My beloved car, an N registered Vauxhall Astra estate car, has just this week notched up her 100,000th mile! I've had her for a long time - about 12 years or more now, and she is still going strong. She never lets me down, and hauls no end of stuff around. Long may she continue...
The weather continues to be hot and bothersome. I am not someone who enjoys this heat, as I would prefer to turn the thermostat on the county down a notch or two to a more comfortable level. I am probably one of those people who prefer colder weather as I do find it easier to get warm than to cool down! At this time of night, I have a cake in the oven as it would have been unbearable to have had the oven on during the day and been busy in the kitchen at the same time. I am making this chocolate brownie recipe, as recommended by Sue at The Quince Tree.
Today I have spent at gym, as the school where we train has been hosting a sports festival for all the Y6 children who will be moving up in September. We did four sessions of gymnastics, all at quite a basic level, but we identified a few potential gymnasts, and also welcomed some children we knew who have stopped coming to the club for one reason or another but who were part of the Y6 group moving up this year.
The YFG is off to her new secondary school for the day tomorrow and she is rather excited! She has packed her bag and prepared her lunch, and gone to bed early. I am hoping she gets on OK and will be desperate to hear all about it when she gets off the bus at 4pm.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
I've been away
but only from the computer, unfortunately! The weather has been so glorious these past few days that I have not wanted to be at the desk.
The big news here is that the latest hatching has happened now - 15 chicks are in a box under a lamp and growing fast. There are 8 Brown Sussex - so Lancelot is probably doing his stuff after all. Five of the eggs didn't hatch, but 62% is an improvement so I am not complaining about that. Five are Barred Plymouth Rock - they are from the 12 eggs I bought, and blogged about my anger at receiving such old eggs. As I suspected, the older eggs were the ones which didn't hatch. One of the chicks is a little blonde one who is also a Brown Sussex, but from a set of six eggs I bought in to develop another strain of BS for my breeding programme. One out of six isn't good. And the last chick is a Silver Laced Wyandotte from my own pair. Overall, I am pleased with what I have hatched, but a lot of the eggs haven't hatched - there is an incubator on which I am giving up today from which the SLW hatched - it was the only egg to hatch from 14.
So, what do I think is going wrong? The difficult thing is that I just don't know! The 8 BS were hatched in one of my very basic polystyrene box incubators which cost £25 from eBay - that incubator has a good track record. The other less successful incubator which hatched the SLW was more successful with its last hatch, so what has changed since then is a mystery. The BPR and second strain of BS hatched in the new, automatic incubator - but 6 out of 18 eggs is hardly a rip-roaring success. I do think that the age of the eggs was against some of them, but I had higher hopes for the BS in there.
There are more due later in the week in a third poly box, so we'll have to watch and wait. Very frustrating overall!
Other news is that the YFG will be going off on the bus to her new secondary school for a transition day on Thursday - she is excited and nervous at the same time. So am I, on her behalf, but her big sister is doing well there and so I am reassured that I can trust the school to do a good job. It is not an "outstanding" school in OFSTED terms, but it is a good, solid school which is not afraid to admit that it has some problems and explains how it is dealing with them, rather than refusing to admit that they are there. The EFG has done exceptionally well there, and will be starting her GCSE work in September so we have good expectations for both of them.
The garden is producing well - we are eating the lettuces, the first courgette has been picked, lots of strawberries have been enjoyed and the beans are racing up the poles!
The big news here is that the latest hatching has happened now - 15 chicks are in a box under a lamp and growing fast. There are 8 Brown Sussex - so Lancelot is probably doing his stuff after all. Five of the eggs didn't hatch, but 62% is an improvement so I am not complaining about that. Five are Barred Plymouth Rock - they are from the 12 eggs I bought, and blogged about my anger at receiving such old eggs. As I suspected, the older eggs were the ones which didn't hatch. One of the chicks is a little blonde one who is also a Brown Sussex, but from a set of six eggs I bought in to develop another strain of BS for my breeding programme. One out of six isn't good. And the last chick is a Silver Laced Wyandotte from my own pair. Overall, I am pleased with what I have hatched, but a lot of the eggs haven't hatched - there is an incubator on which I am giving up today from which the SLW hatched - it was the only egg to hatch from 14.
So, what do I think is going wrong? The difficult thing is that I just don't know! The 8 BS were hatched in one of my very basic polystyrene box incubators which cost £25 from eBay - that incubator has a good track record. The other less successful incubator which hatched the SLW was more successful with its last hatch, so what has changed since then is a mystery. The BPR and second strain of BS hatched in the new, automatic incubator - but 6 out of 18 eggs is hardly a rip-roaring success. I do think that the age of the eggs was against some of them, but I had higher hopes for the BS in there.
