Monday, 31 May 2010
Chick hatching update
Three Gold Partridge Orpingtons have hatched today although I didn't really think any would hatch until tomorrow - but they have, so I'm not complaining! I hope that more will hatch overnight and we'll have a count up in the morning; there were 12 eggs in that incubator, so we may have up to 9 more. The other incubator is warming the Brown Sussex eggs - and they are due tomorrow, but one has started to pip at the shell tonight, so again, there may be news to report there in the morning too! Excitement all round here at the prospect of hatching the Brown Sussex as they are SO rare....
Beans are in!
Yes - I felt like putting the flags up yesterday to celebrate - I have one whole veg bed full of dwarf beans. They are a variety called Tendercrop, so I hope that they grow well and taste good when they are grown. The weather yesterday was damp when we got up, but it dried off and the sun came out, but there was a gusty west wind most of the day. I still have the Ferrari dwarf beans to plant out, but there are slightly less of those, and I still have to weed and prepare a bed for those. Today's plan is to do that and prep a bed to put courgettes and lettuce for the summer. Yesterday also saw 6 cucumber plants being put into the soil in the greenhouse - I have 18 plants, of two varieties, so I planted 3 of each - Burpless and Telegraph. The other 12, well - I'm looking for homes for those! Around those plants, I put some lettuces so that they will come on slightly earlier than the ones I plan to put outside. Some of the tomato plants were brought out of the greenhouse and up under the verandah so that they can get used to cooler temperatures before actually going outside.
Today has dawned bright and clear again, but the wind is from the north east, so it is a little chillier, so I'll just have to wrap up warmer! There are more jobs to do outside as well as the gardening - the FH is making the troughs for the trellis, and I painted three for him yesterday. There are two more in the making today, and they will need to be done as well, although the YFG is after some pocket money for a day out on Thursday so she may ask for the job! Now that the FH has his driving license back, he is taking the YFG and her friend to Wicksteed Park in Kettering on Thursday - the EFG doesn't want to go so she and I will be having a day at home.
Today has dawned bright and clear again, but the wind is from the north east, so it is a little chillier, so I'll just have to wrap up warmer! There are more jobs to do outside as well as the gardening - the FH is making the troughs for the trellis, and I painted three for him yesterday. There are two more in the making today, and they will need to be done as well, although the YFG is after some pocket money for a day out on Thursday so she may ask for the job! Now that the FH has his driving license back, he is taking the YFG and her friend to Wicksteed Park in Kettering on Thursday - the EFG doesn't want to go so she and I will be having a day at home.
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Spring rain
It has been raining on and off nearly all day today - and the garden really needs it, so I can't complain. The beans didn't get planted yesterday because I had to take the FH out on an errand which apparently couldn't wait, but I have potted most of the tomatoes up this afternoon - rain doesn't matter when I am in the greenhouse! There are lots of varieties and I am looking forward to seeing which are the best this year. The chickens aren't too happy with the showers after all the sunny days we have had but they will have to get used to it as I think that there is more rain forecast over the next few days.
Gym this morning, and we had a busy day with lots to do. We decided on the date for the holiday club week, and it is booked at the sports centre, so I can now plan our summer a little more, knowing when we are committed to being where!
When the YFG and I got home from gym this afternoon, the FH was holding a VERY important piece of paper - the letter from the DVLA saying he can DRIVE again!!!!!!!! Whoopee! You can't imagine how happy I am to have that letter at long last! And what a relief it is that he is mobile under his own steam again - thank you, DVLA!
Gym this morning, and we had a busy day with lots to do. We decided on the date for the holiday club week, and it is booked at the sports centre, so I can now plan our summer a little more, knowing when we are committed to being where!
When the YFG and I got home from gym this afternoon, the FH was holding a VERY important piece of paper - the letter from the DVLA saying he can DRIVE again!!!!!!!! Whoopee! You can't imagine how happy I am to have that letter at long last! And what a relief it is that he is mobile under his own steam again - thank you, DVLA!
