conversations

One of the most enjoyable parts of lottington is the random weird conversations that make everything that little bit funnier. Ant pants is one of the very first that I can remember. Trying to work out how many ants you would need, how would you get the skins off and how would you put them all together. Another was of the car seats that looked like some aliens that we'd seen on star wars.

My Final Words Of Todays Blog

Its been an interesting journey for me and not just one that is about learning to grow veg or look after chickens. Its one that has showed me that I am so much better at things than I had previously thought, how much I am capable of, that I can not just achieve things but achieve what I feel are great things, and I can see my own potential. This is not something that I have done alone.

Thank you Blur for all the things we have done together at lotty that have made me smile and laugh, especially the silly games.

Thank you John for giving me this and for the encouragement, love and support.

I love you both and look forward to more springs, summer autumns and winters with you both. xx