New Chicks!

I completely forgot to post about the chicks we hatched out the other day! 

These hatched out the Monday last week (17th). A mixture of eggs we got from an extremely lovely couple from Abergavenny who keep and show many breeds of chickens.

Working Three Days in Wales

It's been many years since I've stayed away for work (this is the only other time I can think of), but mum had booked a workmate Richard (who everyone calls Dill) and me in to do some work on their cottage in Wales.

She had been trying to use local trades but kept getting let down time after time so decided if she got us into crash out the bulk of the work that might be the way to go.

Tractor World Show

Since writing my monthly article about vintage and older machinery it's given me a real thirst for knowledge in this subject. It's meant that I've gone to things I wouldn't normally, like a local ploughing match or vintage day and now the Tractor World show.

The Tractor World show was great fun. I'm lucky having the show ground just the other side of the hill from where I live, about 4 miles by road but closer as the crow flies.

Workshop Helper

My younger daughter spent some time in the workshop with me this afternoon.

D: "Why do you have a radio on?"

Me- "sometimes it gets a bit boring, it helps pass the time."

D: "it won't be boring if you've got someone to talk to..."

I love that they take such an interest in things like this!

There are some serious advantages to working from home when I can.

Growing up I was always around my parents when they were working. Both would work from home most of the time and they would both also go and work at other farms as well at times. Basically one of them was always at home and it was a nice constant to be relied upon.

It also meant that we (my siblings and me) got involved with everything when we could or when we were old enough and could see what they did each time. I have great memories of this as a child and hope that our kids will have something similar.

Did you watch your parents work when you were young?

Planting Plums For Self-sufficiency

Thought I'd share a short video I made on the varieties of plum I've settled on this year.

Hopefully by having all these different varieties it should mean that we spread the season out as much as we can where we live. I'm looking for them to crop the whole time from mid July right through to the start of October, but I know this will all depend on frosts and other factors!

Let me know what you think of the video.

What other fruit do you try to have a large selection of to make sure you get a harvest?