Well, where do I start?! It seems to be one of those weeks were one thing after another happens. (And it's only Wednesday!)
Monday morning, whilst I was opening the upstairs windows to let some of the lovely summer air in, something caught my eye on the grass next to the yard. Someone had hit Middle Son's cat on the road and killed him. At least the driver had had the decency to move Flick form the road, if not the decency to knock on the door to tell me. Poor Flick, he was a lovely cat with a wonderful personality. Middle Son is obviously distraught.
Middle Son had a doctor appointment yesterday, as he suffers from gripping stomach pains, which come and go, along with shooting headaches. I have kept a food diary, as was suggested the last time we saw a doctor about this problem. There is no real link to any foods, apart from possibly wheat - if Middle Son has weetabix for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and pasta for dinner. Although, I think that much carbohydrate would affect anyone!
I suggested it was stress related, as Middle Son does have problems at school, both with his work and he is being picked on by another child. Hubby and myself are always going in to school to see Middle Son's teacher, who assures us 'things are being done'. Hmmm. I am seriously considering home or flexi schooling at the moment.
To my shock, the doctor said she would like Middle Son to go for blood tests. She requested a fasting test for diabetes, thyroid function, Celiacs and full blood count. All we can do is pray he has nothing serious and that if anything, it is just a slight allergy. He has the tests booked in for next Tuesday.
Just to top everything off, whilst I was in the yard yesterday early evening, bedding the horse down, my geese and ducks ran from the garden, whilst making a huge racket. This can only mean one thing. Fox. I raced to the garden just to see said fox making off with my lovely Copper French Maran hen. He had already taken my Blue Maran hen, ex battery girl and my lovely Indian Runner drake. All of this was going on not 20' away from me, (plus the dogs were with me), whilst the rest of my family were in the lounge, which has a window onto the garden. I can't get over how quiet and sly this fox is. I yelled at it as it was trotting off with my hen, and to my surprise, the fox stopped, looked over it's shoulder at me and just wandered off!! It wasn't scared of me! (I think this is due to a lady who lives just down the lane from us, feeds the 'lovely little foxes', so they are almost hand tame and have no fear of humans!) Today, I have kept the remaining poultry in their runs, and am off to borrow a fox trap from another farm for later this evening.
Fingers crossed for a better few days.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Sunday, 13 June 2010
New Chickens.
What a lovely weekend we are all having. The weather is perfect. Lovely hot sunny days, with just a slight sea breeze.
Yesterday, 3 boys, baby girl, their grandparents, (my parents) and myself trundled off to a Rare and traditional breed poultry auction.
After the recent visit from the mink and previous visits from the fox, I needed to re stock my flock. All my hen houses are now fox/mink proof and ready for some new residents.
I love the poultry auctions. The adrenaline of the bidding, the noise of the birds and all the different characters there. From elderly farmers, with their weathered faces, leaning on their stick putting the world to rights with their fellow farmers, to the 'new' country dwellers, who have moved to the country from towns and cities, and in their minds already know more than 'real' farmers ever will!! Who talk too loudly, dress impeccably, and wear too much scent! All are a wonder to see and hear. Cages upon cages of every type of poultry you could ever imagine - along with some you couldn't! Standard poultry, bantams, domestic ducks, wild fowl, turkeys, geese, pheasants, peacocks, quail and doves. All trying to be heard over each other! I love it!
We got our bidding number and a catalogue - with over 2000 lots in it! A coffee for the grown ups and hot chocolate for the children, gave us a chance to peruse the catalogue and mark the lots we fancied a look at. Drinks finished, we had just enough time to check out the birds we were interested in - just to check they were in good health - 2 legs/eyes/wings etc!! Plus, to make sure there had not been a change to the catalogue listing.
With Baby Girl in my arms and boys close by, we made our way into the scrum of bidders, all staring expectantly up at the auctioneer on his podium. The first lot number I was interested in was near the beginning of the auction. She is a French Copper Maran, who lays eggs with shells the colour of chocolate. Typical, there were 4 other people interested in her!! I try to set myself a budget, and try not to exceed it. I bought the hen for £1 over my budget!(£26).
There was a long gap until the next lot numbers which had caught my eye. Plenty of time to look at all of the other lots, to give Baby Girl a breast feed and a chance for more people watching.
