I have spent copious amounts of time looking at seed catalogues and what seeds I already possess and still haven't got organised for my January planting. This weekend I will at least start my maincrop onions and early tomatoes. The problem is (i.e another excuse to procrastinate) that with the wet, wet, muddy surface out there, the hens are using the greenhouses as a dry place to sit and have a bit of a chinwag and a crafty dust bath and it seems churlish to deny them. I guess I will close up the small greenhouse and start the seeds off there and leave them to the large one a little longer.
Last Autumn we took a (very) small amount of honey from a couple of hives. As we had so many swarms last year we didn't expect any honey, we were just glad to keep the bees and catch the swarms. Until winter is over I don't know how many have survived, but, fingers crossed, we have done all we can to help them through. The supers, that is frames with some honey in, have been stacked in the outhouse and today I have bought them in to start warming up so that we can spin them tomorrow. Yes, I know we should have done them at the time, but stuff happened and so we put them away until we had time. The job probably won't be as easy as when the honey was fresh as some is bound to have crystallised, but it needs to be done. So wish us luck. The family will be here for tea tomorrow and will probably like giving a hand with the spinner, which is hand powered - I'm hoping they will anyway!
Sweet and sour pork made with Christmas leftovers tonight. Roast Lamb for tea tomorrow, this has lasted quite well, with a few "lumps" left. There are two lambs to go to the butcher on the 13th, which should see us through for a few months. Haven't done any food shopping for some days now, though we did go to the fodder rooms yesterday for the hens and sheep.
Spent a little time working on EGD present ( a quilt) this afternoon which I was making her for Christmas, but was then taken ill and fell behind. However her birthday is this month, so I am hoping to get it finished for then.
All the Christmas stuff is down and put away now. Hurrah!
Until next time. Thanks for reading my ramblings
Gillx
They look so comfy tucked in together, i expect you will get a few angry clucks when you turf them out! Home produced Honey..yum.. I will be over later with my dish of yogurt :-) Lamb...I think its my favourite meat, served pink and juicy or slow roast with oregano.. I love it!! K x
ReplyDeleteWe love it too. Roasted, as today, is probably our favourite, but as a casserole with a cobbler topping takes some beating!
DeleteI'm hoping we can get the honey out of the comb !
Gillx
Love the girl's club photo, looks like a popular place to hang out.
ReplyDeleteMy few hens like to shelter under the conifer hedging, but the silly silky cockerel insists on walking about in the rain despite his feathers getting totally waterlogged.
Our cockerels push the girls aside to get in. No gentlemen there! Apart from Hugh our dear old Buff Orpington who is so gentle and caring ( while still getting plenty of nookie!)
DeleteAs you can see the glass will take some scrubbing when the time comes with all the dust and feathers
Gillx
like a little hen-spa :-)
ReplyDeleteDo you think I should give them all a towel and play them dolphin music?!
DeleteMy hens love to scratch about under a patch of Sumac trees; they make a dreadful mess. I wish they'd go and lay some eggs instead, I haven't had one for months. I wish I'd taken-up bee keeping when I was younger; silly me!
ReplyDeleteThat crowd, plus as many again gave me 4 eggs yesterday !! When they do come in to lay I shall be moaning that I need customers for my egg glut.
DeleteGill
Bees are on hubbys to do list, we agreed this would be his thing and I would keep out of it but I wish he would get a wiggle on!!
ReplyDeleteThe hen look happier than mine who spend there days huddling out of the wind under hedges and behind fences
He needs to think about what he needs now, so that he is ready for the spring and the start of the "season". I don't know where you live, but if it is near to us we would be happy to help him get started
DeleteLoving the girls (and boys) club photo. We only have girls our Housing Association that we rent from won't allow you to keep cockerels which is a shame but at least they let us have chickens.
ReplyDeleteHope your honey spinning went well.. we got our bees in spring last year.. fingers crossed they survive the winter ok.
We are all fingers crossed for the bees aren't we? the weather hasn't been too cold so far, but I guess it is early days.
DeleteNot may HAs allow chickens, I'm so glad your does.
Gill
Thanks for your comments on my blog. I look forward to reading about your life x
ReplyDeleteThanks to you too
DeleteGood luck with your ventures in 2014
Gill
Loved your Christmas pictures........had to laugh at the crowd in the greenhouse; they dont like the cold anymore than the rest of us. -27C here in the Midwest today.
ReplyDeleteNo going out anywhere for a few days........Happy New Year, Gill, your blog is fantastic I thought true country women like you did nt exist anymore. Hope you are passing on your knowledge/skill to the young ones.........