Normal Service Resumed...

We got back out of Hospital on Friday night but it takes a few days to get sorted and your head straight again.

We were kept in for two nights of the three and had to sleep there with her. Over that time she had blood tests, ultra sound on her hips and then on Friday she had to be sedated for a MRI scan (that was worse as it was nill by mouth for the day and the scan was much later than they said). 

The doctors have come up with no real conclusions but they have eliminated many things that it's not (which is good). There is extra fluid on both her hip joints but that is normally accompanied by an infection and an unwell child whereas she's been fine in herself and other than the limp you'd never know anything was wrong.

We have another visit to hospital later this week and in the meantime we just have to hope it clears up on it's own. 

My wife and I would like to say a big thank you for all your well wishes, it felt weird writing it as she's so well in herself, but the messages were lovely to read when we were sleep deprived and feeling down from being stuck in the hospital.

Thanks again

Slight Interruption

Just a quick note to say that there probably won't be any posts for the next couple of days. 

My eldest daughter developed a limp about four weeks ago and the doctors have been struggling to decide what's causing it. 

On Tuesday they sent us to see specialist after the doctor had looked at the x rays. We went to the hospital and they decided to keep her in, so my wife and I have been taking it in turns. Luckily we all stayed at home last night as they let us out, but tonight we've got to stay overnight again so she can hopefully have a scan in the morning to further investigate what's wrong. 

She'd fine in herself (wants to go home understandably) and is just as happy as ever. The limp doesn't even bother her as she quite happily limps around the place going about her business. It doesn't seem to cause her any pain, but I am glad that we might be getting it sorted even if it does feel a very long winded way of going about things. 

Back Soon!

Good Keeping Apple

I did a little experiment with an apple this year. I left a Sturmer Pippin in my van all winter. Just kicking around in the pocket of the door, no protection or anything.

not pretty on the outside

 I've mentioned before about this apples keeping ability but this really proves it. Although it doesn't look great on the outside the flesh inside is still edible, and I did eat it! It was just starting to go rotten in the middle (I cut this bit out),  and the flesh was a little dry but still had good flavour.

Just starting to go rotten

This year I'll try to store some in ideal conditions and see how they last. I think these could be a great self sufficiency apple and one that would be great in hard times.

Anyone else have a good keeping apple they'd recommend?

Pig's Feet

The other day I bumped into someone who smiled as they saw me and said "I've got something for you!". They then handed me a white carrier bag full of pigs feet! 

Bags of pigs feet

 I'm not squeamish when it comes to foot (as you all know) so these didn't bother me at all. The girls thought they were funny as I chased them around the house with them! 

I did struggle to know what to do with them, I decided on doing them in a Chinese style. I boiled them for two and a half hours with Chinese five spice and load of garlic, ginger and soy sauce. I then put them in a roasting tray, painted sweet chilli dipping sauce on top and roasted them for another hour. 

Boiled for two and a half hours then covered in sweet chilli dipping sauce and roasted for another hour

 They were falling apart by the time I'd finished, they even looked appetising!

Trotter with rice and home grown purple sprouting.

And how were they?

Rubbish! 

If there was three mouthfuls of meat on eight trotters I'd be surprised! 

Not something I'll be trying again any time soon as there is far too much cooking and prep involved for what you get from it - even when they're free. I think you're supposed to eat the grissel and fat as well but there is only so much you can eat. 

Anyone else eat pigs trotters?

Getting The Sheep In For The First Time

I've been checking the sheep everyday like a good pretend shepherd. 

One ewe has been a little bit lame on her back leg since she arrived, so with the arrival of some of the old hurdles from dads farm I decided it was time to round them up for the first time to have a closer look.

 When I lived on the farm we used to get them in using a scrabbler (dirt bike to the Americans) but there's no such luxury this time. 

We had to do it on foot. 

I made a large pen with a line of hurdles (and the tractor) forming a funnel out into the field and then herded them along the fence line. 

Our neighbours Ken and Liz came and lent a hand to get them in, along with my sister, wife and two little ones, even with all of them it still took us two attempts, but the second time they went in easy.

Hopefully they'll get a bit more used to the bucket and come with the prospect of food, but at the moment there's too much grass for them to bother with a handful of grain!

Trimming feet - so it begins! 

 I was pleased we got them in easy and also pleased that I managed to catch and roll a sheep over - I hadn't forgotten how to do it! I had forgotten how heavy sheep are and how much of a fight they put up. Once they're sat down in the hold in the picture above, they normally stay pretty still. My wife commented that they stay far stiller than our daughters when we're trying to do their nails! I trimmed a few feet and then let them go back into the field.

The eldest daughter getting used to the sheep - she likes the lambs!

Of course as they went out into the field I could see that I'd trimmed the wrong feet and the one was still lame! Looks like I'll be getting them in again this week! 

To be honest it's not a bad thing to get them used to being rounded up and being handled. 

I'm still planning on getting a few more sheep yet and building on the flock, I'm really pleased with the ewes I've got so far.

Anyone else planning on keeping sheep?