The next lots which took my fancy were a pair of Cream Legbars who are 15 weeks old and 4 Cream Legbar cross pullets at 12 weeks old. Legbars lay eggs with blue shells and are becoming increasingly popular! I think, as the 2 lots were only young birds, not many people were interested, as most want things which will lay or breed almost at once. I managed to buy these 2 lots for £4 and £8! Way under my allowed budget!!
There were only about 10 lots between the Legbars and the next lots I wanted to see go through. Whilst waiting, we listened to the other birds being sold. None of them making the usual huge amounts of money. I presume there were not many people there as the World Cup has just started and England were playing USA. Just before the 2 Blue Ma ran hens I quite fancied, there was a single black German Langshan hen waiting for the hammer to fall. Nobody was interested in her. No bidders. OK, so she looked a little dishevelled and has black spooky eyes, but that is still no reason to be unloved!! I bought her for £1!!!
We bought 2 Blue Maran hens and 2 Rhode Rock pullets and that was that! All done. Bacon rolls all round for lunch. Yum!!
Everything paid for, time to load up and head for home. Easier said than done!! For whatever reason, all the birds I bought were in the top cages. Which meant stretching on tippie toes to attempt to grab the birds before they made a bid for freedom out through the open cage. On the floor of the cages were wood chippings - that was until the chickens panicked at being grabbed, and whilst flapping madly shavings flew out of the cages, all over me! In my eyes, up my nose, in my mouth, in my hair and down my t shirt!! Great!! Baring in mine I had bought 6 lots, that was an awful lot of shavings! I looked like a snowman!! Ho hum!
After a peaceful night, all the adult birds were let out to roam the garden and farm. They have fitted in a treat! Boris, my cockerel, thinks it's his birthday, with all these new ladies for him to look after! He has spent most of today showing them around, calling them to feed at the trough, and to come running when he finds a tasty grub!!
The younger chickens are in an arc at the moment, just until they grow a little. This way I can feed them growers pellets and keep them safe.
I'm pretty sure they will enjoy their new life with us. I'll keep you posted!!
Yesterday, 3 boys, baby girl, their grandparents, (my parents) and myself trundled off to a Rare and traditional breed poultry auction.
After the recent visit from the mink and previous visits from the fox, I needed to re stock my flock. All my hen houses are now fox/mink proof and ready for some new residents.
I love the poultry auctions. The adrenaline of the bidding, the noise of the birds and all the different characters there. From elderly farmers, with their weathered faces, leaning on their stick putting the world to rights with their fellow farmers, to the 'new' country dwellers, who have moved to the country from towns and cities, and in their minds already know more than 'real' farmers ever will!! Who talk too loudly, dress impeccably, and wear too much scent! All are a wonder to see and hear. Cages upon cages of every type of poultry you could ever imagine - along with some you couldn't! Standard poultry, bantams, domestic ducks, wild fowl, turkeys, geese, pheasants, peacocks, quail and doves. All trying to be heard over each other! I love it!
We got our bidding number and a catalogue - with over 2000 lots in it! A coffee for the grown ups and hot chocolate for the children, gave us a chance to peruse the catalogue and mark the lots we fancied a look at. Drinks finished, we had just enough time to check out the birds we were interested in - just to check they were in good health - 2 legs/eyes/wings etc!! Plus, to make sure there had not been a change to the catalogue listing.
With Baby Girl in my arms and boys close by, we made our way into the scrum of bidders, all staring expectantly up at the auctioneer on his podium. The first lot number I was interested in was near the beginning of the auction. She is a French Copper Maran, who lays eggs with shells the colour of chocolate. Typical, there were 4 other people interested in her!! I try to set myself a budget, and try not to exceed it. I bought the hen for £1 over my budget!(£26).
There was a long gap until the next lot numbers which had caught my eye. Plenty of time to look at all of the other lots, to give Baby Girl a breast feed and a chance for more people watching.
The next lots which took my fancy were a pair of Cream Legbars who are 15 weeks old and 4 Cream Legbar cross pullets at 12 weeks old. Legbars lay eggs with blue shells and are becoming increasingly popular! I think, as the 2 lots were only young birds, not many people were interested, as most want things which will lay or breed almost at once. I managed to buy these 2 lots for £4 and £8! Way under my allowed budget!!
There were only about 10 lots between the Legbars and the next lots I wanted to see go through. Whilst waiting, we listened to the other birds being sold. None of them making the usual huge amounts of money. I presume there were not many people there as the World Cup has just started and England were playing USA. Just before the 2 Blue Ma ran hens I quite fancied, there was a single black German Langshan hen waiting for the hammer to fall. Nobody was interested in her. No bidders. OK, so she looked a little dishevelled and has black spooky eyes, but that is still no reason to be unloved!! I bought her for £1!!!
