Soap

I'm continuing to make new soaps- really enjoying it and selling a few now to friends- these are my current orders.

and back to 'normal'

Everything is growing like mad- the vegies, the weeds, the wildflowers and the livestock!
We are picking fresh salads, baby carrots, courgettes, cucumbers, spring onions, beans and plenty of raspberries every day, and we will soon have peas, tomatoes and peppers.

We have 11 new ducklings (a muscovy/mallard mixture so will be interesting to see how they turn out) and we bought two new hens from the market who have settled in brilliantly and are already scratching about with the others and laying eggs.

The goslings are growing by the day and we are planning Christmas dinner by thinking about taking out two of last years goslings- the group is getting big now with 9 altogether- so it's either that or their house will need another extension (and we will need an industrial poopickerupper as they are making a right mess!)

We had a small problem when a few of the rabbits mysteriously died after we brought in a new male (who died aswell), but the remaining ones (7or 8) seem to be fine and are enjoying the vegie garden 'thinnings' of carrots and lettuce!

We've been busy cutting and raking up the hay for the animal bedding and you can't help but stop and admire all the wonderful, natural plant combinations- like Allium sphaerocephalon and Sedums growing out of the terrace walls

So that's the quinta update- we continue to work on the house- trying to get the outside painted and get inside walls plastered, doors made etc etc! (thank-goodness for 'wine-o'clock' when we can relax!)

Shell's 21st (oh bum- i mean 40th)

We have just had the most fantastic weekend- we've partied hard, danced our socks off and enjoyed good company with plenty of food and wine!

We've chilled out in the tub, pic-nicked by the river and strummed on the guitars.

Thanks to everyone who sent cards, messages, pressies and money, and my lovely bar stools- I have just been totally spoilt!

Thank-you to all the guys that shared the weekend with us- we really appreciate the effort- and I had to keep pinching myself just to check you were all actually here and i wasn't dreaming!!