Harvest

Been to the allotment or the weed patch, as it is sometimes known.

What a harvest, Potatoes, Carrots, Cabbage, Radish and Beans and also some onions from Eddie and Frank.

Backgarden Free Range

Have had the Bantams and for the first time the ducks out in the back garden free ranging, glad to say the amount of weeds meant they left my flower beds alone.

Sunday - Festival of the Plough

Sunday off we went to Lincolnshire, for the Festival of the Plough, and what a lot of ploughs.

It was great to see Houses ploughing as well, not a sght seen very often these days.

Oh and of curse the kids had to have pony/ donkey rides.

Nice little poultry show, with some lovely birds. And some great collections in the tents.

Saturday - Cannon Hall Farm

Saturday we decided to finally visit Cannon Hall Opne Farm.

They have a nice selection of Poultry, sadly didn't seem to be kept very well, nest boxes not being emptied often if at all. One Trio we saw had 15 eggs that we could see, anouth Trio had 14, the eggs were not on nests just scattered around the nest boxes.

The ducks a pair on Indian Runner had no water other than a drinker, I know ducks don't have to have a pond but they are happier with one. The 4 Baby runner ducks were lovely. especially the grey one that was catching flies.

The Guinea Fowl had all escaped from their pen and were wandering around, the pen that claimed to hold Peacocks actually had Turkeys and several people thought they were peacocks.

I also think they need to learn to Sex their Rabbits and Guinea Pigs as there was hundreds of them, and no sign that they were rehomeing any.

Loads of pigs and piglets, rather sad to see one litter with no mother, and surprised that they allowed the piglets to be strocked, even the week old ones.

Loads of goats too, pygmys, nubians and several heavily pregnant ones, Rosie especially loved being able to feel the kid move in the pregnant pygmys tummy.

The girls feel in love with the miniature donkeys.

Incubators

Well I've certainly been biten by this Poultry keeping bug, On Thursday I purchased an Incubator fom ebay, just witing for it to arrive now.

Got to say I can't wait,just don't know what to start with.

Eggs

We are still getting an egg most days from the ducks, though nothing from the Bantams as yet.

Free Range

The last couple of days we have been letting the ducks and bantams free range in the rest of the front garden. They seem to really be enjoying the extra freedom, bugs, dandelions and grass.

Ducks, Bantams and Frogs

This morning the ducks found a small frog, within seconds they had killed it, but then none of them could swallow it whole, despite Blondie really trying, in the end tthey ran around trying to get hold of it off each other, and pulling it like a tug of war.

In the end the Bantams got it hold of it.

Not sure who finally finished it off but they did between them.

Not the best photo as it was still darkish and taken through double glazing.

More Jam

Well the extra elderberries have now all been washed, boiled and some are soaking in Sugar ready to make some more Jam, Elderberry this time.

More on Wine Making

Having purchased a wine making kit, aswell as yeast etc from Wilkinsons, we then discovered a bumper crop of Elderberries, and so it was all hands on deck to pick Elderberries.

We didn't have a clue as to how many we needed so we guessed at 2 carrier bags full, and picked 3 bags full for good measure, we actually only needed about half a bag full. Never mind i can freeze the rest, and the ducks have had some.

Wine Making

We decided sometime ago that Wine making was a must, so we decided to visit our local Home Brew shop in Wakefield, M & D Homebrew Supplies http://www.test.gowyld.com/, to buy some supplies.

We got our Demi-Johns, syphon, bungs and all sorts, but still ended up in Wilkinsons across the road. Sometimes local busisness are really hard to support.

Pennine group vintage tractor rally

Sunday was the annual tractor rally and ploughing match, at Elmsall Lodge farm, Badsworth.

Loads of Tractors, lots of ploughing with vintage and classic tractors.

Oh and of course MG's for Jamie to drawl over.

BBQ

So with Susans Sausages fresh from Penistone show, a bbq was called for.

Did I mention that her Sausages were Ostrich and Apple, an acquired taste I feel.

During the bbq, the bantams were allowed to roam the back garden, much to the cats disgust.

Penistone Show

Saturday 9th September was the Penistone Show, and what a show. As we came over the hill from Barnsley at Hoylandswaine, we could see the show in all its glory on the other side of the valley.

We eventually got there after a slow crawl through Penistone, parked in the special 4x4 car park (rather sloppy field) and entered the show.

The kids loved the Pigs, and the goats, Henry found one that kept kissing him. Rosie loved the Alpacas, but have to admit I thought they were rather boring, no real personality, you see.

The cattle and sheep great. And the poultry show amazingly noisey. And the Pigeons, well they don't do much for me. The kids were fascinated by the eggs in the show.

Have to say I loved one of the exhibits in the Tractors section, not sure how much it could pull though.