There are more due later in the week in a third poly box, so we'll have to watch and wait. Very frustrating overall!
Other news is that the YFG will be going off on the bus to her new secondary school for a transition day on Thursday - she is excited and nervous at the same time. So am I, on her behalf, but her big sister is doing well there and so I am reassured that I can trust the school to do a good job. It is not an "outstanding" school in OFSTED terms, but it is a good, solid school which is not afraid to admit that it has some problems and explains how it is dealing with them, rather than refusing to admit that they are there. The EFG has done exceptionally well there, and will be starting her GCSE work in September so we have good expectations for both of them.
The garden is producing well - we are eating the lettuces, the first courgette has been picked, lots of strawberries have been enjoyed and the beans are racing up the poles!
Friday, 25 June 2010
Highs and lows in the maternity ward
The good news tonight is that there are two Brown Sussex chicks hatched, and more in the process. The bad news is that the Silver Laced Wyandotte (SLW) we set on eggs last night has lost the plot. She doesn't seem to grasp that she has to sit ON the eggs in order to hatch them. When I checked on her this morning, the eggs were in one area of the cage and she was in a nest, further back, looking at them.....I removed them. The other broody, Leah, is an old hand, having done it all before, so she knows the score and is sitting well already, fiercely protective of her eggs.
I cheated this morning and called in at Delfland Nurseries, where they raise organic plug plants for the trade, but also have a small retail outlet for locals, and I bought 15 butterhead lettuce plugs at 10p each. I just never got round to sowing the next batch of seed in time, and we are eating the lettuces quite quickly so this is a way of keeping up with demand until I get in gear with the seeds. Gardening is definitely on the agenda for Sunday!
I cheated this morning and called in at Delfland Nurseries, where they raise organic plug plants for the trade, but also have a small retail outlet for locals, and I bought 15 butterhead lettuce plugs at 10p each. I just never got round to sowing the next batch of seed in time, and we are eating the lettuces quite quickly so this is a way of keeping up with demand until I get in gear with the seeds. Gardening is definitely on the agenda for Sunday!
Thursday, 24 June 2010
More ladies in waiting
Tonight we have put eggs under two more broodies - one is a Dutch bantam called Leah, who is now sitting on 5 GPO eggs, and the other is the Silver Laced Wyandotte hen, who has been given 6 eggs of assorted origin. They are tucked up on their nests tonight, and we will be hoping for more success in three weeks' time. The current broody Light Sussex has only days to wait before she pops but she has already rejected two of the eggs, so there will be a maximum of 6 left to hatch. 'Tis her first time, and I don't think she is sitting on the eggs very well as you can occasionally see odd eggs peeking out from under her feathers.
The YFG has had her sports day at school this morning and came home delighted to report that althgough she didn't win any races, she did manage several second and third places, so a big round of applause for her. The weather has been much more comfortable here today with some breezes and even the odd cloud.
After school, we nipped quickly to town to pick up the EFG and then went to the other town to the supermarket as I needed some Quark to make a cheesecake. The recipe hasn't arrived yet from my sister, so I am not sure what I am going to do with the Quark, but hopefully I'll find out in the morning. I did ask her for the recipe two weeks ago, and had hoped to do a dummy run at it before I have to make it for "company" so think of me tomorrow making this! I have to provide a strawberry dessert for the church Strawberry tea on Saturday and tomorrow will be my only opportunity to make it!
The YFG has had her sports day at school this morning and came home delighted to report that althgough she didn't win any races, she did manage several second and third places, so a big round of applause for her. The weather has been much more comfortable here today with some breezes and even the odd cloud.
After school, we nipped quickly to town to pick up the EFG and then went to the other town to the supermarket as I needed some Quark to make a cheesecake. The recipe hasn't arrived yet from my sister, so I am not sure what I am going to do with the Quark, but hopefully I'll find out in the morning. I did ask her for the recipe two weeks ago, and had hoped to do a dummy run at it before I have to make it for "company" so think of me tomorrow making this! I have to provide a strawberry dessert for the church Strawberry tea on Saturday and tomorrow will be my only opportunity to make it!
Breakfast in the chick run
The chicks enjoying their breakfast in the early morning sunshine
They seem to be enjoying the great outdoors!
The two groups of birds have integrated well although they did gather together in their original groups to sleep last night. One group went into the house we provided, the other group preferred to sleep under the stars.
They have got plenty of space to move around now, lots of scratching opportunities too!
This unusual dish is being used for their water at the moment - they like to perch on it too.