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Gosh - it's Thursday!!
Can't believe that I have been absent for nearly three days - time flies! What have we been up to?
Tuesday went by in a flash and all I really remember was that it was gymnastics in the late afternoon and evening. In the morning, though, the FH and I went to the timber yard and fetched the trellis and fence posts - that was a laugh, trying to get everything home on the roof of the Astra estate car - we managed it! We made some holes and got the Metposts lined up but not actually in the ground.
Wednesday was a busy one - the FH and UJ took 12 hens and 3 rabbits to the auction at Mildenhall; I needed to move some of the crossbreed hens on to new homes so that I can concentrate on the breeding groups. I did keep Goldenburg back as she has a special place here and we love her. We also loved Bubblegum the rabbit, but it made sense to find her a new home. Apparently, although we got less than £1 a rabbit, they all went for pets rather than to butchers, thank goodness. They were all pure Dutch rabbits, and are all very sociable, so some people got bargains! Whilst the FH was out, I went to town to meet two of the helpers to finalise their logbooks for their coaching exams. We spent nearly two hours drinking tea in Tesco's cafe but we just about got them done. I came home in time to pick up the YFG from school, then I needed a rest before trundling off to see my sister in the other town - she's had a operation on her foot - and pick up the EFG from Rounders club. Then (there's more!!) we had a lovely meal together with UJ before the YFG and I had to go to a meeting about the Gala in the summer when all the year 6 girls get to be the Gala Princesses. Cue painting and decorating a float in July....
It came as no surprise to find that I was exhausted today - so I went back to bed and slept most of the morning away once the girls were off to school. I made up for it once I rose again, though, as we have got the trellis up and finished, looking good! I have also been weeding the veg beds this evening in an attempt to get one or two ready for planting - the dwarf beans ARE going in tomorrow. I also need to finish another bed off for the lettuces, and then there are the tomatoes to pot up, and the FH had almost made troughs to go under the trellis to plant the runner beans in so that they grow up the trellis. Knowing that runners like deep soil, he has made the troughs extra deep.
I must put up the new-to-us recipes we have found lately - there's the rhubarb crunch cake with variations, the excellent carrot cake and the fudgey-wudgey chocolate cookies.
Tuesday went by in a flash and all I really remember was that it was gymnastics in the late afternoon and evening. In the morning, though, the FH and I went to the timber yard and fetched the trellis and fence posts - that was a laugh, trying to get everything home on the roof of the Astra estate car - we managed it! We made some holes and got the Metposts lined up but not actually in the ground.
Wednesday was a busy one - the FH and UJ took 12 hens and 3 rabbits to the auction at Mildenhall; I needed to move some of the crossbreed hens on to new homes so that I can concentrate on the breeding groups. I did keep Goldenburg back as she has a special place here and we love her. We also loved Bubblegum the rabbit, but it made sense to find her a new home. Apparently, although we got less than £1 a rabbit, they all went for pets rather than to butchers, thank goodness. They were all pure Dutch rabbits, and are all very sociable, so some people got bargains! Whilst the FH was out, I went to town to meet two of the helpers to finalise their logbooks for their coaching exams. We spent nearly two hours drinking tea in Tesco's cafe but we just about got them done. I came home in time to pick up the YFG from school, then I needed a rest before trundling off to see my sister in the other town - she's had a operation on her foot - and pick up the EFG from Rounders club. Then (there's more!!) we had a lovely meal together with UJ before the YFG and I had to go to a meeting about the Gala in the summer when all the year 6 girls get to be the Gala Princesses. Cue painting and decorating a float in July....
It came as no surprise to find that I was exhausted today - so I went back to bed and slept most of the morning away once the girls were off to school. I made up for it once I rose again, though, as we have got the trellis up and finished, looking good! I have also been weeding the veg beds this evening in an attempt to get one or two ready for planting - the dwarf beans ARE going in tomorrow. I also need to finish another bed off for the lettuces, and then there are the tomatoes to pot up, and the FH had almost made troughs to go under the trellis to plant the runner beans in so that they grow up the trellis. Knowing that runners like deep soil, he has made the troughs extra deep.
