Pink Moon, Crisp Morning, Heart Full

Good morning...

It's been a while since I wrote on here. Looking back at my recent posts it seems I've started a few like this!  Well, I hope to write more about what is going on in my life as I've realised that nowhere but here on my blog, can I explore fully some of the experiences I'm having and some of the eye opening things I've been learning. For now though, here's a blether about my morning...

My wee hoose

The weather this year has been astonishingly wet and cloudy. That means not much Sun. That means lots of work trying to keep the animals healthy, as well as ourselves. Living under canvas in this weather is fine but it's a very careful juggling act to stay healthy (physically and mentally), especially when the weather is wet but not cold as it's unpleasant to keep the wood burner going but of course to keep dry & prevent moulds, you have to! No such problems at the moment though, it's blooming freezing so we're back to happily running the woodburner all the time, making toast and stews all day!

Today it's a beautiful, crisp, clear day and all of a sudden I've forgotten the wettest year for 100yrs and I'm filled with the joy of it all! Sunrise this morning was utterly magic, as last nights Full Moon set in the purple sky.

Some of our ex-battery hens free ranging (pic from a couple of months ago!)

In the morning I get up at sunrise to do my animal rounds. Letting out the poultry first and making sure they've got a ton of food and fresh water.  I don't let them out to free range fully until lunch time because I like to see they've got a full crop before sending them on their adventures.

Goatforms (this was them last month!)

Then it's off to give the goats their breakfast and let them out to go exploring. None of the girls are in milk at the moment, which is a real shame, I miss my goats milk!

I take a few moments to enjoy the gorgeous morning, let the beauty of it seep into my soul and give thanks to the Holy Moles for this rare dry, still day to collect my thoughts in.

My boy, Jingo the Shetland ram

I love my Shetland sheep and I particularly love Jingo, my main ram. He's a beaut, with a loving soul, a penchant for the fleecy ladies, fresh hay and head scratches.  The Shetland and Castlemilk moorit girls are looking strong and healthy, so I'll be getting them a ram in within a couple of weeks. Jingo doesn't get a go this year poor lad!

Cheeky stinkdog pinching the warm spot!

Finally, I get to come back into the yurt for my coffee and breakfast in the warm chair by the woodburner... or not...


hen xx

Feeding time with the Shetland sheep, goats, Willow & Adventure Hen!

If you've followed this blog awhile you might recognise some of the ewes in this wee film, especially Nibble and Mini-Finnhe! Some of the girls have started to moult so I've been collecting lots of gorgeous fleece. You can see some strewn about the field, in the film.

Adventure Hen is one of the ex-battery hens we rescued in December 2011. She's getting a bit too explore-y for my liking but I'd rather she was mooching about far and wide than not.

So here is a wee peek into a bit of my evening animal rounds...



Nibble last year:

Mini-Finnhe Mulletina Moonface last year:

hen xx

What a beautiful Spring!

Our woodland is finally FULL of Bluebells!

Well.. I didn't know where to start, so I thought I'd just tell you everything all at once, using lots of photo's and very little gibbering... promise : )

Jingo, Shetland ram extraordinaire

We've been lambing, as you know. Thought you'd like to see a few lamby pics. Jingo (above), is the tup of these lambs and he's a bit up himself at the moment. He loves it in the woods. I let him in there every now and again so he can have an explore. The woodland suits him... he suits the woodland.

Nibble

Now, as this is my first lambing I reserve the right to accidentally be swept off my feet by at least one lamb. This is the lamb. Her name is Nibble.

Nibble still sleeps on her mums back, 4wks old now

Nibble explores our World using her nibble. This is the main reason she managed to captured me. She kept nibbling my welly, my trousers, my hair... then she started a game where she'd jump on to my shoulder then off again, ad infinitum.

Nibble likes a scratch

This has of course now led to the disastrous effect of me being forced to scratch her head. Which sends her into a state of bliss. If I stop she paws me. I am utterly helpless.

In my defence, she does it to my visitors too. None of them have been able to resist the Nibble either.

Pedigree Shetland Black Ram

This little beauty was born yesterday morning.

Shetlands: Moorit mum and wee black ram

 He's coming on well and today I happily, but carefully, removed a really gloopy poo that had stuck to him. Happily because it means he's getting plenty of colostrum. Carefully because it was a giant clag nut stuck fast to his delicate wee bum!