We bought 2 Blue Maran hens and 2 Rhode Rock pullets and that was that! All done. Bacon rolls all round for lunch. Yum!!
Everything paid for, time to load up and head for home. Easier said than done!! For whatever reason, all the birds I bought were in the top cages. Which meant stretching on tippie toes to attempt to grab the birds before they made a bid for freedom out through the open cage. On the floor of the cages were wood chippings - that was until the chickens panicked at being grabbed, and whilst flapping madly shavings flew out of the cages, all over me! In my eyes, up my nose, in my mouth, in my hair and down my t shirt!! Great!! Baring in mine I had bought 6 lots, that was an awful lot of shavings! I looked like a snowman!! Ho hum!
After a peaceful night, all the adult birds were let out to roam the garden and farm. They have fitted in a treat! Boris, my cockerel, thinks it's his birthday, with all these new ladies for him to look after! He has spent most of today showing them around, calling them to feed at the trough, and to come running when he finds a tasty grub!!
The younger chickens are in an arc at the moment, just until they grow a little. This way I can feed them growers pellets and keep them safe.
I'm pretty sure they will enjoy their new life with us. I'll keep you posted!!
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Mink
I have just got in from clearing up the carnage in my garden. Last night a mink manages to get into my hen house and ripped apart 2 of my hens and a chick before I managed to get outside.
It was in the early hours of the morning when I heard a huge racket outside my bedroom window. I have the poultry houses in the garden, just below my bedroom in order to make the fox a little more wary of visiting, as it would mean he would have to go out of his comfort zone and come very close to the house. As soon as I heard the hens, I lept out of bed and threw anything I could get my hands on, at the coop. A long, dark creature ran from the hen house, into the hedge. I ran downstairs and out into the yard in my nighty. In the short time of me hearing the birds clucking frantically, to throwing things out the window, the mink had killed 3 of my chickens. I'm just grateful for being a light sleeper, as it could have been the end for all my birds had I not acted so quickly.
So, from now on, the remaining, traumatised chicks will be sleeping in the woodshed, which is a locked brick built 'room' next to the kitchen door of the farmhouse, where the dogs sleep and they will share the woodshed with my cats. The other hens will now sleep in a very secure house at night, which has a heavy gauge mesh on the bottom of the run part, so the mink will not be able to even dig his way in, let alone get the door open to the sleeping compartment.
All I can hope is that the mink gives up when he realises he can't get at anymore birds. Fingers crossed.
It was in the early hours of the morning when I heard a huge racket outside my bedroom window. I have the poultry houses in the garden, just below my bedroom in order to make the fox a little more wary of visiting, as it would mean he would have to go out of his comfort zone and come very close to the house. As soon as I heard the hens, I lept out of bed and threw anything I could get my hands on, at the coop. A long, dark creature ran from the hen house, into the hedge. I ran downstairs and out into the yard in my nighty. In the short time of me hearing the birds clucking frantically, to throwing things out the window, the mink had killed 3 of my chickens. I'm just grateful for being a light sleeper, as it could have been the end for all my birds had I not acted so quickly.
So, from now on, the remaining, traumatised chicks will be sleeping in the woodshed, which is a locked brick built 'room' next to the kitchen door of the farmhouse, where the dogs sleep and they will share the woodshed with my cats. The other hens will now sleep in a very secure house at night, which has a heavy gauge mesh on the bottom of the run part, so the mink will not be able to even dig his way in, let alone get the door open to the sleeping compartment.
All I can hope is that the mink gives up when he realises he can't get at anymore birds. Fingers crossed.
Monday, 7 June 2010
Home scholing
Does anyone have any experiences or advice re home schooling or flexi schooling for 6 year olds? Anything will be gratefully received!
Happy half term was had by all!
What a week it has been!
Half term started slow, with the first few days being what the boys call 'lazy days'. In reality, they were lazy for the children, but a little manic for myself and Hubby! Along with Baby girl still teething and also having a cold.
As camp loomed, Hubby had allot of planning and packing to do. (Whilst still working 14hrs a day!) I did what I could to help, but as I am not a warranted AC, along with not having been to any of the planning meetings, I was little, if any help!
