Strange duck behaviour

These Mallards are getting my lovely girls into some right old fixes. The Mallard family have taken to having a morning walk across the farm field (perhaps planning for the babies to leave) its funny to see them all waddling about squeaking and quacking (the kids still have rubbish quacks). Anyway seemingly Blueberry has been looking at this and as the adopted Aunt decided that she too would like to do that walk.. she however forgot that she is twice their size, unable to fly and has the walk of a really clumsy thing..thus this was the end result; 

There she was quite stuck.. when i first found her she was completely under the grid and this was her best attempt at freedom but when the step is 8 inches and your legs are 3 inches and you have no hands to pull you up I guess you have to wait for the humans to step in. Was nice to do though and whilst I don't like to think of her getting stuck was ace to have a cuddle when she was freed :-)

Erm.. help?

The funniest thing was when she arrived back with the other ducks she did some talking and I reckoned she was saying.. 'oh yes yes that was always in my plan.. I wanted to see underneath that metal thing'. 

And it doesn't stop there.. I have been a bit worried about Sophie over the past couple of weeks she isn't as plump as Blueberry and her wings are looking a bit shabby.. and she isn't out on the lake often at all or coming for food.. so we rowed over to find this.. 

THAT is a duck sat on a NEST!!!!! I am fairly sure that its too late for ducklings.. and fairly sure that Will-I - am would not be physically capable (size difference) but still .. a bit of a worry!

Its bramble time..

I am excited for Autumn.. . brambles, rose hips and all such things are to be gathered and made into nice things for Christmas hampers.. the last day of summer has gone :-( and so time to gather and forage.. I must confess however that the below wine is made from brambles that my dad picked not me.. seemingly they are ready in the north of England .. mainly still green here.. but this was a good kick start. So standby red wine drinkers.. it smells divine  :-)

I may have gone slightly wine mad this year.. we have pea pod, bramble and elderflower all cooking .. Yum!

I am snow white..

You would think doing a spot of ironing in the lounge would be a fairly mundane task .. but not in the co
untry.. I looked up from the ironing basket to find this little fella flying about the room;

I am afraid that I went completely 'girl' about it and had a bit of a panic when it started swooping (should never have watched The Birds) anyway once he had got himself settled on the curtain pole I opened all the windows as wide as I could to try and get him out without the need for human intervention. The ironing resumed.

I pottered off to put the duvet cover back in the washing machine (bird poo!!!!!) and when I came back he was still there and there he remained for some time..he eventually got bored and went for a fly and landed in the dining room where Archie (killer cat) was laid on the table (yes I know poor hygiene) his flapping awoke Archie from his cat doze and that was it mayhem.. as so there  I was clutching hold of a mad cat who was still punching like a mad man whilst trying to move the various window ledge detritus to get the window open with my other hand.. and just as the mad cat had to be dropped due to scratching off he went to freedom.. Phew!

So life resumed as normal and the ironing once again became my focus can you sodding believe it here comes number 2 visitor of the day.. Thankfully he didn't stay long and worked out how to get out fairly quickly.. so no lunch for Archie..

And of course Archie was having a ball and so spent the rest of his day on lookout.. 

Holiday Season is over.. back to work Mrs W

I am having a strange week.. the house is empty only I am here (and my incredibly  fierce dogs burglars). We have had so much fun with people to stay that its odd only to have to suit myself.. I suspect I will quickly get used to it :-) Mr W is off globe trotting this week (I know where I would rather be poor him) and so I am catching up on bizzillions of chores in the garden and house.. its nice to potter.

So since I last updated my big sister (in age not size) and my niece and nephew have been with the dreaded dog Barry.. so the chickens were in fear and poor Winnie had her ears chewed for a fortnight. To be fair on Barry though he has come on in terms of his behaviour in leaps and bounds but sadly it was leaps and bounds out of the dining room window that meant poor Cheryl and Glenda the chickens now look oven ready! We had been so so careful when going in and out and didn't think that he would leap out the window but that's sight hounds for you.. little sod! My dogs, I think, like him but I also think they are glad to have their beds back.. for all Barry's mummy brought his own bed to sleep in it seems he wanted Winnies bed much more.. so she went all woman on him and as she couldn't beat him she joined him by sleeping on his legs (stubborn like her mummy).

It was a crafty time with the kids, Madeline came armed with a 'crafty pony' kit to make.. the webisite advises that a five year old can make this.. let me tell you that is bollocks.. a 39 year old and an 11 year old had a sodding mare with it but he got done.  http://www.craftyponies.co.uk/#/how-to-sew/4563656941

Meanwhile I finished my first ever dress and my sister made a skirt and Ethan worked hard at making a fox.. good old family fun .. My sister even got some home made Christmas done.. jam, chutney and a large proportion of a scarf.

At the weekend we were joined by my sisters man and his kids and some of our chums too.. so we had a rounders tournament, Sports day and  the bake off final (the bake off has been going on for some weeks between my sister and her man with me as a mix of Mary and Paul) and the final challenge was ' your own interpretation of a gingerbread house' it was certainly a house full.. but all was well.

Mr W and I have had a weekend away in York (thank you to Jumi and Chums for the house sitting) where we had a night at Hotel du Vin (food to DIE for) and then we went to the Proms at Castle Howard with my mam and dad.. given the summer we have had I expected the picnic to go without hitch instead we spent 5 hours in driving rain listening to the proms and eating a slightly soggy picnic.. but still MUCH FUN!!


Last but not least.. to the ducklings .. check out the picture below.. they don't stay small for long.. spot mammy?

Get OFF my bed hound!!!!

My Sisters Ginger bread tent (the winner)

The Man's gingerbread radio (a good try)

Been pickling beetroot from the garden :-)

Crafty Sodding Pony!

Proms in Poncho's

Ah.. they grow up so quick.. spot the mammy

The enormous turnip..

Okay so unlike the story I didn't need to get all of the animals, visitors, and village to help me pull up the turnip BUT even so I grew a 5.5 inch by 3 inch turnip .. all on my own! Given that a lot of my other root vegetables look like they should be served to people from Lilliput I am quite proud and it tasted nice :-)

Lost walkers

Well as I was watering my tomatoes tonight I heard a little voice shouting hello .. when I popped my head out I found 3 men ll holding water bottles looking rather warm and asking for us to fill up the bottles.. I asked where they were going and they said Caersws and they asked how long it would take.. so i told them it was about 3 miles at which point they said they would get a cab.. I checked with Mr W (safety first) and he said I could give them a lift so I dashed off to fill up bottles and get the car keys. 

We discovered they are walking the Severn way for the British Heart Foundation.. a charity.. wait for it.. close to their hearts, and would do 225 miles in 10 days.. not easy bless em. 

By the time I got back Mr W had told them there were limited places to stay in Caersws  (none that we could name) and that they could camp in the meadow (good job I mowed it again last week).. so then I went into full hospitality mode with cold beer and then much rustling around in the freezer found burgers, chicken legs and pork steaks to barbecue.. bit of salad from the garden and a couple of garlic breads and there we were.. job done hungry, tired walkers fed!

Its 9:30 now they are tucked up in tents .. bottles of water given for tomorrow.. and bloody good luck to them!! I am feeling all happy and glowy.. I am sure they will do it!

They said they will send a postcard at the end.. hope they do bless them :-)