Easter on the farm - Part 1

My apologies for my silence this past week - I have been feeling terribly despondent concerning the non-sale of our town house.  10 months, 40-odd viewers, and not a single offer...  I know I can't hurry the process, and have to remain optimistic and patient, but it's difficult and it caused my writing mojo to temporarily desert me.... LOL


You recall my telling you about the ant problem we had, as well as the enormous cutworms.  And I also mentioned that we had purchased compost and left it in the hole we have dug for our future cellar.  We deposited it there because we didn't want the wind to blow it away before we could use it.


Well, we had rain - lots of rain... 100mm in the last month, and it continued whilst we were there over the Easter Weekend.  Brilliant!  And, naturally, the rain filled the compost-filled-cellar hole.


This is the sight which greeted me...

Can you see all the cutworm which have drowned - who
knows how many more are below the surface?  That's a
hectic number of destructive insects!

Now, I realize that a lot of the goodness will have been washed out of the compost.  But, the fact that all the cutworm residing in the compost have been eliminated is, in my book, a huge plus!  The compost will still retain it's water-absorbing qualities, and I can always add some Talborne Organics to supplement the nutrients which have been washed out.


As we were doing our regular "on-arrival inspection" of the property RMan noticed what looked like dog-doo in one of the new flowerbeds which I had made on either side of the front steps.  On closer inspection we discovered that it was actually owl cast or pellets.

If you look closely you can clearly see the jaw bone
of a rodent - mouse or rat I don't  know. But I'm
loving the existence of this pest controller :)

Owl cast is made of the left over material which the owl hasn't digested after consuming it's meal (bones, fur, etc), and which it expels through it's mouth.  Judging from the size of this cast is is not a small owl...!


I love this eco-friendly pest controller - and in fact, RMan and I had already made a decision that as soon as we could afford it we were going to purchase an owl nesting box, and a bat house :)  Knowing that there are owls about, I reckon we had better get one sooner, rather than later...


They (I'm hoping that there are more than one) need to made to feel at home a.s.a.p.