The trials and Tribulations of a Smallholder

It's been a really busy long weekend.  It didn't start off too promising as it was really chilly on Friday evening.  So chilly in fact that we lit the fire. We wondered if this was how the weekend was going to be.

Thankfully not.  We have had glorious weather and our time has been mainly at the fields. I won a chicken house that I was bidding for on Ebay. We have got lots of pallet wood and I thought that maybe I could make one but I didn't need to.  It was collected on Friday evening and No 4 and I painted it with creosote on Saturday, ready for the biggest chicks to move into. They were moved first thing on Monday morning and as they hadn't been outside before they were nervous about the big wide world and all the new sounds and smells.  They were really funny as they would all hover around the door until eventually one of them was brave enough to make it to the grass. 

On Saturday night we had the 'fun' job of catching the chickens and individually treating them for the prevention of mites and scaly legs.  Once they realised that they were being caught some of them run away taunting us.  We knew which ones had been treated as they were sprayed with a purple spot.  That was No 1's job, which she thoroughly enjoyed. A little too much.  What started off as a purple dot soon became the tail feathers of the white ones to make them look pretty! It was dusk so no photos, I'm afraid.

On Monday, we needed to treat the pigs for worms, lice, etc, etc. A 'simple' injection.  I wasn't brave enough for the job as just I couldn't do it, but neither was husband.  Neither of us had seen a pig be injected before. When our kind neighbour called to visit and I spoke of our plight, he said 'I'll do it!'  Thank goodness for that.  So he made a makeshift hurdle to corner the pig.  Husband held the hurdle whilst neighbour injected them.  That was the bigger two done.  The next pen was going to be difficult as the new pigs are still  a bit nervous of us.  It was husband's turn to inject, whilst son and neighbour caught the pigs. I was in charge of the purple spray.  I took my job very seriously and they only had a spot! We shook the bucket and they came forwards but they sensed something was going on and they were very cautious. These ones are still small enough to lift by the back legs. I caught one and the wriggling that they do makes it feel like your holding on to a pneumatic drill. I do remember thinking maybe I should have worn a more supportive bra...

A home birth

This is the last of the chicks hatching.  I can't believe how tiny they are.  We've had bantams before but they have never been quite this small. I'll leave you with the pictures...

Now the incubators have been scrubbed and disinfected ready for the turkey eggs to go in.

Meet my new babies

This duckling hatched first, I was beginning to worry that he would be an only child.

 When I got home from school there were three more. I do love ducks, they waddle about with such attitude giving a running commentary about everything they see.

These are the chicks that hatched last week.  Some of them are cream legbars which are a breed of chicken that are autosexing.

'Dark for dame, pale for male.'

It's not looking hopeful, I think I have only one female and four males and there is one that I'm not quite sure about.  Sometimes it looks dark and I think female and at other times I think it's definitely a male.



I'm not quite sure what breed of chicken this is, but the eggs were quite small.  No 4 asked if we could hatch them. There are two of them hatched at the moment so we will wait and see if there are any more. It's not a very good photo as even in their just-hatched state they are so quick!

I've mentioned before that I do small animal care at school.  When I went to give the fish a holiday brick to feed them whilst we are on half term, it had already been done.  Thank you Mrs P. 

You know I love you! 

I've also been told today where I will be in September, I must say that it has been on my mind rather a lot.  Anyway, I'm going to be in Nursery and I can't tell you how excited I am. From one end of the school to the other...

No photos again...

I've tried to upload my photos this evening but they just become distorted. Oh well!

When we arrived at the field tonight the pink pig had somehow managed to get in the young pigs' pen.  I had to distract the young ones whilst husband coaxed her into her own pen.  He was shaking the bucket and it was all going well until she got a sniff of the food for the young ones; then she ran off, this was a bit of a problem because the only fencing that we have is around the pig pens! After much bucket shaking she began to follow him and went back home.  We are not quite sure how she got out, No 4 thinks maybe she flew...

when you only have words....

Blog posts are becoming a little sporadic at the moment. It's that time of year when us teachers need to conquer the task of report writing. I've made my tick list (I've always been a big fan of lists, handwritten ones mind) and I attempting to make headway through it. Some of my students will be leaving school this summer, both exciting and sad at the same time.
I'm also trying to make the doll as the sample for the craft workshop that I will be running in June. She is armless at the moment, so new limbs are fairly imminent (if only I could stop losing them!) I need to share some photos, but they are on the computer and I'm on my Kindle. I hadn't intended to write as much but I've got carried away!
We have another new addition to the Cymraeg household, it's not a bearded Dragon but a little duckling that hatched out this evening. I'm hoping some little sisters are going to hatch overnight, so I will let you know tomorrow. Tell then TTFN x

Meet Zee

One of the subjects that I teach at the until the summer is small animal care.  We only have fish at school at the moment, so we rely on the kindness of staff to bring in their own pets.  Zee is an eighteen month old Bearded Dragon. She visited us for the day and was quite demanding as she would scratch the glass to be let out and have a cuddle! Seriously, she did!  I couldn't believe it, not one bit as I'd imagined.  She is calm and very sociable and clearly knows her own mind.  Her 'Mum' says that she is very fussy and turns her nose up at some of the food that she is given.  She likes watercress, locusts, meal worms and beetles.  I'm kind of tempted...

