The FastDay Forum

Should have been a morning but was up and out early for agility training, for the puppy not me we are going to change our day as there is an issue with another dog disliking ours. Last month our boy was attacked and bitten which involved an operation and anti biotics and a large bill. We have been trying to overcome the problem but after another class with our boy cowering (he is a 31kg Boxer/Mastiff) and the terrier terrorizing him we are switching to Fridays. More puppies who will grow big in this class.
Am meant to be shoveling more gravel this afternoon but still recovering. Still need to clean out chickens and ducks, make shortbread and cook dinner. Will do a bit more of the gravel though as have said I will get it finished by the end of the weekend. OH is meant to be doing some more plaster board but may paint the insect stuff on the old beams instead as uses less brain power.
My three chicks are growing well but nothing else yet has hatched. I gave my surplus cockerel to our dog trainer and he seems very happy in his new home. My flock has settled down and seem much happier.
I very much hope to do some knitting later as horribly behind with it.

Wow, what an action packed life you lead! Our hens were cleaned out yesterday. so today it was just fresh water, collect eggs and check food. This morning we took our two grandaughters to a soft play area (they are staying with us for a week while their parents are skiing) and then this afternoon the bird feeders have been filled by husband and two grandaughters 'helping' , while I spend my time on this forum!

It will soon be time to make their tea and then we are in the homeward stretch towards 6 o'clock bath and then bedtime (for them!). Evening meal not yet planned. I may need to raid the freezer for 'something I made earlier' with lots of vegetables.

It sounds as if you are doing quite a bit of work on your home. Have you been there long? I know a bit about shifting gravel. I think the gravel fairies come and take a few stones away every night because otherwise where does it go to? We have renovated our house since moving here and doubled it's size with a two-storey extension. My husband did most of it when I was still working full time, although the piling for the foundations had to be done professionally.

Our dog Susie, a black labrador, is also not very keen on unknown dogs but she gets on fine with the farm dogs around us. She is frightened of our cats, loud noises, drumming rain, bird scarers - you get the idea!

Grandaughters have come in for tea, so I better get to it. Eggs for them, I think, as my four hens are all laying, so we are awash with them! Enjoythe rest of your day.

I have an ex farm, all granite and built in 1832. We have several barns. One of the big barns we are converting into Gites, planning to have the small one ready for June. Our house was almost original with a downstairs bathroom built on the back in the 60's. so far we have put in stairs, created two bedrooms and two bathrooms out of the hay loft, knocked out the walls creating three bedrooms to make our kitchen and knocked out the original bathroom. In the kitchen we have a big fireplace, original that a wood burning Esse sits in. We also have a wood burner in the lounge fireplace. We have solar tubes to give us hot water. There is lots of work to do but we are aiming to be as self sufficient as possible.

Sounds like quite a project but will be worth it in the end (whenever that is as you never get there!) We have been in our ex council smallholding for 20 years and still loads of jobs to do, but on the positive side lots done already. We live in what was a pair of semi's, very run down when we came here with our growing family. Now we have a beautiful B&B conversion in half of the house with fab ensuites and all nice. We also have our Westgate Labs business in the converted piggery, newly renovated and a great work space. We only opened that new building two weeks ago as used to manage in a portacabin.
We too have solar tubes and woodburner in the lounge though our stove is now an electric Everhot.