Another month has managed to rush past - where does the time disappear to so fast?  The weather has not been kind in Brittany during February.  It's a month I am always pleased to see the back of.  We've had rain, rain and more rain and I'm looking forward to the warmth of spring and being dry underfoot.  

My newest Workaway, Robert, arrived on 1 March from the Isle of Skye - long journey to St André.  I should have collected him from the station at Guingamp in the evening but my Land Rover is causing me hassle at the moment.  Last week I had the battery replaced and this week the starter motor has decided that it doesn't want to.  Luckily a friend picked him up for me and brought him home.  We are now awaiting a starter motor to arrive at the garage.  It looks as if I shall be without a vehicle until Tuesday earliest. The first day he was here he barrowed stones to the muddiest parts of the field and the garden hen run to make it safer walking.  He's here for a few weeks so hopefully we'll get loads of jobs knocked off the three page To Do List.  He's just finished building a new log trolley which I bought flat-packed last week.  

I agreed to buy two hives complete with bees from someone returning to England.  They should be available to collect during the beginning of this month so obviously I needed to get some suitable protective clothing and a few other bits and pieces, like a smoker and a hive tool.  I found a lovely supplier in Le Faouet, Gilles, who sold me everything on my list.  Here I am in my very fetching outfit - I hope it will do it's job and stop me being stung.

One of my neighbours, at Lanrivain Gare, keeps twelve hives and he is going to help me collect the hives when the time comes.  He's very knowledgeable and hopefully will be able to give me loads of advice when I'm struggling.

Today, I have friends erecting a bee fence.  No - not a very fine meshed affair - but a stock fence to keep the sheep away from the hives so they don't get knocked over.  they have taken advantage of the one part of the day when it hasn't rained to get out there and work.  This weather makes life very difficult.

I was thrilled last week to walk into the barn and find a small Muscovy duckling had hatched overnight and was running around amongst the geese, hens and other ducks.  Not sure of the gender yet but am referring to it as "he".  Yesterday he was out on the pond without his Mum and also without a care in the world, swimming about with the geese and other ducks.  

The first seven chicks of the year are now in a puppy crate in the kitchen area to give them more room.  This was taken when they were about a week old and confined to a bowl while I cleaned out their brooder.

I have another twenty-two eggs in the incubator which should start hatching in thirteen days time.  I love this time of year with all the animal births happening.

My sheep are also due to deliver soon.  Not sure of the exact dates as the Ricardo, their ram, is always with them.  I can't wait to have lambs again in the field.  Last year the first one was born on 7 March, so it may not be much longer now.

As I was leaving my field one day the week before last, someone who I have seen frequently walking their animals came past my field entrance.  He has with him three ponies, a dog and a goat.

He lives in St Nicolas du Pélem so must have done a minimum of 6 miles walk with them. The goat follows on behind not on any sort of lead - lovely eh?

I have cleared out and cleaned up the polytunnel and started to sow seeds in trays.  The onion sets have gone out in the garden and it's so lovely and warm behind the polythene in the polytunnel, particularly if there's even a little sun outside.  It's a joy to work in there out of the wind and rain.

Egg production is definitely on the rise now that February has passed.  For various reasons I haven't been to Bowls where I usually sell most of my eggs, so I have been having to find egg using recipes to cope with the abundance.  I have blown goose eggs to decorate and used the contents to make quiches and Spanish omelettes.

My Workaway used to be Chef de Partie in a restaurant, in charge of breadmaking and he is now making bread for tomorrow.  I love this website of super helpers!

Three things I like:

1.   Having someone here again helping me with all the tasks I can't do alone.

2.   Enjoying the chicks and my surprise duckling.

3.   The anticipation of being a beekeeper.