DUKE STILL GOING STRONGISH!

'Duke is still going on ok, he is still stabled at night and the ponies are still on their winter feed, just reducing that now, as the grass is starting to grow. He seems slow but happy in himself, so until we can see him deteriorating so much that it is not in his interest, he will carry on, hopefully for years to come, but the farrier wasn't so hopeful last time...See if the prognosis is better on the next visit....But he is definitely better when we put him to bed at night, although he dislikes it, he is more active in the morning. We left him out one night and in the morning he wasn't so good...So see what happens I guess.

STEVEN IS NOW A TEENAGER!!

13 years old...where does time go!!!in his case...it goes very expensively with golf!!!! He played golf all day then we had a family birthday tea when he got home, he didnt want a party, he wanted a sky caddie...not sure if that was cheaper option or not...knowing Steven..probably not!!!...Happy Birthday Steve, hope you had a great day and enjoyed your presents XX

AAAAHHHH LUCKY!!!

You know I just said Lucky wasn't eating much at all, well she has only gone and eaten all our teas on the work top, she took all the quiche and chicken and left the slobbered over lettuce for us.. I was jumping!... I know I wanted her to eat but not OUR tea!!!Eat the expensive dog food I had to buy on request of the vet!!!!

WE ARE HAVING PUPS!!!!

Well looks like Buck has done the dirty deed with our lucky and the scan showed that Lucky in in fact pregnant due in 2 - 3 weeks...And I bet it will happen when Pete and Steven are at golf...it always happens to me and Laura then...if something is going to happen, it will happen then!!!!.. So little Springer's here we come...Lucky has put on weight and was very tired this afternoon, she isn't eating much at present so hopefully that will resolve, I have put her on special puppy food, but she doesn't want it!,,,She prefers the dented tins from Baileys!!!! OH what am I going to do with her!...Watch this space, anyone with any info on puppying, please let me know what I am supposed to be doing and what signs for birthing please!!!!!

PATH GOING IN!

The path to tie the cottages in together and make it make sense was laid yesterday, and then Pete and I were on our knees with wire brushes the next day exposing the aggregate...I hate that job, but it was easier than in the summer, the sun hadn't set the concrete too hard and it was done in about 3 hours...not bad really, it looks great now. SO on to the step in front the patio and front door now!...crumbs its all happening...wont think about the cost...the bills will be flooding in soon, haven't had them since NOV!!!!!AAAAHHHH....don't think about it, that's the ostrich way and I am kind of thinking they have it right!!

STONEWORK COMPLETE!

All the stone facing has now been completed and we have another bird sanctuary in place at the top of the cottage, made by "the dream team"...who else!!... It seems like Ant and Andy live here!!..They might be glad of pastures new by the end of this...I am sure they have enjoyed it really!... There have been highs (getting out the ground) and lows (the slippery DPC and race against time with the block work in the rain and cold...oh and the retaining wall collapsing on Pete and Andy!!), and ups (Andy and Ants sense of humour and smiles)and downs (Andy and Ant poorly!! but they only had one day off...and they really should have had a lot longer, they worked through it and they were really poorly!!), but we couldn't have done it without them, they are so reliable and never let you down, and to be honest I am not sure we could have worked that closely with anyone else...nor would we have wanted to actually!... The snow, minus 8 and rain never stopped them, they never moan and they are always happy...highly recommended!!! I think the cottage looks great, cant wait to finish it now!!

ITS ONLY BEEN A WEEK!

Haven't signed in for a week, and it seems an absolute age...there have been so many developments but at present cant think of one!!! Now that's challenging!! (some may call it stress...but we don't use that word here...bad for moral and all that eh!!)

BEEN A HECTIC WEEK REALLY

Little Toms Cottage is coming along now, this week we have laid the drainage, put in the veranda and rolled the 803 into the car park area (the photo above looks like me and Mark are going head to head with our toys!!..Mark showed me how to use the roller (silly man!), and its not as easy as you might think...I think Mark would have liked a few more straight lines...but curves are fine!!!Ii am trying to get him to teach me how to drive the digger next...watch out you lot!), Alan the electrician is run off his feet so he didn't come till Saturday and still hasn't got the lights...I think there was a problem with deliveries and the snow...but we need it finished ..electric wise next week!!!! that'll please him!...Richard the plumber thought he could connect our gas..but turns out Shell have to do it..so a waiting list it is!!!!AAAHHHH...never mind...the tiles are down and the walls are painted, kitchen still not complete and the furniture isn't made, all the internal fixings need to be done and it needs a darn good clean!!!...But better wait till its finished a bit, the kitchen wall tiles need to go on next. So much to do ...so little time....and that's just the cottage, still got Purl design running full time and cottages to open fully by the end of the month...access statements to do, cleaning, etc...don't even want to think about it ..or I will never sleep!!!

