First Chicks

What a summer! It has been rich with new life, not the least the new chicks that were born at Nanne's Garden. One of our kid's hand-raised chooks, a part Isa Brown called Everest, went broody and sat on two of her eggs. I had been waiting for just such an event so that I could take advantage of a friend's offer to let me have some fertilized Barnvelder eggs, gorgeous bronze lacewing chickens. Six went under Miss Everest. Of the 8, she hatched 6, one Isa and 5 Barnvelders. Timing was excellent, right in the middle of holidays when the city cousins were visiting and all of them excellent chick-sitters when the time came for some free-range time outside of the 'maternity' cage. The first born was named Hilary due to its adventurous spirit...(trust you like the connection!)

 Here they come!

 Who doesn't love chickens?

 Proud mum Everest.

 Two best little chicken-sitters

 I"M UP!!! EEEeeeh!!!

 Molly maremma, ever on duty

 "OK kids, this will be the new digs!"

 Afternoon nap under the nectarine tree

 "Mama's left the nest. Now it's just us!"

EEEEeeehh!!!

They are all now independent of mum and promising beautiful plumage. Thanks to Katy my Barnvelder lady!

Summer holidays

Summer holidays have come and gone and even though grandchildren have returned to the city and are preparing for school, there are still several weeks of summer left here in Nanne's garden,
The highlights of this year's holidays were: cutting, collecting and storing hay and driving cars; playing in the hayshed; baby sitting chicks; riding lessons on  Cindy AND Mez for the older girls; motor bike lessons (with gears); buggy rides with Cindy; playing with Molly and Lola; playing in the old barn loft, and for me, feeding them all their favourite foods and just having them here. A great summer!

..... and visiting Grandnan

Hand-made Christmas Gifts 2016

I had a lot of fun making home made Christmas presents this year, starting early (for once) and embroidering some felt horses and hearts in the Swedish style. Each grandchild received a pair, with their name on the horse and my name and year on the heart. The idea for the gifts came from 2 places: Pinterest, and some named ornaments given to my own children 35 years ago by my 'American mother'.

The boys of the family received either Caramel or Hot Fudge Sauce, recipes from my mother and taste.com, decoration from Pinterest.

For the girls, knitted cotton washcloths and a nice soap, idea from saylittlehen.com

 My mother received a cushion cover made from a polka-dot cotton to match her quilt and a piece of an old lace tablecloth that graced her sitting room for many, many years. Idea from Pinterest. I have enough of the vintage cloth to make two more cushion covers.

I often wonder if other bloggers think that posting one's activity on the web is a tad arrogant. I know I do, and have heard it said also. Every now and again I decide to stop, but then I take such inspiration from other bloggers and wonder where I'd be without their contributions. I imagine it's how artists feel when they exhibit, or writers when they publish. If no-one published, we'd all be impoverished. So I blog, and thank the rest of you who do also. Some of my favourites are on the left hand side bar... totally recommended.

December Fruit and Flower

I can't say I'm a big fan of summer, because I hate being hot, and heat keeps me indoors. But what I do love about summer is all the fruit and flower. The garden is producing like mad and most days I'm either picking and freezing fruit or pruning, mulching and watering the flower garden. I just love the bounty of it all.
Here are a few pics of what is fruiting and flowering at the moment.

 Who doesn't love hydrangeas? I have several colours along the back of the house and this year they have done a good job of covering up the bareness.

 Another favourite that I like to see out my kitchen window, cosmos.

Then there's the old Coral Tree which leaves such a pretty red carpet below.

 Boysenberries and strawberries, coming thick and fast. Some have made it onto ice cream but the rest will have to bide their time in the freezer till time allows for jam making.

 Zucchini, NOT Pa's favourite, probably use I grow so many and dish them up ad nausea all summer in every kind of disguise. Soup too.

 Sunflowers for fun and chooks, peas on an old piece of reo.

Clematis growing happily along the new verandah railing

Making Hay: Mini Movie

Now we know why farmers love the land and work so hard. There  is something so utterly wonderful about 'bringing in the crops' after a good season of rain. Our horses and cows will not go hungry for a very long time. We may have cut just a tad too much, but we have some to sell, some to trade for neighbourly favours and some in case next year is a dry one. Not to mention plenty for grandchildren to climb on in the hay shed.
I can also understand what prompted America's ancestors to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday that is all about expressing gratitude to the Lord of the harvest and the giver of all good things, including good health and the strength to work the land in the first place.
Praise the Lord!

Mini Movie: Morning

Noah's Ark

We have some new arrivals at the farm to add to Sharon's Noah's Ark, and here they are: Bill and Bob, so cute. And while I'm at it, here is a bit of an up date on all the other babies around the place, all bursting with good health and as fat as mud.

 

 

 

 



yuuummmm!!!! (No you can't bring it into the house)