I am holding my breath with the anticipation! The eggs in the very cheap ebay incubator are beginning to hatch! Before I get too excited, all I mean by that is that tonight I have seen that two of the ten eggs are cracked - one has a definite peck-shaped crack, and the other has more of a linear crack - but they are cracking!!!!! There must be chicks in there........can't wait for morning!
I am so chuffed with this, as this is our very first attempt with an incubator. I was very tempted to pay a fortune for a "proper" Brinsea incubator, about £99, until I came across someone on ebay selling these "home-made" incubators for £24.99.....yes, £24.99! It is just a polystyrene box, with a thermostat, a halogen bulb and a tiny fan, into which you pop a thermometer. It would hold about a dozen hen's eggs, and it is absolutely great for the garden chicken keeper like me.
I'll be back with an update tomorrow - and I must sort the camera out!!!
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
Monday, 29 June 2009
Getting hot, hot, hot!
The heat is really on here this week - temperatures of over 28 degrees are making life challenging as we are trying to keep all the poultry and animals hydrated and in as much shade as possible.
All the tomato plants are out in the new troughs, and the garden is looking good!
The YFG has gone to an Inter-village Athletics tournament this afternoon, which is worrying me a little, in this heat, but she has a hat, plenty of water and some factor 50+ suncream so I am hoping that she will be fine. It is also school sports day here tomorrow so she will be out in it all again then. I know one girl in her class who has been reported as having sunstroke/heatstroke on the village grapevine, so we have to be very careful. Trouble is that we are just not used to these temperatures!
All the tomato plants are out in the new troughs, and the garden is looking good!
The YFG has gone to an Inter-village Athletics tournament this afternoon, which is worrying me a little, in this heat, but she has a hat, plenty of water and some factor 50+ suncream so I am hoping that she will be fine. It is also school sports day here tomorrow so she will be out in it all again then. I know one girl in her class who has been reported as having sunstroke/heatstroke on the village grapevine, so we have to be very careful. Trouble is that we are just not used to these temperatures!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Quiet weekend
Yesterday the YFG's class went on their trip to the Raptor Foundation near St Ives, and I went along to help out with the children. We had a good morning, dissecting pellets and trying to identify the bones then moving outside for a tour of the aviaries and drawing the birds. There was a lively Indian Eagle Owl called Indie and a gorgeous barn owl named Sybil amongst the stars of the show. There was also a flying display which the children loved especially at the end when those that wanted to got the chance to hold a barn owl on their glove. The weather was glorious until about 2pm when the heavens opened just as we wanted to load the children back onto the bus. We all got more than a little damp!
After gym last night, the YFG went home with her friend P, to stay the night, so we all had a quiet night here - the FH and I had a glass of wine each and then I watched Hotel Babylon with the EFG. Can't say I recommend it; she has some interesting TV viewing habits, but last night I was so tired that I just sat and vegetated in front of the TV whilst it was on.
This morning has been more showers and very humid weather, so the girls at gymnastics were struggling for fresh air, and we worked them hard so they drank a lot! The washing hasn't dried today because of the humidity too.
Tomorrow morning we are taking part in a village yard sale treasure hunt organised by the WI; we are holding a yard sale here, as are others around the village and the WI are selling treasure maps of all the yard sales, so that potential customers do the rounds and pick up clues to win a prize. We have been scouting around the house and yard tonight considering what we might sell!
The eggs in the incubator are due to hatch on 1st July so tonight is the last turning.......can't wait to see how many hatch, and we are just praying that some chicks do hatch after all this time and effort!
After gym last night, the YFG went home with her friend P, to stay the night, so we all had a quiet night here - the FH and I had a glass of wine each and then I watched Hotel Babylon with the EFG. Can't say I recommend it; she has some interesting TV viewing habits, but last night I was so tired that I just sat and vegetated in front of the TV whilst it was on.
This morning has been more showers and very humid weather, so the girls at gymnastics were struggling for fresh air, and we worked them hard so they drank a lot! The washing hasn't dried today because of the humidity too.
Tomorrow morning we are taking part in a village yard sale treasure hunt organised by the WI; we are holding a yard sale here, as are others around the village and the WI are selling treasure maps of all the yard sales, so that potential customers do the rounds and pick up clues to win a prize. We have been scouting around the house and yard tonight considering what we might sell!
The eggs in the incubator are due to hatch on 1st July so tonight is the last turning.......can't wait to see how many hatch, and we are just praying that some chicks do hatch after all this time and effort!
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Tomatoes are go!
The new tomato troughs finally got made today. We bought two old pallet boxes for £3.50 each and we recycled them into four lovely new tomato troughs. The FH made them this morning and then I painted them with Cuprinol this afternoon (and got a bit surnburned in the process) so they are ready to get the tomatoes planted in them at last. I would have got that done tonight, but my dad came to visit. We already have 13 plants out from last weekend's gardening, and I put four tumbling plants into a hanging basket yesterday evening.
The peas and bean plants are doing well although the lack of rain means that watering is a major job each day. Got to keep at it! I will be able to put some photos up here this weekend as we have unearthed the camera charger, so it is busy tonight charging the battery - there will be photos of the chicks for sure. Long overdue, too!