So for the first few 'lazy days', I was chief decorator, cleaner, laundry worker, referee, nurse, chef, peace keeper....... you know, the usual Mum things!!
Thursday was a wonderfully hot, sunny day, so Best friend (who is also a child minder), suggested we meet up with all the other child minders in the area, along with their 'minded children', at a wonderful park and playing field, in the middle of the Forest. Armed with bikes, scooters, balls, bubbles, Frisbee, face paints and copious amounts of sun cream, we all arrived at the park. It a was fabulous day out. Between all the child minders, there were over 50 children there!! It's heart warming to see how all the children get along with each other, even with an age range from 10 months to 12 years.
By Friday, with Hubby and Eldest Son at camp, remaining Sons, Baby Girl and me met up with another friend and her 5 year old daughter, at a different place in the Forest. Again it was a beautiful sunny day. We took bikes for the children and our dogs. (Friend has a Springer Spaniel who loves mud and water!) Great fun was had by all, especially our dogs, who decided that running as fast as they could (which is fast, as I have a whippet, a lurcher and a jack russel - 2 out of 3 ain't bad as Meatloaf once said!!) through a bog would be fun! So, whilst running with big grins on their faces, (anyone who knows these breeds will know what I mean. Anyone who doesn't know the breed - they can actually 'smile'! Not by showing their teeth - but the corners of their mouths really do turn up, giving the impression of smiles!!) flew through the elbow deep stinky swamp. Closely followed by the jack russel who incidentally, is a miniature!! She disappeared! Re appearing absolutely dripping in mud! Lovely! Thankfully, the stream was nearby and all dogs enjoyed a 'dip' before they were allowed back in the Landrover!! The dogs slept well that evening!
On Saturday, 2 remaining Sons were to join Hubby and Eldest Son at camp, to stay over night. More bags were packed, midnight feast sweets were purchased and sun cream applied. Youngest Son was a little wobbly when we arrived, but soon over came this when a Cub yelled "water fight!"
It seemed very strange, if not surreal at home with just Baby Girl. A friend came over, with her 3 older daughters, late morning and we decided to take horse out for a drive, along the cliff and through the village, in the sunshine. It was lovely. It is so relaxing to drive, and is an excellent stress reliever.
By the time I had sorted all the animals out in the afternoon/evening and got Baby Girl to bed, I eventually sat down for my dinner at 9pm!! Bath then bed. I was just drifting off to sleep at 11pm, when my phone brought me back into the room with a bump! Hubby on the other end of the line, asked me to go to camp, to collect Middle Son, who was not coping very well, and was missing me and Baby Girl. I had said I would go to collect either of the younger boys, as I didn't want them to feel they had to stay, which would probably put them off Cub camps in the future. After carefully lifting Baby Girl into the car whilst still asleep, we set off, bleary eyed, through the Forest. (I didn't take the short cut - as it meant driving over an area in a very small lane, in the pitch dark, at almost midnight, where a lot of laylines cross, which is notoriously haunted!)
Hubby and 2 sleepy boys met me at the edge of camp (Youngest Son had decided he wanted to come home by that time too), and we set off for home. Straight to bed and straight to sleep for the boys. A long breast feed and lots of snuggles for Baby Girl and off to sleep she went!
I am now left, trawling through the mountain of dirty washing from camp, after everyone arrived safely home yesterday afternoon and are now back to school!! I will then go on to the challenge of cleaning the bathroom! I am considering using the angle grinder on the bath!! Although, I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Half term started slow, with the first few days being what the boys call 'lazy days'. In reality, they were lazy for the children, but a little manic for myself and Hubby! Along with Baby girl still teething and also having a cold.
As camp loomed, Hubby had allot of planning and packing to do. (Whilst still working 14hrs a day!) I did what I could to help, but as I am not a warranted AC, along with not having been to any of the planning meetings, I was little, if any help!
So for the first few 'lazy days', I was chief decorator, cleaner, laundry worker, referee, nurse, chef, peace keeper....... you know, the usual Mum things!!
Thursday was a wonderfully hot, sunny day, so Best friend (who is also a child minder), suggested we meet up with all the other child minders in the area, along with their 'minded children', at a wonderful park and playing field, in the middle of the Forest. Armed with bikes, scooters, balls, bubbles, Frisbee, face paints and copious amounts of sun cream, we all arrived at the park. It a was fabulous day out. Between all the child minders, there were over 50 children there!! It's heart warming to see how all the children get along with each other, even with an age range from 10 months to 12 years.
