new residents

The farm has acquired a peahen from somewhere. She goes to bed with the chickens, though sleeps on the highest rafter away from the cluckers, and hangs in the garden all day like a pet. She is a bit of a runt, and seems to have a crooked leg, which has perhaps been broken and healed badly in the past. I also think she has slightly defective eyesight, as she can't see anything smaller than a peanut to eat. She fits right in. Also featured is a trio of pedigree LEMON SABLEPOOTS (honestly). Brought home from market by the big boy (obviously) with strict instructions to care for them and hatch all eggs that are laid. Hence, a spare room now clicking and whirring with an incubator full of tiny white eggs. And I swore I wouldn't do this! The tiny sablepoot cockerel is absolutely savage, and would fight anything that comes close (including my arm and hand). Therefore, he is staying safely in the pen until he can learn some respect. The very much larger cockerel is one of the two replacements for Cocky (who was eaten recently: see earlier post). He is very polite, and moves away from humans, and is also kind to his girlfriends. His colleague in the mating game is a rich brown feathered and bearded bantam cockerel, who avoided the camera lens more skillfully than the Head of MI6! These two cockerels live peacefully together, and have shared out the girls nicely, so their stay at the farm may be a long and successful one. The farmer has dug, and continues to dig, lots of trenches to bring power water and drains to my new studio (the old Egg Shed). He's been as busy as a bee, and ably assisted by the hens, who have gobbled up each and every worm that has been exposed by the sharp blade of the spade. Many were rescued before the feathery predators could pounce, but many, many more have gone into egg production (think about it). The hens were running around yesterday with half of a baby rat in their beaks, falling out about the remains like lions over a zebra. So pleased with themselves. Just think. All that protien straight into the eggs. Yum.....

The little brown girl is one week from pupping, and is perhaps slowing down, just slightly. Our first litter of COCKERPOOS. So excited. Hoping they will be in an array of colours. Typically, yesterday, there was an enquiry about another litter of pedigree working cockers.... giving the farmer the opportunity to say 'I told you so'. He isn't keen on the prospect of cockerpoos. So I'm hoping they prove popular, and I can say 'I told you so' to him too.

Took baby boy back to University yesterday, so house empty, beds clean and changed, carpets vacuumed, fridge full and beer staying in fridge. Its not all bad! Big boy coming home in two weeks time, with a friend, for 5 nights, then they both require a lift to Heathrow as they set off on their Big Adventure. Returning in late August poorer and wiser. With regret, they are not taking any laptops or valuable mobiles with them in case of theft, so news of their progress will be sparse. Dreading it already!

Rowing Regatta results....

Its a regatta, not a competition (oops). 72 Universities gathered their finest rowing teams in Nottingham yesterday. 42 craft made it through the preliminaries (including the youngest's Leicester team). And then. And then. All further races were cancelled owing to high winds! He's gutted. He worked out the total cost for him to attend was £70. He feels cheated. And for those teams who travelled from Scotland and Southern England what a huge disappointment. A great big pat on the back to whoever organises these gigantic events (its never going to be me) and deepest sympathy to all the students who turned up and didn't get a stab at the finals. Next year?

buying and selling

Been sooooo busy, sadly haven't taken any half decent photos. The days are just motoring by, and I can't seem to keep up. The big boy has gone back over the border for his final 4 weeks of hard work and exams before he packs up his remaining goods and chattels, to spend about 5 days in Lincolnshire prior to flying off to New Zealand for the summer. It has come around so quickly, and I still feel very peculiar about him being all the way around the other side of the world. Youngest hanging at home until 9th May, then in a fabulous denial of any value for money at all, he returns to Uni for 2 weeks (you got that right, 2 weeks) of lectures, then its 'study independently' until the end of term. What a freaking waste of money. We have to pay for an entire term's accommodation and food, and he's not even expected into University. So, he's coming back home after the two weeks, to find a summer job, gainful employment being a better prospect than titting around campus, library, and the Union bar for 6 weeks. I DO hope that Second year is better value. It has always been the Farmer's opinion that Open University is a better deal than campus University, and the saved money invested in world-wide travel and culture vulturing. I think he may be right.

Its been absolutely wonderful having both sons home for Easter including all their friends occupying all the beds every weekend. I shall miss the hurly burly when the youngest pushes off to Leicester again.

I have my new website up and running at www.clearance-service.co.uk. I don't know if I will have any interest, but thanks to Malcolm's efforts I am having a go! The farmer is buying me a small lorry - just looking for one now. I have also accepted a price for the conversion of The Egg Shed into an Art Studio/Gallery, just waiting for the builder (and his Dad) to begin. The joiner was at school with the Big Boy (which makes him seem VERY young)and his Dad is doing the small amount of bricklaying that's necessary. I am so excited I could practically BURST!!! Wondering if I need another website to advertise art works - including those of other Artists? Thinking about it anyway. Obviously I will need more and more wallspace for gallery evenings.... the possibilities are endless.

In addition to all this I have reserved a place at art college for the Autumn. If I'm too busy to go I will postpone, see what September brings!

