Shouted at by chickens!

Chicken World

Ever been shouted at by chickens? Told off good and proper? Seems this morning I was too eager to clean out the chicken house, and boy were they disgruntled. You'd think I had seven cockerels by the noise they were making. But the sun was shining and I was out and about early, that early even the pigs were wiping sleep from their eyes as they stumbled towards the trough and their yummy breakfast of pig nuts and apples.

Of course it was just the White girls doing all the pushing, shoving and shouting, my lovely Brown girls (still refusing to lay an egg between them) were off on their now extensive wandering forays into the neighbouring fields faster than you could say 'Layers Pellets for breakfast girls'. They are so brave now, they set off every day straight after breakfast past the pond and down into the huge field that has recently been cut but not replanted. Sometimes they are just specks on the horizon, four little brown blobs of feather, luckily with their nut brown colouring they have excellent camouflage from the Red Kites that swoop low around here. Always together and happy with their own company.

On an altogether different note, last night on my way back from helping at the CS I stopped at our mail box to be greeted by, for once not just a pile of bills and junk mail but by a parcel from one of my favourite places 'DreamAcres'. The glorious scent hit me before I even undid the tissue paper. Karon had got my order out in super quick time and boy was it a nice few minutes oohing and aahing over my lovely scented goodies.


If you feel the urge to treat yourselves or your loved ones (she has some lovely Christmas ideas too), pop over to http://www.dreamacres.co.uk/ to see for yourself. While you're there link into her blog Dream Country Chat, well worth a read and one of my favourites. One bad thing though Archie, the cat loves the scent of Karons things and has already run off with one of my little hearts, seems he's sulking because I didn't order him a catnip mouse this time!!

Well must dash now I'm off to visit my lovely neighbour and landlady, currently recovering from a hip replacement operation, to give her the latest copy of Country Living. Guess who forgot she had just taken out a subscription and went and bought herself the latest copy from Waitrose last night? Forgetful me..............no....never..!! Lol xx

Sue xx

Missing Weekend

Where did that weekend go? It seems to have been over in a flash.

Bramble and Rosy

On Friday while Lovely Hubby got on with a bit of tree planting and general tidying around the farm, I got seriously stuck in to some Christmas card making for the Farmers Market on Sunday. Friday also saw us looking after Holly and Bramble our landlords lovely pair of mother and daughter black labradors.

Holly - a delightful old lady.

Saturday saw us, with all four dogs scrumping (getting apples, both windfalls and off the tree) they will make tasty snacks for the pigs and would otherwise have gone to waste. The best of them I may just pick out for another batch of apple puree. Then I took LH out for lunch at Bicester Avenue and it was also a chance for me to pick up more supplies for my card making (it's becoming an obsession, but at least one that makes us some money).

Sunday saw us up bright and early at the Farmers Market, me setting up stall and LH in the kitchen, it was his turn for bacon butty duty. After the market was over we drove around the surrounding villages picking up the Farmers Market signposts (it was our turn for this too). And then LH was off to collect some more horse muck and follow a new contact he has made for further supplies. Our worm business is going to start with a flourish come spring when all this has composted down slightly.

By the time we had done all this it was time for a quick bonfire, put all the animals to bed (even the chickens needed a helping hand last night as they got themselves stuck behind the orchard fence!) and then get ourselves warm and cosy for the evening by the roaring log fire in the living room.

Truly a very speedy weekend and now it's a new week, with a misty, cold and damp start. The dogs have been walked, the chickens are exploring in the pond (there's no water in it at the moment) and the cats are tucked up in their little wigwam beds. The pigs seem to be wanting a holiday in Australia, they are about four foot down in a huge hole they have decided to make. Me, I'm sitting at the computer, office work done for the day with a lovely cup of coffee and slice of buttered toast. I'm having a blog catching up session and later I hope to add a little Christmassy something to my little blog shop.

Hope you had a good weekend too.

Sue xx

Remembering

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.

Age will not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

we will remember them.

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I look with pride at my men, Alan, my husband, who spent 24 years serving in the Royal Navy and Simon, my eldest son, who spent 4 years serving in the Royal Logistics corps of the British

Army. Both lived through conflicts and wars and thankfully returned safely home to be with their families. There are many who are not so lucky.

