Feather you're Nest Friday, 19th April, 2024.

Lots of progress to report this week.   

As I've been peeling apples and cutting up pumpkin (for a big slow cooker of soup) the goats have been getting lots of tasty snacks.

I made cheese scones to go with soup.  Then soup becomes a whole meal I think.  The other favourite is to make cornbread.

I planted some garlic that had started to sprout.

Also planted broad beans, dwarf beans and oregano.

We had a little bit of rain.  We badly need some more but last night a little was better than nothing.

I invested in a grass catcher for the ride on lawn mower.   These grass clippings will become greens for the chickens.  As I build up my flock this will help a lot with feed.

Because it is dry, and because I have the irrigation system,  the lawn now looks nice and green and also delicious.  All week I had one cow that was getting over the front fence.

After a few days of this the other cows caught on and broke wires on the top of the fence... which granted, isn't very good to begin with.   

You can see broken wires in this photo.

Now my helper Tim has worked on fixing it up but they were watching not very impressed.

My son in law cleaned out my fireplace and chimney.   Just as well, it was full of soot and gunk.   Now I have wood,  kindling and the fire is ready to go.

The work on the top house... I ordered a stove and a range hood.   It looks like there is a very narrow space but I had no problem finding a stove to fit.  

My Valentines Day chicken is a hen!   She is lovely!  She is moved now into a bigger hen house.  She is a very pretty hen and very tame.

The eggs in the incubator have a week to go.  Last night I got out a torch (flashlight) and checked eleven.  Eight have chicks and three nothing.  I stopped as I was opening and closing the incubator a lot but there are 20 eggs.  If this sampling is right then things are looking good!  I am picking the girls up on Thursday just in time for all the action.  I saved a nice big cardboard box as my brooder and have chick starter feed ready.

Using some of my summer tomato sauce I made a big spaghetti sauce and two huge Lasagnes.  I was really pleased as both of them are in my biggest baking dishes.  I froze one and delivered one to Chloe who carefully cut out some serves and froze them. 

The house has two bathrooms. One with a bath and one with a shower.  I take baths and Andy took showers.  So it ended up we had a bathroom each.   Andy's bathroom was quite plain and sometime ago the glass shower screen exploded!  Andy was happy without it.  So now... I had to mull over what to do.  I do not want to renovate.  I just cannot handle it.   So... I found a huge photo of a Kingfisher that takes up most of one wall and it goes in the colour scheme.  I added flowers, a painting I did and some fragrance...

I then added a lace curtain so there is some privacy and a shower curtain.

The shower curtain really matches the tiles well... just when I thought the tiles were very dated now they seem fine.  I just figured out I need a nice plush mat and some matching towels.   But now I think it's nice!  And I completely avoided any actual tradesmen type work. 😊

Lily hit her 6 weeks milestone.   I think the first six weeks are so important.  

She is full of personality.   I don't remember a lot of February and March.   I am glad I wrote things down as really they are like a gap to me but Lily arriving was a light in the darkness.

How have you been able to build up your home, pantry or garden this week?   We can feel like we didn't do much but when we look back at the week we did!  These are all extra things because all of us have a long daily list to complete just to keep the household functioning.  

It is getting dark early and I am ready to settle down with some crochet and a favourite you tube channel. Have a lovely weekend! xxx

PS If you have not taken my preparedness course it is in the index.  30 days to better preparedness.   Don't stop taking every opportunity to be better prepared. x