Spoon Decorations Completed

Another task ticked off the list.

 Spoons have now had their ribbons attached and are listed on eBay.

The ones with Father Christmas on them sold well last year.  I hope this is a good year for the wolves!

The Owl and the Pussy Cat

Owls and pussy cats make the sweetest tags!  Do you prefer the owl or the pussy cat?

Thank you to everyone who left a comment on my 1000th post!  It was lovely to know that some of my 'old' readers are still reading!  I allocated each name on the comments list a number from 1 to 12 (not including those who are already receiving a little paper crafted 'something' and used a random number generator.  The lucky number was seven which was Lisa's number!  Congratulations Lisa.  I will email you.  Rosie, Judy and Julia I will put something in the post to you next week.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead.

I Blame John Gray

This post is a diversion from my usual kind of blog post.  It is more of an accolade to the writer John Gray of Going Gently fame whose blog I have been following for several years.  John Gray is a house husband to Chris and they live in a cottage in the sleepy Welsh village of Trelawnyd.  His daily posts are an entertaining read and will leave you laughing, crying or even wondering!  He works night shifts as a nurse on a trauma unit, volunteers as a Samaritan, looks after a menagerie of animals including three terriers, Winnie the bulldog, a rabbit catching cat, Camilla the Canadian goose and a field full of animals.

He is kind, open and authentic but uses colourful language for added impact on an occasion!  He also talks far too candidly about his animals toilet habits, but they are the kinds of posts that attract the most comments to his blog!  He is an avid The Walking Dead fan despite the rest of his audience not being so enthusiastic!

Last year John invited blog readers to take part in the novelty vegetable category at the show being held in the village.  We made our entries and posted the photos off to John.  They was all put on display around the village hall and came from countries around the globe (he has an international following you know?)

Anyway, to wrap up this post, the most memorable thing about John is his passion for Scotch eggs.  I even succumbed to the subliminal messages I have received from his blog posts over the years and bought myself one for lunch today.  I blame John Gray.  You can read one of his Scotch egg posts here.

Capricorn

Capricorn, the sign of the goat.  I really bonded with this animal up at the farm today.  He nuzzled up against my hand as I stroked his warm face.  He made the vineyard trip extra special.

Pig Watch

On route to the vineyard I stopped to observe the resident pigs for a short while.  Blissfully unaware of what fate has in store for them, they make the most of their days the best they know how.  I could have watched them for ages but had to get on with the work I had set out to do.

I trudged along the rows between the vines turning over clumps of grass and weeding around the vine itself.  It was an arduous task as the clods of earth were heavy but there were a lot of volunteers so the job moved along quickly.  My feet were sinking in the mud and bothersome midges kept flying up towards my face.  My wellington boots were heavily laden with mud and I felt like a spaceman walking in slow motion.

Alongside the hedgerows there were some huge parasol mushrooms.  One volunteer took them home to cook and to try to grow some more by planting in his garden.  Sloe berries peppered the foliage with their deep jewel like colour - I must remember to collect some one day and turn into the sloe gin that I have acquired a taste for.

The next day I awoke to find a huge dome shaped lump on my leg with a bright red patch in the middle.  I think a gnat was the culprit but have no idea how it penetrated a thick pair of jeans worn under a dress!  A few people had mentioned that they were getting bitten at the vineyard and I guess that gnats were drawn to the bog like conditions.  Hazard's like this are all part of working in the great outdoors!  A small price to pay when there are so many riches to be gained from doing so.

New

New piggies up at the farm today - freshly born! They were running around and squeaking and so full of life and one stopped to pose for a photo opportunity.  I love newness.  There is a new moon today.  A time for new beginnings.  Some new jewellery making components have arrived so I will be making some new pieces very soon.  There is new life in the garden and the birds have made a welcome return.  There is no going back now.  Spring is here. The cycle starts anew.

Mouse

By the time I reached it nothing more could be done.  Gizmo, bored of his latest quest, turned his back on the mouse and went off to pastures new.  I picked up the tiny creature who was still warm and supple and spoke soothing words as it slowly slipped away.

I shall hide mouse deep in the undergrowth and Mother Nature will take it back to the earth.

* Note: the photo is magnified.  The mouse was so tiny it hardly filled the palm of my hand.