A Vegetable Feast

Hello everybody, sorry it's been a while...we've both been so busy with work. Jilly has finished her training and has got a job in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and i finish tomorrow and have been offered a job in a private hospital. Hopefully we should start work at the end of september at the latest, until which time we'll be a bit short of money (just for a change). Oh well it will just be nice to spend some time together as a family.

We spent a few hours at the allotment last saturday and harvested all the onions, the remainder of the potatoes and some peas (which unfortunately harboured lots of maggots/caterpillars). The beans are finally starting to do something and the sprouts, broccoli and main crop potatoes are coming along.

The main reason for going up was so Jilly could try out her new toy, a battery powered strimmer. She was very excited and it turned out to do the trick and cut those nasty weeds back down to size! We also put in place a garden bench that Jilly's grandad had fixed for us...so now we have somewhere to sit and drink our tea.

Anyway hope everything's ok with you guys

Italy for the weekend

Last weekend we left the kids and dogs with the ex and flew off to Italy for the weekend. It was my friend from school's wedding on the saturday in a castle in a little town on lake garda called Malcesine.

It was a beautiful weekend, we had a welcome rest and ate lots of delicious food. Lake Garda was absolutely magnificient, with its big mountains and lots of lovely villages and towns.

The wedding was just a semetic one and therefore quite short, which we were glad of as the sun was beating down, even at 4.30 pm. We were then taken to the reception at a gorgeous restaurant and were fed a whole feast of courses between 9pm and 1.30pm. The speeches took the longest time as they had to be translated between italian and english for the grooms family and Rebecca's.

It was generally a very romantic break and had me and Jilly wanting to tie the knot...maybe next year!

The Long Weekend

It's been a long weekend due to the spring bank holiday so we've got lots to report.

Firstly, Skye turned 6 months old this week and remains the naughtiest pointer around...she's still incredibly loveable though.

We spent a few hours up at the allotment both saturday and sunday so got plenty done. We dug out another bed for the main crop potatoes and covered it to keep the weeds down. Then we made another bed where we planted out the sprouts, brocolli, carrots and parsnips. Jilly put some mesh around the peas and tied them up so they are no longer trailing along the ground. I also put together a very slanted compost heap out of pallets, it may not be pretty but it serves a purpose!

The chicken ladies are doing well and i found 2 eggs when i checked today. I expected 1 as Tallulah always makes a tremendous noise when she's laid an egg, alerting everyone to how clever she is! They've had the run of the back yard for most of the day and have discovered my lavender plant, as well as knowing exactly when the back door's been left open.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!

Night time ramblings

I'm on my lonesome tonight because Jilly's doing a night shift, so i've got Emily for company (hope she doesn't thrash around all night like the last time she was in our bed!). Anyway i hate spending nights without Jilly so am pining for her...i'm a big smush, i know.

The chooks have settled in now, although after getting 5 eggs from them in the first week, we have had none since monday. The weather is horrible and raining loads, which i dont think they're very impressed by! Oh well, on a plus side the veggies will be loving it. Hopefully we'll spend some time up at the allotment at the weekend.

Here's a pic Jilly took of Emily with her chicken, Tallulah. They go together perfectly as they both like talking!

Chickens in the kitchen

We have our ladies! We picked them up last sunday and we're loving them. We managed to build the house and run in just enough time to go and pick them up. We have had three eggs in three days (delicious boiled with soldiers this morning) so we are chuffed with the girls. Their names, by the way, are Tallulah, Blousy Brown, Velma and Bangles and they all have different personalities. Tallulah is very friendly, but appears to be hatching an escape plan similar to Chicken Run! We found her in the dining room the other day! Blousy Brown seems to be the top hen, however Velma is a bit of a bully. And Bangles has taken a while to settle in but she's very friendly too. They all like it when we open the run and let them stretch their legs (and often wings).

All in all they have settled in very well, as have we to the new house.

The fabulous house and run that Jilly built...she's so clever!

Up at the allotment, the potatoes and onions are doing very well, as are the fruit bushes and strawberries. Unfortunately, the beans have bitten the dust, and the peas are looking a bit scabby. Some of them may survive once we have tied them up to the poles though. We've got some more seedlings we're going to go and plant out this weekend and we've cheated a bit and bought some brocolli, carrot, sprouts and runner bean plants from B and Q.

Hectic week

Quick update....

We decided we would rehome 4 ex battery chickens from Hen Rehomers UK http://www.henrehomers.net/. They are due to come to us next saturday. We bought a chicken coop off ebay and took it up to the allotment to build. Then the other day we went up to the plot to water the veggies and to our horror, the coop had been stolen! We were devastated and are pretty convinced it's a new man on the allotment who has pigeons and is up there all the time.

So plan B...we are still having the chickens but are going to keep them in our back yard (god bless our new landlord for letting us!). We have been skip raiding etc and have got pallets to build a chicken house and run. We're currently building it and will post pics of the finished product.

Aswell as all that, we are moving house at the end of next week and have not done any packing yet due to working. Thank god we are only moving down the road and i am having monday and friday off to do things.

As for the veggies, the onions are coming through well but the beans and peas are looking a bit pathetic and i think something's been eating the peas.

And on a happier note, yesterday Jilly and i have been together 18 months and she bought me a little 'anniversary' album and put photos and mementos in it. It is so lovely and the best present i've ever had. She really is the most wonderful girlfriend and partner you could ever wish for.






I love you so much Jilly.

Girls on film!

Our girls entered an easter bonnet parade on Easter Sunday and were photographed for the local paper. Here's what they wrote in it...

Sisters Jennifer, aged 11, and Emily Barclay, eight, on Blair Athol Road, Greystones, who both attend Greystones School, were up early yesterday morning to get cracking on their hats. Mum Jilly said: "They made their hats this morning, while eating Easter eggs of course."