OUR LITTLE RUBEN THE ROBIN

He comes everyday and sits on the bush or wood in front the conservatory, he is so cute, he loves cornflakes and a few seeds, I think he has even made friends with Hatty (the chicken!)...He seems to be extremely tame, be good to know how long they live for?...But for now hes our little Ruben...You must think I have flipped..I'm ok really...I'm just in my own little world..but its ok they know me here!!!!

A BIRD IN THE HAND!!!!

This little guy had been picked up by Buck (by the teeth..that's Bucks teeth..not the little birds!!!)...Lucky's boyfriend! he had injured his wing...A feisty little fellow, he didn't like being held much, but with a little chat and cuddle he seemed to calm down a bit. Think he might have been just in shock as we were able to release him later n the day once Buck had been captured!!!

THEY ARE GROWING FAST

The piglets are growing fast now, I called them out for tea...and this little guy looked at me as if to say...'you talking to me?'..They are really funny now, they are tumbling about and go mad for their milk, its as if they haven't eaten in a lifetime...When they have finished they just fall asleep one on top of the other in a pig mountain fashion!

HAPPY THOUGHTS FOR SYLVIA XXX

Well, if you have been reading my blog over the last year or so...you will know who Sylvia is...if not here's a quick reminder... Sylvia and Bill and of course their family used to own and treasure ~Woodmill Farm from 1980 - 2000, they got in touch with us and since we have been here they have visited us on a number of occasions and we keep in touch via the ol' Internet!!!...they even bought my book!!!...They used to breed goats and passed on the knowledge they had, so we could make sense of the goat keeping world, they even gave us the milking bucket!.... Anyway lots to say about Sylvia, Bill and the many treasured memories they shared with us.....however Sylvia is quite poorly at present, and I am just asking for happy thoughts and good wishes/prayers for a friend that treasured Woodmill..but at present she is not quite as bouncy as she should be!... So Get well soon Sylvia...you know its just a blip!...just got to get through this bit and you'll be just fine eh!!XXX

SID HAS LANDED!

Sid the bearded dragon is now residing at Woodmill Farm under the careful ownership of Laura!...It was a birthday pressy.....mmmm...another animal, at least he eats things we grow in the garden, so shouldn't be too expensive (hopefully!)..he is quite a character, just gone 3 months old and will probably double in size, he is so friendly and knows his name already. The kit you have to have with these animals, its like buying a second home!!!

OUT FOR OUR MEAL

Out in force...Me and Pete, Steven, Nanny and Grandad, Great Auntie Louise and Uncle Tim and of course Laura and Adam...cocktails at the ready...non alcoholic ones so everyone could have one as we drove to Lewannick Lodge in Newquay...plenty of time to drink in life ....if of course you choose to....Beautiful meal..highly recommend there!... We also had a cake made by Annie Webster who kindly delivered it and set it up, it was stunning, a bit over the top for an 18th ..but then what else would you expect from us eccentric, wacky people!

LAURA IS 18...CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

The day has come and Laura is 18...it doesn't seem a minute since we were snowed in the hospital and she was just born...But 18 years have passed and I don't feel any older, just look it!...Laura had some lovely presents, some one to one surf lessons with a UK pro tutor, a Go ape day out, a diamond ring and a host of other goodies from us oh and a horse race space hopper game from Steven, which is great, can't wait till the weather clears and we can have a go on that!... we had to get her up early to see her open her pressies before college and off for a family meal tonight..can't wait....

THE HUME CLAN!

And you thought we had hatched!...Well No we are descendants from 'apparently' Royalty!!! The Scottish Hume or used to be Home is a town in Scotland where we all come from apparently..Well I married into it but Pete is supposed to be from there!...There is so much history its hard to unravel really, but I did find 'The Hume clan badge' and 'The Hume coat of Arms', (above)...The coat of arms is quite something and what a motto...'True to the end!"...suits us just gfine!.., just in case you are remotely interested, or if there are any other Hume's out there that would like to shed some light on the ancestry!

WOODMILL IN THE SNOW...

Saving this for posterity!...Might never see snow like this again, it was so fluffy and quite surreal really, so here's a shot of Woodmill in the snow!

SNOWMEN!

Don't worry the snow entries are nearly over!!! The day wouldn't have been complete without a snowman, and as usual we went over the top here too, Me, Laura and Steven rolled the biggest snowball that we could until we could push it no further and then all looked at each other as if to say , well what now, how are we going to join them up! We rolled the fist one in position, then Pete got a scaffold plank to roll the other one up on the top...it was so heavy it took 4 of us to do it....finally in place and packed up...we only had one more to get on top!....Spring was helping..by eating the snow and rolling in it!!Finally after a lot of heaving and pushing we manged it, sticks for arms, pampas for a mouth and the odd stone for eyes and nose, it was about 8 or 9 foot high by the time we finished. A bit of hay thrown on his head for a hat or hair and bobs your uncle... A snowman!! shortly after this was taken...the ponies decided they wanted the hay and reared up to get it...knocking our masterpiece flying!!!

BUZZ AND BUBS AND SNOW!

