Ok, you can't actually see it, this is a photo of Doug using it!
It is a Cestron FirstScope telescope. V exciting! Unfortunately keeps being cloudy at night, but we saw some starrs breifly last night.
Monday, 30 June 2014
Mrs Jacob has had a lamb!
We had given up on any more lambs this year, and have been busy fretting that perhaps Harris had fried his swimmers when he got caught in the electric fence. If that was the case we would have to eat him and get a new ram. But then this afternoon I went up to the cow and sheep field to see what the cows were up to (as we were about to move them). I saw a little black thing that I couldn't quite work out what it was. Then I realised it was a little lamb! We had a quick look at it and it is a girl. Black with a white spot on her head.
Other years Mrs Jacob has had twins. Both boys. She is quite old now, so maybe 2 was too much.
She is somewhere in this photo. Honest!
Maybe more will arrive. Sheep gestation period is 5 months and they come in to season about every 3 weeks for a certain part of the year. It is 8 months since Harris went back in with the ewes after his accident, so it took Mrs Jacob 3 months to get pregnant. It doesn't seem terribly likely that others will have taken so long to get pregnant. But you never know, or perhaps November was just outside their mating season.
We have also sheered two of the sheep. Harris and Little Miss Suffolk as they are both a year old with super thick fleecy coats and they were too hot poor things. We may do some others or maybe not.
Other years Mrs Jacob has had twins. Both boys. She is quite old now, so maybe 2 was too much.
She is somewhere in this photo. Honest!
Maybe more will arrive. Sheep gestation period is 5 months and they come in to season about every 3 weeks for a certain part of the year. It is 8 months since Harris went back in with the ewes after his accident, so it took Mrs Jacob 3 months to get pregnant. It doesn't seem terribly likely that others will have taken so long to get pregnant. But you never know, or perhaps November was just outside their mating season.
We have also sheered two of the sheep. Harris and Little Miss Suffolk as they are both a year old with super thick fleecy coats and they were too hot poor things. We may do some others or maybe not.
New field for the cows - will they be there in the morning??
The (highland) cows have been living with the 'meat' sheep flock for over a year as they wouldn't stay in a field with 'normal' electric fence around it and the sheep are in more secure electric mesh. We have been nervous about trying them in one of the other fields because it is such an effort when they escape and we have to go trailing round all the neighbours and the countryside looking for them. We have been brave and decided to give it a go. The fence round the hay field is in reasonably good condition, and not too high and the grass in there needs eating down (as we only hayed a little bit of it).
We have news on the Jersey cows. The passport is due to arrive this week and the current owner is hiring a van to bring them over some time next week.
Chocolate Brownie Recipe
I haven't actually got round to making this recipe recently, but am posting it so I don't lose it.
250g butter
200g dark chocolate
80g cocoa powder
65g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
350g caster sugar
4 eggs
Salt (unless butter is salted)
Additional flavouring eg nuts, cherries, candied peel, citrus zest (I like walnuts)
Butter a 25cm cake tin (preferably with removable bottom)
Preheat oven to 180
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water
Add the butter and mix until melted
Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and mix well
Add the eggs and mix until you have a smooth mixture
Pour in to the cake tin and cook for 25mins. A skewer should come out with a little mixture on it but the surface should feel firm and springy not too squishy. You can adjust the cooking time next time if it is not exactly as you like it!
Saturday, 28 June 2014
Aidan's visit
He was here two weeks which was lovely. Come back soon! I miss you!
Here are photos he took of some of the things we did.
We put him to work building and then adding shelter to lawn rabbit runs for the baby rabbits to grow up in
Went for several walks
We turned back on this walk, not because it started raining (the sheep are sheltering under the bridge), we all come from Scotland so a little rain doesn't stop us... but because there was a lot of thunder and lightening and as we got higher our hair started to stand on end. We could imagine nice channels from the sky to our heads for the lightening to follow. Run!
Did some gardening (we have since strimmed and the potager looks more kempt and less weedy just for that). We are working on the central path there and plan on seeding grass there. We tried wood chips but they were not as low maintenance as we hoped. Perhaps grass will be better, perhaps not!
Started a new ham (eating it, not making it) and made sausages. Plenty of pork in the freezer we need to finish before the new pigs are ready for slaughter.
Survived a downpour which caused extensive flooding and damage nearby - but we got off lightly
Did normal things like buying food for the animals - this is food for the cows and sheep - so many to chose from!
Made tablet (came out a bit granular in texture - need to try again! But yummy anyway)
Played with the animals
Cycled in to town for dinner and the festival of music with the stupid dog running alongside. She HATED the loud music.
Killed and ate a couple of rabbits
Just hung out in the sun
Here are photos he took of some of the things we did.
We put him to work building and then adding shelter to lawn rabbit runs for the baby rabbits to grow up in
Went for several walks
We turned back on this walk, not because it started raining (the sheep are sheltering under the bridge), we all come from Scotland so a little rain doesn't stop us... but because there was a lot of thunder and lightening and as we got higher our hair started to stand on end. We could imagine nice channels from the sky to our heads for the lightening to follow. Run!
Did some gardening (we have since strimmed and the potager looks more kempt and less weedy just for that). We are working on the central path there and plan on seeding grass there. We tried wood chips but they were not as low maintenance as we hoped. Perhaps grass will be better, perhaps not!
Started a new ham (eating it, not making it) and made sausages. Plenty of pork in the freezer we need to finish before the new pigs are ready for slaughter.
Survived a downpour which caused extensive flooding and damage nearby - but we got off lightly
Did normal things like buying food for the animals - this is food for the cows and sheep - so many to chose from!
Made tablet (came out a bit granular in texture - need to try again! But yummy anyway)
Played with the animals
Cycled in to town for dinner and the festival of music with the stupid dog running alongside. She HATED the loud music.
Killed and ate a couple of rabbits
Just hung out in the sun
Big bird spreads the word
Title is a line from a Fluke song (Absurd), I can't say the words 'big bird' without hearing it. Anyway, here are some photos I took a while ago of some massive massive vultures. We saw them the year before last too, but again just on a couple of days. There must have been something like 30 or 40 of them circling over the house. Their wingspan is more than a meter. Watch out chickens, rabbits etc!
