Safety in Numbers

Our poor little goose was so lonely this morning - honking and honking - and she seemed very vulnerable on her own, so we immediately got on line to find some geese for sale.

The first advert I saw was for Toulouse geese - and, amazingly, they were in Blockley, the beautiful village where my aunt lives in the Cotswolds.

By midday we were in Blockley, visiting with my aunt and cousin.  Actually, I couldn't remember how to get to auntie Pauline's house, but everyone in Blockley knows the Balhatchets!  It's not often you stop to ask directions, and when you tell the person who you are looking for, they say "Oh, I used to make sausages for your uncle Morris!"

And then by 2 o'clock we were with Dr Morton (apparently my uncle played the organ at his wedding) and by 3 o'clock my goose was showing the new gander and two geese around!

and when they'd all had a good look round, it was bath time!

Nature at its cruelest

This is an old picture of our lovely grey goose

We've had her for many years, and she's been a lovely mother - once rearing 12 goslings!

Just last week Jonathan and I watched her and her daughter having a bath in the trough.

Tonight at 8.15 I went out to shut them in.

A fox had killed her.

At least I got out just as he had broken her neck, so the scene wasn't as horrific as it could have been, and watched him, watching me, from the field.

I shut her daughter in.

Autumn Workshops

So, the Autumn term started today and we had a lot of fun in the workshop.  I've also sent out the new schedule, so for those who aren't on the mailing list, here's a few of the things we are offering.

Besides Lynne Johnson's quilt days, which are courses that stretch over months, she is also doing a 'Scrappy Quilt Day on Wednesday 18th October.  Some people are doing these on the course, but this is a 'one off' day when you can come, be shown how to do it, and then go off and do it on your own!  There are three quilts, with three different methods to choose from:  machine piecing, hand piecing or paper piecing:

 

 

and then on the 15th November it's the Yoko Saito day.

 

On the 20th September I'll be showing how to make these sweet little coin purses

 

On Wednesday 4th October Sandra will be making a 'quilt in a day' Picnic quilt - very quick and easy and a great introduction to quilt-making

It's 48" square!

I'm really looking forward to Ros Harwood's knitting workshop on the 1st November - Ros' work is so exquisite - she uses the best yarns, lovely colours, so inspiring.  We will be making this lovely scarf - the pattern's called Marin by Ysolda Teague and has been really popular on Ravelry.

Then a fun little workshop on the 22nd November with Sandra, making drink coasters in little fabric holders - great stocking fillers!

On Wednesday 6th December Anne Hellyer is coming to the workshop for the first time.  She is a textile artist who makes lovely little townscapes out of fabric she has painted herself.  Her website is www.paintingthetown.org.uk and we will be making winter townscapes that will be lit from behind - a really lovely Christmas decoration.

And then finally, of course, we have the wreath making mornings and afternoons with Linda, on Saturday 9th December and Saturday 16th December: which means making beautiful wreaths out of all the greenery she has collected, and drinking lots of hot chocolate and eating mince pies!

So, that's quite a list, I think



Indian Summer

Well, today isn't much like an Indian Summer but I'm sure summer hasn't gasped it's last yet - certainly I'm not ready to let go and September can be such a lovely, soft month after the rigours of harvest.  I am still picking a bunch of Sweet Peas every other day

The best Sweet Peas I've had in years!  The dried flowers have also been quite a success this year:

Today we are having roast pork - the last time we had it was April (I like to not have it when there isn't an R in the month, like the old saying, but only because it always tastes better after a break) with apple and blackberry crumble for puds.  Not very summery, in fact distinctly Autumnal but perfect for a wet day.

It has been quite a busy week - just last weekend I nipped over to Jersey to see Victoria's new house: I fell in love with her patio

I really hope she puts a mirror up somewhere - it's the perfect place for one.  Mine is a bit pointless but I do like it

The high point was seeing a pair of red squirrels - I don't think I've seen one before.

