couple photos

 Original peahen and her keen young lover, the juvenile boy the farmer and I released from the barn. He's growing like a weed, and his tail is stretching out. No eye feathers yet.

Here he is! Becoming tamer by the day, through careful distribution of shelled peanuts, everyone has a weak spot, and peanuts are his!

Wet hair, and experimenting with the self-timer. Again. Sparkle shoes. Yay!

Some evenings are just busy....

A very welcome and wonderful evening with lovely friends, interrupted periodically by mobile phone stuff and my father. Nevertheless we found time for lots and lots of talking, and a bottle of pink champagne. Whoohhooooooo.

The Baby Boy has now received his degree results and is, I assume, delighted with the outcome. We certainly are. He is celebrating in Leicester with the lovely D., and will arrive home on Saturday, as we leave to spend time with other friends in North Yorkshire. One long round of socialising out here in the countryside you know!

Big boy off to China on Saturday afternoon for two weeks. Thinking his excitement has developed into slight anxiety now that departure time is almost here. It is the chance of a lifetime, however, and I know that he will make the most of his time in the Far East.

No time for more. Mucho... X

those pods

www.campingpods4u.com

Enjoy!

photography instructions for ladies:

The full instructions can be found in my MAY blog under the heading: Call to Women of Valour and Courage. Look in the list on the right hand side of the page, and you will see the word may. Click on May and the postings I made in May will show. Choose the Women one. In case you are interested...

Camping pods glamping pods summerhouse luxury garden shed office workshop studio

I have a source for individually designed and constructed super-high quality and fully insulated and ventilated camping pods which also  make stupendous garden summer houses or home office etc. For touring parks, camping parks and holiday parks, and for your garden. Made to order, a sample pod can be viewed locally. You can't buy better quality, finish or, most importantly, at a more competitive price. Ask for more details and to view.

tree fandango

The farmer spotted this beauty in the woodpile this morning, as he was chainsawing tree-trunks for the fire. OMG how perfect is it! Its like a heap of treasure in artistic terms. So exciting! Now considering what to do with such a wonderful thing!

Another arrived!

I have received a third anonymous image for my new art project. HOORAY!

60th birthday celebration on Friday evening, a 40's birthday party last night and an 18th birthday bash tonight for the farmer and me. We shall be completely jaded by Monday morning! Staggering under the weight of gifts and cards, holding our heads with the burden of alcoholic intake, and loosening our belts as a result of all the birthday cake! Its not pretty.

The baby boy has moved incalculable quantities of wood in the past few days. Sawing, chopping, splitting, boxing, bagging and cutting sticks. He has turned a mountain into, quite literally, a molehill. I believe there are now approximately 20 or more boxes of logs and an entire box of firewood. We are expecting to be warm this winter......!

He bought himself an axe from B&Q at the beginning of this odyssey, (7 days ago). It has a plastic/man-made handle. It has worked hard. However, I noticed yesterday that the axe-head is loose, and parting in a discreet but determined manner, from its shaft. In the knowledge that a flying axe-head is a very dangerous thing, I have taken the implement off the boy (not without some complaints) and intend to take it back to B&Q shortly. I am wondering what they will make of a tool which was only bought a few days ago, and bears all the signs of rigorous wear and tear? It will be an interesting exercise in customer service for B&Q and yours truly.

Better climb out of my pyjamas then, and be off about my business, have old peeps turning up for feeding time at mid-day and I don't want them finding me unprepared. Hungry old people can be very difficult to handle!

Wish me luck with the battered axe situation!
X

Ever-hopeful

I am still hoping, praying, appealing for image submissions for my new term art project - a celebration of the vulva in all its fascinating and variable glory.  Dare you? Anonymously, of course!

baby boy, axe and muscle

Bring home a young man from University, itching with exuberance and excitement. Show him an enormous pile of old fencing posts, dead trees and wood offcuts. Offer him a sharp axe, food and  plenty of liquid refreshment. Throw in some sunshine for good measure. Wait patiently indoors. BINGO! Miraculous conversion of wood pile into fire sized logs and kindling!

The afternoon did not look promising. Overcast sky and humid atmosphere. Regardless, I invited the Baby boy and the dogs to accompany me on another beach walk. The rain held off, the beach was completely devoid of life and we had a wonderful walk (or in some cases, gallop) along the tide line. Several treasures were found and brought home. And I had talkie time with the Baby Boy. What could be nicer? Dogs now tired. This old person exhausted and Baby boy pushed off to gym to work off yet more of his seemingly endless energy.

I rode the horse at 7am, roads quiet and enjoyable. The farmer did not accompany us as he was still stacking in the Zzzzz's in bed. The yellow one and I coped very well on our solo outing, and I may well make a habit of early morning riding. Scary traffic certainly much less numerous.

