Feather your Nest Friday, 25th June, 2021.

It has been a great week and a week of increase!  

At last, after the worlds longest pregnancies, two of my sheep had their lambs!   On Tuesday morning Andy checked the sheep for me.   At that stage there were no lambs.  Later in the afternoon I went to check and one of my pet (biscuit eating)  sheep had a lamb and one of my brown sheep (that are less friendly) had a lamb also!   Two in a few hours!  As I stood and took it all in Blossom brought her baby right up to show me.   So here is her little ewe lamb a couple of hours old. 


The lamb came with her on slightly wobbly legs.   No fear.   It was just beautiful!  I fed the sheep their biscuits. 


Look at Blossom looking at me.  So happy with her baby!   I went from happy to have lambs at last to terrified a fox might get them.


So every morning I am off to check on them. So far so good.  There are two more sheep that must be due any day as well. 

Teddy has done well.  He drinks up his bottle morning and night then gallops laps around the paddock in celebration.   At first he would come to me when I called.   Now I don't need to call.  At bottle time he is standing at the gate, waiting, waiting patiently.   If I am a bit late then not so patiently! 



I had filled this little tank shed with hay and when it rains that is where I will find him.  He is dry and snug in there and smart enough to make that his house.

AND.... after all this time I finally got my baby miniature goats!   I have always wanted them.   We headed off last weekend on a long drive to pick them up.   I took my crochet blanket and got two hours crochet in on the way as Andy drove.  It was a beautiful day visiting the nicest little farm.   It reminded me of Greenacres.  There was a pig and chooks everywhere.  It was beautiful.    
My babies went in the car at my feet and as soon as we took off they went to sleep.  So I let them sleep and I continued to work on my blanket all the way home. 

I called them Honey...


And Billie...  (the kid.)


They have a bottle morning and evening.  They are quite tiny.   Honey is over the top affectionate and Billie is more shy but warming up.   I totally love them!  

A big achievement was we cleaned up the mess of the crushed hen house and fallen tree and we rebuilt!   We finished it Tuesday.   By bed time that day I was a complete wreck.   While we cleaned up and build I also ran a bon fire to burn all the debris and rubbish.  It was a huge fire.   But by the end of the day we were done!  


I went and caught ten hens and a rooster.   By the time I caught them and moved them into the house I was  exhausted.   But it was done and we were up and running again!    In a couple of days we will open the door and go back to letting them free range in the orchard during the day and shutting them up at night. 

The sweet little tank stand Andy made me was not damaged so it is set up out the back door...



The was setting here after a long day! 

I have been working on a blanket, this is what I worked on during the car trip..



I made some cards with a sewing theme...


Two impossible pies were made using some of the dehydrated tomatoes from last week.


And Friands for afternoon tea full of berries.  


We had more rain and I found some lovely flannelette sheets, a crystal vase and beautiful ribbons in the op shop.  This year op shopping has really helped me build my sewing pantry up a lot.  

It is nice to look back over the week.  I feel very happy with it!  Sometimes it is two steps forward and one step back but it is just amazing how little things add up.  

How did you build up your home, pantry, garden, gift cupboard or any other area this week?   
Some of Australia is back in lockdown again.  We are being pretty watchful as this situation seems to be able to change so quickly.   We know if the worst happens we have meals ahead, a well stocked pantry and medical cupboard and we can manage without going to the shops.    So make hay while the sun shines! xxx





















Comments

  1. Dear Annabel,
    The baby lambs and little goats are so sweet. So glad the cleanup has gone well and that the hens are safely back in their home. Teddy sure is a smart one too. Love the blanket you've been crocheting and the sewing themed cards are beautiful. Keeping hands busy on a long ride can be so productive.

    This week has been a mix of things here. It was annual mammogram time on Monday. Ladies, please don't forget to get one. It's so important to our health. We made the trek to Costco to pick up items that are more reasonably priced than they are where we live. Harvested about 2 1/2 pounds of chard (silverbeet) from the garden as well as basil, oregano and radishes. I found some lamb stew meat in the freezer and decided to grind it up and make shepherd's pies. So 3 were made. Some of one we had for dinner that night and the rest went into the freezer. I will be processing some of the chard today. Spent time weeding and feeding all of the vegetable plants. I made some cards for July birthdays and anniversaries. Our letter carrier is going to be a grandmother for the first time, so I went through my stash to find fabrics to make some bibs and burp clothes . Wishing all the Bluebirds a good week ahead. Blessings, Cookie

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    1. Dear Cookie,
      I love Shepherds Pies. Its about time I made some too. So nice of you to do some sewing for the mail lady! She will be so thrilled! Great job on the cards too. I am waiting on more lambs and checking twice a day!
      Have a lovely week! With love,
      Annabel.xxx

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  2. Dear Annabel,
    You had a very satisfying and productive week. Your farm is growing by leaps and bounds.
    The cards, your blankets and all you create are lovely. I wish I had your energy.
    Have a beautiful weekend,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda,
      It was good to feel a bit caught up after a set back. We are having to work outside on the days its not raining. I ran out of steam a few times dont worry! Have a very good new week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  3. What beautiful babies! Blossom looks very proud of herself (as well she should) but Billie (the Kid) really stole my heart.

