solstice on the farm

June 21 2016

We have reached the time of the solstice. There is also a full moon and of course my youngest grand daughters birthday.  Wayne brought her for a farm visit last week and luckily arrived on a very mild sunny day so we were able to take her round and introduce her to all the animals.  As far as I could tell she found the experience interesting and she practiced her animal noises.  She had learnt them all from books, but the animals obliged with the real thing.

With Edd being in hospital and incapacitated I was not sure that I could manage a mid winter party this year, but the closer we got to the date the more I felt recognition was necessary.  We decided on a smaller than usual feast and just invited our kids, grand kids, a handful of friends, and immediate neighbours.  Bo and Indi brought beautiful salads and lots of grog, and we cooked chicken legs, meatballs and curry instead of the usual roast turkey.  Indi chopped up a large pumpkin and we had baked spuds and used two of our cauliflowers for a cauliflower cheese bake.

Our new neighbours on the hill brought a large apple tart and Bo baked apple crumble. Other friends brought nibbles and cheese so there was plenty of food for all.  I had put up fairy lights in the jungle of our entrance hall and arranged tables all lit with candles to create a special atmosphere.  Everyone talked so much that we had to encourage them to get food and we all felt the change in the suns direction was appropriately celebrated.  I wish I had photos but we were all too busy talking and feasting.

Today the plumber is here to fix the taps and spouts in the bathroom.  I have now got it all painted and two layers of waterproofing done but the tiling is so complicated that I want to know everything works OK and is fixed right before I start. The plumber did look a bit confronted when we showed him the room and he and Edd are now trying to remember where the water into the house turns off and that sort of thing.  It is amazing how fast one forgets!  I should write everything down in a hand over house book for future use.

The goats are still coming into season so I have put the five dry goats in the middle croft with the buck.  The first set should all be pregnant by now so they can just stay where they are in the croft by the front gate.  The dorper ewes have bagged up and I was convinced they were about to lamb but I was wrong and they continue to get fatter.   I worry about them, as everything is so wet and muddy.  I have shut them up some nights so they know they have access to the small shed in the yards if they choose.

The frost has killed the pumpkin plants but the winter vegetables are prolific and we have plenty to choose from.  I should dig over the pumpkin bed ready for spring plantings but it is far too wet at the moment.  I think we are better off working on indoor jobs like paper work and tiling.