Hearts and flowers

On the Tuesday before last the weather was horrid so perfect for doing a craft course with Annie Winch over near Merléac.  Charlotte, one of my Workaways joined me and we had a happy time learning to make hearts out of paper napkins, wood and ribbons.  

We were just a small group and it was a lovely atmosphere.  Annie runs lots of different workshops and I would recommend her for a really pleasant crafting time with coffee and cake too!
















We've been working hard clearing up the field and finding bits and pieces which just might be useful in the insect hotel project. 

Earlier last week, my two Workaways carried the extremely heavy case down from the barn where it had been used as a perch for the hens, so needed quite a bit of glueing together and cleaning up before being painted in the garage.

It's 228 cms high and 50 cms wide so a large

structure and it will take some time to find all the bits and pieces to insert to make homes for lots of different bugs. 




I have two clematis flowering in the garden now against the house.   The third, which has a tremendous amount of growth is later flowering.  




















The wisteria is just beginning to bloom and the red hot pokers are flowering in the main bed in the garden.

We, by which I mean the Workaways, have taken the field rubbish to the décheterie and then driven on to collect twenty 20kg sacks of animal feed. Unfortunately, the French highways department failed to put a sign at the exit on the N164 before the one we wanted, to inform us that the next exit was closed.  We had a huge diversion down uncharted territory to get to the supplying farmer.  Luckily it was dry and we didn't have to cover the sacks with a tarp.  We spent the rest of the morning driving back and unloading the feed before loading the trailer again with a very old and very heavy freezer, previously used for storing feed, for another journey to the tip.  The only thing that needs sorting now is the old storage caravan.

We went over again to friends to collect yet more of their horse manure which had to be shovelled into the trailer and then out again on our return.  I did no shit-shovelling but felt for those who were having to work so hard!

To finish, photos of the French chap who takes his three little Shetland ponies, goat and dog for a long walk often past my field.  Here they're grazing on the verge while I chat to their owner.





Three things I like:

1.   Drying my washing outside in the open air again now the warmer weather is here.
2.   Getting rid of all my current rubbish to the décheterie.
3.   Having all my animal feed containers full to bursting again.

May - warmer weather and things getting done

I'm glad to say I have Workaways here again,  and here they are by the pergola with Gavin who has undergone a bit of a makeover, and not before time.   So here are Ashley from Brooklyn, Gavin from St André, Johan and Charlotte from the UK.  

I think he's looking rather dishy now ...

Saturday, 7 May was World Naked Gardening Day. Never one to shy away from a challenge - although perhaps I should have done - I was photographed gathering rhubarb - scroll past this bit quickly if you are of a sensitive nature!

It was also the day of a bowls match between my club St Gelven and the other Brittany indoor bowls club at Ploerdut.  I played in a triples match with Mavis and John.  We won our match and I understand that overall St Gelven had the better competition day on this occasion.

In the middle of the week, I had another visit from my two new bee friends, Jane and Alan.  We put honey supers onto the three good hives, marked a queen and they also brought me four, what are hopefully, fertile hen eggs which I have put under two broody bantams in my garden chicken house.  Fingers crossed.

Today was the annual Plant Sale with Crafts at Silfiac.  I took precautions this year and placed three collapsible crates into the back of the Land Rover to prevent soil spillage in case I bought anything.  Lol - obviously I succumbed as usual and came home with cistus, echiums, cotoneaster, wild garlic, Batavia lettuce seedlings etc. etc.  Suffice to say that it needed three trips back to the vehicle during the visit.  I have planted out the lettuce but now have a garage full of plants for the Workaways with me to plant out during the apparently rainy day we're going to have tomorrow.  In fact from the BBC Weather forecast it doesn't look like a good weather week at all for Brittany.  I also met again the American lady who collected my sheep fleeces last year and she will be happy to have them this year too - a little more room in my garage.

I am very pleased to report that my dear friend, June, has returned home and is feeling much better than before she had her stent fitted nine days ago.  It looks as if she may well be on track for her visit to Brittany in June.  I've also just booked the ferry for my oldest son and one of his housemates to come over at the same time as we all get on well and had a good time last year together here.

With the strong arms of the Workaways we went over to friends, Jac and Ken to collect a trailer load of manure to compost down, courtesy of their heavy horse.  Here is Oscar being rewarded for his production!

