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Website Statistics
108 new pages in 2009 = 760 pages total, over 13,300 Forum Topics
Review of 2009
The Chickens
I started the year with seven hens but lost four between May and October, no reason, they did, as chickens do, just seem to give up. But being ex-battery hens and all having had at least one year of 'freedom', I'm glad with that.
In July I sacrificially burnt the old 'Nettle Cottage' Chicken House and replaced it with my old 6' x 4' Shed, much easier to clean and more comfortable fot them.
Other than the above, all went well.
Vegetable Gardening
A quieter year than others, mainly due to a very busy Cricket Season, but the Greenhouse flourished with Tomatoes and other salad vegetables. This at least gave us an ample supply of Chutneys.
We produced quite a lot of vegetables in pots this year, the best results being the Carrots. The Runner Beans supplied us well. Average results were Beetroot, Cabbage, Courgettes and Onions. Disasters were Potatoes and Squash (unusual for here).
But the larder and Freezer are pretty full and I hope to make an earlier start this year, for which I blame myself for 2009.
Friendly neighbours gave me access to Quince, Plums
Food foraging
This went very well, loads of Blackberries (very early), Apples from the disused Orchard, some wild Strawberries and enough Horseradish to make sufficient for the Winter and Spring.
From the above fruits came lots of Jam plus apple purees for Post Roasts and Crumbles.
Friendly neighbours gave me access to Quince, Plums and yet more Apples, all in all a good year.
Foraging for Winter
I got a pretty early start to finding wood for the fires and in about three days got enough to last me through to about now. In reflection, I wish I'd been a bit keener and got more. So, the result is I shall be trudging down the muddy, cold and windy woods for a few days in January, but it keeps me fit, I think!
Summer Work
I had a busy season at Kent County Cricket Club. Overall a successful season but disappointing in the twenty/20 Cup finals where we seemed to lose our potential form.
It was good to host the Australian Cricket Team for four days, a good bunch and lots more approachable than the last visit in 2005.
For once, there were periods where it was too hot for Cricket, especially at Beckenham where the Dressing Rooms are like a giant Greenhouse.
But the season ended well with us gaining promotion straight back to Division One where we belong. It was sad though to lose Graham Ford back to South Africa along with Ryan Mclaren, a Player whom I got quite close to and a really nice guy with an equally nice wife. But, time and Cricket move on and I look forward to some big games in 2010 plus a few days hosting the Pakistani Team.
Winter Work
I regret that three of my fairly regular customers passed away through 2009, but I have had ample work over the Lane and look forward to a couple of days a week at the Cricket Club. Thus far the winter work has included decorating, outdoor maintenance work such as guttering, erecting a Folly, loads of Bonfires, bit of pruning (like whole trees!) and building a website.
Although work is down on last year financially, I have, I hope, just about accepted enough to get me through to Spring, but it's a lot tighter than 2009. BUT - I'm still in the black!
Social Activities
Being close to Dover enables Leo and myself to pop accross the Channel for general shopping once every two months or so. One trip can save loads of money and amply pays the cost of travel etc.<br>This has also helped me in my WW1 genealogy pursuits and in Spring, after some day visits, spent four days in a Guest House just outside Ypres (What was no mans land next to Polygon Wood). Whilst there and after research, we managed to more or less follow one of my Grandfathers footsteps during the First and Second Battles of Ypres in 1914 and 1915 and even traced the spot where my Great Uncle was gassed during the second Battle. Although emotional, the attachment and pride which comes from these visits is immense and I'm glad to share it with my Son who can pass it all on. 2010 will see vists to the Somme region where my other Grandfather fought.
Beside that, a few visits to Southampton were great and the weather always seemed to be on our side. The excitement of seeing the changes in my Grandchildren is wonderful and again, another reminder that life moves on and we are but custodians of 'our place' for a short time, not in a morbid way.
The Down the Lane Website
Although the pages grew quite steadily in 2009, the visitors dropped off. This was mainly due to the decrease in Chicken Keeping nationwide.. For a year before, Chicken keeping became immensely popular after the TV programmes by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver. In fact, in some cases this has caused a bit of a problem with many people who got chickens, found out it wasn't for them.
However, I have gone off onto a few other subjects and shortly, the Site will be more or less split into two with the Self Reliant lifestyle in one and everything else in the other.
One huge success has been the Forum and there are now over 2,500 members and it's still growing at around 100 a month and averages about 300 posts per day. This has been beyond my wildest dreams. Much praise has to go to the Moderators who work very hard - for nothing !
Me !
As they say, 'I can still stand up and I'm on the right side of the grass'! I have to admit that this year has been quite tiring and a few new aches and pains have appeared. I had an operation on the shoulder back in June, but thanks to some much appreciated advice from the Kent Physio, it's well on the mend, slower than I'd hoped, but that's my fault and not his - blokes are terrible with physio!
This year, 2010, I hope to get through as I have the last ten. I think that as time moves on, so does your head for a bit of common sense now and again. It'll be my 11th. year of making my own destiny, I haven't gone far on the financial front, but I'm streaks ahead on enjoying life and the things around me.
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