January Surprise

I just went over to Maidencourt to see our little January surprise!

Isn't she cute?

She wasn't a complete surprise; the bull had got into the pen with the heifers last Spring, and Jonathan noticed that one of them looked ready to calve, but it was unplanned.

Here's mum

Now we wait until Valentine's day when the official calving is due to start.

When I got back, all the chickens came steaming up to me because they reckon it's teatime

Remember our rescue chickens?

all skinny and naked....

I wonder if you can pick them out now:

Only four of them survived, but they have plumped up and have full coats of feathers and although they let their heads sink when they sit down, they look very happy running around.

I was also pleased to see this morning that the birds have discovered the birdfeeder my nephew gave me for Christmas

All good news!

First Days of Spring

The first day of spring was followed by a beautiful sunny Sunday.  After I'd planted some seeds (Sweet Peas, Foxy Foxgloves, and Cosmos), I went in to do some ironing but looked out of the kitchen window and decided to have a cup of tea outside instead.

It all had a real feel of re-awakening.  The geese were happy,

the rams were happy,

the chickens were happy.

In fact, the big grey one is starting to annoy me a bit.  He keeps eating eggs.  You are supposed to fill an empty shell with mustard so I duly filled one with mustard and curry powder and put it in the chicken house......she ate the whole thing....so that didn't work.

Everything is starting to bud.  The willows at the bottom have a green haze over them where the leaves are starting to come (they are always first) and the dogwood that Belinda gave me which is outside the workshop is really coming on

Then, just before it was time to come in, Reuben started making friends with the ram

Then last night we went to the first Ale of the year, hosted by a side called Cornucopia, and danced the night a way....

Five different styles!