    It's been a quiet week, with temperatures in the high 80s. I've tried to do a little gardening every day. Last weekend, I picked 5 lbs. 10 oz. of strawberries from my little raised bed! I made a batch of freezer jam and a glazed strawberry pie (my mom's recipe, in the recipe file). Four days later, I picked another 4 lbs. 14 oz., for a total of 11 lbs. 9 oz. to date (3 pickings). I think I will end up with about 15 lbs. altogether--last year, it was about 10. I made a second batch of jam and strawberry shortcake with homemade shortcakes.

    My garden kneeling pad split. I glued it back together and reinforced it with duct tape. I kind of doubt that this will be successful--at least for very long--but a cheap and easy fix is always worth a try.

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    1. Dear Maxine,
      I thought Blossom looked quite smug. Her first baby!
      I keep hearing how hot it is. I think it is hard to get much done when its too hot. but you did well.
      You are getting so many strawberries! And making the most of them!
      Good old duct tape! Here we say wire and duct tape fix everything! With love Annabel.xxx

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  4. Such a lovely week for you, Annabel! So much done, and so many lovely little animals added to your flocks. Enjoy!!

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    1. Thanks so much Jill. I hope you have a very good week! With love Annabel.xxx

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  5. You have accomplished so much and I can't hardly believe you already have the hen house rebuilt! Those baby goats sound like so much fun along with the baby sheep. I said all week that it was the longest week and it must have been for you too to have gotten so much done!

    We had a week of getting going again after being at the lake for two weeks. How we can be away and rest and then be so tired after we return home is a mystery. We had big grocery shopping to do and unpacking along with laundry and repacking the totes that we keep ready to grab and go.
    Our discount grocery store had 5 pound bags of very good cheese for $5.99 so we stocked up and divided and froze for later. Meat prices keep going up so we also stocked up on all the meat deals such as 1.5 pounds of bacon for $5.99 and chicken for .99 a pound. I love summer and all the wonderful fruits that are in season and inexpensive on sale. Yesterday as we were driving we passed what seemed to be an apple tree loaded with apples. It may be on an empty lot so we need to go and investigate and possibly ask if we can harvest if it seems to be left to drop the fruit. Yesterday we cooked a huge chicken for the freezer frozen in containers with broth. Family will be visiting in a few weeks and we want to be able to get meals ready quickly. There were four cups of extra broth so my husband grabbed two pint jars from the canning cupboard and washed them and I added the broth and he put them in the small smart canner that we always keep on the kitchen counter. It only took a few minutes and this morning we put away those lovely jars of golden broth for another day. We are still learning the canner but it is so easy to just pressure can a few jars that I think it will pay for itself in putting up food that might otherwise be wasted because I was exhausted and ready to pour that leftover broth down the drain.

    I am sorry to hear about the lockdowns again. We are just so, so weary of it all as I am sure you are too.

    Have a lovely weekend nd I hope you can find a few hours to rest well before the new week!

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    1. Dear Lana,
      Yes it was a long week! It is weird how some weeks are so quick... others drag on!
      I find after being away there is a lot to do at home. It takes me a couple of days to get back to normal.
      What a deal on cheese! I would be thrilled with that. You had good deals.
      I would do the same re the apple tree. Id start with the neighbours and see if they know who the owner is. I bet they would let you pick them. Let us know what happens! I hope you get them! So much can be made with apples!
      Broth is so good. Full of nutrition. Good work.
      Yes people are weary. Many businesses hanging on by a thread will fall too. It is very sad. I am waiting for the true economic fall out to hit.
      Have a good new week Lana. With love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Dear Annabel,

    The lambie is so cute, but my heart belongs to the Nigerians! They are so cute...I can just see them springing all around. Ours used to be so hilarious on a little teeter-totter.

