Spring has Sprug

Noticed on one of the blogs that the frosts had finished!!! Typical should have known better so no veg been planted out recently. The rabbits thanked me for the red cabbages I kindly planted for them and the squashes have all been killed by the frost. Still the weather has definitely warmed up now so this weekend will see the beds starting to fill up with veg. and a net to try to stop the rabbist until the plants are well establised and there are plenty so we all get some.
The fields have all been topped apart from the very rough one which will get done next week - needs a more heavy duty machine. The girls are very happy with the field now as they prefer the grass a little shorter. We had a couple of visitors while topping the fields as the gate was left open (cardinal sin) someones horses decided to take full advantage of the extra grazing space. Strangly when we went to check all was well the horses had somehow turned into sheep, and no sign of the horses, that we had returned to their own paddock. The sheep all look liked Shaun the Sheep with the same quizzical look at us looking at them.
There appear to be seven moorhen chicks all growing rapidly and boldly coming out ontot he lawn to be fed bfore being chased back into the reeds by mum or dad. the large black cat has decided he likes sitting on the bridge watching them and being shouted at by the adults until we relieve them and take him in to much growling and hissing (not vicious, just moaing).
Feeling very frustrated about advice or lack of it available. We have been looking for ages for someone to advise about what best to do with land relating to the wildlife and earning a little income this year, but all you get is leaflets and booklets to read and no one will come along and advise and suggest. this amongst others is why we are setting up an association to raise funds to pay for experts to make site visits to smallholdings and gardens to advise people how to get the best out of their space without damaging the environment. Lots of organisations concentrate on techniques and policies, but few or none seem to be able to help individuals. Unless anyone knows differently.

what have I been doing

Time has marched by and I am so behind with this blog I forgot my password!! anyway Easter has come and gone and we have all eaten too much chocolate and fudge, keep trying to perfect the fudge recipe and not burn it, but you do have to eat the mistakes. We are also eating a lot of banana cake - very good.
Since the last blog the girls have been injected against blue tongue and have forgiven us thank goodness and will have to been given another injection next week. Thank goodness they are good natured. We also have a first draft of the front page of our web site for The English Alpaca Company - very exciting, so will be on line very soon. Got some fleeces to take to the mill and turn into beautiful wool, duvets etc. some are last years fleeces from our girls and very good they are too.
The frosts have stopped (bound to get one tonight now) and the mange tout, broad beans and squashes have been planted out in one of the raised beds, the rabbits have not found them yet, but I am sure we will be supplying them as well as ourselves. they seem to be Ok at the moment, but because we did not think about it before, having to carry water to beds in buckets as no tap and the hose is not long enough!! Also planted some poppies, cornflowers, verbina in the front garden and will put the wild flower seeds in this week, a lot easier to water them.
Tonight great excitment as we came up from feeding the girls we spied a tiny little moorhen chick on the pond, so the heron will have to be chased out of the garden for a little while until it is big enough to get out of the way. The trees are all beginning to bud, the grass is covered with bullrush seeds which look like little furry animals running about being chased by the bats which have also appeared to eat the insects which gather beside the hedge. Life is getting very busy and the garden is full of life getting ready for a great summer.

Ollie and the burnt fudge

Well another eventful day at chez Inky. After a day of paper work and usual feeding etc, let the dogs out into the garden for a race around. All the dogs can run free except Ollie who is the escape artist, as may have been already mentioned. So around the garden he goes on a long lead. so far so good until they all had to go in before the rain started again, all went well until the door had to be opened to call Billie in, who is always last, and Ollie took his opportunity and barged through the door. As he was heading towards the bottom of the garden he suddently stopped and realised that the pond was within his grasp and so altered course and ran straight into the pond giving the moorhens, and probably the toads, a bit of a shock. Oh what joy wading around then running out as he is nearly caught charging off in the opposite direction to the far side of the pond to wade in from that side. This went on for a while until at last he dropped his guard, because some smell or other took his attention, and he was grabbed. He started to walk obediently towards the house until he realised he was being taken in and planted his paws firmly into the grass and would not move, rather like a stubborn horse. He is a big heavy dog and was not going to give in easily, but with a bit of persuading and a notch tighter on the collar he eventually was put through the door into the house to be rubbed down. He looked mighty pleased with himself and started charging around the house with a toy showing off to the other dogs.
This happened not long before dinner time and for some reason or other it was decided to make fudge at the same time Unfortunately the cooker is not one we are all used to and while leaving the sugar, butter etc to melt and deal with some unfinished paperwork on the other side of the room, the ring got hotter than expected. Very hot sugar butter and milk poured over the top of the pan and burnt onto the cooker!! Charging across the room and quickly taking it off the heat most of it was saved, but the kitchen was full of the 'lovely' smell of burning sugar and the cooker was needing some serious wiping. Why do I try and do two things at once? Luckily that very evening we had found the very long pole especially designed for opening Velux windows, which is what is set in the roof of the kitchen, and the window was quickly opened to allow the burning smell to escape and let the rain in! Still it was very refreshing to have a shower while cooking the dinner - it can get a bit hot in the kitchen! Anyway the fudge did get made eventually, but has not set, can not think why. Mind you I have noticed the jar in which the fudge got put in, to set in the fridge is going down rather quickly so it must taste alright. Will do better tomorrow if not distracted with dogs, ponds or any other event.