Then it was my birthday so we had a lot of fun at Pitch and Stitch.  Sandra made me a cake and we also celebrated Louise finishing her first quilt, all made from old fabrics she had around the house.

 

and beautifully quilted.

There was also an interesting take on Japanese Patches

On Friday I went to the West of England quilt show, and there was lots to see.  I loved
Susie Corkes' quilt, Overleaf, which was hand-pieced and hand-quilted - beautiful!

As a by the way, when I put up that picture at the top, I was reminded of the fossil I found by the chicken hut.  It looked like a little brown meringue but my sister suggested I wash it, and I was amazed to see that once cleaned it looked like this:

and the underside like this:

Very exciting.

Anyway, back to work tomorrow so no more garden days!

 

It's Finished!

No - not a quilt, but harvest is over for another year!

Here's the last trailer being pulled in (with George in his new Kubota tractor, which caused great excitement on it's arrival the other week)

and reversed into the barn

and then the last load of oats being tipped in

to a now very full barn

What a relief - and I don't have to do anymore tea and cake runs at 5pm - at least not for 10 months

So that's that - well, not quite because a lot of the grain still has to go through the cleaner so someone will still be busy

 

but at least the feeling of panic has subsided, and all has gone well. 

Backberrying

If you haven't been out yet - you'd better get a move on!  There are so many blackberries this year

Of course the best ones are always in the hardest to reach places

but there are so many about that it's easy-pickings this year.  Every time I go for a walk, I take a little bag with me and fill it up - I now have a freezer full of lovely blackberries which should take us through to next year.

Of course, it would be nice to have more helpful blackberrying companions -  It's a real struggle to keep hold of Millie and pick, but then I've never had much luck with that.  My mother used to hate it and would pick about four and then give up.  Jonathan would pull a strop about having to go, and then insist on taking the truck and stop at each bramble so I could get out and pick.  My children would moan and come along very reluctantly, and I'm sure that when I used to go with my little sister she'd just eat them all.  So it's never been a pleasant stroll in the sunshine,  picking berries and putting them in my basket!

Anyway, we have been enjoying our long walks, deciding which direction to take,

 

and then just loving the wide, open spaces.

And of course, I can usually see the men harvesting in the distance

 

and sometimes a bit closer!

A Boat Full of Wool

Harvest is still on - and it's such a stressful time.  Most of the time I'm pottering around on my own, but in the background there is a constant feeling of tension.  Everyday there are discussions about the weather, and there is a lot of staring up at the sky and wondering will it rain or not?  If they aren't harvesting, they are ploughing and cultivating for the new planting. 

And the animals still have to be dealt with - last week the ewe lambs went off to Winchcombe, and the week before our spring lambs, so at least there are plenty of empty fields for dog-walking.

Anyway, amidst all this madness I saw a post;  "Mandala's and Mocktails: a Cro-social on a Boat Full of Wool".  Two hours on a barge crocheting Mandalas and drinking Mocktails.  I decided to sign up....

So yesterday evening I set off with my two crochet hooks to a Narrow boat which was moored on the Kennet and Avon canal.  I wasn't sure what to expect but knew it would be fun and different.

Sophie met me and Jo, Jo and Nancy at the little car park and walked us to her boat.  Inside it was an Aladdin's cave of creativity - every surface was covered with beautiful crocheted throws, rugs and blankets and it was like walking into a cosy crafting den.

The mandala we were going to make was hanging from the ceiling - and I had a sinking feeling that in the two hours I would get no further than making a chain!  However, Sophie's pattern started with "make a magic circle"  which I'd never even heard of but is instead of making a chain so I did do more than I expected. 

Mocktails and snacks were put out on little tables so we could eat and drink whilst crocheting and chatting.

Sophie's Cro-socials are such a good idea and she is so young and enthusiastic that it was great to spend the evening with her.  I know lots of young people who love crafts and would love to visit her Boat Full of Wool, so I hope word gets around.

And my Mandala?  Well, I was much slower than the others, and mine was much loopier than theirs, but at least I had something to show for my evening messing about on the river!