    You are one busy lady! I finally got all the garden in, so I get to relax from that for a bit before it's time to do major weeding. Today I harvested oregano and winter savory and put them in paper bags to dry for the winter. I've finished a pair of socks, and have started a set of embroidered pillowcases...in fact, now that most of my chores are done for today (except for picking and arranging new bouquets of flowers for the house--the peonies, roses and sweet peas are blooming), I plan to spend the afternoon stitching away at one thing or another! Your blanket is coming along nicely---I love the colors.

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend...put your feet up one day this weekend!! xx Jen in NS

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  7. Dear Annabel,
    What a paradise you have there with your new precious baby lambs, adorable Teddy, chickens, and those sweet little goats. I'm glad you got your hen house safely back together.
    The blanket is just beautiful with it's multi-color stripes. Just curious what crochet stitch that is done with? Yummy looking savory and sweet treats. Blessings, Laura

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  8. So many babies - they are all so sweet. You are going to have to stop one of these days since you keep them as pets or charge admission for people to see them. They are going to cost a fortune to feed! Other than the chickens - you get no food items back.
    WOW still having lockdowns. No such thing here now. Actually we never did - things were closed, but people were never stopped from being on the go.
    Enjoy those babies, they grow up fast. Have a great weekend.

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  9. Dear Annabel
    It looks like you had a wonderful week and it's a joy to hear and see it :)
    Just out of curiosity, what do you plan for with the goats?
    Love, Heidi xx

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  10. Congratulations on all your babies!! I am sooo happy for you. Such a precious lamb. Mama seems real proud. Your goats are adorable. How lovely they slept at your feet. And for two hours.

    Your blanket and rebuilt hen house are lovely. So good that the water tank and stand did not need to be rebuilt.

    I am thankful for 2 new khaki Campbell ducks. My hen was killed by a raccoon 2 months ago. So we found 2 new ladies for our drake on Craigslist, yesterday. Our drake is so happy! And the girls got right in the kiddie pool for a swim, just minutes after arriving .Our whole family tore out some old ugly shrubs. I will be replacing them with ferns and other plants my girlfriend is offering. I will receive them free for the hauling! And she will have a large space cleared for a veggie garden.

    Kombucha, yogurt and quick breads are being added to our stores. And old clothes are being recycled into rags or donated to the church clothing pantry. I've also been adding recipes to my repertoire to help use up leftovers. So nice to purge the recipe box and toss the ones that don't work for my family.
    Well, on to sewing up old sheets into new napkins.
    Blessings to all,
    Leslie

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  11. It is absolutely beautiful to see your new little ones, and the joy that they clearly bring you!! That tank and tank stand are so cute!! You are blessed!!!!

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  12. Just caught up with all your things again and want to say what a joy it is to read them all and how you do make me think! I am working on the yard of the house in town and I'm doing it all myself. Just the two front flower beds but they are big and it's been a job of about 6 hours so far. I'm doing the little bit at a time method. So glad to see your agapanthus as I realized that is what is blooming in the shady bed back of that house. I may dig up one or two to plant here. They are really pretty.
    I had a slower week in some ways but I made bread and all our meals. I made cards as you've done, using pictures cut from a seed catalog. I composted shredded paper and paper bags and paper towels as well as veg scrap.
    I kept my youngest grandson one day while his mama went to appointments and enjoyed watching him play with the plastic lids and containers I've washed and saved. I did it to use in food storage for the fridge but he and my youngest granddaughter both enjoy playing with them, too. Free baby toys, lol!
    I stocked up on candles. Not enough to use if we've an extended power outage but enough to get a good start. I bought pound packets of yeast that arrived this week, too. Also new, longer and narrower bread pans which is like having a store bought sized long loaf when sliced. It's more manageable for us and will last us all week long.
    I made a Lime pie for my daughter's birthday and then realized I could easily double the recipe and make up mini pies in saved pie tins for our own use here. One little pie is enough for two people, and one recipe made up four mini pies. I froze three of them for future use.
    I have been rooting some new plants from various things. I have no idea why but each time I come across a stem or broken bit I'm pushing it into soil or sticking it in a glass of water. So far I've got oregano, mint, rosemary, Persian shield, begonia and coleus in water. I have Kolanchoe and poinsettia in pots. One was just a flower top that broke off and I shoved it in the dirt. The thing has grown and put out leaves! I keep asking "Lord, why do I feel I should keep rooting these?" Perhaps I'm meant to sell them or give them away at some point. I'm just going to listen to my instinct and root them all! I'm meant to expand what I already have and I'm going to do it!
    Hugs to you and yours Annabelle and thank you for inspiring me to keep on doing what I do in my home!

