Tales of a thermometer......

You may have thought I was dead, so quiet my blogging has been, (non-existent actually.) In my head a stream of blog posts have made me laugh, made me cry, educated and cogitated... sad none of them made it to t'internet........

Still, it's January; time for resolution and revolution. I vowed to write every day in January, BT had other ideas. Humph! But I'm here now, with lots to tell of hot holidays and a growing herd of alpaca. First on my list is our plans for growing some chicks.

The 11yo requested funding from a poorly heeled venture capitalist (The Hubby) and after submitting a very interesting business plan for selling Salmon Faverolle chickens, (enormous profits though with no mention of deductions for feed, heat, bedding or medicinal supplies,) we began a joint venture and bought a second-hand egg incubator.

Realising our game plan, the chickens stopped laying. Grrrr. They have since revised this tactic and are now laying again but only in secret locations...

In any case we are ready: The Hubby has made a brooder where the chicks can live for their 1st month after which time they will be out in the protection of the hen pens in the garden. Sorted. The only thing we seemed to be missing was a thermometer to check the temperature inside the incubator. We ordered one of these from our erratically functioning Internet and the day before yesterday a box arrived for The Hubby. He poured over it's little booket that evening, as only a man can.

'Could you take a look at the thermometer today, see if you're happy with it?' Hubby asked yesterday morning at the crack of sparrows, before departing into the dark for his office an hour away.

Of course I can, thought I. I can do it after I feed and clean the hens, see to the lovely alpaca, try to contain the sheep in their mud patch, make sourdough and set to work on a web-based catalogue.... of course I can check a silly little thermometer. Easy peasy.

By 10am I had power-walked up a mountain, (my new butt-busting routine after drop-off,) all creatures were sorted, I'd put a wash on, the dishwasher was humming and the sourdough was being bashed up by the bread-maker - what a cheater! I checked the thermometer and it read 28°C, not bad for January really. The sun was shining and there was a hint of Spring in the air, lovely. A big NO! to lighting the log burner in the kitchen, I'm a country-girl now. I settled down to my web work.

An hour or so later I fancied a coffee and a stretch: Time to check the thermometer. Fabulously it was still 28°C and though I felt a little chilly, I put this down to my sitting still for so long. The coffee would warm me, so still no need for the log burner. #SaveThatWood.

A couple of hours later and I was proper cold. The sun was leaving the kitchen, off on its way to lend its weak rays to the west of the house and the light was fading at the table where I was working. I guesstimated the temperature was approximately 10°C and dragged my hypothermic body over to the thermometer to verify this.

It was still 28°C. It was only then that I realised my mistake. Peeling the printed film from the front of the gadget, I realised that the flaming thing didn't even have a battery in it... Sob!

Bring on the dogs with the brandy....

Oh, 18°C, not that bad actually, just indoor coat and hat weather......

Hockey, Hic! and Helping Chicks......

Gosh, the 8yo was amazing at the hockey-stuff... streaked off down the pitch twice and scored both times! In the end they won 3:1.

Last night the Ginger and Chili Beef Stew was lush and this morning the coffee morning went well. Sadly there was only six of us in attendance but this did mean I was able to offer a tiny tipple of my bright pink Plum Vodka.... just to warm the ladies up you understand! It was met with approval I'm pleased to say.

Talking of warming, Whitely seems to have given up with the other five eggs now that she has birthed Archie Archer..... see video footage....

Therefore I am going to try to hatch them; after all they must be close to hatching having been sat on for 21 days. I am not going to sit on them - no - thanks for asking! I've popped them in a Diet Coke box (not blatant advertising honestly!) which is very like a cat carrier when you look at it. They are sitting on the ledge above the log burner which is where I warm our wine..... It may not work, but it's surely worth a try.

In case you are interested, here's the beef stew recipe...... none left for picture I'm afraid!

