Here's to new friends.

Well, this week started out pretty awful really. Laptop has died and taken with it all my photos and HE documents (at present irretrievable....so any IT minded folk out there got any ideas?), injured knee stopping me from doing a great deal....add to that a few bruises and lack of sleep and the prognosis isn't good.

BUT, at some point during the week, I joined the River Cottage forum and posted a question about goat keeping which got quite a few responses which i was pleased about. A few people responded on the forum but I did get a really nice private message from a someone who also keeps Anglo Nubians but has very limited space so it was really good to make contact with them.

After a few emails I checked out the persons web page, only to find to my complete surprise that it was a young lad of only 16. You never would have guessed it from the messages, as they were such, i dunno, old fashioned thoughts in some way. Just like my own!!!

In fact we share so many similar thoughts that we started chatting about goats and chickens etc on MSN and he has had lots of knowledge and ideas to get me searching for a couple of kids. We may have missed the boat this year as far as kids are concerned so our plans may have to wait until next Spring. But at least I feel I can plan it now, without worrying about the limited space or lack of knowledge and experience!!! This young man didn't!!! He just had an idea and went for it. The funniest thing is that the idea is just the same as mine but I've hesitated too long...although in my defence there is an awful lot more going on for me than for him!!!! And these are his girlies...Willowmina and Geraldine.

Aren't they gorgeous!!!! No prizes for guessing which one is my favourite!!!!

She's spotty!!!! How gorgeous can you get?!!!!!!

So the goat hunt is on, although I'm tempted to hang on until this time next year when hopefully he will be having kids of his own....and you never know!! One might be spotty!!!

So the week picked up, and I got back on doing things in the garden and feeling enthusiasm for my veggie patch and wild food. Joe also has an allotment where he keeps chickens so you can see how much we have to talk about!! So this is where this post gets it's title.

On Thursday, some of the eggs in the incubator hatched...7 in fact. 4 Old English Pheasant Fowl, 1 male Cream Legbar and 2 female cream legbars (one of which has just died :-( ). The other 7 failed to hatch even though when I had a look inside this morning, 6 were good to go. They just needed to pip into the air sac. I have no idea why they didn't and it was very sad. I think Kim may try to get some more eggies and we'll have another go...she so wanted a couple of the cream legbars to give her blue eggs!!!

And today?

Well, hubby had to dispatch our beautiful cockerel this morning as it has become an increasing problem to the men in the family!! I think it was the first time Rob actually enjoyed doing the deed!!!! Kind of revenge! Cocky locky actually had another go at poor little Willie yesterday just before teatime, so he is now covered in cuts on his face again. Poor wee boy. So the cockerel just had to go. I went to walk th edog while they all watched the gruesome event. Not that I'm squeamish or anything but I found it hard to deal with my beautiful cockerel being dismembered. I had no hatred for him, only respect. So we'll be eating roast tomorrow with a toast to Cocky locky.

I planted out some runner beans, tomato plants and a couple more courgette plants, AND i dug up some potatoes!!!! 5lb of potatoes from 5 plants I think. I felt so chuffed....really pleased with myself, because somewhere in the back of my mind I was thinking that there wouldn't be any at all!!!! I planted out the left over onion sets in their place and added another row of beetroot on the end. I lurve beetroot!!

Rob made a workbench for Jonathan (pic to follow) so that he doesn't keep cutting stuff up on the paving slabs and hurting himself or cracking them!!!! It's fab....his best off the cuff build yet! Jon was trying to make me a crutch the other day (awh, bless him) and got his finger caught in the wire as it wrapped itself around the drill....ouch. It was so tightly bound that his poor finger was really badly bruised and he went into shock....very pale, and felt sick....and he probably ended up worse off than me at the time!!!!

So all in all a very good day, apart from Will being 2 of course. I have to keep reminding myself that his frustration and therefore tantrums won't last forever....God I hope not!!! I also noticed this evening when we had a bath that he has more molars coming through so that could also be a contributing factor.

The house is a constant yoyo on the clean and tidy front...it just depends on how much activity outside there has been, or how much we have been home!! Next week should be a busy week...Monday we are off to see the secretary of the local goat keeping club who is currently bottle feeding a couple of kids.....awh!!!! Tuesday Kim is coming over to see the chicks ( I'll add photos tomorrow), Wednesday the vet is out to give Bob his tetanus jab, Thursday Jonathan has what we hope will be the last visit to the orthodentist and then maybe Friday we'll have a day at home!!!

And then Jonathan and David are off to Golden Cap in Dorset with Grandma and Grandad....I'm not sure if it will be a break for me or not but I hope I'm back to normality and can enjoy a few walks and of course Bob will need exercising!!

Oh and Jonathan has found a baby collar dove to keep in his room!!! Pic to follow tomorrow of that too but bless it, it loves him!!!