By Friday, with Hubby and Eldest Son at camp, remaining Sons, Baby Girl and me met up with another friend and her 5 year old daughter, at a different place in the Forest. Again it was a beautiful sunny day. We took bikes for the children and our dogs. (Friend has a Springer Spaniel who loves mud and water!) Great fun was had by all, especially our dogs, who decided that running as fast as they could (which is fast, as I have a whippet, a lurcher and a jack russel - 2 out of 3 ain't bad as Meatloaf once said!!) through a bog would be fun! So, whilst running with big grins on their faces, (anyone who knows these breeds will know what I mean. Anyone who doesn't know the breed - they can actually 'smile'! Not by showing their teeth - but the corners of their mouths really do turn up, giving the impression of smiles!!) flew through the elbow deep stinky swamp. Closely followed by the jack russel who incidentally, is a miniature!! She disappeared! Re appearing absolutely dripping in mud! Lovely! Thankfully, the stream was nearby and all dogs enjoyed a 'dip' before they were allowed back in the Landrover!! The dogs slept well that evening!
On Saturday, 2 remaining Sons were to join Hubby and Eldest Son at camp, to stay over night. More bags were packed, midnight feast sweets were purchased and sun cream applied. Youngest Son was a little wobbly when we arrived, but soon over came this when a Cub yelled "water fight!"
It seemed very strange, if not surreal at home with just Baby Girl. A friend came over, with her 3 older daughters, late morning and we decided to take horse out for a drive, along the cliff and through the village, in the sunshine. It was lovely. It is so relaxing to drive, and is an excellent stress reliever.
By the time I had sorted all the animals out in the afternoon/evening and got Baby Girl to bed, I eventually sat down for my dinner at 9pm!! Bath then bed. I was just drifting off to sleep at 11pm, when my phone brought me back into the room with a bump! Hubby on the other end of the line, asked me to go to camp, to collect Middle Son, who was not coping very well, and was missing me and Baby Girl. I had said I would go to collect either of the younger boys, as I didn't want them to feel they had to stay, which would probably put them off Cub camps in the future. After carefully lifting Baby Girl into the car whilst still asleep, we set off, bleary eyed, through the Forest. (I didn't take the short cut - as it meant driving over an area in a very small lane, in the pitch dark, at almost midnight, where a lot of laylines cross, which is notoriously haunted!)
Hubby and 2 sleepy boys met me at the edge of camp (Youngest Son had decided he wanted to come home by that time too), and we set off for home. Straight to bed and straight to sleep for the boys. A long breast feed and lots of snuggles for Baby Girl and off to sleep she went!
I am now left, trawling through the mountain of dirty washing from camp, after everyone arrived safely home yesterday afternoon and are now back to school!! I will then go on to the challenge of cleaning the bathroom! I am considering using the angle grinder on the bath!! Although, I wouldn't have it any other way!!
Friday, 4 June 2010
Summertime. Yippee!!
Well, it looks like summer is defiantly here!! This morning the calves went out into the field for the first time! It is quite a military procedure to get them out, as we have to drive them over the main road and the place where they have to cross is quite close to a bend in the road, on a cross road! Nothing like making things difficult for ourselves!
We did once try to get the cows over the road at a different point and then to run them down the road to the field gate, but some of the cows didn't quite understand what they were supposed to do and ran in different directions! A couple ended up on the beautifully manicured lawn of a neighbour, another attempted to make a bid for freedom, and headed towards the nearest town! Father in law had to commandeer a bike from a passing cyclist to enable him to get past the run away in order to drive it back towards the field! All of this was going on around corners whilst I was left standing in the middle of the road stopping the traffic in case they ended up with a cow/farmer on a bike as a bonnet badge! (Some of the drivers were clearly not locals and had never seen anything like the goings on. We even had some one videoing it all!!)
This morning we had tractors blocking the lane to hold up cars and stop the calves getting past (in theory!) Middle son and Youngest son positioned themselves with new farm worker, whilst the outlaws took one side of the main road each. Baby girl and myself had the job of driving the calves from the yard to the field!
Everything went well as the calves were skipping down the fence lined track - until we came to the road crossing bit! That's when all hell broke loose and calves scattered everywhere, like thrown confetti in the wind! After what seemed like forever (but was in fact no more than a minute), the final calf was extracted from the hedge and safely left running free in the long lush grass.
