And so the rain continues....

It has been an interesting few days, we hatched some eggs over the last few weeks only 1 phesant survived, a duck hatched but later on died. When we first got into all this incubation stuff a lady did say be prepared for deadstock - it has to be when you have livestock. It's sad but we are learning from our mistakes, like for instance, when one of the builders was doing a job for a poultry fancier, he gave the builder some eggs - he passed them onto us, thanks said hubby straight into the incubator 21 days later 3 of the 6 eggs began to hatch, we now have 3 fluffy smokey coloured yellow bellied chickens! Haven't a clue what they are, hubby chatted to builder said 3 had hatched of the 6, builder said those eggs were for eating! Not sure what poultry fancier man would say about hatching his prize fowl! oops.

On another note we have recenly registered and become a Caravan Club CL, 5 caravans allowed waste and water facilities available, no showers no toilet. So things ticking over bookings coming in and bookings going out - too much rain slippery grass cars getting stuck not good for business, one such campervaner came looking for us round the house peered into downstairs room, meanwhile my 20 year old daughter getting changed doing hair and make-up all wihtout tee-shirt on, knock at front door nice european gentleman needs some help with bikes, he was very wet we offered cup of tea, daughter comes out of bedroom which is off kitchen and gentleman apologized for looking into her room but claimed it was a nice sight! Daughter very embarrassed, but will get over it, the joys of country living and running a holiday business, so time to don the mac and wellies and go egg collecting... and so the rain continues.

Romany eat your heart out!

Well I think I have looked at every possible 2 bed caravan available to buy, I know I won't be sleeping in it, but is it a woman thing? It has to be able to be cleaned without thinking really it needs gutting, surfaces that have no burn marks or cuts on them or stains, etc etc, Get the picture? Well we seemed to have struck a deal, it will be delivered last week of August ready for a clean-up and move in, I suppose I got a little worried when Hubby spat on his palm and shook on the deal! Where does he think he is, maybe is was being in the caravan- turned him into a bit of a dealer. He thinks he got a bargain as the seller has offered to buy it back at 50% reduction when we have finished in 6 months time. Watch this space I shall take photos for when its delivered it should be worth recording! Feel today a bit of a wasted day, wanted to weed and just stay at home but worked out we had children needed picking up dropping off and Hubby helping a friend move some furniture, that has to be done at night because the village roads will be too busy to park and get furniture during the day, Hubby back much later - parting shot- what's for T!! Men and their tummys!
Well put ducks and chickens to bed feel like i have cheated on tea, pizza, burgers not even home made . Its just been one of those days and it's raining again - more and more weeds before i even have chance to clear the ones already there. At least with the rain the donkeys stay in one place - the stable, much easier for poo collecting in the morning, it does take a while to collect 14 poos if they are wandering all over there paddock.

Tomorrow hopefully less rain more jobs, you may not think so but i do enjoy this life.

Holidays are to be endured not enjoyed!

Well children broke up last week and already bored. Tried giving jobs out but all they want to do is either play footy, shop or go to the beach! Seriously it is really hard to entertain the family when there are so many jobs that need to be done. Hubby still driving the dumper or digger for the builders, which is fine, however that leaves me to automatically become taxi for daughter oh and walking cash machine and the boys just want a childrens entertainer!
I good friend came to stay last week for a few days it was just how i imagine it would be to have an au pair, he cooked, entertained and his son was a joy, now it's back to me.

I suppose things wouldn't normally bother me but tomorrow we go and choose a caravan which we will be using for partial cooking and sitting in two of the children will be sleeping in it whilst hubby myself and youngest child will be sleeping in one of the newly converted barns. Sounds good but winter will be here and there is no cover between barn and caravan, i also have to pack up the house yet again. We packed everything up January 2006 when we moved to Cornwall most of my stuff is still packed up and stored in the cow-shed i suppose if i haven't missed things in two and half years i can't possibly need them now. My wardrobe consists of one hanging rail i seem to wear the same old uniform, shorts, polos and fit flops or shorts polos and wellies so ball gowns redundant in cow-shed and for now i really don't miss that look.

So i need to motivate my children to poo pick for horse and donkeys, weed the veggies, collect the eggs to sell at the end of the drive. An ideal life i think i would have thought i was in heaven if i had grown up with donkeys and chickens, but this is our dream not theirs and at least they don't moan about being here.

It doesn't baa thinking about!

Just taken delivery of 8 Jacobs sheep, just weaned from their mothers so a little noisy. We know from experience that this will settle down. They are in the donkey field along with another three sheep which we are using to chomp down the donkey field before the donkeys arrive. The grass has to be really short for them so sheep get chomping please. Even more good news 3 more bookings for our CL site! And even better than that, about 21 days ago hubby incubated a selection of eggs 2 ducks Rhode island and pheseants well last night we heard chirping and today some have broken through the shells a little can't wait to see what happens, ducks have another week to go pheseants a little longer - hubby really chuffed.

