My second childhood is here...

actually, I don't think I have actually left my first childhood!! But I had a wonderful day browsing through the second hand shops on a search for Enid Blyton books. I had lots of them, probably most of them, when I was younger, and somewhere along the line they seem to have disappeared. So I decided I wanted to try collect and read as many of them as I can, as I am OBSESSED by them! So these are the ones I managed to find today...

 

and also the Green Witch book for £1 :)

Anyone else a secret EB fan?

Working in the garden...

Today we decided to start work on the garden properly. We decided to put the top garden to veg this year, and have the bit where we originally decided for veg, for our new pigs, which will hopefully arrive at the end of the week. Lewis and dad planted some very early seeds in the greenhouse, and I thought the chickens looked sad in their run, so decided to let them into the garden to eat the worms that were dug up. We were pleasantly surprised that the soil is of a much better quality than our old house, so here's hoping we will get a good veg crop this year.

 

just starting to turn it over...

 

the new veg patch...

 

  

small boy is getting big...

 

of course, we need a chicken pic!

And, we have saved the best til last....this is Debbie, animal whisperer....

 

yes, it is a chicken...

The Silkies are Here!

We collected our Gold Silkie breeding pair, along with our three white Silkie hens this morning...more to add to the flock. Richard has been in the process of extending the already huge chicken pen over the weekend, and just has a last bit of the high fence to staple on in the morning before he leaves for work. The chickens all did a fair bit of squawking til they settled down together and as darkness fell they all settled down nicely in the hen house. The geese weren't too impressed however, and tried chasing the new arrivals up a tree, which obviously didn't work as Silkies don't fly! They look like mini 70's rockers with their eyelinered eyes and quiffy hair! Apart from being lovely, we hope to get them sitting as foster mamas (apart from the cockerel of course!) as the big girls are rubbish mothers; they love to leave the chicks in various places over the farm and come back themselves for food! As far as I;m aware we will likely have them hatch for a couple of weeks then spend the rest of the summer broody, which in all honesty will be very handy, as of course, mother natures way is much better than any incubator!

 

 

 

Another addition to the family

I am thinking we should maybe charge for entry as we have so many animals!!! But she is so sweet, although she has already decided she is charge of everyone and everything!

This is Kaye :)

Is it the weather...

...that is making me feel so restless? Or is it the christmas/new year anti-climax effect? Something is making me want to shake things up a little, to completely change me and my life, to run away from it all. I sit and daydream for hours about it, then I come back down to earth with a bump, and remember all the things that would make it so hard to do all the things I yearn for. Maybe it's because this year I will be leaving my 20's behind, and in some ways I feel like I haven't "done" anything with my life (although I so obviously have!) Maybe the weather is just making me feel claustraphobic, as we have been near enough snowed in since before christmas. Each day is the same, same sounds, same sights, same colours. And the lack of sun and fresh air is making me so stifled. Let the sun return to warm the earth, and breathe life into me and my garden again...

The main road!!

there were two pheasants but by the time I got my camera they had gone!!

if you look in the background you can see how much snow fell on the top of the cold frames!

I love this photo...

Here's to 2010!

Happy New Year to you all! We are currently snowed in technically (although the 4wd will get us out if we get desperate) with about 8 inches of snow. It has been snowing here for about a fortnight, and quite frankly, now it's getting a little boring! It doesn't help living at the top of a hill either, so I am hoping the snow will kindly bugger off soon. It looks lovely though, and Lewis is having great fun, although it makes it a pain feeding all the animals. Plus the terrier is having snow problems-the snow is higher than him!

the garden this morning.

the other end of the garden

what I could see out the kitchen window.

Lewis and his snow duck.

I also saw this on another website and thought it was nice...

Perhaps a bit wiser,

a bit kinder, too,

a little bit braver,
a heart that's more true,
a touch of believing
I've not known before,
in joys I'm receiving
a little bit more.

A little more anxious
to reach out my hand,
despite hurt or problems
to still understand,
accepting the heartache
that life often brings,
a little more beauty
in life's simple things.

A prayer when I'm weary
as onward I trod,
a little more trusting,
believing in God,
'tis this I would wish for
within moments dear,
not a lot - just a little
this wondrous new year.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz ~

Merry Christmas 2009!

Hope everyone has had a wonderful, peaceful time, and thank you to all for following my blog. See you in the New Year! xxxx