Fuel Efficient Vehicles

I may be going slightly off track here but I am going to do a series of posts all to do with Fuel Efficient Vehicles the object of which is to make you aware of the possibilities and to save you money, now that cant be bad.

The cost of fuel is more now than it has every been. In many locations people are paying twice as much per gallon as they were two years ago. There is information circulating in the news and online that the prices are just going to continue to get higher so it has never been so important to know a bit more about about fuel efficient vehicles

This has many consumers very concerned as they don’t know what they should do. Certainly they can’t afford to continue just paying the posted price at the pumps. Yet they can’t stop going to work or about their daily routine that requires them to use a vehicle.

A good strategy that many people are leaning towards more and more is more fuel efficient vehicles. These can get you where you need to go with less fuel being used. Of course you want to be able to do so comfortably and safely as well as saving money.

You have several options when it comes to fuel efficient vehicles so take your time to evaluate them and make a good choice. You may find a combination of them is the way to go. For example a motorcycle to get to work and then a fuel efficient hybrid car for the family to get around in.

There are plenty of benefits to each of the various fuel efficiency vehicles as well as some disadvantages. In the next set of posts I will go over each of these areas for them so you can make a well informed decision that works for you.

The goal is to be safe, save money, and to be comfortable. You should be able to find at least one fuel efficient vehicle that can do this. Once you are done reading this you should have all the information you need to make a decision that is right for you.

So stay tuned next post in the series coming soon.

Regards

Mark

Summers Here (Oh No It Isn't)

Hi Everyone

Mark here with some more driffleings for you.

All the weather forcasts that I watched yesterday said summer was going to start today so after counting the sheep and a good nights sleep I went downstairs and was dismayed to see lots of cloud in the sky and it generally looked pretty miserable.

I thought that it would probably brighten up as the day went on and in the afternoon we would have glorious sunshine, but here in Lincolnshire the weather gods seemed set on dragging out this miserable weather for at least another day.

By lunchtime the rain had got heavier and She who Must Be Obeyed left me to it and said she was off to town to pick up some sewing thingamebob

3 hours later she returned and beckoned me out to help with the shopping. "Shopping" I said I thought you were only going to get a sewing thingy, she said she thought she would just get a few bits while she was there and have a look in her favorite kitchen accessory shop.

So after getting another soaking with the shopping it was time to get wet again as it was time to see to the chickens and animals. After they were all seen to it was back to the house for a nice cup of tea, "she who must" said go on then I'll have one then just as I'm about to drink it the big lorry turns up with our feed order.

Time for another soaking and by this time the rain was hammering down, we managed to get the feed in the shed without it getting to wet, the only thing that was really wet was ME.

So back to the house to get dried off and drink my cup of tea which I have to say wasd delightful.

I said to She Who Must I'm off for a bath, she said you'll be lucky theres not enough hot water (we get ours via our solid fuel cooker) so out to the wood shed to saw some wood and light the Stanley for a bath.

Who said life on a Smallholding was easy.

Right I think the water is hot enough now so I'm off for my bath.

Did you know summer is starting tomorrow again Huh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Speak Soon

Marky Boy

Health Benifits Of Eating Eggs

Benefits Of Eating Eggs

It is well known that eating eggs is very good for you, but have you ever thought about the reasons why???

Here are a few of the benefits of eating eggs.

1.    Eggs contain a source of very high quality protein.

2.    Eggs contain essential amino acids.

3.    In recent medical research they found that by eating just 6 eggs per week reduced the risk of breast cancer by over 40%.

4.    Eating eggs is known to promote healthy hair & nails.

5.    Eggs are relatively inexpensive (in your case FREE, yippee!).

6.    Eggs are known to be good for your eyes; this is because they contain 2 antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin.

7.    Eating eggs for breakfast can help with weight loss as they will keep you feeling full for longer.

8.    Eggs are a good source of B vitamins.

9.    They are easily digestible therefore great for the elderly or those suffering from illness.

10.  As you will have the freshest eggs available they will be much better for making cakes as the egg white will be firmer and hold more air.

11.  Eggs are a fantastic source of choline, a substance which is needed by the body for good health. An egg contains approximately 26% of choline.

12.   Eating eggs may reduce the risk of blood clots, reducing the risk of getting a heart attack or stroke.

Speak Soon

Marky Boy

So You Want To Start Keeping Chickens

I am super super excited my book that I've been writing "So You Want To Start Keeping Chickens? A Real Beginners Guide" is completely finished, edited, formatted etc & the proof copy from the printers is on its way to me. Its taken a bit longer than I had hoped but I am very pleased with the outcome.

