Meet the chicks

Here are the first 4 of the Scots Dumpy chicks on their way to the brooder: - and finally in the brooder, now snoozing in a fuzzy heap under the heat lamp :)

On holiday

- but with internet lol   Arrived late morning at the house I'm looking after for a fortnight. Due to various reasons, I have had to bring the incubator full of chicken eggs with me - I now have one fully hatched chick already!  Lovely wee thing, noisy, but running around sort of, as much as s/he is able. Have had all my craft stuff arrive too, and a big box of fresh fruit and supplies, gin and cheese making stuff; I hadn't managed to get around to getting the cheese started, so it all acme with me. Good job I'm only 8 miles from home!  Very peaceful here so far, am looking forward to a fortnight or so of craft work, reading and generally kicking back for a change. Had a nice Pimms and lemonade outside in the sunshine this afternoon, so everything off to a flying start. There will be pictures of lots of things to come, but in the meantime, I've unpacked : lol

Summer holiday sing along

I'm all going on a summer holiday, No more housework for a week or three; Gin and knitting on my summer holiday, No more ironing for me and me! I'm going where the time is peaceful, I'm going where there's no-one to shout, I'll not be watching crappy movies, And that's what it's all about! I'm chuffed I'm having me a summer holiday, Spend time how I always wanted to; So I'm going on my summer holiday, With very little to do With very little to do...............

A line unwinding

Have a wonderful five minutes reading this blog post I came across, just beautiful writing........... http://julian-hoffman.com/2012/07/24/a-line-unwinding/ One of the beautiful photos by Julian Hoffman on this blog post

Eggy update

Thought I'd bring you up to speed Lilith the Goth Muscovy duck is hopefully broody enough to sit on the Shetland duck eggs in a separate wee house, they're unerher now, so keeping fingers crossed for that, will see how it goe. I candled the Dumpy eggs again tonight and removed two - totally empty inside, so assume infertile. A third one is very different to the others, am thinking it might be 'dead in shell' but have left it in there for now. The remaining nine look exactly as they should do at this time, and are due to hatch over the next 2 -3 days I hope. The Dumpy does carry the fatal gene, though, risking loss of 25% of hatching chicks, so literally not counting my chickens. Will be thrilled to bits with any successful hatching they all manage. The incubator is off its cradle now and the bars out, all ready , the brooder is on standby too. This is how the 9 look tonight :)  (pic from http://www.nzfarmstays.com/candle.html)

Sorted

- well almost!  Spent yesterday afternoon out in the tent sorting out all my craft stuff, re-packing it in a more logical ( yes, me lol) way, and stowing it away in the cabin. The tent ahs been in situ for 3 years or so now and the cover is beginning to show wear and tear. Stuff was cleaned and dusted off, shifted into and out of various boxes, amid lots of 'OOooohh I'd forgotten I had that!' s  lol I seriously have enough stuff to start a shope I reckon. Rug loom was cleaned and hauled up there too, along with 5 other looms of  varying sizes (plus the two I have indoors here); I have more fleeces than you could shake a shepherd's crook at - various tyes, all usable and good to go when I'm ready; also many smaller bags of fleece and other fibres, waiting to meet the spinning wheel some time soon. I'm off on hols for 2 weeks at the end of this week ( more anon), so will be taking my wheel with me and hope to make some sort of woolly dent in it all!  I also found two big boxes of fabric for patchwork/quilting, and various other supplies - many water colour paints,  my acrylics, pencils, chalks and pastels; lino cutting equipment, lucet and spindle; dozens and dozens of balls of wool of all sorts of persuasions,piles of knitting patterns...............  you name it, I think it's in there! Very pleased with what was achieved (got help with carrying and lifting heavy stuff, so was able to continue longer than I would have done otherwise), and I know what;s what and what's where, now. Well, that's the theory, but finding stuff again is always a thrill, and I find it inspiring to get on and try new things and projects. Mind you, you can no longer get in the cabin............... again, more on that anon

Saturday in six.............

Sunshine Friends Laughter Tea Cake Knitting