I'm sorry it has been so long, life is just very busy at the moment getting ready for Christmas.

It's been a hard week emotionally here! Tuesday morning saw the departure of another three lambs to the abbatoir.  Followed by Red the Dexter leaving us on Friday. I don't struggle with the lambs as much as Mum, I like it that they always go in a group. But the cattle are different we only raise one at a time and of course they are friendly. Which I don't think is a bad thing, I think it shows they have been raised with love. But it's very hard, he was a true gent to the end, he loaded well, travelled well and walked of the trailer into the barn at the other end. I was very proud of him. 

I did worn the lads at the abattoir,  I am pregnant and my hormones may get the better of me so please have the Kleenex ready! But I was strong and kept myself composed. The day flew past as I was out for the afternoon with customers from work. However when I got home to find the offal and his hide, the days events really tugged at my heart strings. 

Because Red was such a beautiful colour we have made enquiries to have his hide tanned into a rug, it's going to cost about £200, but it will be great that he will live on and we have utilised him as much as possible. Currently it's laying in the trailer on a table with 12kg of salt smothered across it. It's much wetter than a sheep skin and we have had to jack the trailer up with the jockey wheel to enable the liquid to run off. Fingers crossed it will be suitable to be tanned and we will have a rug. 

The carcass is being hung at the abbatoir   until the 22nd when it will be delivered home and butchered for our Christmas Orders. 

I also have the three lamb skins back and I am salting them ready for tanning into rugs.

We have been out twice in the past few weeks with the preserves. First to the local secondary school, which was ok, far fewer people that the previous year but we sold 15 jars. On Saturday we attended the Wilderness a Foundations Fun Festive Fayre. It was a rather chilly morning with a hard frost, but the sun was shinning. We sold an amazing 47 jars and met some wonderful people including a couple who live in Crete, who were telling us tales of their small scale farming. There was also a visiting farm from Bedfordshire, they had a donkey, a tiny dexter cow, a goat, sheep, ducks, chickens, geese and two Labradors all in one pen. I did loose mother to them a few a few times. I think she dreams of retiring and taking her sheep off to visit local schools. 

I also had my twenty week scan last week, all is well and the sonographer was excellent she explained everything she was measuring. Although when it came to the baby having a photo taken for us it didn't wish to pose it was fed up. So Claudia the vet who works with mum said I could lay on the operating table and she would get me a better photo at the vets for me!

The fridge is nearly finished, a good clean out this Saturday and the refurbished sink plumbed in and we are ready.  The drink frame has all been powder coated it looks fantastic!

Saturday is the day, Mick the turkey man arrives at 7am and the years raising of turkeys will come to an end. We have two birds left to find a Christmas Table for, if anyone is looking for a bird. 

Anyway off to bed now I am finding i need a little more sleep each night now.