Thanks to my good friend Colette Mason for all the wonderful help she gave me along the way and to Ayisha Hassan for her editing skills and to all my friends here on Facebook who encouraged me along the way.
Its been a true labour of love
Ordering details will be available after I check the proof copy
Speak Soon

Marky Boy

How To Install A Drip Irrigation System

Installing a Drip Irrigation System

Now as according to "She Who Must Be Obeyed" I am the eternal optimist so I write this post with the view to summer just being round the corner.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your garden and vegetables watered without wasting too
much time and money, you’ve probably gone through a lot of options in your
mind. Maybe you’ve considered a sprinkler, a hose, or a good old-fashioned
watering can. All of these methods might be convenient, but most of the
time you will end up wasting water on plants that don’t need any more. If
you live in a drought stricken area like I do, you know that every bit of
water counts. I ended up getting a drip irrigation system in my polytunnel. I haven’t
regretted this decision at all.

When you install a drip irrigation system, you can choose one of two
varieties: above ground and below ground. The above ground version drips
small amounts of water continuously onto the ground, and allows it to soak
in. It is all regulated from a pressure controller, which ensures that the
water just comes out at a drip instead of a spray or a stream. These
pressure regulators are very inexpensive. The whole drip system can be set
up with a pressure regulator and a garden hose with holes poked in it
(although it is ideal for you to get a pipe designed for this type of use,
I’ve found that the hose method works acceptably).

The underground system is a bit more of a pain to install and maintain.
But if you’re really into the aesthetic aspect of your garden and don’t
want any visible watering system, then you might consider it worth it.
It’s essentially the same as the above ground version, only a small trench
is dug for the hose or pipe prior to any planting. This allows the water
direct access to the roots for the most watering efficiency. Plus, you can
impress your neighbors by having a beautiful garden without ever going
outside to water it! They’ll be baffled.

To choose between the two systems, you need to take several things into
account. Do you have the same plant layout year round? If it is always
changing, you probably won’t want to bury your hose. It can be a pain to
dig it up and re-align it with all your new plants every year or so. Even
if your plant layout never changes, you need to consider how much you
really mind seeing a hose in your garden. If it really bothers you to the
extent that you’re willing to work for a few hours to get rid of it, then
by all means bury it. But otherwise I would suggest staying above ground
if for nothing else than the convenience of repairing and rearranging.

One of the main advantages of the drip irrigation system is its
efficiency. Instead of spraying large amounts of water willy-nilly like a
hose does, it makes the most of your precious water by putting it exactly
where it is needed. It can also provide your garden with constant
watering, instead of just having to go thirsty whenever you’re not around
to water it.

So if you’re looking for an easy, cheap, convenient, and efficient
alternative watering method, you should go out to the gardening store
today and purchase the necessary items to install a drip irrigation
system. I think you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to maintain a
garden after you have it.

Speak Soon

Marky Boy

Growing Vegetables In A Polytunnel

Hi Everyone

Growing vegetables in a polytunnel is great for us as we can grow fruit and vegetables in it all the year round, so I thought it would be a good idea to give you a guided tour round our polytunnel so you can see whats going on.

I hope you enjoy the tour and please feel free to post your comments below.

Speak Soon

Mark

Blackcurrants

Hi All

she who must be obeyed has been busy picking the blackcurrants. This year has been a very prolific year for them.

Sharon picked 21 kilo's of them on friday and over the weekend she sold 15 kilo's at £2.50 per kg. all the money raised from the fruit and veg go into our winter coal fund.

We have a Stanley solid fuel cooker which also does our hot water generally I try to use wood where possible but coal is handy for the winter as it can be shut down and just left to burn slowly providing a steady heat through the day and night.

Next up will be the gooseberries and the cherry plums, victoria plums, pears and apples and some rhubarb.
Also some of the surplus veg from the polytunnel.

This is the blackcurrants she who must picked last night to replace the ones that sold.

Speak Soon

Mark :)

Grow Your Own Clothes

Heres something a little different we all think of growing things like vegetables to eat or flowers to look at but what about growing your own clothes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18301669

Please let me know what you think.

How To Teach Chickens To Use Perches

Hi Everyone

I recently got asked a question on my facebook page which seems to be a common question i get asked so i thought i would share it with you today, it about how to teach your chickens to use perches in the coop.

This question comes from Lee Haunch from the UK who recently (June 2012) bought some 17 week old hens from us but found they were sleeping in the nest box instead of the perches. This is actually a very common question.

Thank you very much for yor help today. Maddie and Oscar are delighted with the new additions to our family. Mabel, Delilah and Camilla are cosy in their new home, just got to convince them to sleep on their perches and not in the nesting box.

Answer

Young hens sometimes need teaching to use the perches. You need to do this once it is dark by placing them on the perch one by one. Once it is dark they will not move. If you do this for a few nights they will eventually do it themselves.

It is never a good idea to let hens sleep in the nestbox as they still poo while they are asleep.

When they then start laying (especially if its early in the morning) they will lay the eggs into the poo which is not good as the egg shell is pourous and can absorb the bacteria.

t is never good to let birds sleep in the nest boxes as they still poo whilst asleep. When they start laying ( especially if it's very early in the morning) the eggs are then laid into the poo!!. Not good as egg shells are porous and will absorb the bacteria.