Oh my god, it's ducks now!

Well, him in doors decided we need more chickens, rang chicken lady no chickens yet but we can have ducks. Rapid build of duck house inside agriultural building and guess what today 2 drakes and 10 ducks arrived. They didn't just turn up, we went to collect, thought big dog crate lined with newspaper would suffice. Yes but No but, how did they manage to hang their bottoms out of the cage and poo? My lovely disco is being used - for what i guess designers intended - we think we may need a defender. One duck laid an egg as it got here, and of course it smashed on the concrete, we have straw area waiting for laying. Hoping chickens and ducks will all get on well as they have all "ran together" previously! Listen to me you may think i am expert but not so just really chuffed we are prepared to learn and continuously do so.

How to spend a saturday!

Well, got up nice and early, 2nd child got a job cleaning in a nursing home. Quite looking forward to it so fingers crossed even though that now means no lie in for saturdays and sundays for a while, unless she passes driving test - must book lessons.



When to a plant nursery auction today, wanted to stop farm looking so barren. Should have gone prepared and taken the truck and trailer, instead took my lovely disco and guess who had to stay behind with remaining plants that wouldn't fit in car? After freezing butt off for 2 hours plant guarding the hero returned for remaining plants and myself. I did feel sorry for him as he had to unload car at other end. We had some great bargains - apart from the plants that someone stole. You bid on lot ,when auction over you pay in office, take payment invoice and load up your lots, sounds simple but we have to remember that not everyone is honest, some folk come to auction buy at beginning pay and leave, but guess what? They leave with your lots too. Yes ladies and gentlemen folk steal. The thieve leaves with your plant/s and is at home grinning from ear to ear regarding their success meanwhile bargain hunters freeze butt stay till end of auction and find plants missing, However one perpetrator, didn't get away quickly enough and we reckon returned 4 missing conifers because they heard us shouting a lot, suddenly they reappeared. We did get a refund and the remaining missing plant was a lot of 5 conifers which we really wanted as we wanted fast growing windbreak type stuff to well to use as a windbreak. Anyway hero unloaded second car load and i'm having a quick break and a cuppa, then as a treat all family members having supper in local hostelry, nice log fire and real food, what could be better, such a rubbish weather day chickens already gone to bed so nice and safe from foxy loxy.
Just remembered got to get up early to take no 2 to job, o well worse weather to come tomorrow so planting of lots delayed for a couple of days. By the way for all gardeners out there i found out today you do not plant magnolia trees in lime based soil and don't water them with tap water as it contains lime. Sorry won't make habit of being cocky but don't really retain much in head.

Noahs Ark- without the flood

Well hear we are the end of another week, the weather here in Cornwall has been windy and chilly but really not cold. That is not compared to Cheshire cold, as yet i have only de-iced windscreen once this season and we are pretty exposed where we live! I'm sure back in the north there have been many abandoned cars due to snow by now. I spent today digging veggie patch planting bits and bobs and drawing a plan of what is where. This will be an experimental year as apart from planing spuds 12 years ago i have done this before. However, its like most things, i never had chickens before and i have learnt about them and we are about to get some more we only have the 6 hens but we are already getting 4 eggs a day! Part way into April i have got two donkeys come to live here the owner is relocating and needs somewhere for her donkeys this is good as we are trying to create the type of farm environment that is good for us and the people that visit on holiday. I have already found that friends from school come to play - not for the childs company but i think mainly for the fun of running around the fields seeing the horses, digging in the stream - you get the picture. Being a farm we can sell our produce, that is something we are really looking forward to. It's great to go to bed at night feeling totally exhausted from clearing and digging not as my husband use to find falling asleep to the drone of a train engine running you back north after a business trip to London! He use tobe an IT consultant now he is s**t shoveller, digger, tractor driver, post and rail fencer, and plenty more besides. This has been the best thing we have ever done spending days doing what we want - no deadlines, well not unless you call getting the caravan certified location up and running asap! But after due diligence for business sales etc etc
Oh thats better just paused to refill red wine glass downstairs, i have old school desk in bedroom which is a great place, sky tv with own box (condition with husband of moving to 200 yr old farmhouse waiting for builders to start), girl needs ocasional tv, lap top and copius amounts of wine.
Off to plant(garden sort) sale tomorrow early, second daughter starting cleaning job in older persons home really looking forward to that. Hopefully buying Bar B Que as well, since rayburn giving up we need a bar b with a gas ring so i can boil stuff when i need to. Not long with the builders mess and rubble, dirt and dust be finished they reckon - by christmas......
Firstborn having boyfriend over, made toad in the hole and sliced potatoes, could this be love or what, never cooked for me, maybe a slice of toast on birthday or mothers day and her bedroom is spotless. She at present is living in the dairy next to kitchen so all comings and goings of said boyfriend duly noted by all family memebers, she also sleeps in sisters room so i can relax, don't know why she is 20 this year!
have a great weekend all,