Well today is officially my due date, but so far our baby isn’t ready to come into the world! With the help of Nigel we have been and collected our first two pigs of the year. Oxford Sandy and Black cross Pietrain. Something a bit different but nice and local in South Woodham Ferrers. Nigel has given me a good fast bumpy ride in his landrover which he hopes will help me along my way. I’m not sure on that one, I think the baby will arrive when its ready!

Everything is ticking along nicely on the smallholding, although I have lots of weeds in the garden, I am thinking of offering to cross one of the young lads in the village, palms with silver to get him to come and bend down and pull some weeds out for me.

The main flower bed in the garden has tulips, daffodils and forget-me-nots all in bloom as well as a couple of other things that I’m not sure what they are, but they are very pretty! You can tell I am a flower gardener!!!!

There is plenty going on in the poly tunnel, with peas, beans, kale, chard, carrots, beetroot and so much more sticking their heads through.

I had nurtured some leeks over the winter which I have now hardened off and hope will give us some early leeks, we really enjoyed them last year. The ones that have over wintered in the garden are doing incredibly well they are nice and chunky and fingers crossed in a month or two will give us a nice Sunday dinner.

Maurice, Dad and I planted half the potatoes last week, its still a little wet so we didn’t manage to get all of them in, but it’s a start.

The entry forms for Dad and Maurice to enter the Great Dorset Steam Fair have arrived. So I have been snapping pics and arranging their insurance this week. They are very excited. They are going to take the Howard Gem, Trusty Tractor and Diesel Rotevator. Well that’s if all three are still running!

I have tried to cut back on work a bit this week and put my feet up. I’ve had a few terrible nights sleep due to my new found need to snore. Poor Gareth, payback for all the years he kept me awake! I do hope it subsides once the baby is here, otherwise I might keep the baby awake!

I have managed to sort out wormers for the horses and chickens and they have arrived in the post today.

The field that we rent is due to have the hedge trimmed this week, once complete we can access the damage to the fence and hopefully get the animals out as the grass is growing nicely.

Well I feel its time for a little snooze, I hope the next post I write will be introducing you to the new addition to the family!

Happy spring everyone!

I started this post two weeks ago but never quite finished it. I have so much to tell you so I shall continue this post and try to update you. 

I hope you are all well, spring has been tapping on the door here, we have been blessed with some lovely days. 

We had a fantastic Sunday and I have been trying to do some snapping away with my camera. 

Maurice had broken one of his many rotavators  so I took a lovely photo  of him with dad and grandad trying to fix it.  I thought it was quite a good photo for me. After several hours wasted on it Dad finally got it going on Wednesday night! Good job there is loads to be done. 

Sunday was a very productive day, Between the three men of the smallholding they got the quad out and running after a year of sitting parked up. Fitted the new fertiliser spinner, spun fertiliser on the fields. We have also got a lot of moss on the horses field. We understand to cure this we need to aerate the soul, so we have tried to so this by putting the discs over the field, then the harrows and then the roller. Maurice was in his element! Whilst all of this was taking place the buzzard was circling overhead i do love the noise they make. 

The day was so beautiful we let the goats out to stretch there legs they do make me laugh hoping and skipping around.

The weeks just fly past, Mum had arranged a baby shower for me the following weekend. What a wonderful afternoon in the village hall having afternoon tea with thirty friends. All the teapots, cake stands and bunting from the wedding had an outing. The village hall looked so spring like. The sandwiches and cakes were amazing thanks to everyone. Auntie Sandra made an amazing cake, mums work colleagues had made a fabulous nappy cake and my god our child to be was so lucky with so many presents. From baby wipes, lotions and potions to baby grows, vests and bibs. We also had a huge array of hand knitted blankets and garments. I am amazed at peoples talents! Playmats and photo frames we are blessed to have so many kind friends. Thanks Mum a great afternoon. 

This week was my first week of not travelling to Bishops Stortford for work. I had Monday off after a hectic weekend with stock taking and the baby shower. I had a stinking cold so I made the most of a lazy day. Dad and I finished watching a fantastic kids film called Water Horse that we started watching at Christmas. It was a very laid back day. I enjoyed laying in all week, but still clocked up a few hours working from home which is good, it makes such a difference not travelling. 

We had my scan on Wednesday all is well and the baby is estimated at 7.4 pound. Thank god this can be 20% wrong but each way! I don't feel like its a 9 pound baby, although bending down is an issue I am still mucking out. I wish it would just appear now. I don't think you will every be ready but we are ready as we will ever be. 

Grandma has covered the Moses basket in farm animal fabric it looks fantastic and nanny has been working her way through washing all the hand knitted items. We are very lucky! 

Well today is Easter Sunday we have beautiful Dexter Beef for dinner an oven buster joint.  The only joint of beef that grows in the oven. It's from the ribs. The sun is on it's way out, the blossom is appearing on the trees and Dad is working on the quad today improving the electrics. I hope to spend some more time in the vegetable garden, I am trying to get things growing so I can leave them and pop back when the baby is born and we still get a harvest. 

Happy Easter everyone.