We think we have six!

Yesterday afternoon there were three little heads. This morning, six, we think. But we won't know until they start moving about. But do you can have a flavour of what is to come, here is last year's lot:

...and this is what happened when we let them out into the electric enclosure:

Lester is building a proper pen for the littl'uns this time. Said he got fed up with chasing them. Said that we have a 'proper' veg plot this year. Said that it was not the place for little feet to be romping all over. 

So well done mum, and we look forward to the new lot of scamps. 

A dopey day

I do far too much, this I know, but I am a workaholic I think, or is it because my mind gets so interested in things. Anyway, the cream separator has arrived from the Ukraine, not sure who delivered it, but I found it this morning sitting on top of the tractor which is parked up in the porch. I was pleased that it had arrived. Have been itching to have a go at making some cream so I can make some butter and buttermilk. 

However, the body of the separator needed to have oil put in it. A cup, said a lady on a YouTube vid. Three cups later and there was still no sign that it had enough oil in it. The project is now on hold until tomorrow because we have run out of oil. Lester said to give it a go anyway, but I said better not, better to wait until it was full. 

I have a dopiness on me today. Sunday-itus, that's what it is. I keep looking at the clock to see what time it is, and the hours are dragging. This is what is called 'having a rest'. This I do not do very well. Much better to be on the go. Be productive. To look back at the day and think of what one has done seems much more preferable than to say to one' self 'Gosh, that was a nice snooze on the settee I had'. Do I sound a little bit grumpy? It's this darn weather. I need the sun. My head needs serotonin. My body needs warmth. 

My replacement dehydrator arrived the other day. Have done some dehydrating in it. Wow! That's all I can say! Did some kiwi, apple, orange, and banana. Filled seven out of the nine trays. Filled several jars. Half now gone. The fruit was delish. Now we can snack virtuously, knowing that our nibbles are doing us good. 

Did I say that I was giving myself the day off today. And have I mentioned that I don't know what to do with myself. I have? Oh. 

We are in the middle of expectancy. Our smaller sow is in the middle of having piglets. We think. Since January we have closely watched her. 'Is she or isn't she' has been a favourite topic of conversation, and hardly a day goes by without us visually examining her. A few days ago her milk bar of an undercarriage looked like it was starting to fill up, and this morning she had a sort of pained expression on her face when I went to see why she was still in her hut and not outside eating her breakfast. She also did a 'Leave me alone' growl at Lester. I have had babies. My thoughts are with her. Best to leave her alone though. She would fret if we hovered. 

Think I might go and raid the dried banana pot, then I might make some goat cheese, then I could.......ah, but I am supposed to be having a rest. I promised myself I could have the day off last weekend when I was left in the kitchen to carry on sorting out the meat from the ewe we had dispatched the night before, then get the kitchen cleaned up, then cook dinner, and then do sundry other jobs, all of which I was getting on with doing while Lester played chess and watched films on his PC. I get narky when he does that. Go into drama queen mode, go all martyrish. 

So today I am having a day off and it is driving me crackers!

Tilth! We don't have any!

I keep reading that seeds needed to be planted in seed beds with a 'fine tilth'. 

Wikipedia says: Good tilth is a term referring to soil that has the proper structure and nutrients to grow healthy crops. Soil in good tilth is loamy, nutrient-rich soil that can also be said to be friable because optimal soil has a mixture of sand, clay and organic matter that prevents severe compaction.

But we don't have tilth at all at Labartere. We have old river bed. Stones we have in plenty. Clay, we have some of that too. Tilth? Nope. 

Last year I started off a lot of seeds in our tardis......

.....this was not the resounding success it should have been,  mostly because I kept forgetting to cover the tardis up during the heat of the day so a lot of the seedlings frizzled. 

So this year I am going to plant straight out into the veg plots. However, another thing I am not good at is thinning a row of seedlings, always leaving it too late so either the seedlings have grown too big or the weeds are jostling them too much, making everything  grow into a mucky mess.

So I came up with a plan:

1. Make row,

2. Put little piles of compost along the row at regular intervals.

3. Put two or three seeds in each little pile.

4. Cover over each little pile with non-cloddy earth. 

Et voila!

It does take a bit of effort to do, but should save time in the long run. Lack of tilth is remedied by the compost, and not much thinning out will need to be done because the seedlings are widely spaced out. Well, that's the plan, now all I have to do is remember to water. 

.....and look! An edifice recently built by Lester and myself. It looks wonky but isn't. 

....and here is the patch I am planting at the moment. The potatoes are in the furthest patch. 

....and here is our pregnant sow....

....and here is Orpy Junior, watching over a hen who is under the tall plant. Much as I have tried to discourage this new communal nest site, Orpy is adamant that this is the right spot. He has spent days choosing it. The fact that it is a handy spot for nest robbers, like Bools, Gus, Maz, Blue, and the magpies, to reach is not something which is anywhere in his head. 

Re: the Seed Plan: just had a look in the veg plot, five rows of seeds up, evenly spaced, will not need thinning. Whooppeee! The plan looks like a go-er!