As I write this post tonight I can hear the hum of tractors and farm machinery in the surrounding fields near to where we live. It is with some sense of relief that the sunny weather has finally arrived for everyone concerned so that at last the hay can be made. This is my husband busily turning our hay this afternoon and this will go on for a few days until the hay is considered dry enough to ' row up' ready for baling. The smell of freshly cut grass all around us is just wonderful and hopefully this should keep our horses fed through the winter months.
I have just started picking our first tomatoes although I have to say that I am a little disappointed with their flavour, I just don't think they have had enough sun this year! I have also planted some more seeds, a brand of carrots called Eskimo that are supposed to overwinter in the ground and some seed potatoes called Vale Emerald that you plant now and are supposed to be ready in time for Christmas ! It is the first time that I have planted either so I will keep you posted how successful they are. If you are interested the site I bought them from is called Dobies
My neighbour Lu has been busy hatching chicks. This little girl is a Cream Leg Bar, one of a few chicks that can be sexed upon hatching. The girls look like little bumblebees with brown and cream stripes on their backs and the boys have a dark round spot at the back of their head so its very easy to tell one from the other. Cream Legbars are a rare breed and they lay beautiful blue eggs. Both Lu and I are big fans! I have several in my flock and they are good layers usually laying well into the winter months when the other chickens have stopped laying.
This is a chick just about to hatch, you can just see a little beak!
Here they are helping themselves to a few chick crumbs. Once they are a little bigger and are drinking and eating on their own they will go outside perhaps with a surrogate hen if she will accept them...As this post seems to have a bit of an animal theme going on I thought I would leave you with another picture of Claire's eiderdown! As you can see another one of our cats has fallen in love with it!! I don't think I have a chance of calling it my own, do you?
What a lovely post. It really helps to see/hear about seasonal events happening like hay making and chick hatching...everything seems so mixed up at the moment with all this strange weather. Finally a few days of warm sunny weather.
I love the eiderdown(and cat) from Claire. She has some gorgeous things doesn't she!
Take care,
Alison x
Posted by: Alison | July 31, 2007 at 08:57 AM
Beautiful chicks and beautiful eiderdown! I noticed the other day on a train journey that the hay was just being made and bales rolled in the fields - such a strange summer. My tomatoes are awful this year too!
Kim
Posted by: Kim | July 31, 2007 at 10:54 AM
Oh what cute little chicks! Glad to hear that the sun is shining at last and the hay making is underway.
Marie x
Posted by: Wild Rose | July 31, 2007 at 03:04 PM
Yup, the combine harvesters are all busy round here too. I'm waiting for the annual influx of mice (and the odd snake) from the fields behind our house.
Posted by: Ali | July 31, 2007 at 06:13 PM
What a joy to see some haymaking. Wish I could smell it too, but technology is that advanced yet. Love the chicks! I do miss all the 'farming' stuff from my childhood.
Sue
Posted by: Sue | August 01, 2007 at 01:18 AM
The chicks are beautiful and I am so glad that you are finally able to make the hay. I was thinkng about that the other day and I knew that the folk with hay to make may be wringing their hands at all the rain we have had.
Cherry xx
Posted by: Cherry Menlove | August 02, 2007 at 08:03 AM
Hi Jane
What a lovely post! Yes, the farmers are busy around here too, let's hope the good weather continues.
Our tomatoes have been disappointing too - and as for our runner beans, well they are almost non-existent!
LOVE the chicks and LOVE your black and white cat - looks just like mine, who's called Tilly! I'm glad the animals like the eiderdown so much! I launched the pin board yesterday and I've added your photo of Neville to it!
Have a great weekend,
Clare x
Posted by: Clare | August 03, 2007 at 10:21 AM
I pulled up in a layby on Wednesday to eat my lunch and I could hear tractors and combines in every direction. What a lovely post.
Sandra.x.
Posted by: Sandra | August 04, 2007 at 05:08 PM
Beautiful photos, the tractors have been busy here too - and I love the noise and the sight of newly-cut fodder! All the rain we've had has put everything behind, and those poor farmers whose crops have been ruined! I'm hoping that for now we'll have some better weather.
Lovely chicks too, my mother had some eggs from a friend of hers which were araucanas, and again totally blue - she thought they were fantastic.
Enjoy the good weather!
Posted by: Tash | August 06, 2007 at 03:54 PM
Lovely post...so sweet the little chick and kitten...Happy Summer Days! :o)
Posted by: Tracy | August 07, 2007 at 02:50 PM
My husband still eulogizes about hay making from his chidhood days when his father drove the tractor!
Posted by: carolyn | August 08, 2007 at 12:25 PM
Hi, Noreen's husband Brian has also been busy haymaking as well, now the weather's better. Everything seems to be busy in the countryside now...tractors everywhere! The chicks are gorgeous. We used to keep hens on our farm when I (Margaret) was a child and I always loved the day old chickens we had and could spend ages watching them. Love your blog and will be back to visit.
Margaret and Noreen at THY
Posted by: thehomelyyear | August 10, 2007 at 09:21 AM
Just back to say I've awarded you the Nice Matters Award for taking time to make such a lovely blog.
Sandra.x.
Posted by: Sandra | August 13, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Just back to say I've awarded you the Nice Matters Award for taking time to make such a lovely blog.
Sandra.x.
Posted by: Sandra | August 13, 2007 at 10:31 PM