This week

The weather here has been amazing this week, dry, sunny and warm working in long sleeve t shirts, only hope it stays this way till spring. The cows over 2 years old had their annual obligatory blood tests, this time it all went smoothly with no tears (from the vet not the cows). We also had our annual organic check to make sure we are complying within the organic regime. This is a little stressful a few days before hand as I should be a little more organised with the filling of paper work, of which there is a lot here being in France. Receipts with up to date licences from organic feed suppliers, abattoir forms, prescriptions and health records all have to be in place as well as animals, hay and cereal are checked. All in order we have our licence for another year and no telling off of not completing forms properly.

With a week to go now our pregnant sows enclosure is so muddy we have had to get ready to move her to an empty pen. A bit of cleaning and mending was done as well as making a space for her to give birth and penning off a bit for the piglets to eat in without the sow getting in.

As it has been so warm and dry I have managed to get on and start weeding and clearing raised bed boxes for the gites which will have a bit of manure put in and covered over till he spring, thus hopefully keeping the weeds at bay - then onto our veggie patch which needs major work!

Bread making with Delia's recipe, i use this all the time making loafs in big batches to freeze for the week.

With one of my New Year goals of keeping a bit tidy I started on the cooking book shelves. Had to include a photo for it probably wont stay like this for long. Books not used have been stored in the cupboard and maybe i need a rule of for every new book that comes a old one needs to leave.

The pigs have been put back on a Sunday evening regime. In the summer they are given grass, nettles and weeds for one feed a week to clean them out. As there isn't any growth of green stuff at the moment they had hay for tea last night. Not sure they were that impressed but it will do them good to have a break from cereal for a feed.

Sunday was spent carding and spinning wool ready for a little project in between knitting a jumper for Master C for his birthday and surprisingly a request from Miss F for one too - my knitting must be getting better.