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  13. Hi Annabelle, I love your baby lambs and little goats. Your Farm reminds me of Green Acres. I use to watch that and still would if it was still on. Nice clean TV show. Your new chicken house is really nice and your goodies look yummy. Love the colors of your blanket. Not a whole lot going on here except puppy care! Nancy

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  14. Ah, I was so excited to see your photos, especially Blossom and her baby! Thank you ;). I really enjoy your blog and the photos, thank you for taking the time to share!

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  15. The lambs and kids are so cute! What a lovely week you’ve had. You would never know the chooks house had been so badly damaged, it looks perfect. I love the colours of your blanket. I’ve hit the wall a bit with mine so I’ve stopped counting rows. I know I’ve done over 60 of 90 that need to be done, but I won’t count for a while so that when I eventually do I’ll be so happy to be so close to the end that it will fly by. That’s my theory anyway haha.

    This has felt like a really messy week, lots of little interruptions that mean I just kept fitting jobs in where I could. There are two weeks left of school here so I’m hoping to get at least a few more settled days in before the kids are home to do some organising and preparing. I’ve realised that feeling disorganised is not good for me, and it’s often just a few little areas that can make all the difference. Like having dinner prepared early in the day, trying to plan at least one home day a week etc.

    Have a lovely weekend with your new family members!
    Jen (NZ)

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    1. Dear Jen, Here it is one week to school holidays. They need the break. The second week the girls will come to me for a stay.
      I truly know what you mean. I fall in a hole when disorganised and then need to dig myself out of the hole! At this time I realise that is what life must be life for many people all the time. It would be really bad for me as even theses short spurts of it are bad enough. I also agree how one good thing like having dinner started early, menu planned, small jobs done ahead, they all help so much.
      With the crochet I dont count rows but I find striped good as I always think I will just go to the end of the row and change colours... then I think Ill just do two more rows and so it goes.
      Enjoy your weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Lovely babies! Cuteness does relieve stress and well everything!
    Is that crochet an Attic 24 pattern? Did you have to send off for the yarns or did you get them in Australia. Stay warm.
    Kate

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    1. Dear Kate, Well spotted yes this is Attic 24 Trellis which I LOVE it is a joy to work up. I love her patterns as I didn't understand written patterns and she has videos! I don t like acrylic yarn so I do not buy the packs. I buy the colours and ply I want from Bendigo Woollen Mills. It does cost a bit but to me then you have an heirloom. And in between I do a lot of projects with yarns I find in the op shops and the left over yarns. Bendigo also just released new colours that are gorgeous. I hope this helps you. Saying this I am sure the UK supplier ships works wide. With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Thanks Annabel,
      Lucy at Attic24 is so very talented isn't she? What an eye for colour and texture! I spend hundreds of $ each year ordering Bendigo yarns and make blankets, and I hope they become heirlooms as the yarn is beautiful and it supports our farmers and wool makers.
      Kate

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  17. Annabel, I love the way you have your farm set up. I think it makes work seem like fun when you have beautiful things around, like your chicken coop and the tank stand Andy made for you. Love those! Congratulations on your new animal babies. So adorable. You are acquiring quite a menagerie. My granddaughter was going to bring me some little ducks but they had a chance to sell their whole flock for a good price so I will be patiently waiting :-). No problem as they have incubators and saved plenty of eggs and besides, I need to work on what will become the duck pen. I've felt poorly for a couple of weeks now and decided I indeed had a mild case of Co-vid! Having a hard time getting my strength back but the other symptoms are gone, thank goodness.
    Because of the weird spring weather we had here the harvest has been small but I continue to gather a few things here and there and all goes into our stock pile or on our table. Yesterday it was grapes, 4 eggs, about 2 cups of green beans, a yellow squash and some green onions. Every little bit helps and I'm grateful for all of it. Annabel, thanks for reminding me to use grape vines to make some wreaths. The vines went wild when we got all that rain! My EBay sales have been steady and I learned that if I list at least one item a day then my sales are increased. Strange how that works.
    In other areas, I darned a pair of socks and I thrifted a waterproof sheet that will go into our medical supplies in case of an emergency. It looked like one from a hospital and needed to be hemmed on one side but was otherwise in excellent condition. Medical is one area I really need to work on as I've thrown stuff in some drawers willy-nilly. I hope we don't have an emergency and have to find something until I can get more organized!
    I love reading about the progress everyone here is making. This is my favorite go-to online place, thanks to Annabel and to all of you!

