February 2009
Oat cookies
Tuesday 3 February, 2009
We do like a biscuit with a cup of tea but we get awfully fed up with commercial biscuits. Good ones are so expensive. However, I found a recipe for oat cookies in a magazine and have been making them for weeks. It is so simple and so far I've made raisin; apricot and almond; hazelnut and sultana and (the best) ginger. I'm sure there's a date and walnut version and a chocolate chip version still to come.
I've put the recipe in the recipe section for you to try: Oat Cookies
God's country
Tuesday 3 February, 2009
An American decided to write about about famous chuches around th world.
When he visited the first church, he noticed a golden telephone on the wall with a sign below, which read "$10,000 per call". Intrigued, he asked the priest what this was. "Ah", said the priest, "that's the hot line to heaven. For $10,000, you can talk to God".
The American visited churches all over the States, in Australia, New Zealand and many countries. In every one, there was a golden phone, with a sign below "$10,000 per call".
Garlic, shallots and potatoes
Wednesday 4 February, 2009
I've finally received and planted the garlic; this is late for us - normally, we'd be looking to plant it before Christmas. However, I'm hoping that it will do fine. The variety is Wight Christo. I've planted three rows of 6 cloves, which will be enough for us. We don't use a huge amount of garlic, really.
I've also got our shallots - two varieties. These are round shallots this year. In previous years, the varieties we've chosen have been the long type. I hope to get them in early March as our soil is quite well drained.
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag
Wednesday 4 February, 2009
You may recall the song from Mary Poppins, I think - well inflation's moved things along since then. We've always put out bird feeders and enjoy the wild birds that come to feed. A friend gave us a huge feeder as a wedding present - the idea that we could fill it every couple of days. Unfortunately, the birds didn't understand this and proceeded to empty it.
We don't get anything very exotic - starlings, spuggies (sparrows), wrens (one of my favourites), blackbirds, blue tits, a couple of goldfinches.
Ice inside!
Wednesday 4 February, 2009
It took me longer to deice the inside of my car this morning than the outside. I don't think it has a leak - I think it's just carrying wet dogs, wet boots and jackets, buckets of horse poo (stables to garden) mean that the moisture content of the car has risen.
I was scraping the inside of the front windscreen and was covered in ice shavings, thinking (I must get a dehumidifier and dry this car out". Come summer, and the warm weather (?), I'll leave all the doors open to let it dry naturally but I can't wait until then.
Sheeps' feet
Wednesday 4 February, 2009
My sheeps' feet do stress me. I'm not very confident trimming them. So I've asked Gillian, who scanned the girls, to give me a lesson on Sunday. Jinx has had a problem with a back foot before and she's a wee bit lame again. I trimmed them at the weekend, but it's so wet and muddy that the antiseptic spray just washed off. We've made a pen on the patio and we'll clean her feet and spray them tomorrow and leave them shut in for a wee while. I hate to see her in pain, but hopefully Gillian will be able to put us on a firm footing (deliberate pun!) on Sunday.
Lil' Hubbards
Sunday 8 February, 2009
We took delivery of our ten Hubbards yesterday. They hatched last Wednesday so are a wee bit older than day-old. The cardboard box brooder was all prepared - lined with four sheets of newspaper, so I can simply remove one a day to give them a clean surface. Not tried thsi before but it worked fine today. They're messy little beggars.
All seem to be eating and drinking fine; when I went in tonight, they were sound asleep, all together under the light. I was worried last night - we've never had chicks at this time of year and outside ( i.e. not in the spare room!) but they seemed fine and it's not so cold tonight. It's actually snowing a bit.
Meet Hugo!
Monday 9 February, 2009
Hugo is our new Cream Crested Legbar cockerel. I think he might be brother to the late, lamented Chip. I'm sure when I bought the eggs Chip came from, I gave the ones I couldn't get in the incubator to my chum, Carol, to put under her broody hen. Must think a bit more about that!
He's in an ark with two of the CCL hens - we'll move the others in with him over the next few days. In a few weeks, all being well, I might be able to set some eggs from them.
I've run off the breed standard, so I'll "score" my lot and see how they compare to the "perfect" CCL. Not that any of them are in any danger of being less than perfect in my eyes!
Jura's pregnant! And their feet are fine!
Tuesday 10 February, 2009
Gillian came back at the weekend to scan Jura - and she's in lamb with a single. Mind you, she's going to lamb about the end of May. She must have been caught the day we brought them home, just about. I'm really pleased - I didn't want her to feel left out, with no lamb. Now all I have to do is get them safely through the lambing. Oh, the responsibility! I'll have to get my lambing kit ready.
Gillian also had a look at their feet and they're fine. No scald, no footrot and my trimming is OK.
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