Beautiful Black Shetland Ram

He needs a name for his pedigree certificate. Not come to me yet, any ideas welcome!

Hazel Hurdle

Now to some general news... I made a hazel hurdle. I was supposed to make loads more but life got in the way a bit. I really enjoyed making it and can't wait to get stuck in making loads at the end of the yr!

Exmoor on fire

It was about 8pm on April 17th when Leo and I went round to check on the sheep. We have a view of the moor from the gate and we saw a glow on the horizon. It was about a fraction of what you can see in the picture above. This pic was taken a few hours later. At first we wondered if we should call it in, it didn't look very big, could have been someone having a bonfire. Didn't feel right though and so I dived in the yurt, pulled out my maps and called 999. 

No one else had reported it and I worried I was wrong to have called it in. They took it very seriously though & were on the phone for 15mins with me working it all out. 

The Fire Brigade said that about 8km squared burned that night. An extraordinary sight!

Willows adder bite

Willow got bitten by an adder. It was horrible. The first we noticed something was wrong was when we saw a lump on her face, not massive but definitely there. I investigated it & saw a puncture wound. I though it was a tick bite that had got infected & we took her straight to the vet. The vet shaved her and declared it an adder bite! It's rare that vets hold the anti-venom and so he put her on steroids, anti-inflammatories & anti-biotics.

I drew the blue line around the venom site to keep an eye on it spreading. Adder bites in dogs can be VERY serious indeed. She is fully recovered now, thankfully!

Rocket Stove

Finally we have our rocket stove! Wanted this for ages to replace our little cast iron, single hob ring that runs off a gas bottle. It fires a dream. Yesterday a fried brekkie, today pancakes and of course copious amounts of hot water! All from a handful of twigs. AMAZING bit of kit! We got ours from wildstoves.co.uk for £40 and £3pp.

English yew longbow

This, my dear friends, is a work of art. It is a Chris Boyton yew longbow. Leo did the antler nocks, arrow plate and leather handle. I have improved a million fold in using this bow. It fires like a dream, an extension of me already. Each component of the bow has a story, which I will tell in it's own blog post very soon.

Violet Oil beetle

 In the water meadow there are hundreds of Violet oil beetles! I was very lucky to get this picture of two mating. The green gooey stuff between them is poo and the little flies on their backs are feeding on the oil the beetles exude. The female is the giant one on the right. Thanks to Buglife for the extra information on them!

Otter spraint

I'm consistently finding otter spraint in the river now. Still haven't seen one yet!

Caterpillar

This giant hairy caterpillar lives in the woods. I would dearly love to know what he's going to be!

Caterpillar

I thought he was a bit cute actually... What with those long eyelashes, little tuft of hair and nonchalant chomping away of the grass while I stuck a camera in his face!

Spring foraged salad

I'm feasting on a lot of wild foods at the moment, it's fantastic! I spied a chicken of the woods growing form one of our oaks. Should be troughing on that in the next week or so!

Save Our Woods board meeting

After a long adventure away in Oz, Karen came to stay to catch up on all things SaveOurWoods.co.uk.
We hatched many plans!

Beautiful Sunsets

So.. this is just a taster of what's been going on down here on the farm. I'll try to be a bit more prolific in my blogging to keep you more up to date!

Now I'm just off to do my nightly rain dance... it takes a few weeks to work sometimes *ahem*



hen xx

Beech Trees, Ramsons and Willows Ming Pit

Here are lots of pictures to replace the words that I can't seem to find!

I haven't even fiddled with this photie!  GREEEEEEN!!!!!  It's a little Beech tree.  

Beeeeeeech leaves

Beeeeeeech Leaves

Thems ramsons on the right of the path there 

Quite a perfect spot for being

This is Willows 'ming pit'.  It is a pit of ming.  

Ramsons, ramsons and more ramsons

A ramson flower.. 

'is it?  is it really? you've never had one of those on here before'...  oi, watch it!

Hearts tongue fern poking out of ramsons.  

Male fern poking out of ramsons.  That's ramsons.

Cow Parsley

Hope this puts you in the picture of where I'm at, at the moment  :) oh, and I am constantly weaving baskets too.  Happily it's taking longer for my fingers to fall off!  I'm getting experienced!

hen

x

Willow's made a nest!

