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Private Notes
Christmas is comming and Frank is looking back on the year that has passed.
Frank tramples this year's harvest of mustard and describes the taste as "nose-burning". A hen has to be moved from the workshop where it has hatched chickens, and then Frank is thrilled that for the first time since he was 12 years old, he has managed to grow a UFOsquash.
Even though there is fresh air and plenty of space on Kastaniegaarden, Frank still thinks that the outdoors has been neglected, so he goes kayaking with the whole family. Child-sized oars have to be made, food is cooked over a fire and then Frank's good friend Svend shows how to throw a harpoon.
Frank's old Toyota needs new sides on the bed, so the rust has to be burned off the fittings and new rings for load straps must be forged. This year's harvest of flax needs to be processed, and then the horse Solveig has not understood the beauty of Frank's hand-split fence, and has rubbed up against them, so now the posts need to be straightened.
The geese at Kastaniegaarden have become angry angry at Frank's car and bites off the moldings, so he is looking forward to having the last word when the geese are to be slaughtered. The shingles for the mill house has to be planed with a machine that has cost a few thumbs over time, and Frank will try to make cuttings from an old Danish strawberry variety in the kitchen garden.
The old caravan needs a new home, which gives Frank new opportunities and a much better view from Kastaniegaarden. The beets need to be harvested before the frost, but the yield is unfortunately meager - on the other hand, the sweet potatoes are enormous.
Frank has lost his favorite anorak and after testing new canvas fabric, the Singer sewing machine goes to work making a new one. During the annual cleaning of the cobblestones, a strange groove appears and Frank cannot figure out what it has been used for.
To keep the rats away from the chicken coop, it needs to be lifted onto a point foundation, which requires the use of a jack and shovel. Frank will try to make a fence using English traditions and then he will go to Holland to get inspiration for improving the upcoming reed harvest.
The stork visits Kastaniegaarden every year, but it quickly flies away, so Frank starts renovating the stork's nest in the hope that the stork will stay a little longer. Last year's harvest of Bramley apples is being turned into apple porridge, and the manure heaps are being dug out to prepare for new horse manure
Frank is spring cleaning the cobblestone pavement and the peach tree in the greenhouse, which has never been successful, will be replaced with a nectarine tree. And another sure sign of spring at Kastaniegaarden - a Dalmatian lamb has been born.
It is sowing time, and at Kastaniegaarden, the horse Solveig is harnessed to the harrow and seed drill. In the greenhouse, spring is in full swing, and Frank is trying his hand at plum blossom grafting.
The cow Leonora has given birth to a stillborn calf, and Kastaniegaarden has been doubly affected because the fox has taken all the geese. Fortunately, Frank has found a Jersey calf that Leonora has welcomed, but he is unsure whether there should be geese on the farm again.
To Frank's great joy, a stork couple has arrived at Kastaniegaarden, where the pair is inspecting the newly renovated and move-in ready stork nest. Fences need to be made, and windows need to be puttied, and Frank is enjoying the season of being able to milk outside.
Frank is sorting thatch reeds and is excited to see if he passes the test as a reed cleaner. He is expecting a visit from thatchers Bjarne and Tony, who will collect his thatch reeds. The sheep are being moved and eagerly nibble on the hawthorn hedge, while Frank receives help to thatch the stack of reeds.
Frank receives a visit from a large team of masons who will help him get the east gable of the main house in order, which has been causing trouble for years. They will work on applying lime and plaster, but Frank also needs to tend to the tomato plants and the nectarine tree in the greenhouses.
Frank has found an old manure container at Kastaniegaarden, and, of course, it needs to be excavated because Frank dreams of converting it into a carp pond. The horse Fillipa needs a new bridle, and butter needs to be made.
Frank has bought a new tractor, but can't use the front loader for anything, so it needs to be dismounted. The old rake needs new teeth, and then the stork returns.
Frank is going to build a platform for the windmill, so Henrik from the motor collection is helping with the welding, and a crane to lift it into place. Cheese is to be made, and with the help of the dog Kajsa, the corn is hand-weeded.
Frank's grafted cherry trees yield an abundance of berries, but one needs to climb high to reach them. More shingles need to be nailed on the mill, the courtyard's fig bushes need to be tasted, and the manure container needs to be fenced in.
The reed harvester emerges to harvest barley and oats, and Frank is excited about the results. The windmill needs a protective casing, and the threshing machine encounters problems - the peas get crushed.
It's a good nut year at Kastaniegaarden, and Alma and Frank start tasting the hazelnuts while they are still fresh. A hedgehog tries to hide under the onion crates, and the sunflowers have been stripped of their seeds, so now there is no winter supply for the birds.
Frank heads to the old town in Aarhus to learn how to sharpen scissors and get his locks trimmed. Back at Kastaniegaarden, a wire net needs to be installed around the carp pond to prevent the sheep from falling in. In the kitchen garden, the bean trellis has toppled because Frank built it too high, and it's time to sow pak-choi and arugula.
Frank harnesses the horse Solveig to the harrow in hopes of tackling the couch grass in the field, and then Frank needs to beware of the apple-juice loving wasps as he begins pressing this year's harvest. And there's a surprise waiting in the chicken coop.
The future carp pond at Kastaniegaarden needs to be emptied of toads, and the potato harvester must be repaired before this year's potato harvest. And Frank can't recall ever gathering so many nuts before.
After several years of a hiatus, Frank decides to fill the freezer with the beautiful orange sea buckthorn, and the exotic large-fruited barberry has survived Frank's care and is ready to be dried. Finally, the corn is ready for picking, so Frank dons his Nepalese basket and begins the harvest.
It's Christmas at Kastaniegaarden and Frank and the dog Kaysa hangs apples on the christmas trees to feed the birds. The walnut harvest has been good, so Frank tries to bake with them. And then, Frank smiths an oil lamp with 8 wicks to create the correct Christmas lighting.
