Saturday, 30 August 2014

Acquaintances old & new



It’s our wedding anniversary today. Our 39th no less. If it stays dry we’re hoping to go off to the garden centre at Beetham, have a look at the various things we feel we need for our new garden, then eat out, possibly in Arnside.

We’re once more on the lookout for a good butcher. Our farming friend has decided that now so many Farmers’ Markets have closed down, it’s not economic to continue to sell direct to the public. Our source of good meat has died. We told him to let us know if he ever changes his mind. Meanwhile we’re back to trying elsewhere.

So yesterday we went to a different place. This butcher doesn’t sell meat by weight. You buy it in ready packed parcels. The weight you have to just guess. Fine if you’re looking for 2 steaks, for example – we got some fillet steak for a change – more awkward if you’re looking for a particular weight for a recipe. I don’t mind that the parcels are on the large side. I can always divide them into smaller bags before freezing or cooking, but I do want to know that the left over amount is something I can do something useful with. Maybe I will get used to it. We did try this place once before. We did enjoy the leg of lamb, even though it wasn’t quite up to the quality of the salt marsh lamb we had grown accustomed to from the Farmers’ Market. Anyhow we’re giving him another try. We’ll see.

I was out in the new garden earlier this morning, trying to keep on top of the rapidly appearing weeds. I was pleased to discover some old friends as I felt something cold land on my bare sandaled feet – at least one frog is still around. I dare say more will be there. It’s just they’re almost invisible with their greenish brown skin against the bark that’s covers the soil. They're always very welcome as they're such great pest controllers.

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