Today, we took home the peats we'd cut and lifted, so that's the whole 'peats' thing done for another year.
So many things about the peats feel so good:
my boots get worn - not much that feels better than that;
fresh air and hard work;
kids experiencing work and pleasure at the same time.
It really did feel good to see the peats being loaded onto the trailer in the knowledge that this will be a source of lovely warmth throughout the winter.
Last winter, our homeschooling was so cozy with our little stove warming our kitchen.
Today, all we had to do was to throw the peats that had already been gathered into the trailer.
The peats had already been cut, dried, lifted and stacked - now they are at home and will be made into a peat stack beside our house.
This is the same peat bank. Now that the peat is in the trailer, all that is left are the 'dregs' - the caoranan - which were taken home in bags and are now stored in the garage.
While the tractor was at home with the first load of peats, Catherine, Katie and I filled the bags with all the bits of peat that had been left. These caoranan are too small for the peat stack, and are taken home in bags.
By the time the Builder and the Wee Guy had come back, we'd finished the bag-filling.
The bags we use are the plastic bags Big Brother has had for the sheep's feed throughout the year.
I guess this is what is called recycling nowadays.
It used to simply be 'waste not, want not'.
As well as being thankful for this wonderful resource today, we couldn't but feel very thankful for a day's work in the peats with no midges.
Anyone who has spent some time involved in The Peats knows that the midges can make working on the moor unbearable! Today's breeze made sure we had a midge-free day.
That, along with the peats being home and ready for burning in the stove makes for a ... Yipee! moment.
That, and a "Thank You, Lord, once again, for this gift - this free source of energy on our doorstep. Thank You for the health and the strength to work in them, and for the gift of sunshine and wind that has ensured they have dried, making them suitable for burning."
Whether in providence or in grace, we have countless blessings for with to be thankful for.
Oh! No midgies! that makes me totally jealous! ;) I love recognizing where the pics were taken, and I miss you all when I see the pictures of you!!
ReplyDeleteHugs!
We were thinking of you all on Saturday while we slogged out there ;)
DeleteThank you for sharing another bit of your life over there. That is really neat how God has provided for your heat. Over here, we have a "water stove" system. We burn wood in the water stove outside, and pipes conduct the water to the house, where a fan blows the heat through the internal system, providing us with much of our heating for the winter. Also, it's how we get our hot water. PTL!
ReplyDeleteWow - that is an amazing system ... Why burn it outside? Would you not want the warmth from the stove *in* the house?
DeleteAhhhh, am I thinking with a brain belonging to someone living in a *cold* climate, who wishes to grab onto all the warmth she can find? :)
Looks like hard work! I assume that you will get free fuel for the winter now. I just love the sound of doing homeschool by your stove... like something out of a book! And what a lovely tractor you've got!
ReplyDeleteYes, Izzy, that will fill our stove and warm our kitchen/sitting area. But our central heating is still heated by oil ... and that has to be paid for :)
DeleteYes, doing our reading by the stove is *lovely* (though it can almost send us to sleep sometimes ;) )
Great gobs of midges, i miss you all!! Looks like fun on the peats. :)
ReplyDeleteClearly they stayed away when they realized you weren't with us ... No fun for them ;)
DeleteThis brought back some very fond memories of my family's visit to Lewis in 2005. We spent a lot of time in the Black House because the smell of the peat fire was so enchanting to us. We had a hard time tearing ourselves away. Every now and then we'll catch a whiff of something that brings the memory back. It's never quite the same, though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog! We are a suburban American family who had an opportunity to take a month-long vacation one year. My husband and I had both visited in the UK separately, and wanted to take our kids there. We spent 4 days on Lewis (Galson) because my husband had a great desire to go somewhere remote. We loved it. A bit of culture shock, but in a good way!
ReplyDeleteOh, you were so close to me! If only we'd known then ....
DeleteVisiting with my Mother today in her home, and stopping by to show her your beautiful blog. What a wonderful blessing your peat is! I love how the Lord provides for us, either wood or peat to warm our homes. Blessings to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteJust stopping by today, while visiting w/ my Mother in her home. Wanted to share your beautiful blog with her. So thankful for God's provision whether it's peat or wood to warm our homes! What a great day for your family. Blessings to you all dear friend! Mrs. C
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, I called in my daughter. I'd heard about peat and read about it in books, but was thrilled you still do this. Thanks for the pics! I also had to look of midge. :)
ReplyDelete