Blogging!!  

I didn't have much sleep last night but after I had slept I came downstairs to this!  It looked so comfy that after I took the picture I curled up around her and we both continued our nap.  It was lovely when we woke up as we cuddled and groomed.  Soo lovely.  It's very rare that willow and I are this squishy as she's a very business orientated working dog.  So I really make the most of these beautiful moments.

:)

p.s.  she's not normally allowed to do this sort of thing and my sofa is normally much tidier than this - honest!!

Door Sausages and Willow goes a bit mad in Snow!

Willow just LOVES the snow!  She's very regal, until she sniffs it...

 

Then she goes a bit mental and runs about like she's eaten too many bananas!  

These pictures are from yesterday, there was twice as much snow dumped last night, so I'm stuck here again as Leo needs the proper car to get to work!  I might go for a REALLY long walk today and get some photies!

Yesterday I made a door sausage - inspired by Alice from the Creative Living forum.  It's sewn together from some old trouser legs to make a sausage shape.  Then I stitched closed one end and stuffed it with loads and loads of plastic carrier bags.  I added a couple of buttons to close up the other end, so I could change or add to the contents.  

There's no longer a 10 force gale coming under the door now!!!  Hooray for Alice!!

Weaving, walking, wild gooseberries and wonder!

I've been feeling the electricity of the new season for the past week or so, especially with the blackbirds going so crazy in the evenings!  That and the snow remind me strongly of the importance of cycles and seasons.  It helps me to reflect on life and death, the beauty of one and the inevitability of the other.  The one making the way clear for the other.  The one motivating a deep appreciation of the other.

More basketry this weekend.  I am so happy with this basket, I really felt it all coming together with this one.  I love the handle, but I'm going to change it to a more traditional one as it is for somebody and I'm not sure they would want this handle, sturdy though it is! 

I've been so lucky to meet such wonderful people in blog land.  Annie had a garden giveaway on her blog Sensible Living and I received some amazing seeds in the post from her!  One set of seeds are from the oldest tobacco plant ever.  The seeds are from a plant grown from 1000 yr old seeds found in a burial site.  After I've checked that the seeds are ok for me to grow in this country I'll be getting on and sowing them!!  Can't wait! 

Kittyboo over at the Little Slice of Life blog sent me brilliant book on how to crotchet!  I have been inspired by her to learn after seeing some of her amazing creations.  She also inspired me to give marmalade a go too.  Now I've never liked marmalade, but this stuff I can't get enough of!  It's delicious!

Finally...  I finished my first ever sock.  It's amazing how it all comes together!  I'll be definitely knitting more!

The snowdrops are out in full force now.  Willow had a bad cut on her paw at the beginning of the week so she's been confined to the garden and a few short walks locally.

She was so happy to back on her woodland route doing her away's and being on collie business!  I'm not sure if I've ever told you about Willow's away's.  If we say 'away' to her she runs off in a massive circle around tree's or the edge of a field.  It's very collie behaviour and it's her business and very serious!  If she doesn't get to go 'away' on her walks we might as well not bother going!

The light over the weekend was so special.  It would only peep through the clouds momentarily,  oh, but when it did, *sigh*, the woods were magically transformed.  The Sun is certainly moving closer to us.  The light was so warm.

There are so many little nuggets of perfect beauty around us.

There are also many tasty nuggets in nature.  There were plenty of Ramson leaves out this weekend so I've scoffed some!  This is my favourite sandwich ever...

It's a tahini, ramson, tomato, onion and cheese sandwich.  Ok, ok, I know, it sounds a bit weird.  It is delicious an I wont hear a word said against it, at least until it's been tasted!!

In our local woods I found a patch of wild gooseberries.  It's a decent sized patch too.  

I know the photo's are hard to make out, but I thought I's share them here anyway!

So, that's pretty much a full summary of my weekend!  I'm going to be a bit sporadic over the next couple of weeks.  I hope you will all bear with me.  I'll be visiting blogs but will not have much time to leave decent comments, which is a real shame.  I'll be all back to normal soon though!

My Imbolc poem...

Be warm of heart and warm of nose

Be still, be love, 

keep toastie toes.

much love and warm hugs,

hen

xxx