Monday 23 February 2009
Sunday 22 February 2009
New season old issue...
It's rare that I walk the fields these days, once a favoured pass time now a source of sadness and concern. Contract cowboys are turning the hinterland of the village into a desert, observing minimum standard of care. Water courses obliterated by the deluge of mud . A few murky puddles of green algae testify to the fact that there was once a complex system of ditches. Failed agribusiness practice leaves little time to excercise duty of care to the land or it's inhabitants.Last season Anne-Sophie and I were sprayed with herbicide by a criminally negligent farmer driving too fast in windy conditions, the cloud of atomised chemicals rolled some ten metres ahead of him at a height of four metres. We were duly angry with him he tried to justify with bogus excuses and lies, showing callous disregard to the intended meaning of his own statutory code of practice.
Pioneer France logos mark his rented fields, many hectares of abused land in the hands of bottom line carpet baggers. The incident has caused us to look more closely at the extent of the neglect and damage with a view to assessing what needs to be done to make lasting reparation. Pioneer is a cousin of Monsanto, they dominate the seed market worldwide. We want to see families returning to the rural regions, country life becomes a potentially life threatening toxic chemical equation in the hands of the industrialised giants. We hope to join with others similarly concerned, we'll do our best to make effective legitimate representation. It is not assuring that the farmer who sprayed us is a member of our local Marie. I will update my blog with news of our progress periodically. It feels like we may be entering into a kind of frontline environmental battle. They may have beaten a few of their swords into ploughshares but continue to use their technology as though it was a weapon of war. Debt ridden, financial crisis management causes careful cultivation and husbandry of the common rural heritage to take at best a poor second place to the short term interest of the profiteer. The farmer of our immediate concern may not realize the extent of his accumulating personal liabilities as a result of not being fully in control of his own familial economy. Perhaps we can introduce him to durable alternatives to his present practice. Putting profit before principle and Trade before craft is neither morally supportable nor sustainable, it is a form of commercial piracy on the collateral base of the regional economy, the life supporting terrestrial ecology, plundered for too long without respite or repair.
We will continue to take photographs and video areas of neglect,as well as collecting information in association with others who share our active interest in the repair and maintainance of the rural landscape. In spite of the man's obvious contempt of our objection to toxic bullying we wish him no ill fortune. We may not however silently tolerate any further poisonous neglectful attack by accident or design. We will vigourously defend against the industrial abuse by every moral and constitutional means afforded to us.Iznibz Wazir.
Pioneer France logos mark his rented fields, many hectares of abused land in the hands of bottom line carpet baggers. The incident has caused us to look more closely at the extent of the neglect and damage with a view to assessing what needs to be done to make lasting reparation. Pioneer is a cousin of Monsanto, they dominate the seed market worldwide. We want to see families returning to the rural regions, country life becomes a potentially life threatening toxic chemical equation in the hands of the industrialised giants. We hope to join with others similarly concerned, we'll do our best to make effective legitimate representation. It is not assuring that the farmer who sprayed us is a member of our local Marie. I will update my blog with news of our progress periodically. It feels like we may be entering into a kind of frontline environmental battle. They may have beaten a few of their swords into ploughshares but continue to use their technology as though it was a weapon of war. Debt ridden, financial crisis management causes careful cultivation and husbandry of the common rural heritage to take at best a poor second place to the short term interest of the profiteer. The farmer of our immediate concern may not realize the extent of his accumulating personal liabilities as a result of not being fully in control of his own familial economy. Perhaps we can introduce him to durable alternatives to his present practice. Putting profit before principle and Trade before craft is neither morally supportable nor sustainable, it is a form of commercial piracy on the collateral base of the regional economy, the life supporting terrestrial ecology, plundered for too long without respite or repair.
We will continue to take photographs and video areas of neglect,as well as collecting information in association with others who share our active interest in the repair and maintainance of the rural landscape. In spite of the man's obvious contempt of our objection to toxic bullying we wish him no ill fortune. We may not however silently tolerate any further poisonous neglectful attack by accident or design. We will vigourously defend against the industrial abuse by every moral and constitutional means afforded to us.Iznibz Wazir.
Tuesday 10 February 2009
A clear sky and glorious sunshine...
Today found Anne-Sophie and I in the garden.She doesn't get much chance at this time of year, her care work takes her away from the home and between clients the weather is usually against her, today was exceptional. A beautiful day, warm and breezy. It was good to see her giving the spade some exercise. The ground looks good this spring, turns well without sticking to the blade.Lots of worms.She washed a stack of small pots in preparation for starting the tomatoes.We went to see if we could find me a good all weather work coat,the biggest was a third too small , we settled for buying some seeds. Early peas, leeks, aubergine two types of lettuce and some Thunbergia(Black eyed Susan). We have a lot of seeds in store already. I was happy to leave the shop without spending much. Me? I spent most of the afternoon idling my time rearranging rocks at the top of the garden, between looking and thinking and setting myself impossible goals for the coming Year.
