Shorter days

Jakobs scratching an itch probably but he does
do it so gracefully.

The days are getting shorter so quickly, it takes us by surprise most days, especially if it is overcast and miserable like today. Last week we were putting the animals away starting about 8pm, this week they are all shut up by then and it is so dark. The days are still warm though and I got a lot done in the garden this weekend. It would have been nice just to potter around the garden, but instead I had to get going with the tasks. We noticed that the forecasts are for quite a drop in temperature next weekend and there is a possibility of frosts. I was thinking about the sort of jobs that need doing before that, such as getting the squashes in, sorting out the beans etc. and then the realisation dawned on me....I'm working full-time. How do I get all those jobs done before the frosts? 

Is Brencis looking out for me?

Coming back from mushroom picking with a full
bucket. Chanterelles and boletes.

I made mental lists and tried to prioritise what I was going to do. Outdoor gherkins were pulled up as they had suffered in the cold - maybe I should have covered them, but didn't think about it until too late. Next year I will. I dug up the carrots, but as I feared, not many germinated in the drought earlier on this year. I read a tip that might help with that and that is to water them in well and cover with a plank - I'm guessing that plastic will do just the same job or perhaps use the fleece instead. At least next year I should be able to get to the fleece. Before it's stored away, I think it might be an idea to cut it up into veg bed sized pieces, then they should be easy to cover in the spring. The bed I dug over might not have grown many carrots but at least the hemp crop from there was good and it makes an acceptable tea substitute. I've also cleared more beds of potatoes, both those where the potatoes were supposed to be growing and those where they were not. 

Not all mushrooms are edible but they sure look
pretty. I stay clear of white gilled mushrooms as
they tend to be the more poisonous ones and the 
most easily confused ones.

More of the same kind

These may or may not be edible. I
need to check them out to make
certain of what they are. Even if a 
mushroom is edible, we will not 
eat them if there is something they
can be easily confused with.

I planted garlic too in one of the empty potato beds. This is earlier than normal for me but they are mainly the bulblets that grew from garlic seed last year so it might do them good to get an early start. It was also a way of emptying some buckets in the greenhouse. I sowed more carrot seeds recently to see what happens, since the weather is wetter now and sure enough there was no problem with germination this time, they seem to have enjoyed the damp weather. We'll see how big they get over this autumn and into early winter. I will be covering these before the cold weather sets in, but the soil was still a bit dry in that area and so letting the rain get to them first helps. Carrots can take quite a bit of cold if they are wrapped up well and the mice don't get to them first.

It would be nice if these were edible
as there were lots of them, as you can
see.

Rocket Ron and Ginger Tom in the
hamster cage. They have since been
upgraded to an old chicken ark. At
least they have more space to play
in there. 

There is also a greenhouse to sort out, so we can let the kittens run around more. This is especially important as Rocket Ron escaped twice this evening from the chicken ark until I found out where he was escaping from. Eyre was not happy with him and went for him both times, so until they are used to each other, exploring time will have to be under supervision. They have learnt to associate the rattle of the feed tray anyway, so that will be helpful in rounding them up. Today was a damp miserable day and so perfect for being in the greenhouse to sort through the accumulated junk... I mean useful items in preparation for letting them out. Ian has been making shelves in the shed this week and so the stuff can be stored away and more importantly found easily. Slowly we are getting sorted and it is a good activity to do after an hour or so on the computer. 

Ilvija and Chanel. It is going to be hard to tell these
two apart. Ilvija is now as tall as Chanel. 

The cooler weather has finally given us some respite from flies that are causing havoc with some of our animals. I've even been able to leave bandages off so that wounds can dry out. I been putting cream on the sores each morning to give them a layer of protection from any flies and to protect them from dirt and that seems to be doing the trick. Chanel had to be restrained again to give her fleece another wash and put more lotion onto her legs. She screamed and spat and made it more difficult to restrain her by sitting down straightaway, but I don't think she was quite as bad as last time. She does sound very dramatic though. I was a bit shocked when I started gently scrubbing her skin and stuff seemed to be coming off in clumps. On closer examination, it seemed like the treatment was actually working and it was the dry crusty stuff that was coming off. The gunk also seemed to be coming out of her fleece as well. This is good news, but I really wish we didn't have to restrain her so much to treat her skin issues. She is the stressiest of all of them. Aggie isn't much better but at least I can get close enough to put something on her, even if she does spit to show her displeasure. 

