Apr 8
This is the Nemunas river on the Lithuanian-Russian (Kaliningrad) border. Kaliningrad is Russia’s most westerly outpost. Given the USA’s reaction to Russia’s involvement in Crimea, military activity has been ramping up on the Russian side of this border. It seemed utterly peaceful and idyllic on our side. We fished, enjoyed a picnic, played games and had a glorious Sunday afternoon. Read more
A lot has happened since I first launched Project: House back in January and I realise it’s time I gave you an update. Read more
It’s been a busy week here with getting our new cock settled, patiently waiting for that first egg from our girls (which has not yet materialised) and making some key decisions on our house design. I’ve somehow managed to keep up with my reading. There was lots of interesting stuff on the net this week. Did any of you get duped by an April Fool’s joke? I know I did! Read more
A street performer in Sydney, Australia. He had incredible strength and agility as well as being an engaging character. Read more
What a bloody palaver. This morning one of our neighbours gave us a present of a cock. He’s a tall and handsome chap and the hens were very happy to see him. The dog however, was not. He immediately jumped up to grab him from Arūnas’s arms. Thwarted, he barked around the perimeter of the run all day. At least the cock was safe in the run, we though. Read more
I’ve always loved Fridays. From early morning there is a sense of joy at the impending weekend. By lunchtime you know the worst is behind you and by mid-afternoon you are really starting to unwind. Back when I had an office job, Friday was usually the only day when I could take my afternoon coffee break uninterrupted. I might even get to write a few personal emails or to catch up on social media. Finally a little “me” time. Read more
Our little beauty reflecting on life. What do you think is going through her mind? Chasing rabbits? Tasty meals? Who knows! Read more
Our beautiful girls have finally arrived. It feels like a monumental step in our self-sufficiency journey and I’m very, very excited. We decided to buy twelve chickens to start. We had the space so we thought, why not? Chickens are sociable creatures and love company. They will also keep each other warm in the cold Lithuanian winters. Read more
I must admit to being a little homesick today. How could I not be? St. Patrick’s Day was always one of my favourite days of the year. As a child it meant a day off school and a brief respite from the abstinences of Lent. In my college years and early twenties it meant finding a pub with good Guinness, music and craic. This day last we were up the Dublin Mountains in Johnnie Fox’s eating the finest Irish fare. Read more
Spring has come early here in Lithuania. The snow has cleared completely and snowdrops have pushed their lazy, drooping heads through the freshly thawed earth. Birds are chirping in blue skies and the damp, dreary depression that was February is a fast-fading memory. Read more
Pancake Tuesday was day of mixed emotions for an Irish child in the 80s. On the one hand we got to devour seemingly endless quantities of scrumptious pancakes. On the other hand it marked the beginning of a period drudgery and abstinence – being dragged out of bed for early mass and being presented with porridge for breakfast instead of the usual corn flakes. The masses did me no harm, but I was left with a very lasting dislike of porridge, which I viewed as a tasteless commodity associated with discipline and deprivation. It took me until my early twenties, when I started working at the 5-star Ashford Castle Hotel, where porridge was made with whole milk (no water) and served with double-cream and brown sugar, to rekindle my liking for porridge. Read more
Yesterday, for the first time in about 25 years, I made chocolate éclairs. My love for éclairs began with my paternal grandmother, a rotund and (mostly) jolly woman who loved her cakes. Whenever we’d visit her house she’d always provide a large spread. Usually the main course would be a simple but satisfying salad – a rolled slice of home-baked ham, a few leaves of butterhead lettuce (from her city garden), some sliced beetroot and onion, half a tomato and half a hard-boiled egg topped with a dollop of mayonnaise. This would be accompanied by copious quantities of thickly sliced batch loaf, country butter and more mayonnaise. But the pièce de résistance, and the part of the meal (and probably the visit) that my sister and I most looked forward to, was the plate of cream cakes that awaited for dessert. Read more
I don’t take many selfies. Mostly because I don’t really like how I look on camera. I have an asymmetrical face – my eyebrows are not aligned. My father once told me I had a chin you could use as a start-up handle for a Volkswagen. While said in jest (apparently), it has managed to stay with me. When I smile in photos all I can see is chin. In an attempt to debiggen the chin I have developed a “camera smile”, which simply manages to look fake. So, I tend to shy away from the front end of a camera completely. Read more
My Food Odyssey 