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For their sakes we must remember.

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Sue xx

No Post Here Today

What no post.....and we've come especially to read it!!

No post here today (and for once that's nothing to do with the Royal Mail!) but if you like having a nosy through other peoples cupboards (and who doesn't) nip over to my other Blog at http://sueyouarewhatyoueat.blogspot.com/ .

I'm off up to my workroom now to make up some Christmas cards for this weeks Farmers Market in the village hall. Inspiration please strike me NOW!!

Sue xx

Mud Wallowing

No photo today, I couldn't hold my camera and stay upright!!

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Here on the farm we are mud wallowing, the chickens have the cleanest feet ever because they have been walking in puddles all day and the pigs have been moved into the next enclosure because theirs was thigh deep in mud for them.

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When I first went over I thought their legs had shrunk to half size and then I stepped in the pen and I too sunk. Watching me would have been funny but at the time was pretty scary...who wants to be head over heels in mud. Luckily my wellies are a really tight fit with two pairs of socks on, so I managed to keep them on my feet.

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A walkway was created with straw and then I could get back, so the three lovely ladies were moved next door where now their legs look the right length again!!

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Luckily the sun has come out for the last couple of hours this afternoon, so the animals popped out of their houses and basked briefly in its warmth. Already it is going dark though. and soon they will be all tucked up warm and cosy for the night, and I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.

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Hope you are slightly less muddy and warm and cosy too.

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Sue xx

Goodbye October

Sorry Mum.......but how could I not use a shot like this?

October was a productive month here on the farm. We aquired three new residents, Martha, Maud and Betty, we sadly said goodbye to Mona, and we started on the mammoth task of putting the farm to bed for the winter. Not that work will cease, just that we are downscaling the amount of new jobs and rounding off all the half finished ones.

We had a week of help last week from our lovely Mum and Dad, who between them managed to plant loads of Leylandii trees, plant out our daffodil and tulip bulbs amongst the trees around the house and also pot up SEVENTY pots of bulbs ready for selling in the New Year, oh and in a spare few hours they had, they planted another 240 onion sets in our other raised bed.

And then they said they were sorry for not being much help!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU

" And this is what we call a roll of wire"

Lovely Hubby had a couple of days off work and got stuck in with gusto. Some mornings we did have a slightly later start than usual and the chickens and pigs were treated to the lovely sight below.

It's enough to make anyone lay an extra egg in shock!

The weather was kind to us and we got lots done, and best of all we did it together, all four of us, aided and abetted by 2 cats and 2 dogs, 11 chickens and 3 pigs. A message from Betty to Mum.......thank you for the bananas.. .see you again soon (and by the way I like avocados too!)

Looking forward to November....can it BE any better!

Sue xx

New Blog Shop

After much deliberation I have decided to close my Typepad Blog and move my little Blog Shop onto Blogger which I find much easier to use.

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It is called Lavenders Blue 2, the second re-incarnation of my lovely little shop in the Ulverston, Cumbria. In it I will be selling a selection of the lovely lavender and associated items that I currently sell at the Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs that I attend here in the leafy lanes of Oxfordshire, England.

The Original Lavender's Blue... in Ulverston, Cumbria.

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I will strive to keep all postage costs as low as possible and will also use this little shop to offer special offers and 'last of lines' to all my lovely readers.

A lot of the items that I sell are handmade and unique to Lavender's Blue and although I do not mind in the slightest you copying any item for your own use I would prefer that you did not mass produce to sell in this area. If, however, you live abroad or at least outside of England......feel free to be cheeky!! (In fact email and ask for help if you need it!)

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I will add to the shop on a regular basis and leave items for sale until I have no more stock, so please scroll back to find older posts to order from. Once stocks are gone I will post on the relevent page to let you know.

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As a special offer to start my Little Blog Shop off on the right foot, I am offering a free Goody Bag of Lavender Lovelies to the fifth Follower to sign up to the shop.

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Thank you for reading this interruption to life on the farm, normal service will be resumed on Monday.

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Have a brilliant weekend.

Love Sue xx