Let's just keep our fingers crossed for no thunder storms over the next few weeks, or at least until the babies have gotten used to being out. Last years calves ended up running along the cliff top, heading for the village at 3am! Hubby and myself were blissfully unaware of this, fast asleep in our beds, until there was a banging on the door and 2 police men were standing there as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes! It was an interesting job, as last years calves were more black, than black and white and we have no street lights around here! Ho hum!
We did once try to get the cows over the road at a different point and then to run them down the road to the field gate, but some of the cows didn't quite understand what they were supposed to do and ran in different directions! A couple ended up on the beautifully manicured lawn of a neighbour, another attempted to make a bid for freedom, and headed towards the nearest town! Father in law had to commandeer a bike from a passing cyclist to enable him to get past the run away in order to drive it back towards the field! All of this was going on around corners whilst I was left standing in the middle of the road stopping the traffic in case they ended up with a cow/farmer on a bike as a bonnet badge! (Some of the drivers were clearly not locals and had never seen anything like the goings on. We even had some one videoing it all!!)
This morning we had tractors blocking the lane to hold up cars and stop the calves getting past (in theory!) Middle son and Youngest son positioned themselves with new farm worker, whilst the outlaws took one side of the main road each. Baby girl and myself had the job of driving the calves from the yard to the field!
Everything went well as the calves were skipping down the fence lined track - until we came to the road crossing bit! That's when all hell broke loose and calves scattered everywhere, like thrown confetti in the wind! After what seemed like forever (but was in fact no more than a minute), the final calf was extracted from the hedge and safely left running free in the long lush grass.
Let's just keep our fingers crossed for no thunder storms over the next few weeks, or at least until the babies have gotten used to being out. Last years calves ended up running along the cliff top, heading for the village at 3am! Hubby and myself were blissfully unaware of this, fast asleep in our beds, until there was a banging on the door and 2 police men were standing there as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes! It was an interesting job, as last years calves were more black, than black and white and we have no street lights around here! Ho hum!
Thursday, 3 June 2010
A Camping they will go!
Finally, all the planning/meetings/emails and everything in between will come to an end, as Hubby is off camping with the Cub Scouts today!
Hubby took over the role of Akela for our local branch of Sea Scouts Cub pack at the begining of the year. Although he works almost 90 hrs a week, (even more at harvest times), he felt he needed something to do and focus on other than the farm. He is planning on staying with the Cubs until all of our children have completed their time there and moved onto Sea Scouts. This will be another 9 years by the time Baby girl has moved up!!
Hubby, one of his assistants and another local Cub pack have been planning this camp for ever (or so it seems!) Contless meetings, emails, phone calls, copious amounts of paperwork, vast amounts of head banging against walls and gallons of wine have gone into the planning of this camp!
But finnaly, the time has come, bags are packed, the Landrover is jam packed with tents, gas bottles, cooking equipment and everything else you could possibly imagine for camping - along with quite a few thing which you couldn't!
Eldest son has his ruck sack cramed so full, it is the size and weight if a small child, and shold he try to stand up straight whilst it is on his back, he will almost definately topple over backwards!!
Middle son and Youngest son are going to camp over night Saturday, as they are officially not yet Cubs, but as their Dad is Akela, they can go as Beaver Scouts for just a couple of days.
So, the weekend will seem very strange as it will be just Baby girl and me! Ahh, peace and quiet!!
Hubby took over the role of Akela for our local branch of Sea Scouts Cub pack at the begining of the year. Although he works almost 90 hrs a week, (even more at harvest times), he felt he needed something to do and focus on other than the farm. He is planning on staying with the Cubs until all of our children have completed their time there and moved onto Sea Scouts. This will be another 9 years by the time Baby girl has moved up!!
Hubby, one of his assistants and another local Cub pack have been planning this camp for ever (or so it seems!) Contless meetings, emails, phone calls, copious amounts of paperwork, vast amounts of head banging against walls and gallons of wine have gone into the planning of this camp!
But finnaly, the time has come, bags are packed, the Landrover is jam packed with tents, gas bottles, cooking equipment and everything else you could possibly imagine for camping - along with quite a few thing which you couldn't!
Eldest son has his ruck sack cramed so full, it is the size and weight if a small child, and shold he try to stand up straight whilst it is on his back, he will almost definately topple over backwards!!
Middle son and Youngest son are going to camp over night Saturday, as they are officially not yet Cubs, but as their Dad is Akela, they can go as Beaver Scouts for just a couple of days.