Buzz was so cold so I had to give him a cuddle to warm him up to eat his breakfast, I think he was only playing me up as he was soon on the move.... The snow was almost as deep as him, Bubs didn't really know what was going on, she was a bit skittish, but ate and went back to bed!!!

FROM SNOWBALLS TO SLEDGING!

Snowballing came to an end... a cold wet chilly end!...So toboggans out and here we go, we slid on every slope we could find, the ponies joined in too, they ran up the hill with us and then scarpered as soon as we started to slide, the ponies were having great fun!...After a few hours up and down the slope I think we were all feeling the pain in our legs etc!!!!

SNOW DOG

Gem just chillin' taking in the surroundings and posing for the odd snap shot here and there!

KNEW THERE WOULD BE TROUBLE!

I just knew it wouldn't be long before it go out of hand here, Laura and Steven decided it was time for a snowball fight and that's where it got hairy!..I took this photo of a supposedly off shot snowball that hit me straight in the eye!!!!....

CHICKENS AND SNOW?

Hatty really didn't like the snow, she jumped out for breakfast, her feet hit the floor and she immediately sprung up into Pete's arms and came into our house in the warm for breakfast, the rest of the chickens just hid inside with only their heads appearing now and then.

DEDICATION!!!!

Now this is what I call dedication, Ant and Andy walked from Luxulyan to do our stonework....very grateful guys, nothing stops you pair does it...See that's what you get with us Cornish.....hardy folk!!

FEEDING

The kune kunes didn't really know what to make of the snow, they were quite strange, they had it all over them so I guess they enjoyed it, and the goats were tip toeing around in the white fluffy stuff, The ducks were funny though, the pond hadn't froze as much as it has done before and a couple of ducks went to walk across it. The ice started to crack and the ducks just froze to the spot and all of a sudden they fell through the ice, it seemed quite a shock for them, it was really funny to watch. The snow makes their feet look so much more orange than usual, especially the Aylesburys..they blend in the snow with their white bodies, so there are just orange feet everywhere!!

DAISY HAD HER PIGLETS!

After nosing the gate off its hinges and getting cross with me for putting it back on, daisy finally gave in and gave birth to a small litter of piglets in the pig sty!...and not in the woods this time!.. She was being a right pain trying to get out to give birth to them elsewhere, but it is so cold they would have died for sure. So all tucked up warm in the straw and not in the snow!

BACK TO THE FEED RUN

After all that fun, it was a quick smart..jump out of bed...to do the feed run, the pipes were frozen so all water had to be distributed manually, which is a real pain in the backside, as the nearest working tap is at the house, miles away from the animals, well not quite miles, but far enough for it to be a pain! All hands on deck to do the feed run, mind you not sure these pair are going to be working that much this morning! As we walked down through to the pigs, the trees looked quite magical, it was quite a sight, it looks so different in the snow, this was our first time at Woodmill for snow.

FIRST THINGS FIRST THOUGH!

It was early and Laura brought me breakfast in bed for my rather no so little number birthday! The breakfast was great a whole plate of fruit, which I love....So thanks LauraXX Steven bought me presents which was a lovely pair of earrings ...thankyou Steven...I love them...and Pete wrote me a cheque!...mmmm that's what I thought!...But the cheque was made out to 'somebody in a nice shop' for the amount of £0405...which when you write it funny like a number plate it spells LOADS!...signed 'your loving husband'...only Pete could have done that!,....We haven't got money or time at the moment so it was funny!...

WOKE UP TO THIS!

We set our alarms even earlier than usual, (no need to go bed really!)...and rushed to the window to see what sort of day it would be and to all of our delight...there was snow and plenty of it, it was still dark, but you could make out the fields and ponies...just about, so school off, college off, time to have a play day!!! Seems a perfect birthday to me!

SNOW AT NIGHT!

We don't often have snow in these parts, so probably the next few entries will be snow!!!! I love snow and whilst we were hearing of the rest of the country enjoying the white stuff, we had nothing...that was until it got dark...then it came down in buckets it was so pretty and the kids were hoping the snow would remain so school would be canceled in the morning! It was great to see and if it stayed for he morning ...what a birthday that would be!!

FIRST PIGLETS OF THE YEAR

Rosie was near to birthing, but I really thought she had a few more days yet, but no... 6am she started to give birth, the first one arrived and was on her own for about 40 mins which was a bit of a worry, so we named her Sparkle. Then 3 more arrived with a little help from me and Pete, it was quite exciting, 3 hours in and we only had 4, then one arrived not breathing so Pete tried his hardest to resuscitate it but with no avail,...another 45 mins passed, it was a slow birth this time, after 61/2 hours Rosie finally made 7 little piglets or sparklers!!! Sparkle had siblings!!!, she must have been shattered, they are all so cute and fed really well straight away, I have posted so many piglet photos, but I love them so here's a few more!!! At least Pete was here this time and not away at golf...

SHE HAS ARRIVED!!!!

It has finally happened...... Just to let you know I am now OFFICIALLY!!!! Lady Hume!...How crazy is that. Full title...Lady Julia Michelle Hume...!!!!!!