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    1. Dear Pam, Oh I hope you get your ducks! Ducks make good pets. They are gorgeous. I have gradually expanded. Some intentionally some accidentally!
      Im sorry you have been sick. I hope you are on the mend now.
      Well done on the bay sales. Listing an item a day is a great thing. It is just surprising how daily things like this add up. I love grape vine wreathes! Every vine you need to trim can go towards a lovely wreath. The little curly bits that go out to curl around things ... these to me dry so prettily and look so lovely.
      It is good to have the medical supplies where you can find them in a hurry. I need to go through mine but I have a cupboard and inside it two little chests of drawers of supplies. This is an area I worked on a lot over the last few years.
      Thank you for your kind words! We are all making steady progress! With love Annabel.xxx

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  18. Annabel those little lambs and mini goats are just adorable and Blossom just looks so pleased with herself :) . So much work done to rebuild the chook pen and clean up after the wild weather you had and it all looks wonderful. The crocheted blanket and cards are both lovely and will make adorable gifts. I always love to see your baking as it looks so appetising and gives so many easy meals from the freezer for both yourself and family too.

    We have also had some wonderful rain that has filled up our household water tanks again and helped green the grass although the temperatures are quite cold here with heavy dew and some frost some mornings.

    Our Vicky challenge added up to $ $1051.90 in savings last week :).

    In the kitchen -
    - We made all meals from scratch and 3 loaves of wholemeal white bread saving $10.47 on usual prices buying bread locally.
    - Did our grocery shop and used $10 off rewards to top up our pantry with 2 jars of Vegemite for free and earned another $10 off rewards for our next shop.

    Finances -
    - Banked more money into our 6 month emergency fund and home maintenance fund for future home repairs. We now have enough to pay for the two house stumps to be repaired, the two ceiling panels to be replaced and the shed beams to be reinforced.
    - Paid an extra part payment off our mortgage.

    Purchases -
    - Whilst shopping in a larger regional shopping centre we came across a River's clearance store selling most clothing items for $3.60 each. We purchased 5 long sleeved linen and cotton shirts, 3 pairs of active wear pants for DH and 2 kaftan tops for myself for $36 saving $163.93 on usual prices.
    - I also found that W Lane was having a great special on cotton linen clothing items for $4 each. I purchased 13 items of clothing for myself for $52 being 7 pairs of linen cotton shorts, 4 x cotton pairs of shorts and 2 linen cotton skirts saving $887.97 in total on usual prices.
    - Preparation wise we purchased 10 mini solar power lanterns for $15 to use in case of blackouts and a set of solar powered fairy lights for the back patio so we don't have to turn on the lights at night when we go out there.

    Hoping everyone has a wonderful week ahead :).

    Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).

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    1. Dear Lorna,
      Your weekly bread baking sounds so good. And your savings were huge! Full rain water tanks are just wonderful!
      To have paid a whole extra mortgage payment is fantastic too. Well done. To be ahead is just the best thing.
      Your clothing buys were amazing. You cant make things for $3.60!
      I think the solar lighting is an excellent investment. What a good week. You made headway in a lot of areas! With love Annabel.xxx

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  19. Your friands look delicious! I had to look it up to see the difference between our muffins and friands. I even tried to find a friand pan on Amazon - very expensive! I think I could use a mini-loaf pan instead :) YUM!

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    1. Kathy yes you could use a muffin pan just fine. The main thing with friends is most of them is almond meal rather than flour. It gives them a slightly chewy texture which is gorgeous. Ill try and write up the recipe I use as some are complicated and mine is very easy. Berries are good in them. I have found some different shaped muffin trays in the op shops. I got a rectangle one and its so nice for little meatloaves! I will get on to making some more and putting the recipe up.xxx

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  20. Everything you are doing is wonderful 🤍

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  21. You spoil us with so many wonderful pictures!! Precious Blossom truly trusts you to bring her newborn to show you💖. Makes my heart smile. (I'm praying for all their safety) And Teddy is looking so beautiful and healthy; he's found his personal shelter, love it! Your little kids could NOT be cuter - you're gonna have so much fun with them. The sun setting on the re-built henhouse is just gorgeous. And that water tower Andy built you is so darned cute :D.
    Your blanket is just gorgeous! and really coming along. Lucky recipient! Pretty cards, too! Now I'm off to read your newest post.
    Lots of love, Mary xoxo

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    1. Thanks so much Mary. Animals bring so much joy and goodness dont they. I know you understand on that! Thank you! xxx

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    2. Thanks so much Mary. Animals bring so much joy and goodness dont they. I know you understand on that! Thank you! xxx

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    3. Thanks so much Mary. Animals bring so much joy and goodness dont they. I know you understand on that! Thank you! xxx

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    4. Thanks so much Mary. Animals bring so much joy and goodness dont they. I know you understand on that! Thank you! xxx

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