Tomorrow I am going on a school trip to a bird of prey centre with the YFG's class, and then it will be gym, so there will not be time to check in tomorrow - I'll be back with the piccies at the weekend.
The peas and bean plants are doing well although the lack of rain means that watering is a major job each day. Got to keep at it! I will be able to put some photos up here this weekend as we have unearthed the camera charger, so it is busy tonight charging the battery - there will be photos of the chicks for sure. Long overdue, too!
Tomorrow I am going on a school trip to a bird of prey centre with the YFG's class, and then it will be gym, so there will not be time to check in tomorrow - I'll be back with the piccies at the weekend.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
RIP Socks
The rabbit didn't make it and died today. Despite the medications, he got worse and died this afternoon, so we have buried him alongside his "brother" (from another litter of the same parents) George, also much loved. Socks was a lovely rabbit, the spitting image of his father, and a very gentle natured rabbit. He fathered Champagne and Martini, and perhaps another litter that is yet to be born. The EFG and FH were both in tears this afternoon as he was buried.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Ups and downs
I am still on a high from the exam pass yesterday and can't quite believe it, but then I have had two niggly things happen today which have not been so pleasant. One is a complaint about something I sold on ebay, so I am going to have to refund the person and also refund her postage to send it back, which is the right thing to do but the item was in tip-top condition when it left here so I am interested to see what it looks like when it gets back. The other thing is me taking offence where none is meant, but it still niggles me:
A neighbour on the estate was talking to the FH about tomato plants and where to buy them and me having 50 odd here, I took her three as a gift. As a surprise thank-you, she brought a cake round yesterday whilst I was out. The FH, girls and my uncle polished it off over supper last night, and I sent the YFG back with the plate after school this afternoon. I asked her to say thanks very much for the cake and that "Dad" had enjoyed it so could we have the recipe please? The YFG came back and said that she had said, no, it was a secret family recipe. To me, that is just plain silly. I'll give anybody a recipe anytime, as I am happy for them to get the enjoyment out of making something for themselves if they have liked the cake/biscuit or whatever when I have made it for them. How does sharing the recipe diminish her family's enjoyment in any way? Does another family eating that cake mean that when they eat it, it tastes any the less delicious? I am puzzled - if you don't share recipes, help me understand why?
The weekend really took the stuffing out of me and I have had two naps today - about four hours sleep in addition to a good night last night. I am still tired and may have another snooze tomorrow. I have done a few jobs in the garden in between - planted some tomato plants out in the troughs in the sunniest part of the garden, strimmed round a couple of the raised beds, and pottered in general. Inside the house, I have still got a little ironing to fix, and there will be washing to do tomorrow as the machine is now fixed - £45 for a nice chap to come and take some coins, hairgrips and nails out of the pipe.......still, I had thought that the pump had failed and that would have been £49 for the part alone, so I shall have to check pockets more thoroughly - lesson learned.
One of the rabbits is sick - he seems to have snuffles, which we had a rabbit die from the other year, so we are dosing him with some antibiotic and keeping him inside. Its highly contagious so we have to be very careful with hygiene between touching him and the other rabbits outside. He has not gone downhill as fast as the last one which had it, so we are hoping that the meds are helping and that he may make it.
A neighbour on the estate was talking to the FH about tomato plants and where to buy them and me having 50 odd here, I took her three as a gift. As a surprise thank-you, she brought a cake round yesterday whilst I was out. The FH, girls and my uncle polished it off over supper last night, and I sent the YFG back with the plate after school this afternoon. I asked her to say thanks very much for the cake and that "Dad" had enjoyed it so could we have the recipe please? The YFG came back and said that she had said, no, it was a secret family recipe. To me, that is just plain silly. I'll give anybody a recipe anytime, as I am happy for them to get the enjoyment out of making something for themselves if they have liked the cake/biscuit or whatever when I have made it for them. How does sharing the recipe diminish her family's enjoyment in any way? Does another family eating that cake mean that when they eat it, it tastes any the less delicious? I am puzzled - if you don't share recipes, help me understand why?
The weekend really took the stuffing out of me and I have had two naps today - about four hours sleep in addition to a good night last night. I am still tired and may have another snooze tomorrow. I have done a few jobs in the garden in between - planted some tomato plants out in the troughs in the sunniest part of the garden, strimmed round a couple of the raised beds, and pottered in general. Inside the house, I have still got a little ironing to fix, and there will be washing to do tomorrow as the machine is now fixed - £45 for a nice chap to come and take some coins, hairgrips and nails out of the pipe.......still, I had thought that the pump had failed and that would have been £49 for the part alone, so I shall have to check pockets more thoroughly - lesson learned.
One of the rabbits is sick - he seems to have snuffles, which we had a rabbit die from the other year, so we are dosing him with some antibiotic and keeping him inside. Its highly contagious so we have to be very careful with hygiene between touching him and the other rabbits outside. He has not gone downhill as fast as the last one which had it, so we are hoping that the meds are helping and that he may make it.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Exam result
HUGE sigh of relief - I passed the practical part of the exam today. The logbook was also passed and so all I have to do now is wait for the theory results to come in.........I hope they don't take long. The YFG and I are both exhausted from a long day, so I'll leave it there for tonight as I still have to iron the uniforms for the morning, but I am so pleased and relieved!
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