Herkules does look a bit tatty but he is 16 and has
8 boys to put up with and keep in order. At least his
wound is healing nicely now. 

Ian noticed today that the fleece is growing back on
Herkules nose. Wish he could put some more weight
on though. It's not like he isn't getting enough to eat
he gets more extras than all the other alpacas and
Ian makes sure that Tellus doesn't steal it. 

Mari is very little trouble. She doesn't often have
skin issues, she's a good mum but not overly 
fussy or protective and she's intelligent. She does
have some bad habits though and eating through
the fence and using the fence to have a good scratch
are two of them. She's also passed those traits onto
her sons. I hope she passes on some good habits 
like her easy going nature like she did to her son
George to the next baby.

Sadly our municipality lost its no Covid19 status this last week. It is probably just one person, but certainly under 5. The incidence generally in Latvia is still low and is lowest in Europe and compares well with the rest of the world. There was talk this week of increasing the point at which people coming into the country have to self-isolate from 16 per 100,000 to 25 per 100,000. I'm pleased to say they did not change the rules just because the countries nearby, and part of the Baltic bubble, are struggling to keep their numbers down. Both Lithuania and Estonia have seen recent spikes in cases of the virus. So has Latvia, some due to contact with other known cases and some due to coming from different countries. Not all are known cases though. 

A caterpillar of some sort. As you can
tell, I haven't identified it yet.

Just a little bit further to get that tasty piece of grass.
Veronica is our oldest alpaca at 17. Not very old
for an alpaca but she is showing her age.

I've had different discussions with different people about the various approaches to the virus. Sweden is held up as an example of a sensible approach to take. Not everyone in Sweden agrees that it is a sensible approach and to compare another country with Sweden is not generally appropriate. Sweden is a large country with a small population that is mainly concentrated in the south of the country. There are often pictures in the media of Swedes not practising social distancing, but this does not show the many numbers who stay home or have gone to their summer home in the country, far away from the city. Having a country home is not the elitist thing that it can be in other countries, like the UK, so it is available as an option to more people. Swedes generally have adopted different behaviour by reducing their contact with others and they are not supposed to gather in groups of more than 50 and so on... (link here). So not quite so lax as people make out. 

Mr. P looking dapper again.

In discussion

So what is a sensible approach that some people seem to advocate? Wash hands and social distancing and all will be fine? That works great here where the numbers are still low. Keeping the viral load down (in other words not being in places where you breathe in a lot of virus), practising healthy habits such as eating the right food, making sure your Vitamin D, zinc, etc. levels are fine. Great! Wonderful! That will all help, but it does not necessarily make people immune from the disease it may reduce the severity - maybe. How long do vulnerable people have to self-isolate so that the rest of the country can get on back to normal? If getting back to "normal" results in spikes where hospitals are overwhelmed that will not help those who are vulnerable. It puts them at greater risk. I haven't got all the answers, I'm not an epidemiologist. What I do know is that a pandemic like this was expected for a long time. They will happen again and we shouldn't be complacent. We have to find a healthier way to live that respects the limits imposed by nature. Going back to "normal" is not an option and we have to think about a different future. Not one that condemns the vulnerable to what must feel like an eternity of isolation, just because others want to get back to normal, but one that is inclusive and people feel safe again.

Josefs and Freddie, our two sweetest alpacas have
been having some fights just lately. They are 
probably sorting out hierarchies as they are at
the bottom. However, it seems like little Jakobs
is usually the one that sets off the disagreements.

Yes this cute little alpaca does like to stir things
up a bit. He also likes to rub on fences like his mum.