Think we shall not make our way to Lincolnshire Show tomorrow. Intending to enjoy a quiet day at home I believe. May even MAKE SOME ART! Whoohooo.

As ever.  X

James would like to announce the birth of a new little family....

 

8 weeks old, and all sold, these 4 handsome babes are the puppies of a jack Russell which lives in our village.  Her owners were keen to let her have one litter, and are so absolutely delighted with these little cuties that they now think they may have another litter in a year or two! The dog pup who is laying down has completely wild hair, there is a smooth haired bitch, and the other two bitches have slightly wild hair. They are tiny. Absolutely miniscule. Its a good job there's no room in this house for another canine, or I would have popped one in my pocket and hoped it wasn't noticed.

Here's the proud dad. The mother, by the way, is mostly white with tan patches, and smooth haired. One has to assume, therefore, that the black coat of their dad is the dominant gene for colour!

 

The big boy popped home for one day to bring his shotgun back from University. He has now returned to his University accommodation to pack up his worldly goods and transfer them to his new accommodation near Ashby de la Zouche (where he will be working from mid July for a year). He's also off on a short tour of the South West visiting friends, then end-of-year Ball, rush home for an 18th he doesn't want to miss, and off to China. What a pace to live!

 

Youngest has just been offered 8 weeks with regional Chartered Surveyors to his great delight, meaning excellent experience prior to starting at the Royal. He will fill his other weeks with labouring for the Farmer, making a study of the Farmer's Weekly magazine and a little R&R.

 

I went to work again today, and I can proudly announce that all departing guests were cleaning angels, and left their accommodation in tip-top condition. If only all guests were made this way!!

 

Ta-ra for now mateys X

 

 

 

wanderer's return

The juvenile peacock on the LEFT of the photo is my returned wanderer. The mature peahen on the RIGHT of the photo is my pet. Now, we have had her for several years, living in lonely splendour with a ragbag assortment of hens and cockerels. In the Spring, when the weather warms, she frequently makes it clear that she is a little lonely. She races to the long windows to admire herself, and fans her small tail feathers to impress her reflection. She lives 'free range' and can be found in favoured locations all over the farm.

Last Autumn we acquired a handful of peacock chicks and they were shut up in a barn to grow on and mature. It came to pass that they have reached an age where we can identify which sex they are, and so I can say, with assurance, that there are 3 young peacocks, and 4 peahens in the barn.

My lonely mature peahen can hear these young pretenders calling, squabbling and probably mating. She is on the outside looking in. And they, conversely, are on the inside looking out at her. So, I said to the farmer, can we release one of these juvenile peacocks to live and pair with my lovely hen? No, no, said he, the peacock will fly away to a distant place and we shall lose him for ever. Go on, said I, she's so lonely it's worth the risk.....

So, we drove one of the boys out of the barn, and he took immediate flight onto a tall shed roof, from which eerie he spied my girl, and made his way down to meet and greet her. Unfortunately you may guess what happened next.............. he had a good look around the facilities available and buggered off! 24 hours passed with only a glimpse of him on the garden hedge. The farmer was particularly smug.

And then, this very afternoon, the peacock appeared from nowhere and landed on the tall shed roof once again. He stretched his neck, peering down into the poultry pen, spied his 'older woman', and flopped down to join her.

So, fingers crossed, he has discovered that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side of the fence, and will settle down for a bit of connubial bliss with my girlie.

I took my old touring caravan to Stennett's Auction at Brigg on Thursday, and it made exactly the money the farmer predicted. A little more smugness was in evidence at this accuracy. I had a lovely morning poking about amongst the rubbish to be sold and leaving with a pocket full of cash! Proceeds disposed of the same day into the farrier's pocket in exchange for shoes for the little yellow horse, and weekend provender for old people and homeward bound young people. It was nice whilst it lasted!

A morning cleaning at the caravan park on Friday was a cheery end to the working week, and I am now looking forward to Friskney Show on Sunday! I have entered a painting in the Art Class for the first time, and its always a wonderful day for seeing old friends and buying home made jam and cakes. I hope the sun shines for the day.

Off to collect all my art work from Skool on Monday, which, incidentally, earned a percentage mark of 72 for the year. Some 'boy' coming and going anticipated next week, and so I am dusting off my 'Mum hat' for sporadic wear over the coming days. Excited!

Less happily, no more lady photos have turned up in the postman's sweaty grip. I have almost given up hope. *sad sigh*. I need to put my thinking cap on to consider what may be done in the absence of original source materials. *another small, sad sigh*.