I was dissapointed to hear reportage of that Thatcher woman's offensive remarks,begs the question,Who's favour is she trying to cultivate? Hurtful shameful person she, a product perhaps of her congenitally deficient up bringing, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Someone should teach her the difference between having a joke and taking the piss.Saying sorry wont wash now, let's see which companies will be happy to have her. The cultures are mixing well in France; one quarter are mixed marriages. there is still a long way to go , eventually the bigots will die off? we 'll leave them in the trash can of history where they belong. Progress starts at home.Vive la Republique!
I was dissapointed to hear reportage of that Thatcher woman's offensive remarks,begs the question,Who's favour is she trying to cultivate? Hurtful shameful person she, a product perhaps of her congenitally deficient up bringing, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Someone should teach her the difference between having a joke and taking the piss.Saying sorry wont wash now, let's see which companies will be happy to have her. The cultures are mixing well in France; one quarter are mixed marriages. there is still a long way to go , eventually the bigots will die off? we 'll leave them in the trash can of history where they belong. Progress starts at home.Vive la Republique!
Monday 9 February 2009
It is well to remember...how it was.
The gridiron pattern of agriculture has been used to maximise profit and optimise the productive energy of labour since feudal times.Plantation management, seen in the clear light of day is a system that reduces a man and his land to servile slavery.Each gully fills with water every time it rains , the fertile fines are then washed down the hill, the field over years, generations of traditional practice, stratified laterally by the annual deluge was left with heavy clay soil at the bottom of the slope ,cold and wet. The soil at the top of the slope was dry sandy and stoney. The impact of both tractor and human feet in between the crops left much of the applied manure and compost crushed unusable into the schist layer beneath the cultivated mineral surface, inaccessable by the plant roots. A wasted resource.
The open field afforded no protection from driving wind and rain, crops easily flattened.No shade for either plant or planter in the summer sun, the surface often panning hard or cracking.When wind blows across parched soil clouds of fine dust the land's potential fertility may be seen leaving the field.A few centuties ago the soil was several feet deeper. now since the heavy tractor cultivation has caused the grubbing up of most of the hedges, many fields are observed to be eroded and degraded; In spite of the obvious neglect of service to the earth the fields continue to be exploited for short term gain,soil and water can be seen spewing like custard over broken banks to silt up the watercourses and block drainage conduits. What is being lost took many thousands of years to evolve. The hinterland of our small domain needs to be returned to the hands of sensitive and caring cultivators. The contract cowboys are pulling the tits off mother earth. It is evident that a philosophical sea change is long overdue that would take the land out of the reach of subvention sponsored pillagers in order to reestablish none commercial independent peasantry in domestic familial homelands. The support of unsustainable urban self indulgent consumer habits by grant aided unsustainable fast return monoculturism is morally unjustifiable,costing the earth,beyond it's ability to recover.
Our little piece of heaven is showing signs of improvement,although it will be many years of work before we are satisfied by it's condition.The land itself is the collateral base in our domestic life supporting economy.
Scores of tons of soil have been moved to relative "safety " the incremental appreciation of the investment of our voluntary labour and material resources is greater security for the future of our family than putting our pentacles in the bank.
Several tons of stone now wait to be moved to the site of the roundhouse , it will improve the micro climate in the field,and improve the retention of available water in the ground;but what I look forward to most on storm driven rain soaked days like today. It will give me a sheltered facility where I can do some useful crafty work,where I feel comfortably at home with my vocational industry. Till then, plenty of Legowriting and pretty pictures to come.Iznibz Wazir.
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Anne-So sed...
"It's better to be cursed by God, than be blessed by the devil." It's best sed and not argued over, sweat o' the brow stuff iz that.
Not much sweating doing just now,there's a hard frost, impenetrable by fork or spade.I brought a stick of sprouts in and a few turnips and swede for the potage,I'll have another try for some leeks later in the afternoon when it is a bit more thawed.
Thats the pot simmering away on the wood stove, I start it off on the gas cooker, it will need salt, I will throw some finely chopped wakame seaweed in when it's nearer ready. Big lump stew,my all time favourite. I will post recipes of this tasty economic infinitly variable meal another time.
Life, is good (try living without it). This afternon I'll sew some buttons on a pair of me sized pantalon,I have just found some good quality braces in Plelan market, I'll post photos of the stalls soonish. The buttons will face outwards between the waistband and the belt. The belt gets tightened when I am working, I tend not to eat much till after I've done. Belt and braces, practical utility and comfort,form follows function. I chuffed to bits I have two pairs of off the peg trousers that fit properly , really sick of having to make do with army surplus fatigues. I had taken to making them to ensure a degree of dignity,a waist band at waist height,and a generous enough cut to ensure me ammunition stays in good order, who wants to shoot blanks for heaven's sake? Who iz buying the men their clothes in UK these days, tight sexy arsed trousers that reduce the sperm count and make the young fellows look like redundant rent boys, it iz tragic that they allow themselves to be used as mannequins. My old worn out clothes are continually being repaired. I wear them out with work first, cut their pocket money mams no one will want to employ them if they don't dress ready for work, "thinks he is a flower to be looked at", az I say, form follows function.They did get fooled again didn't they? Why buy clothes three sizes too small that have already been worn out before they are worn in?