I must put up the new-to-us recipes we have found lately - there's the rhubarb crunch cake with variations, the excellent carrot cake and the fudgey-wudgey chocolate cookies.
Monday, 24 May 2010
Heatwave indeed
The heat has been unseasonable this weekend and we are expecting a return to more normal temperatures for the time of year this week. The mercury in the greenhouse hit the top of the thermometer, and the tomatoes wilted a little. They are OK now, but a couple of the pepper seedlings didn't make it.
Sunday was a good day - the YFG and I went to church and then came home to the cool! The FH took the girls to a neighbour's BBQ at lunchtime, and I had a sleep in the reclining chair until the EFG came home, and went out again. The FH returned at about 3.30pm and had a snooze on the sofa but the YFG stayed, playing with her friends, until 6.30pm. My dad came over in the evening and we trawled the internet for a suitable holiday for him and MB to take, now that the insurance is going to be more tricky to access after the January event in Antigua! We found a P&O cruise around the UK, and a couple of specialist insurance companies for him to contact today, so fingers crossed that they are able to help him.
I have been spending again - there was the incubator, new glass for the verandah windows, a wireless strimmer for the grass around the garden beds (it drives me crazy!) and today some Metposts and water butts for the garden. We are going to put some trellis up, so the Metposts are to hold the fence posts for the trellis. The trellis will be purchased tomorrow, with the fence posts, from our friends, Roger and Kevan, who have a local cut-price timber yard. I have been thinking about buying the Wii fit system to add to the Wii games that we already have, but I think I will consider it a bit longer! I have found a good deal at Amazon, which is cheaper than Tesco, but perhaps there are still better deals out there...
Sunday was a good day - the YFG and I went to church and then came home to the cool! The FH took the girls to a neighbour's BBQ at lunchtime, and I had a sleep in the reclining chair until the EFG came home, and went out again. The FH returned at about 3.30pm and had a snooze on the sofa but the YFG stayed, playing with her friends, until 6.30pm. My dad came over in the evening and we trawled the internet for a suitable holiday for him and MB to take, now that the insurance is going to be more tricky to access after the January event in Antigua! We found a P&O cruise around the UK, and a couple of specialist insurance companies for him to contact today, so fingers crossed that they are able to help him.
I have been spending again - there was the incubator, new glass for the verandah windows, a wireless strimmer for the grass around the garden beds (it drives me crazy!) and today some Metposts and water butts for the garden. We are going to put some trellis up, so the Metposts are to hold the fence posts for the trellis. The trellis will be purchased tomorrow, with the fence posts, from our friends, Roger and Kevan, who have a local cut-price timber yard. I have been thinking about buying the Wii fit system to add to the Wii games that we already have, but I think I will consider it a bit longer! I have found a good deal at Amazon, which is cheaper than Tesco, but perhaps there are still better deals out there...
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Doings in the Fens
Much has been going on! The verandah has been reclaimed from the ravages of the chickens over the winter months, and we now have a nice dining area again out there. It has taken a lot of hard work with mop and bucket, broom, shovel and cobweb brush - but it was far too hot today to do it during the day, so we started at about 7pm and finished at 10.10pm, tired and rather dusty - showers are in order before bed tonight.
The new incubator arrived yesterday and has been put to work tonight with 20 eggs. It turns them automatically, so that is one less job for me. On the egg front, I am disappointed to report that I caught one of the Brown Sussex hens eating an egg this morning. Apart from the fact that the eggs are wanted for the breeding programme, it is really bad to let them get away with eating the eggs, so I must try blowing one out and filling it with a mustard mixture to put her off.