So, the weekend will seem very strange as it will be just Baby girl and me! Ahh, peace and quiet!!
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Real farmhouse kitchen!
Phew! What a day! After yet another almost sleepless night, thanks to baby girl and her teething pain and middle and youngest boys getting up at 5am (along with Hubby up for work at 4am), I have had a very exciting day!
A couple of months ago, my best friend decorated her utility room. It looks wonderful and started me thinking I would love to have a beautiful kitchen, just like best friends newly decorated room! You see, the farmhouse we are in, up until 3 years ago, was the home of my in laws (otherwise known as the outlaws!) For some bizarre reason, the outlaws seemed to have a passion for blue. The lovely kitchen, with it's flagstone floors, Aga and bespoke pine units, was painted blue!! (Along with the bathroom, larder and master bedroom!) Don't get me wrong, I like blue, but not in quite so many rooms in a house with no heating! Everything looked so cold. 2 weeks ago, I took the plunge and started decorating the kitchen. It has taken all of the 2 weeks, on and off, with the 'help' of baby girl! I have painted 3 walls in calico, with white skirting, window and door frames and matt white ceiling. I had been admiring best friends wall paper and asked if she would mind if I copied her. Thankfully, she was more than happy and the next time she was in Dorset, even picked up the wall paper from the decorating shop for me. As if that wasn't enough, best friend also offered to hang said wall paper for me, as my papering skills leave a little to be desired!!
So, this morning, best friend came to the farm with her youngest daughter, armed with pasting table, brushes, paste, plumb line, and all, to be an absolute star and make my kitchen look wonderful. (Incidentally - I was late (nothing new there then!) I had been delivering a car trailer back to Hubby's friend after he kindly lent it to me to collect some haylage bales last week). Best friend set to with amazing speed and skill and soon transformed my ugly kitchen into something of beauty!
I wasn't much help, not only as I am useless at decorating and have absolutely no patients what so ever, but baby girl is still suffering with her teeth, and gets very fretful when I put her down.
I am so pleased and very grateful, as I am now the proud owner of a proper farmhouse kitchen!
A couple of months ago, my best friend decorated her utility room. It looks wonderful and started me thinking I would love to have a beautiful kitchen, just like best friends newly decorated room! You see, the farmhouse we are in, up until 3 years ago, was the home of my in laws (otherwise known as the outlaws!) For some bizarre reason, the outlaws seemed to have a passion for blue. The lovely kitchen, with it's flagstone floors, Aga and bespoke pine units, was painted blue!! (Along with the bathroom, larder and master bedroom!) Don't get me wrong, I like blue, but not in quite so many rooms in a house with no heating! Everything looked so cold. 2 weeks ago, I took the plunge and started decorating the kitchen. It has taken all of the 2 weeks, on and off, with the 'help' of baby girl! I have painted 3 walls in calico, with white skirting, window and door frames and matt white ceiling. I had been admiring best friends wall paper and asked if she would mind if I copied her. Thankfully, she was more than happy and the next time she was in Dorset, even picked up the wall paper from the decorating shop for me. As if that wasn't enough, best friend also offered to hang said wall paper for me, as my papering skills leave a little to be desired!!
So, this morning, best friend came to the farm with her youngest daughter, armed with pasting table, brushes, paste, plumb line, and all, to be an absolute star and make my kitchen look wonderful. (Incidentally - I was late (nothing new there then!) I had been delivering a car trailer back to Hubby's friend after he kindly lent it to me to collect some haylage bales last week). Best friend set to with amazing speed and skill and soon transformed my ugly kitchen into something of beauty!
I wasn't much help, not only as I am useless at decorating and have absolutely no patients what so ever, but baby girl is still suffering with her teeth, and gets very fretful when I put her down.
I am so pleased and very grateful, as I am now the proud owner of a proper farmhouse kitchen!
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Mum 1 chickens nil!
Right. I think I have (hopefully) sorted my hen vs veg garden problem!
At the bottom of my garden, I have 3 raised vegetable patches. My free range poultry have not been interested in the bottom of the garden until a few weeks ago, just after I weeded, dug over, raked and sowed seeds/planted veg plants! They loved the freshly raked fine, (if a bit stony!) soil, which made excellent dust baths for hens. The geese were partial to the cabbage plants and after a relaxing dust bath, the chickens enjoyed scratching up my variety of seeds!
