Saturday, February 27, 2016

All was not lost.

Earlier this month when we lost all our Marans to a mink attack we were lucky enough to have a dozen of their eggs so we set them in the incubator. Although it's quite early in the season to start setting eggs we figured we had nothing to lose,
I'm glad we took the chance as ten of the eggs were fertile and last weekend we had eight chicks hatch,
Little bundles of fluff, so cute.
so all was not lost and we will have Maran birds running around again. I just hope the mink does not return. The three attacks that we have had since moving here have always been when it's been raining very heavily and the river bursts it's bank, we suspect that this is where the mink have come from, when the river is at it's normal level we don't seem to get the problem.
It might still be February but spring seems to be here,
daffodils are out everywhere, at least a month ahead,
even the rhubarb has made a very early appearance and we had our first picking earlier this week.
One surprise today was finding a Calendula out in bloom, at least three months ahead of itself.
The garden has lots of colour for so early in the year,
it's still cold at night  but we are getting some nice sunny days with real warmth in it.
We seem to be up to date with planting all the early seeds, cauliflower, parsnip, spinach, Brussel sprouts, leaks and onion seed have all been sown into trays or modules. Next month, subject to weather conditions the first early potatoes will be sown, the first of the peas and French beans, I will also get the Sweetpeas and tomatoes sown. It will soon be summer.
Spring time, painted in water colours.
I have kept myself amused during the wet winter with an assortment of crafts,
                                           mainly glass painting,
Working out what works and what doesn't.
I have also tried doing Faberge type eggs from some goose eggs kindly donated to me by a friend, not the easiest thing to do but I'm sure by the time our goose starts laying I will have a better idea of how to do them.
Just to remind us what the sun looks like we took a photo of the beautiful sunset this evening,
everything was bathed in a glow of gold.
Susie looking wistfully out the window.
  

11 comments:

  1. Your sunset picture is beautiful. I think its worth a print. Remember when we actually printed our photos. I love digital though. Only one in a hundred are worthy.

    So glad your hatching was successful. Death to all minks!

    Autumn will soon be here, thank God. Summer has been hot and dry.

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    1. I agree Lynda, death to all mink and pine marten. It used to cost me a fortune when I was still using a 35m camera, now I just select special photos to be printed.

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  2. Lovley to see some new life after the Mink attack, it is nice so see some colour in the garden. I love your eggs and glass painting, I have always fancied having a go, but I can't draw and am no good at free hand, where do you get your supplies?

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    1. If you are talking about glass painting you don't need to be able to draw as you have to outline your subject in outliner first, as you are using glass it's see-through so you just follow the outline.I get my paints from any good art shop, the glass is harder as you need glass blanks if you want to make light catchers as the glass has to have a bevelled edge and a hole to hang it from. For vases or glasses I find all I need in charity shops for a few cents each. For the eggs you can get special hinges and stands from Teepee crafts, they are in the UK, they also sell blown eggs and stands. Again charity shops are a good place to pick up beads and pearls cheaply. To cut the eggs you will need a 'Dremel' a face mask and a steady hand.

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  3. There's a relief on the new hatch chicks! Love the kingfisher pic on the glass. Lovely photo's too.

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    1. Here's hoping their all pullets Matt. I enjoyed doing the Kingfisher, made a change from flowers.

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  4. Great to read some good news about the Marans! Hopefully Meg will help see to no more attacks.

    Lovely creative work, the glass painting is lovely. The sunset picture is beautiful xx

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  5. The chicks are all doing well and there has been no further mink attacks thankfully. I enjoy doing the painted glass, I find it relaxing.

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