Wednesday 8 June 2016

One donated goose egg, and the milk udders run dry.

I did stop wearing my thermals,
then they went back on again,
then they came off,
then they went back on,
...and so on.
I shall get out of them sometime this year,
the weather will settle down,
of that I am sure.
 
Been out scything in the Far Field,
but only for a short burst of grass cutting,
just enough to feed the rabbits.
Three are already in the freezer,
sixteen left to go.
They were sexually rampant during the winter.
It must have been the cold weather.
 
No eggs indoors,
but needed to make a custard,
banana and custard being my intended dessert for lunch.
A search around the barns and courtyard produced not one single egg.
But then tiptoeing across the courtyard came Blue.
Now I am not sure if she intended to give me the goose egg
she had in her mouth,
or whether it was because I was blocking the front door
so she couldn't sneak it back to her bed.
A bed check this morning came up with one full toilet roll,
( ' borrowed' from the bathroom )
and two of Lester's socks,
( which he had left on the floor anyway
and all she had done was tidied them up )
also a small bone but that had been given to her.
 


So, Blue is tiptoeing across the courtyard,
I am in her way,
she knows that she is not supposed to go on egg raids,
but she does anyway...
'What to do about the goose egg in my mouth'
is written all over face.
'Best to get Her to think that I was bringing it to her,
might get me out of trouble if I do that....
I am going to gently drop in at her feet,
then she will think me a good girl
and not a naughty one.'
That is what is written on her face.
 
One egg,
dropped from the full standing height of one rottweiller,
 
 
.... it is surprising that it remained intact.
 
Blue was thanked for the donation of the egg.
She doesn't like her photo being taken though,
thinks that me waving a black object (the camera)
 in front of her nose is the same as me
waving a broom at her when I am cross with her.
 
'How were the bananas and custard' you might ask.
Didn't happen.
Cracked the egg open and it had a slight pong,
which might have been from the egg shell,
which was mucky,
but I didn't want to risk wasting the milk to make the custard
if the egg was off.
Boolie liked it though.
He is getting a lot of titbits now,
and is thoroughly spoilt.
His tumour still grows,
and now his back legs are not working quite as they used to.
But he remains cheerful,
which is the main thing.
 
On the subject of milk...
the once full fridge of milk.....
 
 
...is full no more..
 
and Lester will not have to be doing this twice a day...
 

...for a few months at least,
because the cows have now finished with giving us milk.
So they go on stand down as they wait for their calves to be born,
after which off we shall go again,
with making cheese, butter, yoghurt, etc.
Meanwhile I can stand down with making the dairy produce.
The pigs are 'standing down' as well.
The sow has just been in season,
and the boar was not the slightest bit interested.
The cows and me will start moving again once the calves arrive later on this year,
but the pigs look like they are standing down for good.
This is not good.
I keep having words with them,
about why they need to get their butts into gear and start producing some young'uns.
They don't seem to be taking notice of me.
 
Didn't have to wear thermals today....
just saying.
 
Bye for now,
Vx 
 

12 comments:

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Lots of good things in wait. I have been trying to breed my rabbits for months. I think one of them must be infertile.

John Going Gently said...

Vera, i love goose eggs...they are like grenades, you can throw em anywhere

rusty duck said...

Sounds like the rabbits are on a roll both sides of the Channel. Going to have to get something to put in their tea.

Dawn said...

Its been so hot the chooks are not laying as well, still getting plenty just a reduction in numbers, I keep talking about a house cow might be on the cards when Martin is here full time, there is only so much I can do on my own. Thats a good dog you have bringing you eggs, I wish Sol would hunt out the OAP's eggs they like to give me the run around looking for there nests.

Cro Magnon said...

I had my first swims yesterday, and spent most of the day in just shorts and pumps. However, I've just looked at the meteo and I see we've got a week of rain on the way. Not a good start to summer.

Vera said...

LISA, we were surprised that we got as many rabbits as we did. Previously we did not have much success either. Hope your rabbits start breeding soon.

JOHN, judging by the way in which that egg was dropped from Blue's mouth and remained intact you are right about their usefulness in being used as potential missiles!

JESSICA, we were surprised that our rabbits bred so well this winter, but they are all to go into the freezer, unlike your population of rabbits whose sole task seems to be to eat your lovely garden flowers........

DAWN, a house cow,......wow! But you are right about waiting until Martin is with you full time. I found it hard managing the smallholding when Lester was working full time on his computer, and he was here so could help out in an emergency, but it was hard work, and I wasn't doing anywhere near as much as you do.

CRO MAGNON, the last couple of days have been hot here too, but am relieved to know that a drop of rain might be on its way so the veg plots can get a watering!

Ohiofarmgirl said...

Blue is so funny - what a pretty girl! and wow! i love your jars - what brand are they? do you have a link for them? we mostly have "Ball" jars here...and those 1.5 quart (that's what we'd call them) are really hard to find here. woudl love to know about your brands.
ps sorry about the lack of banana custard... ha!

Vera said...

OHIOFARMGIRL, the brand here for canning jars is Le Parfait, and we can't get any other brand. They are still available in the supermarkets here, but I have noticed that the amount of jars that are in stock is not so many as when we came here. But they do not do the big canning pressure cookers, like the All American, and I had to have that shipped in from the USA.
I find it curious that no actual meat is canned here, nor was it in the UK, but the French are very strong on pate, and this they put into small Le Parfait jars, but water bath the jars to seal them instead of putting them in an American canner. They also do veg in jars, but not a lot as far as I know.
I think the American way of preserving food is the best and I am at a loss to understand how that method of food saving never took on here in Europe.
The loss of the dessert of bananas and custard was quite a downer!

Leon Sims said...

Thermals are in need here in central Victoria highlands with the temperatures dropping as we draw to mid winter. Lots of rain that gives a nice green carpet to the paddocks.

Vera said...

LEON, just got out of our thermals, thank goodness. Been a long cold spell here in France, most unlike our usual weather. Hope your coming winter is not too fierce.

Kerry said...

Your fridge full of milk looked amazing, bet you're looking forward to more. I've picked up canning jars at Emmaus, they just need new lids.

Vera said...

KERRY, that was lucky picking up those canning jars. We use a lot of them when we are storing produce, plus I use them as storage jars for my shelves.
We are missing the milk already!