Brown dog beginning to look really 'full' around the middle. The Toy Poodle seems to have done his job, and a litter of Cockerdoodles (Cockerpoos) is expected in three weeks time. The black dog just looks virginal. Drat her! One more chance for her and a paramour in the Autumn then she will be speyed. Some girls just won't!

The Royal wedding day brought us three social engagements. An 18th Birthday luncheon, a Royal Wedding tea party, and a dinner engagement with friends. The farmer and I ate so much cake, gateaux, chantilly cream, birthday cake, trifle and chocolate biscuit cake (Queen's recipe apparently) that today we are unable to move around, and our skins are splitting..... The calorie count must be terrifying. Am walking the dogs and walking the dogs to try and move my bones but its tricky to motivate all that cake-fat! Oddly, today, the farmer and I didn't much fancy any puddings. Can't think why.

Youngest has been to Nottingham for a fairly serious rowing competition (not sure if that's the right word in rowing circles) and I await his return home in an hour to hear how it went. As he declined to describe his race on the telephone I feel pretty sure its not good news. Its the taking part that counts, after all!

Yellow horse has almost moulted out his pale winter coat, and the rich golden palomino colour is coming through again. Hoping to get him to the Riding Club show this month, if he stays sound, and his shoes stay on (two fairly unpredictable outcomes to aim for). He has been extremely good out hacking recently, and have asked the farmer to find me a little bit of off road space for some schooling again, when he has time. The sun is out and the wheat keeps growing. Wondering if its too much to ask for.... a drop or two of rain please?.....

feral child

The farmer and I travelled almost to Brighton today to make a delivery. Boy, was that a long journey. We broke our homeward travels at the home of Mr & Mrs Black - aka The BlackLog blogger, and many thanks to them for ensuring that we actually completed the journey in a reasonable mental and physical condition! On our arrival back at the farm we noticed the flames of a fire in the farmyard. Upon closer investigation the inferno proved to be the work of the Big boy. It seems he had shot a rabbit, skinned and gutted it, and then set up his own spit arrangement to see how long it takes to spit roast the carcass, with the intention of eating it. Dear gods, we only left him for 12 hours, and he 'goes feral'. So far there has been much prodding and poking to see if the juices run clear, but no eating as yet. Oddly, my appetite quite suppressed.... Vegetarians - stay away. Think the Big boy is practicing living wild for his summer working in New Zealand. He has now skinned and eaten a deer, boiled and consumed the crayfish, and spitted a rabbit. He is a competent pheasant dresser and fish filleter. The horse's prospects are a bit dubious. On the day of the revolution I hope he's on my side.....

On a lighter note, today was the London Marathon event. My lovely niece and her equally scrummy partner took part on behalf of Arthritis Research and Care (their sponsorship is in excess of £4000). Joe finished in a highly creditable 4hrs+, and beautiful Alice just over 5hrs. I am so proud my eyes are watering at the thought. I hope and trust their mammoth efforts will benefit lots of sufferers of this horrible disease. What a team. They were supported by Alice's two sisters and her mum, who pursued the runners around London to encourage and cheer. Cor, what a family.

The wet room at the Farm is finally finished, whooppeee, just got the dust to clear up. Strangely, its taking me quite a long time to get around to it. so much to do, and so few hours in every day. Looks like my new website is about ready for launching too - pretty excited about the 'reveal'. A few more days!

crayfish nightmare

Our river has been invaded by signal crayfish, an American non-native breed which out competes our smaller native species. The big boy brought a crayfish trap back from Scotland. The big boy set his trap with a huge bream which had died and washed up on the river bank. (It gets worse) For several days the trap has remained stubbornly empty except for the increasingly stinky bream. Today - hey presto - two signal crayfish and two eels! The eels were released without harm back into the river. The crayfish revealed themselves to be the invidious signal variety. Big boy loaded them into a carrier bag. He has brought them home. He has stolen some water from my goldfish to keep the crayfish alive in the base of a bucket. The pan of water is currently boiling on the stove. I hear the click, click, click of the barbeque tongs as the Big Boy fishes the larger crayfish out of the bucket and into...... the pan of boiling water. Its partner will join it in one minute. We are supposed to be eating them for our tea. OMG. This boy could survive in the desert or on the mountains. I wouldn't and that's for sure. The crayfish have turned from brown to bright red. Its time to eat.......

a Black weekend!

Mr and Mrs Black came for dinner! They helped to celebrate The Farmer's 50th. We walked their legs off at Gibraltar Point on Saturday afternoon in glorious sunshine. Saturday evening the 6 of us had a pretty appalling meal at the Eaves (Little Steeping), however the weekend was redeemed on Sunday by the Farmer's decision to take a boat trip en famille on the Boston Belle! Once again the weather was absolutely stunning, and the boat trip was simply lovely. Calm water, excellent company, tranquil surroundings and a very respectable picnic lunch provided by the Belle Staff. Well done that Farmer.

All now weary. Thanks to Mr and Mrs B for sharing nicely.

a naughty thing

an imp of mischief has arrived in this locality, and is putting up a small, brave fight as a lone voice in favour of wind turbine technology, on the basis that we have to start somewhere, and nuclear is a bit scary. I wonder who it can be?