The YFG didn't come to gym last night as she came out of school hot, bothered, crotchety and with a headache, so she stayed at home. I told her to rest and drink plenty, and stay in the lounge where it is refreshingly cool. What did she do? Went into the kitchen, where it is south facing and hot already, put the oven on and made some Fudgeywudgey chocolate cookies. They are enormous but seem to be very popular with the family and her friends, so no doubt that recipe will have to be added to our collection - it makes a very chewy cookie.
The new incubator arrived yesterday and has been put to work tonight with 20 eggs. It turns them automatically, so that is one less job for me. On the egg front, I am disappointed to report that I caught one of the Brown Sussex hens eating an egg this morning. Apart from the fact that the eggs are wanted for the breeding programme, it is really bad to let them get away with eating the eggs, so I must try blowing one out and filling it with a mustard mixture to put her off.
The YFG didn't come to gym last night as she came out of school hot, bothered, crotchety and with a headache, so she stayed at home. I told her to rest and drink plenty, and stay in the lounge where it is refreshingly cool. What did she do? Went into the kitchen, where it is south facing and hot already, put the oven on and made some Fudgeywudgey chocolate cookies. They are enormous but seem to be very popular with the family and her friends, so no doubt that recipe will have to be added to our collection - it makes a very chewy cookie.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Goldfinches in the garden
The FH and I had a beautiful surprise this afternoon when we sat in the garden - two dainty little goldfinches came fluttering down and pecked at something in the grass for a few minutes, letting us have a good look at them, before flying away again. When we moved in here, six years ago, there was hardly any vegetation as it was a bare new plot, and most of the neighbours were the same, but now we are getting more established and the wildlife is moving in - there has been a hedgehog family here for a couple of years, and we are now getting more interesting bird species beyond the sparrow and the starling.
The FH's sister and her husband arrived at 10.30 this morning and stayed for a couple of hours. There was much reminiscing, in which I couldn't really take part, as they all grew up together in Northamptonshire and a generation or two ahead of me, so I knew little of which they were speaking. I made the coffee and listened. They kindly brought us three bottles of wine from their travels in France, and the FH enjoyed their company. No doubt he will see them again in December.
This afternoon, after I had picked the YFG up from school, we made a trip to town, as there were a couple of things I needed to do: I fetched some glass for the verandah windows from the glazier, some breeder's pellets for the chickens from the feedstore and I also put a couple of cheques in the bank. My mobile phone was in dire need of a top up, financially speaking, so I dealt with that as well.
I didn't out the next batch of eggs in the incubator the other evening as it wasn't hot enough, but it has reached a satisfactory temperature tonight, so it has been loaded up with 10 Gold Partridge Orpington eggs and 2 Silver laced Wyandotte eggs. I ordered a new Corti 25 automatic incubator on Tuesday, so I hope that it will come soon as I have quite a few Brown Sussex eggs ready to give it a go.
The FH's sister and her husband arrived at 10.30 this morning and stayed for a couple of hours. There was much reminiscing, in which I couldn't really take part, as they all grew up together in Northamptonshire and a generation or two ahead of me, so I knew little of which they were speaking. I made the coffee and listened. They kindly brought us three bottles of wine from their travels in France, and the FH enjoyed their company. No doubt he will see them again in December.
This afternoon, after I had picked the YFG up from school, we made a trip to town, as there were a couple of things I needed to do: I fetched some glass for the verandah windows from the glazier, some breeder's pellets for the chickens from the feedstore and I also put a couple of cheques in the bank. My mobile phone was in dire need of a top up, financially speaking, so I dealt with that as well.
I didn't out the next batch of eggs in the incubator the other evening as it wasn't hot enough, but it has reached a satisfactory temperature tonight, so it has been loaded up with 10 Gold Partridge Orpington eggs and 2 Silver laced Wyandotte eggs. I ordered a new Corti 25 automatic incubator on Tuesday, so I hope that it will come soon as I have quite a few Brown Sussex eggs ready to give it a go.
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