Girls night out.

Well last night got invited to mum's night in whilst children went on school camp, great night we all cooked and provided alcohol. Fab, Fab, night, within 1 hour of arriving youngest daughter rings mobile, hi mum couple in campervan want to camp what do i do? My first GNO for 2 years, hubby gone to secondary school for talk on activities week trip in July, Hubby left mobile at home, finally told him (i rang pub) he thought it was a set up, so they paid and left this morning as they came with dog and we don't do dogs.

Meanwhile watching tea-time neighbours, phone goes, hello etc couple hoping we had room as nothing in our area... i said yes we are very excited!! However we live on a farm and they don't want noise? i said cockeral gets going at about 8.00a.m. hope they enjoy their stay. Weather been great today but forecast rubbish.

Wet,Wet,Wet.

Yes i know the name of a good eighties pop group, they did some good songs but i wish they had been called Sun,Sun,Sun, it's great living in Cornwall but just having got over the fuel problem (hubby said when its gone its gone), meanwhile maniac me planned route so i could cover all jobs on saturday afternoon that just happened to go past many petrol stations. Plan worked and i did top up not because i am a maniac but because i knew we would need food, children taken to activities, jobs etc. Anyway panic over tanker drivers happy at their - 12% increase i believe. But if we start on that one and the nurses pay, teachers pay, etc etc. Well where was i? So deccided to come in out of the wet and spend a little blog time, many distractions once inside, phone calls, cups of tea for builders etc etc, next thing you know its 4pm and nearly dinner time. Along with the wet the wind has also made an appearance i just love flamin' June. Keep seeing a break in the cloud but doesn't amount to much. Desperate to get outdoor jobs done, weeding, weeding and maybe even some weeding. I don't really mind and it means you can think of other things in your head as you go. I have started to repair an old rabbit hutch i keep stripping off the old wood but frankly i'm getting down to not much, we thought as it stands on four legs and has a nice grill front it would be good to sell our eggs at the gate again. Our supply dried up then a nasty magpie came and had the occasional bite plus some of the birds started eating their own eggs, short of grit we have learnt so we shall try again. The builders took the roof of the second barn and discovered the wood was more rotten than we thought, so a small delay whilst they make new A-frames but anyone who has done any kind of extension or new build knows you always have to accept that things take longer than anticipated. There is some good news the donkeys should be arriving around the 1st July so i am really looking forward to that. Youngest boy has gone to camp today for one night only with school it's in dorms so will be nice and safe however his first night away from home not sure he will bother but i might, so going out with other Mum's just so we all feel better, maybe a drink or three, some food and then driving daughter collecting and bringing us all home again. Meanwhile hubby going to a school meeting then to pub and then driving daughter collecting said hubby on way home, good plan, just wish the rain would stop!

Been neglecting blog!

Having a blog can sometimes be like having a diary and forgetting to turn the pages.

When you do switch on/ turn pages you realise that 2 weeks maybe a month have gone by and nothing written in the pages! Well that is my poor apology out of the way.



Flaming June has arrived along with that my daughters birthdays 17 and 20 - where has the time gone? They have decided to go on holiday together for their birthday present. They fancy Turkey or Zante, i have already said i don't want to travel further than Exeter for the airport. That is a bit restricting, 7 days or 2 weeks, what happens if they bicker will two weeks be too much but will a week be enough to develope the kind of sun tan they are hoping to achieve. Decisions decisions - meanwhile back at the ranch,

We have had 3 of our Rhode Island Reds eggs hatched by a friend, not a lot i know but we are really pleased, then we noticed something not right with the rear of two - won't go into detail but it appears that the heater lamp may have been too close to the birds or it may be that they are establishing the pecking order of the 3 which by coincidence shows the 2 smaller birds with the rear problem! So we have split them all up they can still see each other - not sure it makes a difference.
The whole hatching process started because we have been selling the eggs at the gate again and can't keep up with the demand we have been more vigilant this time so nothing stolen so far.

The builders are cracking on at a stonking pace, looking at kitchens for the cottages tomorrow, easy to clean minimallist is what we want to acheive.

Made a huge mistake last week, got chatting to a lady in agricultural store over the notice board - as one does! Said i was looking for a companion pony for the dartmoor she said she had just the thing, went with my boys next day to view, it was bigger than i thought gut feeling said no but heart said yes. Pony arrives Monday got on with dartmoor great 8.00am next morning knock at door had we a little black pony, yes, pony escaped and trotted mile and half up lane tethered at neighbouring farm oops. Woke eldest daughter walked horse home, horse going mental she had escaped under two lines of thick electric fence, put pony in stable tried to climb out. Rang lady who sold horse she said nothing she could do. I blubbered to hubby, hubby said ring her again and she did come and collect. Maybe the fact i paid by cheque may have helped! Moral of story don't talk to strangers and always go with gut feeling. Mentioned to hubby i am sick of chasing round looking for him can i have a quad bike.....................................................................