New pigs

Once inside the trailer the new pigs quickly made themselves at home and settled down. Our new weaners are seven week old saddlebacks.

They had so far in their short lives lived on straw on hard standing but they loved their new home instantly! They knew just what to do and started rooting about the vegetation. They have a bit of a job on their trotters as it is quite overgrown in places.  It's lovely having more pigs again.

Fielding

We've had some more chicks hatch this week. Seven in total. Cute little balls of fluff.

Husband has adapted a clear plastic storage box so that I can take them to share with the students on Monday.  He is very proud of himself!

 Meanwhile one of the geese has become broody.  She has made herself a nest in the shed. I'm not sure if she will make a success of her brooding - time will tell.

The new fencing is up and we are ready for the new pigs that we are getting tomorrow.  Husband arranged for a friend to come and move the pig ark from one pen to the other.  We are much more organised with the new pen as it has a gate wide enough to reverse the trailer through.  The first pen only has a gate wide enough to walk through. Life is a learning curve and we'll not make that mistake again.  In theory the wide gateway should make it much easier to load and unload, we'll see if the pigs have other ideas! 

I'll be back tomorrow with photos of the new additions, all ten of them...

So much for finishing my skirt tonight. I've wasted some time on Pinterest, cooked tea, wasted some time on Pinterest, called at a friend's, wasted some time on Pinterest, got my assembly ready for tomorrow, wasted some time on Pinterest. Are you getting the picture of my evening?

A touch of denim

I bought myself a denim skirt from a charity shop. It was one that I hadn't been in before. My skirt was originally from Next.  It only cost £1.50.  How could I resist?

It was in good condition and had two pockets on the back.

 It was too long, but that was okay as I really want to refashion it. Sometimes when you have the urge to craft, why fight it? I've shortened my skirt by about five inches, this still leaves it to just under my knee, which is a respectable length when you're knocking on as my children tell me.

It's still at the pinning stage at the moment,  I do intend to use that floral bias binding on the raw hem as I love it! I also quite like the flowers so those can stay too. They still need a centre, flat or covered button? I'm just not sure. I asked No 1 if she thought it was okay so far, she smiled and said 'It's very you'

Not sure if that is a good thing or not.  I'm not wearing it to school tomorrow so no need to rush it tonight.

Still at the fiddling stage. I like the binding on the pocket although it does mean the rivet would have to be removed - sometimes easier said than done.  I've also just placed different buttons on the centre seam.  My photo records my thoughts if I decide to run with it. Crochet had crossed my mind as an edging, maybe I'll just have to get another skirt...

The efforts of my work!

Not last weekend but the one before I bought myself a sewing pattern.  It wasn't my first choice because that one had sold out.  As it turns out I'm glad because I am really feeling the love for the skirt that  I made from that pattern.

No 4 was with me when I was purchasing said pattern.  She was bored and quite honestly didn't hide the fact.  I've stood so many times watching her playing football in the cold and wet to not even feel the slightest bit of guilt! Fabric looks like it has a black background but in real life it is navy blue. By the time that I had carefully cut out the tissue paper I started to make the skirt at around eight o'clock.  My dressmaking skills are a little rusty and I had to keep looking into the sewing machine manual to find out how to change the stitch.  More frequent use would solve that problem I think.

 I found myself hemming the skirt at about quarter to eleven last night.  Just like an excited child I was determined to wear my skirt to work today. Here it is...

It is so comfortable that I think I may make some more in different colours.

I decided to stop wasting time on Pinterest this evening and make something. To those that know me it involves pink... 

Back tomorrow!

No 1 daughter and I went off to a vintage fair this morning. It was quite the disappointment really. I'm sure there were more stalls last year. I didn't buy anything but No 1 bought a new jumper with a farm scene on it dating back to the 80s. It's funny how she is interested in the 80s stuff  and my interests lay more in the 60s. The 80s thing could be that I've been there, done that and really did have  t shirt!  After we left there we went straight for a cream tea at BHS. Now that I really can recommend..

Happiness is...

...hand feeding the swans at the park.

 ...the pigs

Unusually organised

The stormy weather came and went and the only visible damage was to the turkey house. This week a gentle breeze saw the largest bough on this old ash tree come crashing down.

 It damaged the fencing too. Luckily the cattle aren't out yet.

 So husband and Don set about cutting the branch into useful logs. Whilst most people who work with husband, the choice of ten year gift is often iPod, iPad or another technological gift.  His was a Stihl saw. Boy is it the best gift ever!

