Yes - he is definitely a he...he 'is all there' with the appropriate boy bits (chortle)
No - I am not expecting a sudden influx of squirelly folk moving into the garden as the male has very little to do with upbringing of the kits apart from the initial one night stand while the female then leaves and finds a new home to set up the dray for the kits.
Latest update - the little fellow has been practising being all 'growed up' and has taken to burying supplies - like little pieces of bark in the wood shavings pile - like I say - practising hahah!
He has his breakfast from the nutfeeder round about 8ish am then he is off in to the little woodland that edges the bottom of our garden and runs along the cobbled lane. Occasionally through the day I will see him bouncing around the trees or in the garden then from about 4.30pm, the little guy scampers up his tree, has his last nibble on the feeder then goes to bed.... what a life!!
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Oh and the title of today's post - What goes around comes around? Well....
Neighbour : I have a bag of plums in the freezer would you like them?
Me: Ooh yes please
Two bags of plums later and some frozen rhubarb already in my freezer = several jars of delicious jam.
Give neighbour a jar as a thank you
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Lovely Mad-cat Lady : I was shopping and found these...
Me: ooh thank you (as I open a bag to find a box of cat treats)
Lovely Mad-cat Lady: They were a good price and thought your girls would like them .... bye!
A bit later, pop over to her house with a jar of plum jam to say thank you only to be given a bag full of lovely empty jam jars to use for the next batch of jam!
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Farmery type Neighbour: Yeah, but I don' want any money for them
Me: ooh thanks - can I bake you a cake?
Farmery type Neighbour : ah that will be good ta. I'll drop off the eggs later
One chocolate cake later - I'd 'paid' for my eggs. The following Sunday .... another dozen eggs appeared at the back door ..... so another cake was baked and I 'paid' for those too.
Another week passed, then another 18 eggs quietly appeared, so I paid with a third cake. Now, a wordless transaction occurs every Sunday - eggs for cake. (Victoria Sponge has been the favourite so far)
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Allotment friend : I have some excess tomato seedlings - would you like them?
Me: ooh thanks can I swap them for some sunflower seedlings? - they have all germinated
Allotment friend : Great! I can put them in my allotment
Last night two pots of tomato seedlings appeared at the back gate - bushy healthy little plants, tomorrow the sunflowers go up to the allotment - win win
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Me : Would you like me to crochet you a rainbow for your window
Mature Artist friend : Yes please, that would be very kind
A few days later, knock on his door, drop off the rainbow, step back. He opens and swaps the rainbow for the most beautiful sculpture he has made for me - out of discarded items which another friend of mine discovered whilst dealing with a deceased relative's house and garden.
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I have always been an advocate for financial-free transactions - a system of gentle barter and at the moment it is going well, I am still working on 'interdependance' and break away from 'independence' driven by capitalism, the old normal is edging closer and already I can see folk desperately trying to claw it back. I realise that even if we all attempt 'The Good Life' we still have to rely on the greater world for a lot of our needs, however, by reducing and simplifying those needs - surely we reduce our carbon footprint and reduce our reliance of big business. We should be rather relying on friends, family and neighbours - making us all more self-reliant and 'interdependant'.
Just thoughts - which need to be actioned. How are you all coping? Can you see a way forward that is better than the 'old normal'? Or do you hanker for the way things were?
PS the neighbour with the freezer full of plums? He has nearly finished his jar and has hinted that he has more plums in the freezer ..... would I like them. Definitely!
I feel - and hope - that the lockdown is showing/has shown us a new way to be and we won't forget that, even if changes take a while. Love the squizzer - the little rascal. x
ReplyDeleteSuspect the vast majority will eagerly return too their previous ways 😕
DeleteWhat a wonderful sense of community shining through this post. You are blessed indeed 🙂🌈
ReplyDeleteI'm very lucky to be in this village, on the whole it has a very good sense of community x
DeleteYou have good friends and neighbours. Long may your arrangements continue. X
ReplyDeleteI agree, I hope it does continue x
DeleteBarter lives!!
ReplyDelete...and thrives! Even with folk who don't normally even try, long may it last x
DeleteBeing confined to my house, I am very much at the receiving end at the moment. Returning will have to come later.
ReplyDeleteAs for whether things will go back to how they were . . . we were encouraged not to go anywhere in cars and air quality went zooming up. Now some people are going back to work, they are being encouraged to go in cars so they don't risk giving or receiving germs. It doesn't seem hopeful for a fewer-car future.
Yes, I agree, we have been told too walk or ride to work and avoid public transport, folk will just get in their cars... air quality will resume previous levels. No lessons learnt by the majority 😕
DeleteYou live in a lovely community. Great swaps you've all made. With still being in lockdown at my home for the past 67 days, i must admit to finding it a struggle this past weekend. A walk round the garden brings rewards and i do count my blessings compared to others.
ReplyDeletethank you xx
Deletepressed publish before finishing my comment!
Deletethank you xx it is looking like restrictions are being lifted, so lockdown has an end in sight, just hang in there, enjoy your garden and it will soon pass x
You have been busy with baking and jam making! Do I recognise the horse sculpture? Looks good!
ReplyDeleteYes, you will recognise the horse! It was 'spelt' (?) a soft metal as an alternative to lead for decorative sculptures (According to Colin) and if polished goes this gorgeous soft black sheen. Add it to a decorative curtain tie back and a discarded mini trophy base and you have a lovely sculpture!
DeleteHappy. Lovely people including you.
ReplyDeleteAww thank you Jill (hope your plant has arrived xx)
DeleteLovely post Kate & sounds like when I was growing up. I do give blueberries to our neighbours in the cul-de-sac in summer. Newer neigbours over the road have donated some off-cuts from renovations for K to extend his shed, as they were only going to the tip. I made & gave her one of the baby quilts for her little one who was born in January. Some bartering definitely happens around these parts, but not like it did in times gone by. Take care, stay safe & huggles.
ReplyDeletethank you x Bartering is good :)
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