Weekend Workshop

Half way through our weekend workshop and we've been having a lovely time.
Here is some of the work that has been done:

 

Can't wait to see what's been created by 4 o'clock tomorrow!!



 

 

Also, another little thing that's bugging me - we have these grasses growing all up our bank.  I thought they were wild garlic because they grow from a bulb, but apparently not.  Any one know what they are?

 

 

First they are just a reedy type grass, then they have a little bud on the the top, which opens to reveal seeds (above right) which in turn sprout shoots (above left).



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hay Making

First of all, never let your son near your computer!  George has been on ours and it's been almost impossible to do anything ever since - he's changed everything and it's driving us nuts!  And he's only been home at weekends but now he's finished at Sparsholt (no more driving up and down to Winchester every Thursday and Sunday) and finally has his Diploma in Agriculture.  Today is his first day out of education and he was up at 7.30 - let's see how long it lasts!

Haymaking has been done and the field is now clear of the rows of hay drying in the lovely sunshine we've been having.

When I went out to take this I saw all the lovely daisies - whenever I see them I think of a lovely Italian song called Margerita (Italian for Daisy)

I also managed to finally get my beans out of the greenhouse on sunday - took a picture before the pigeons get them

This weekend it's all go - we have the weekend workshop with Helene - Charm pack weekend.  I'll still be working on the one I started last year.  Hexagons are soooo slow!

Shearing

Before I move on completely, here are a couple more wedding pictures:

Nice hat!!

Victoria made the hearts the bridesmaids are carrying at the willow weaving workshop Alan Hulford took for us

Over the years we have taken pictures of Victoria and George by the stone - I'll have to dig them out.

 

As I said in the last post, following the wedding Jonathan and I spent a wonderful few days in a converted cow shed in Wales (a beautiful converted cow shed).  There was a bird table outside the kitchen and we loved the fact that woodpeckers fed from it all day.  I have always envied Sandra C when she talks about the woodpeckers she has in her garden - I had only ever seen one up here - at dawn one morning years ago.

The day after we came back, Jonathan and I were talking in the office, looked out the window and saw this:

We couldn't believe it!!  He's a regular visitor now.



On Sunday it was shearing time.  I love it when the shearers come.  We brought the sheep down the evening before, and then waited for Ben and Tom to come with the Kiwi shearers.  They sheared 125 sheep in about 2 hours.  The caravanners came over to watch and said they'd learnt more about sheep from Ben in half an hour than they'd know all their lives!

Ben telling stories

Picking out the lambs



 



Once the sheep are sheered, they skip away like lambs again!

The Other Side

Well - so, here we are: the other side of the Big Day.
First I should thank everyone for being so patient regarding my Wedding Brain in the lead up to The Big Day!! - it was hard to think of anything else really.  All went well though with very few hiccups - and thanks to Sandra for racing out for the Order of Services at 4.45pm the evening before!

Here are some photos:

The seating plan!

In the Marquee - Victoria cross-stitched all the table names

Mr and Mrs Pickersgill leaving the church

And, of course, there had to be Morris Dancing!

All very lovely - but back to normal life now.  Victoria is back from her mini-moon and packing for her move to Jersey when she finishes her course in Oxford in 5 weeks' time.  We are back from our wonderful few days in Cardigan Bay (we climbed up the legendary Angel Mountain) and I have four more mouths to feed here - baby chicks hatched last night.

Life goes on.................

A Very busy Week

The Hot Cross Buns are in the oven so I thought I'd take a couple of minutes to update this following a very busy week!


The Market Square Quilters' Exhibition last week went really well!  There were some beautiful quilts on display - really inspiring - and we had a stand for Lorne Hill Farm Workshops.  Lots of people stopped by and we met lots of people keen to start making quilts so I hope they are brave enough to head out here to the Lambourn Valley!


Our Stand

 

 

 

I thought the Christmas Corner looked lovely:

 

Then on Tuesday we had a lovely Pitch and Stitch morning:

 

 Jacqui and her Clare Kingslake Satchel

 

Dawn loom-knitted another woolly bobble hat

 

Then on Wednesday it was the willow weaving workshop with Alan Hulford:

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone had such a lovely day and made some brilliant things.  Victoria made willow hearts for her bridesmaids to carry - other people made hearts, spheres, wreaths and even growing frames:

 

A big thank you to Alan for teaching everyone a great new skill.

Hot Cross Buns are out now, so I'm off to check that they taste alright!!

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Here we go again!

Well, it started with one:

And the little puddle under him is why I insisted he go outside.
Then George brought in the tiniest little thing which I didn't expect to last more than his first night - but here he is:

Happy as Larry.

Then two more appeared, and when I got back at lunchtime there were a total of six.....they think they can sneak them in!

 

So that's four feeds a day for the next few weeks at least - still, at least I get help with the crossword!

 

 

And the reason I was out this morning? - It's rolled around again,  The Market Square Quilters Exhibition.  I was helping set up and there are really some lovely quilts there - and Sandra and I of course, chatting about our workshops!

 

 

Come along!



Lambing

It's all go around here!
We started lambing last weekend and they are popping out thick and fast!

Minutes old.....



 

Finally found what they were looking for!

 

 

Last night I was walking a couple of lambs and their mum down to the paddock (once they've lambed we bring them closer to the house for a day - not always so easy) when I heard a burp next to me.  I looked around and a big old ewe looked me in the eye and gave another burp.  "Is that you Lucy?", I said and she came up for a stroke and then went on her way.

 

Five years ago I bottle-fed Lucy and Mabel for months.  When they got bigger, but weren't yet weened, we moved them to the chicken paddock.  One day in July there was quite a heavy rain shower, and I happened to look out.

 

I wondered why all the chickens were out, and took a closer look:

 

Lucy (on the right), and Mabel were not stupid - why get wet when there is a perfectly nice little house to sit in?