The sheep show, that we have all heard so much about from Rosie was great, that man really

knows how to work an audience. Dancing sheep, they have to be seen to be believed, and it was educational too. http://www.thesheepshow.co.uk/index.html

The whole day was great, slightly odd was tha Jamie and Susan were given money and can you believe they actually brought Sausages for Tea.

Rosie also fell in love with the chicks in the NFU tent, had to frisk her before she left, just in case one had sneaked into her clothing.

First Apoligies

Again sorry for not posting for a week, had a really hectic one, mainly due to the older ones all being back at school now.

Also the house is now on the market so spent alot of time getting ready for viewers, our first came Friday evening. Time wasters I fear.

Jemima is now Donald

You may rememeber the first ducks we adopted where a trio of Runner Ducks, named Jemima, Dive Bomber and Molly.

Well having watched Jemima recently with one of the new Runner ducks Blondie (the other being Brandy), it has become apparent that the breeder may have got their sexes wrong. So now we have Dive Bomber, Donald, Molly and of course Blondie and Brandy.

Selby Livestock Auction

Well Saturday we took the kids for their first Livestock Auction experience, and I think I can safely say they were slightly overwelmed.

They really loved the Fur and Feather section, but were a little upset that we didn't buy anything. We forgot to take the animal carrier with us.

They were slightly benused by the Misc section of the auction, especially the slight odd lots like old feed sacks, buckets of bottles old half used paintstripper & tins of paints, and then the really odd broken go kart.

Double Yoker

Well the extra large duck egg laid last week by one of the runner ducks was a double yoker., and thursday we actually had 2 eggs in one day.

More Sausages

Loads more sauages have been made, both Pork and Lamb, with different flavourings.

More on Duck eggs

Duck eggs being cooked

Wellies

We sem to have a growing collection of Wellies in the house now.

This picture show just some of the wellies drying after our trip to the farm.

Temple Newson Farm

Last week we visited Temple Newsom Home Farm, and we were very impressed, a very nice day out.

The House

The house is now on the market, so hopefully we can move sooner rather than later.

The Fort continued

Henry loves the fort, as do the others

The Fort

Andy finished the fort, and it looks great.

Duck Eggs

Well the two new Indian Runner Ducks started laying, so we now have a duck egg a day most days., Except today we got two.

Apoligies for no posts

Have had a really hectic couple of weeks and PC problems to boot.

More later.

Off to the allotment

Well I'm off to the allotment in a minute with my little cart, feel a bit of a wombel with it now, but hey I don't care.

Duck Weed

Desperatly in need of Duck weed, ever since the ducks got out (or rather were let out) last week, and the raided the store pool we have been short of duck weed.

Really annoys me is hearing people complain about it, when I actually want it.

The Pond is Clean Again

Drained the pond and cleaned it again last night.

Refilled it so now the water butt is empty.

Runner Ducks

Can't seem to find any young runner ducks locally, looks like we may have to rethink this one.

More Sausages

Made some more sausages, much better than last time.

Sykehouse Show Pictures (hopefully)

Andy has now agreed that we can have some more ducks after watchinng the sheepdog display, great display, one man 4 sheepdogs and 12 runner ducks. So the hunt is on now to find some runner ducks.

Sykehouse show

We set off for our first trip to the Sykehouse Show on Sunday, we have driven through Sykehouse many times, but have never attended the show before.

Great little show, disappointed that there were no pigs, goats or poultry, But everything else was great. Loved the children's mini garden section.

Have fallen head over heels in love with Dexter cows, they are lovely, so small and perfect especially the calves.

Weekend

Had to take the garden cart back and change it as the first one was faulty. Got that changed Saturday, and so spent Saturday evening making that up, great I now have wheels.

Saturday, had a drive out looking at property, didn't find much in our price range.

Sunday we went to Sykehouse show, more on this with Photos later.

Garden Cart

Went to B&Q last night and purchased a Garden Cart or Tipper trailer. Similier to the one in the picture, so todays job, making it up. Should be fun.

But it will be a lot better than a wheel barrow for transporting stuff to the allotment etc.

Rain, Rain and a bit More Rain, oh and some wind

Wow what has happened to the weather, okay I know I complained about the heat, but I'm now in fleece lined trousers and fleecy top, as well as wellies, just to go and feed the ducks, and I'm still cold.

Okay its has stopped raining now, but the wind is still blowing, and hard.

The greenhouse went for a tumble yesterday, so got to go and sort that out in a minute.

It's raining, its pouring

At last the heat is gone, and the garden has had a good water.

Sausage pictures

Well here they are the first finished batch of sausages, I think I may have got the wrong size skins, or possibly the mixture is to dry. We'll see when they are cooked.

Sausages.

Well my sausage casings came today, so guess what we have for tea.

After a little research on the internet, found a nice recipe.

http://www.sausagelinks.co.uk/recipe_detail.asp?id=56

Just finished making them, pictures to follow.