I shifted a bit more stone today, it kept me out of trouble whilst Anne-Sophie attacked the house with the vacuum cleaner. Four more buttons to go on me trousers.
The big lump stew was delicious, c'est normal. We ate it with a few slabs of stone baked complet bread from an artisanal baker in Plelan market, he grows the grain and mills it himself, it is baked in a wood fired oven,as he sez, "with love".
Marie Therese surprise attacked us with a gift of half a roast chicken and some roasted potatoes,it's all good stuff.
I will be posting a few articles about visible sustainable progress in this region, much of the hoped for developments that I thought would be established in Britain by now are easier to find here, I am grateful I had the sense and the good fortune to move I don't feel as much a marginalised freak here as I did in the U K.
Why all the mundane words? If you have started reading this before reading the rest of the blog that leads to here,you have started at chapter two and we are nowhere near the end ,a way and a bit passed the begining. Either start again or switch off and buy a comic. It is raining here my garden is muddy. I wrote to a friend about this and that,with just a hint about escaping from the deepening crisis in U.K.plc. It has taken my mind off the snow, we don't have any.We have stacks of fuel,the part time minimum wage seems to meet our frugal needs. I have new boots. The mortgage iz getting paid on time.I'm not homeless any more.My little hedge is showing signs of spring.I am looking forward to making my stone pile bigger tomorrow if it's dry.
my akoo stick iz tootlin some good toonz and me good woman loves me. You are welcome to the crisis It iz the down side of the consumer lifestyle choice,we will stick wih the choiceless option. We make less go further .Taste my big lump stew, you would wish you were poor.Loads of luck but little money. Perfect.
Not much sweating doing just now,there's a hard frost, impenetrable by fork or spade.I brought a stick of sprouts in and a few turnips and swede for the potage,I'll have another try for some leeks later in the afternoon when it is a bit more thawed.
Thats the pot simmering away on the wood stove, I start it off on the gas cooker, it will need salt, I will throw some finely chopped wakame seaweed in when it's nearer ready. Big lump stew,my all time favourite. I will post recipes of this tasty economic infinitly variable meal another time.
Life, is good (try living without it). This afternon I'll sew some buttons on a pair of me sized pantalon,I have just found some good quality braces in Plelan market, I'll post photos of the stalls soonish. The buttons will face outwards between the waistband and the belt. The belt gets tightened when I am working, I tend not to eat much till after I've done. Belt and braces, practical utility and comfort,form follows function. I chuffed to bits I have two pairs of off the peg trousers that fit properly , really sick of having to make do with army surplus fatigues. I had taken to making them to ensure a degree of dignity,a waist band at waist height,and a generous enough cut to ensure me ammunition stays in good order, who wants to shoot blanks for heaven's sake? Who iz buying the men their clothes in UK these days, tight sexy arsed trousers that reduce the sperm count and make the young fellows look like redundant rent boys, it iz tragic that they allow themselves to be used as mannequins. My old worn out clothes are continually being repaired. I wear them out with work first, cut their pocket money mams no one will want to employ them if they don't dress ready for work, "thinks he is a flower to be looked at", az I say, form follows function.They did get fooled again didn't they? Why buy clothes three sizes too small that have already been worn out before they are worn in?
I shifted a bit more stone today, it kept me out of trouble whilst Anne-Sophie attacked the house with the vacuum cleaner. Four more buttons to go on me trousers.
The big lump stew was delicious, c'est normal. We ate it with a few slabs of stone baked complet bread from an artisanal baker in Plelan market, he grows the grain and mills it himself, it is baked in a wood fired oven,as he sez, "with love".
Marie Therese surprise attacked us with a gift of half a roast chicken and some roasted potatoes,it's all good stuff.
I will be posting a few articles about visible sustainable progress in this region, much of the hoped for developments that I thought would be established in Britain by now are easier to find here, I am grateful I had the sense and the good fortune to move I don't feel as much a marginalised freak here as I did in the U K.
Why all the mundane words? If you have started reading this before reading the rest of the blog that leads to here,you have started at chapter two and we are nowhere near the end ,a way and a bit passed the begining. Either start again or switch off and buy a comic. It is raining here my garden is muddy. I wrote to a friend about this and that,with just a hint about escaping from the deepening crisis in U.K.plc. It has taken my mind off the snow, we don't have any.We have stacks of fuel,the part time minimum wage seems to meet our frugal needs. I have new boots. The mortgage iz getting paid on time.I'm not homeless any more.My little hedge is showing signs of spring.I am looking forward to making my stone pile bigger tomorrow if it's dry.
my akoo stick iz tootlin some good toonz and me good woman loves me. You are welcome to the crisis It iz the down side of the consumer lifestyle choice,we will stick wih the choiceless option. We make less go further .Taste my big lump stew, you would wish you were poor.Loads of luck but little money. Perfect.
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