Saute onion, garlic, carrot and whole button mushrooms in pan with oil. Then add v.lazy chillies and finely chopped fresh ginger. Add seasoning (salt, pepper, chopped rosemary) Put everything into slow cooker on high. Deglaze pan with veg stock (or cube)and red wine and add to slow cooker also.
Put cubed stewing beef in seasoned flour in a freezer bag then brown meat in a pan with heated cooking oil. Add meat to slow cooker.

Cover with water and after an hour turn to low setting.

Cook for 7 hours and serve with rice or warm naan bread and mango chutney.

Birthday Season

We have reached the season of Birthdays in the house; Daddy, the 7yo, (who will soon be called the 8yo,) the 5yo (who shall soon be renamed the 6yo) and the two cats, all have birthdays within a five week period. It's neat, but challenging. The only downside to this time of year is the bombardment of advertising aimed at children for Christmas... it gives my two babies some wild expectations.

'Whaddya mean they won't be satisfied with a nice book and a birthday cake?'

This year Daddy refused gifts on the grounds that we are installing yet another log burner in the house, this time in the kitchen...... downstairs; that will make four in total . Due to this new installation, I'm pretty sure that we will live our lives in the kitchen over the winter months, no bad thing really... but I digress! ... So, the sproglets made Daddy pictures: The 7yo drew an aeroplane and the 5yo drew a graphic scene from Star Wars - least that's what he said it was. Daddy loved the effort and has installed top-banana art in his business office .... I made big steak and chips.... two nights running!

For the first time in their little lives, the sproglets will have separate celebrations. The 7yo and four pals are having their nails 'done' by a beautician (a friend of mine,) who has also promised to bring make-up for experimentation... uh-oh! Then there will be pizza a movie and a lack-of-sleepover! Needless to say the 5yo (boy) was horrified at the thought of girls/make-up/girl movie. He and Dad have conspired to go out for the evening... I'm stuck obviously, the last bastion of hope between nail varnish and my walls/floors/furniture.

The boy is having a swimming party, with wild waves and slides, in a big city some 35 miles away. Unfortunately the swimming pool rules dictate a ratio of parent to child in the wet, tepid, stage-managed storm conditions and this doesn't seem a wildly popular choice of party with the parents who have just made the transition into all their Autumn boots and thermals. Personally I'm rather more concerned that my swimming costume may not be sturdy enough, I seem to have had some bosom-slippage!.... I may invest in a new one before the event... adding yet more cost to the party! Mind you, I'm sure the manufacturers of Veet and Immac will be indebted to me forever....

The cats may not live to see another birthday... I've just found the most enormous pile of innards beside my new (but old) welsh dresser, no fur, no feathers just a huge pile of liver and other parts that I'd recognise if I'd paid attention in biology! 'Scusting.

Batwoman!

Late last night hubby and I sat watching TV, the log burner roaring. We may have gone early on the log burner in the sitting room but it's new and gorgeous and the sitting room is pretty parky without some added heat - even in summer!

Suddenly I heard a squeaking noise and was off my seat, quick as blink, clearly a cat had brought a live present through the cat flap.

I entered the dark kitchen at speed and Tabby must have realised that I was none too pleased with his offering. He and his prize flapped back out the way they came in. I didn't recognise the squeal of the creature he'd caught and as it was still very much alive, so I grabbed the torch and lashed out into the walled garden.

Tabby, as I've mentioned before, is more dog than cat.

'Leave it' I said and reluctantly, leave it, he did.

It was a tiny bat, half the size of a golf ball. As I picked it up it bit me several times without piercing the skin, until it settled on my hand. (I'm pretty sure I don't have rabies this morning - but I'll let you know.) I checked its wings and body. It seemed unscathed.

I put it on the wall and eventually it flew off. Cute. I just can't imagine how Tabby caught it, although I do watch him patiently sitting at the pond, a favourite swooping area of the bats. Must have been one hell of a leap to catch the bat and avoid falling into the murky water!

Brilliant photo care of http://www.impactlab.net/2008/03/16/top-10-photos-of-the-week-5/