Having a chat at the watering hole - two Brown Sussex birds.Wednesday, 23 June 2010
Strawberry surprise
I said a while back that the strawberry bed was full of grass and weeds - it is also chock-full of beautiful berries hiding in the undergrowth!! I pulled two and three quarter pounds of succulent berries tonight - I got stung in the process, but they are gorgeous, and the YFG has already asked for some for her snack tomorrow and the FH has pilfered some too!
Today has been hot, hot, hot! I spent an hour watching tv during the hottest part of the day, and pottered around inside as well as it was just too hot to be working outside. Unfortunately, I lost my Sutherland kale seedlings to the heat yesterday, so I need to sow some more - I was really disappointed about that when I discovered them this morning. I was up early to get the hose pipe out in the greenhouse, but I think that I need to be earlier tomorrow. The cucumbers will be hitting the greenhouse roof within days if they continue at their current rate of growth and there are lots of tiny cucumbers growing on their stems.
The 6 GPO chicks and 7 Brown Sussex chicks are now in a run on the lawn in the back garden. It seems very early to be putting them out, at nearly three weeks old, but they have been off the heat for over a week now, and all seem fit and strong. The one with the bad foot has totally integrated into the mini flock now, thank goodness, so I am really pleased about that.
The YFG has Sports Day in the morning so we will be getting her organised with plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat for that. There is little shade on the school field, so this year it has been organised to take place first thing in the morning, so I hope that it will all be over before the temperatures peak.
Today has been hot, hot, hot! I spent an hour watching tv during the hottest part of the day, and pottered around inside as well as it was just too hot to be working outside. Unfortunately, I lost my Sutherland kale seedlings to the heat yesterday, so I need to sow some more - I was really disappointed about that when I discovered them this morning. I was up early to get the hose pipe out in the greenhouse, but I think that I need to be earlier tomorrow. The cucumbers will be hitting the greenhouse roof within days if they continue at their current rate of growth and there are lots of tiny cucumbers growing on their stems.
The 6 GPO chicks and 7 Brown Sussex chicks are now in a run on the lawn in the back garden. It seems very early to be putting them out, at nearly three weeks old, but they have been off the heat for over a week now, and all seem fit and strong. The one with the bad foot has totally integrated into the mini flock now, thank goodness, so I am really pleased about that.
The YFG has Sports Day in the morning so we will be getting her organised with plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat for that. There is little shade on the school field, so this year it has been organised to take place first thing in the morning, so I hope that it will all be over before the temperatures peak.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Budget blues
Was I moaning about the weather the other day? Rain, wind and chills? Now we have gone completely in the other direction and we are perspiring sitting still! The YFG went to an athletics day for an intervillage festival today and came home as red as a beetroot and far too hot and bothered to contemplate going to gym, so I went alone whilst she had a cool swish in the bath, watched tv and then cleaned the lounge. I owe her one!
Today the YFG helped me with two other gymnasts at her school to present Assembly all about gym. I broke the ice at the beginning by telling them all that "gymnastics" comes from a Greek word, gymnos, which means "naked" because originally it was done in the nude! They all had a chuckle at that!! It was fun and the three of them were good helpers - and the teacher in charge of the assembly gave them two merit points each, which pleased them.
This afternoon, I watched George Osborne present the new Budget to Parliament. I took notes, and I think that the only measures which will affect us in a big way will be the hike in VAT in January, and the freeze on Child Benefit. I don't earn enough to benefit from the increased personal allowance, and the FH might only possibly be affected because of his age anyway. I think that the other changes will affect us all in some way or another, but in a less obvious way - we'll have to wait until it all trickles through to daily life and then assess the impact it has on us. I don't see any change to our moneysaving way of life! As far as VAT goes, if we plan to make any big purchases, we will think about making them this side of 4/1/11.
Today the YFG helped me with two other gymnasts at her school to present Assembly all about gym. I broke the ice at the beginning by telling them all that "gymnastics" comes from a Greek word, gymnos, which means "naked" because originally it was done in the nude! They all had a chuckle at that!! It was fun and the three of them were good helpers - and the teacher in charge of the assembly gave them two merit points each, which pleased them.
This afternoon, I watched George Osborne present the new Budget to Parliament. I took notes, and I think that the only measures which will affect us in a big way will be the hike in VAT in January, and the freeze on Child Benefit. I don't earn enough to benefit from the increased personal allowance, and the FH might only possibly be affected because of his age anyway. I think that the other changes will affect us all in some way or another, but in a less obvious way - we'll have to wait until it all trickles through to daily life and then assess the impact it has on us. I don't see any change to our moneysaving way of life! As far as VAT goes, if we plan to make any big purchases, we will think about making them this side of 4/1/11.
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