OK, try again! I constructed a fence ('fence' used in the loosest of terms!), mainly out of old gates and bits of string. Baring in mind our garden is very big and well established (jungle like!), I thought the birds would find other interesting places to peck and poke rather than squeeze through small gaps and over rickety gates. Wrong!!
So, I now have achie arms and copious splinters from trying, yet again to chicken proof my - now rather expensive- veg. I have put up chestnut fencing, which has stakes that are close together and are too small for hens to squeeze through plus it is wobbly and too unstable for them to 'hop' over the top. I have pinned down net curtains over the seed beds and put voile on sticks with clothes pegs over the sprouts and sweeds. Ha! Now get through that lot!!
At the bottom of my garden, I have 3 raised vegetable patches. My free range poultry have not been interested in the bottom of the garden until a few weeks ago, just after I weeded, dug over, raked and sowed seeds/planted veg plants! They loved the freshly raked fine, (if a bit stony!) soil, which made excellent dust baths for hens. The geese were partial to the cabbage plants and after a relaxing dust bath, the chickens enjoyed scratching up my variety of seeds!
OK, try again! I constructed a fence ('fence' used in the loosest of terms!), mainly out of old gates and bits of string. Baring in mind our garden is very big and well established (jungle like!), I thought the birds would find other interesting places to peck and poke rather than squeeze through small gaps and over rickety gates. Wrong!!
So, I now have achie arms and copious splinters from trying, yet again to chicken proof my - now rather expensive- veg. I have put up chestnut fencing, which has stakes that are close together and are too small for hens to squeeze through plus it is wobbly and too unstable for them to 'hop' over the top. I have pinned down net curtains over the seed beds and put voile on sticks with clothes pegs over the sprouts and sweeds. Ha! Now get through that lot!!
Welcome to my blog!
Welcome to my blog! I have decided to keep a blog of the highs and lows of my life. I am a Mum (on the wrong side of 35!) with four children - 3 boys (aged 10, 7 & 6) and a baby girl (aged 15 months). I am also a farmers wife for my sins! We have a dairy and arable farm on the South coast and are situated a 10 minute drive from the New Forest. We live in a 'rambling' farmhouse, which has been traced back as far as 1543!! Our house is lovely and has many quirks, including the sloping floor upstairs and worn down flagstones in the kitchen! It also is in need of decorating, although I have decorated the children's bedrooms and am decorating the kitchen as and when! My husband works on the farm, alongside his parents and a new lad, who has started working part time on the farm today! There are about 200 cows on the farm, of which 100 are currently being milked.
I have an 8 year old, 15.3hh TB skewbald gelding which I drive and love taking all the family out for a jaunt around the village. Although, my eldest son would rather not be seen out driving and insists on wearing a hat and shades in the hope no one recognises him!! Baby girl thinks it's great though and waves to everyone she sees! Bless!
I also have 3 dogs, 4 cats, 4 hens, a rooster, 4 ducks, 2 geese and the boys have a giant African land snail each!
I have a large veg garden, where I try to grow as many different types of vegetables as I can.
The boys go to the local school in the village and quite enjoy it! They have forged some wonderful friendships with some of there classmates.
I am currently not working - or should that be 'I am currently not in paid employment!' I believe our children should be with their mother where possible and if this means we have to go without certain things due to me not earning a wage, then so be it. My children are more important to me than material things.
I love my life, even though it can be rather stressful at times!
I hope you will enjoy my blog. Please feel free to leave me comments. That way I'll know I'm not talking to myself! (Nothing new there though!!)
I have an 8 year old, 15.3hh TB skewbald gelding which I drive and love taking all the family out for a jaunt around the village. Although, my eldest son would rather not be seen out driving and insists on wearing a hat and shades in the hope no one recognises him!! Baby girl thinks it's great though and waves to everyone she sees! Bless!
I also have 3 dogs, 4 cats, 4 hens, a rooster, 4 ducks, 2 geese and the boys have a giant African land snail each!
I have a large veg garden, where I try to grow as many different types of vegetables as I can.
The boys go to the local school in the village and quite enjoy it! They have forged some wonderful friendships with some of there classmates.
I am currently not working - or should that be 'I am currently not in paid employment!' I believe our children should be with their mother where possible and if this means we have to go without certain things due to me not earning a wage, then so be it. My children are more important to me than material things.
I love my life, even though it can be rather stressful at times!
I hope you will enjoy my blog. Please feel free to leave me comments. That way I'll know I'm not talking to myself! (Nothing new there though!!)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)