[SallyintNorth]

Also made two cheeses (now in press) and planned tomorrows (oh so interesting...not) day out to test-drive some vans, my car was just written off...

Oh, Anke!  What happened?  You are all okay?

[ballingall]

What size of van are you looking at getting Anke? I have to say they are so useful, even the small ones.... You can get the small ones (ford connect/ berlingo size) with a fold down seat in the back. But the big ones are great- if I had was getting another one now I'd definitely get a higher roof though.... Even as short as I am I bang my head on ours!


Beth

[Anke]

Also made two cheeses (now in press) and planned tomorrows (oh so interesting...not) day out to test-drive some vans, my car was just written off...

Oh, Anke!  What happened?  You are all okay?

Drove it through a flood on the road, drowned the engine and it was 10 years old... but I had to do the "damsel - with two children - in distress routine for the first time in my life  - no mobile reception, so I just flagged down the first 4 x 4 that came down after me...
Beth - I am (probably ) getting a Transit - long wheel base and high roof one - it will sleep three, take some (female!)  goats and all my clobber for shows too.... and I can stand up in it!

[goosepimple]

and I'm coming to live in it Anke, so if you open up the doors and there's someone  , it'll be me, sounds good, they're a tardis inside I understand 

[Bionic]

I have been trying to make caramel with no success.  I was supposed to be caramlising some walnuts to go on the top of a cake. It will have to be naked walnuts now 
Sally

[Lesley Silvester]

Never tried caramalised walnuts - sound interesting.
 
I've had a friend round to do goats hooves and another one to sort my laptop.  Now I need a rest before going to a quiz tonight.

[plumseverywhere]

I hosted a Soap making day! Katie and Goatlady from here came over along with quite a few other goat keepers. Very nervewracking but I actually enjoyed it 

Apart from my little TV appearance last year, I've not done a demo before so quite enjoyed the challenge. Now looking forward to hearing about their soap making over the next few weeks - hoping I've dispelled some myths about how scary working with lye is!

[Lesley Silvester]

Would have liked to have seen that, Plums.  Are you planning a tour?

[plumseverywhere]

   quite possibly Mad goatwoman!

[jaykay]

Wish you were closer (for soap demos and visiting anyway  )

I've been buying sheep    and selling them - much less 

[plumseverywhere]

Jaykay, I wish YOU were nearer for visiting! and I'd probably buy sheep off of you 

[MAK]

What was I up to today?
One of the tasks was to fit a plastic tap onto a plastic water butt that is taking water from a downpipe. Simples?
No - the area around the water butt floods after rain and the cellar ( 6 meters away) gets damp. However the water supply raises it's head in the cellar then it flows underground to the barn and so passes under the water butt ( one of them) that collects rain water from the barn roof. Well it should do unless we have a freeze.
The simple plastic tap connection turned into a massive exploration of underground working and lifting a drain man hole cover across the road. 2 HOURS WORK !!!!
Smallholders should never have plans or lists of jobs.

[jaykay]

Smallholders should never have plans or lists of jobs

many a true word... 

Well, my day having started at 4am, I think it is time it ended  Zzzzz

[Small Farmer]

Our local twice postponed ploughing contest.  Lovely sunny day but the ground was very wet so the guys with trailed ploughs weren't pretty


Lovely friendly event with good conversation and good food.  Felt good today

[Ina]

The sun's been shining here for several days now... What's going on - this can't be Scotland in 2012?

Anyway - done the washing, got out the rest of my broad beans - and now I fell wacked, because for the second time in a month I've got a massive cold, which is leaving me knackered after the slightest bit of effort. Grrrrr. Good excuse to get back to the knitting and reading, but I'd rather be doing something outside in this weather!

(And how come they've managed to get to the moon, and now even Mars, and not found a cure for the common cold yet? I've tried all the known remedies... )