Cold and Snow

We have the horses in the barn, the sheep should be ok as they are so well insulated.

The rabbits are all under cover

the chickens have their chicken house and have always been fine before.

But we are fretting about the cows. The Highlands should be ok and have survived other cold wet weather - although this is more sustained than we have had since we got them. They have shelter under trees and out of the wind and were last seen huddling together for warmth. We have given them lots of hay, as having a full tummy of hay being digested is like central heating for them apparently. As there isn't any more room in the barn and they don't really lead well enough to get them in there we have to just hope they are hardy enough. Big worry!

This little piggy went to market...

... or at least hopefully both the little piggies will go to the abattoir on Wednesday morning (at 5am!!). Doug has been training them for many many weeks to get in to the trailer. It has only been in the last few days that it has looked like there is any chance of him getting them loaded - sadly I will be in London. At last they rush in when food comes, and were even seen taking a nap in there earlier today (out of the snow!)

This means that the big car is trapped at the moment as it is needed to stabilise the trailer - and with all the rain then snow the ground is so wet and muddy that we won't get the car up there again if we move it. The pigs have made a big mess of the path up in to the woods as we have had to keep them trapped there for the whole training time. We thought it would be days! It should recover come spring growth hopefully. Getting the car up there in the winter wet has made a mess of the track to the barn too. Fingers crossed that this is the last weekend I will see the pigs!

Two wheel tractor

We ordered a two wheel tractor ages ago, before Christmas, and it has FINALLY arrived. There was some issue with supply of the engine of something.

Our land is two steep for a real tractor, we did ask one of the neighbors if he would be able to make hay on it but he just laughed!

So we have bought what is called a two wheel tractor, it is like a rotvator but you can change the implements in it. We have got with it a flail mower (for generally mowing the fields to try to reduce brambles and weeds), a scythe mower (for cutting hay) and a trailer. Doug managed to get it all unpacked and in to the garage, but has not yet had time to unpack it all and put it together. Given the weather it hasn't seemed a priority!

You can't really see it, its handle bars are folded back on themsleves and somewhere there must be some wheels.

Bit of a detour!

Last night I was in Bordeaux! Reasonably briefly thankfully. 

The flight couldn't land in Toulouse because of high wind so after circling a bit we were diverted to Bordeaux. Where we sat on the runway for about an hour before returning to Toulouse for another go - apparently the wind had changed direction. There was talk of putting us on a bus back to Toulouse, so we were all thankful when we managed to fly.

Here is a photo from my lovely stay there. We didn't actually get off, but they have to put the stairs there when they are refueling apparently.

The drive home was a bit slow in the pouring rain and gusty wind. This morning it is snowing. I hope I don't get snowed in. I would hate to not make it to work (honestly Mr Boss!)

Moving the love bay

The 1st thing Doug and I bought together was a bay tree. Twenty years ago!

When we moved to France we moved it in with Aidan because it couldn't go in to storage with our other stuff. Aidan has inconsiderately moved in to a flat without a garden so we had to find it a new home - while we wait for someone to drive down to visit us in France.

I pressganged someone in to volunteering garden space and Aidan and I moved it last night.

Doug is convinced that our love depends on its survival, but I sincerly hope not. The poor thing has had a bit of a hard life and already come back from the dead once so maybe there is a chance. We have been trying to take a cutting for years buy bay trees seem very hard to take cuttings from. There is one that is still alive after around 3 years, but it has only grown 1 very small leaf in all that time.

Leaving Aidan's house

Nearly in its new home - needs moving in to the back garden though.

Nice (odd) pub near Aidan's new flat for a guiness afterwards

While Aidan had technically moved out of his house, he still had a load of pictures to move so we did them too in the van belonging to the 'car club' he has just joined.

Moving house

When in London I have been staying with Aidan. However he has inconsiderately moved out of his house in East Finchley

and in to a flat in Archway. I am moving in to our flat in Southwark in a couple of weeks. But for now I am staying in an apartment this week and maybe a hotel - or maybe the same apartment - next week. Despite the proximity of the railway it is actually quite quiet and I slept very well! 

Testing the soap

It is now 3 weeks since we made the soap. It has been on a rack drying and curing for that time.

Today we tried some for the first time. I found it to be exactly like soap! It wasn't a very foamy lather, but felt nice and creamy. I only tried it on my arms, just in case, and they seem just like normal after a shower. It is a bit of a worry because the caustic soda that goes in to soap is very... well... caustic... which you wouldn't want to be rubbing on yourself. But the saponification (chemical reaction that makes soap from alkali and fat which apparently an acid) seems to have happened.

The bar seemed nice and hard but not so hard you had to scrub to hard to get any off. 

We plan on making some more. Silicon molds would be easier.