You can see the rot in this picture, which must have left this branch weakened and vulnerable.  Sadly for No 4 this was the tree that we had earmarked for a tree house.

WE managed (notice how I said 'we' - I was very much the supervisor) to collect over two and half tons of wood. This has now been logged and sorted ready for the winter. 

So there we have it being organised through no choice of our own. I am so grateful to Don who has kept husband motivated this weekend. I think next weekend is pig fencing again and we also need a wood store.

More hooking!

I have wanted to have a go at crochet bunting but my skills really didn't extend that far. I think it was because I was teaching myself from a book, I couldn't quite remember what the abbreviations were for and many patterns on the net are US terms. The space between crochet dabblings were too great for me to remember what I had previously learnt - or my new knowledge fell straight out of my ear. I'm not sure but it was all too much from me! Anyway my new found memory and confidence means that I have finally cracked it! Mrs T told me it was easy and it was because no sooner had I made one pennant...

 I had made eight more...

 I do find sewing the ends in quite therapeutic especially when I get up before everyone else so my house is unusually quiet. If I was a bird I would make a nest with these...

I decided to make an independent crochet string so that I can move my pennants as the mood takes me. I love my new bunting hanging up in my kitchen.  The colours match my new stool cover.  I haven't taken a photo of it hanging yet as I really need to clean my windows!

But take it from it's cute! ;-)

I had said to No 4 that we would go to the flower festival at Spalding but unfortunately I just didn't feel well enough.  Instead I took her out for breakfast.  I had the cinnamon toast...

and she had the big breakfast, which was indeed huge! It also came with toast and preserves and orange juice.  She didn't eat it all but she certainly gave it a good go.  I also caught up with someone that I worked with who was also there with her family. It was lovely, I always liked working Kay.

 Then we went to a local farm shop.  The produce is always presented beautifully

 

 They also had locally produced seasonal posies although gorgeous, they are very pricey at around twelve pounds each.

A touch of prettifying

My final purchase from the jumble sale last weekend was this stool.  I've been looking for a stool for the kitchen for a little while. This was it. Quite dated really.

I have prettified it with a little stool cosy using the bright and cheerful colours that I love. I wondered what to do when I had completed the top but it came to me one evening and it really was quite simple.

I do intend to revamp the stool some more with paint and some new fabric for the seat. 

That can wait for another day. 

More fielding

I despair with the turkeys. I have five Bourbon Red turkeys, which is a heritage breed. Most of the heritage breeds are considered rare.  Commercial growers always want the breeds that grow quickly so that they provide more meat for the food that is provided for them.  Makes commercial sense, but not necessarily producing best flavour. 

It's no wonder that my turkeys are a rare breed.  They lay a handful of eggs and become broody. In spite of my best efforts they will not shift.  I hadn't wanted any turkey eggs in the incubator just yet but I've had no choice. I managed to whip six eggs away before she got too angry with me taking them.  So now she has called for re-enforcements as another two hens are sitting there. They are under the perch making it very hard to move them.  Last year despite sitting on and off for most of the summer no eggs hatched from them.

Meanwhile Don is helping husband to put up a new area for the pigs that are expected in about four weeks time. It's hard to believe that Don is 79, he is amazing. I did take more photos of the men digging the holes for the sleepers.  Not an easy jobs as this batch of sleepers are all hardwood and very heavy.  Once the sleepers are in, then we will be hiring a hole borer for the rest of the fence posts.

Swap

I knew I'd taken some photos of the swap gifts that I sent to Alex, I'm glad that I found them, although I did only take two pictures . Alex wanted to have a crochet garland and I was ever so worried that I wouldn't make a good job of it.  I have tried and tried until my crochet was up to scratch.  I made these medallions, some of them with flowers and others without. I then crocheted a long chain to attach them together.

I also crocheted one of the birds that I had long admired on Attic 24. I was really pleased how my gifts turned out.  It has also given me the confidence to try other crochet projects, so watch this space!

Sometimes I can spend money and I'm not even there...

No 1 went to York yesterday, she had a lovely time. She went to Betty's for a cream tea which she said was delicious! She brought me back this bag that I thought I would use to carry my school things in.

 

She also brought me some pikelets from Betty's.

 which went down very well with a cup of tea.

 I had asked her to go to the CK shop as I would like a tea towel.

Also on my wish list were these sandwich boxes.  I am sure my lunch will taste much better now. 

I also had these pumps, I sometimes struggle to find shoes that I like in my size, so when the opportunity for new shoes arises sometimes you just need to grab it (or jump in feet first!)

 

I had some CK pumps which lasted the whole summer.  They were white ones and they washed in the machine a treat.  These are my new summer holiday shoes, although I may need to wear them quite a few times before then just to make sure that they are comfortable.  I am really pleased that I gave NO 1 my credit card for CK shopping as the girl did good!