Willow

Willow willow every where in the secret garden and I mean everywhere.


I have started to thin it out this year as it needs a lot of attention to get it back to how it should be.

I have had a go at basket making and have now the base of a basket and am going to make some xmas decorations with the bits I have cut off.

Real fun experimenting with it and several different types i have discovered too!!

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Creations

Have collected Driftwood and sea glass from local beach and have beeswax.

Three creations are in the making

My driftwood xmas tree has a base and its first branch.

Sea Glass - well thats still in the design stage

Bees wax - the wick has arrived and thanks to Jane and Kelly finding some glass containers and the ones I got Project candles are going to be in progress this evening. Watch this space for pictures

Foraging

Today is about foraging

Just done a civilised walk on the beach - driftwood for my driftwood xmas tree and sea glass for a little craft project I am planning.

A little lunch and then berry picking. I may have discovered a use for the abundance of sloes which doesnt involved gin!! Dont worry already made next years slow gin!!

Making the most of the land

This am I thinned some of the willow out on the smallholding. My neighbour will be pleased with the view i created her. In my shed drying I have Driftwood, Willow and logs!!

Today I also made a bar of beewax to see if i could. It worked well. I have loads from when I extracted my honey. I feel some candles coming soon!!

With my collection of sea glass I can feel on these cold winter nights some crafty creations happening!!  

All change

When I got home I found two pigs in the chicken and duck coup!!

Ducks and Chickens all over the smallholding!!

Sheep in the electric fence!!
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A sheep acting dead!!

With a shake of a bucket, a check on a sheep and a bit of untangling all is well again now!!
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All in a day at katies smallholding!!

Time to enjoy last years fruits

I have just poured the first glass of last years home made wine. Have to say its drinkable!! must remember to get some on the go for next year!!

Identity Crisis - and latest pics of the smallholding

I dont know a kind neighbour farmer came and topped my field and a sheep wants to be a chicken! That gratitude for you!! Yes I found the sheep in the chicken coup

Best of Pals

The Naughty Pig 

The new look 

Follow the leader who was biting my wellies

Lay in

I decided to have a lay in this morning and got up at 8am - to the animals disgust!!!

Stardust decided at 7.30am that i had had enough sleep and kept patting me with that right paw of hers!!!

She and the other moggies got fed and water so i went to the pigs!! They saw me and decoded they didnt want to wait for me anymore and couldnt get out anywhere so they decided to take the field gate off its hinges!!

Once fed they have no wish to get out  - Think if they can take a gate off they are heavy enough now for bacon!!!

Autumn is definately here

Awoken by the wind - so glad I tied down the bee hives last night.

However the pig sty wasn't as lucky!! Completely flipped the sty over nextdoor neighbour has just helped flip it back. So we are all back to being present and correct. I wont mention the sheep sty which is in a serious need of a re build. No rush for that though as sheep don't use it.

getting back on the saddle so to speak.....

Um bee hive needed mending and with weather forecast of wind and lots of it there was nothing more to be done but be a beekeeper!!!

I put on three layers of clothes wellies and bee suit and three pares of gloves and went in.

Bees now tied down and bee hive fixed and phew no more stings Shoulkd be able to leave them alone now for winter other then a quick feeding.

Pigs meet the bees

Sorry to all my fb friends already posted this on fb but as my blog is my diary just capturing the moment. what a morning - pigs escape to get to me filling feed bucket knocked the bees over. Bees attacked me and the pigs - no bee suit - never ran so fast into a shower in my life - red from head to toe with hives from multiple bee stings - now that hurt. All sorted now pigs fine, bee hive back upright and i am starting to feel a little better. oh well could have been worse i guess! Thanks to all my fb friends for commenting their support was really welcomed.