The watercress dropped into the fish pond in April is growing well and I'll soon be able to harvest it.  It came from a neighbour's stream which is absolutely burgeoning with it and really seems to do well amongst the fish.

One project I am hoping to get underway is that of making an insect refuge for the garden.  I just happen to have the cabinet from a grandfather clock - currently in the barn - and rather like the idea of using that as the outside casing.  It is more than two metres high so I am trying to find the most suitable location for it before starting on the renovation of the cabinet and the construction of the inside compartments.  I am really looking forward to embarking on this and am busy gathering suitable materials to house the various bugs that I hope will be attracted to what will be a very superior dwelling.

Three things I like:

1.   Having Workaways again - the company and so many task being completed.
2.   The trees getting their leaves and my world here turning a beautiful fresh green.
3.   Being able to plant out the veggies which I started off in the polytunnel.

Bees, bees, bees and other happenings in St André

Yet another six weeks has zipped on past and I see that I didn't manage to get anything into this blog in April.  Not sure where the times disappears to but I never seem to have much of it spare.

I had a surprise call from the daughter, Fiona, of an old friend at the beginning of April.  I used to babysit her years and years ago and had only seen her once since she was a child - she is now 50! although she certainly doesn't look it.  She, her partner and two dogs arrived to stay for a night and it was lovely to see her again and reminisce.

On 5 April my first two bee hives arrived, courtesy of collection by Johannes from the Lanrivain end of my lane.  He has Warré hives and so is used to dealing with bees in transit.  These are the usual French Dadant hives and I was so pleased to see them in the designated area which is fenced off in the corner of the sheep field.  

A new bee friend, Lorna, came and gave her help and expertise the following two days, as we dealt with hives which were really in poor condition.  The grey hive has almost no bees and certainly no queen.  The vendor should be ashamed the way he has kept these hives, never mind selling them on to a new keeper.  We went shopping and bought new perforated baseboards, crown boards and other bits and pieces which have almost all been incorporated into the hives.  I was stung twice on the left foot having soft boots on instead of wellies, not a mistake I will make again.

As I usually do, I returned in early April to Cornwall to see the family and celebrate my birthday, 69 this time.   I stayed with Matthew, my oldest son - he gives up his ensuite room for me - there are advantages in being old!

He has been doing major construction work at his new home and I am really proud of his achievements.  His friends have been working hard there too - although here is a relaxing moment.

My daughter's main pressie to me was my first bee related item for the house, a beautiful jug covered in bees, which has pride of place on my dresser.  Later in the week I found a beehive honey pot in a charity shop and couldn't resist it.  

I had a busy but good week there with lots of eating out and in, seeing friends and working a little on my daughter, Libby's new allotment.  

The weather was kind and when I returned to St André my tulips on the terrace had come further into bloom and were making a wonderful show.  I just love this colour.

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to contact a couple, Alan and Jane, near the north coast who thought they would have a nucleus for each of my new bright pink painted hives.  They came down on the last Saturday in April, bringing the bees with them and lots of advice and help.  

I was extremely jealous of Jane's beautiful pink beesuit - I had no idea it was possible to buy this colour.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed spending most of the day working in the hives and watching the bees going about their daily tasks.  Quite a few of them had pollen on their legs so they are already managing to find suitable flowers.  There are lots of dandelions and celandine out on the verges and fields so they should be fine as more and more come into bloom with each warmer day.  I spent the rest of the day cleaning off a honey super ready for painting and gave it three coats of paint along with another new bare wood super.

I have been painting supers ready to go on top of the brooders and this morning I painted the wooden part of the roof on the blue hive as it hadn't been done.   Three coats of eco paint done in the early morning sunshine and I'll be able to put it back on the hive this evening.

One of my dearest friends, June, had two heart attacks this week and I was very worried as she went into Harefield Hospital's operating theatre for a stent procedure.  I am glad to report that she was sitting up and smiling soon afterwards and all my worry was for nothing.  I am very grateful to her daughter's for keeping me in the picture.  I do hope she will be recovered well enough to come over for her usual June visit to me.

My lovely Breton neighbours, Ronan and Fanny, had a new baby on Monday this week.  He was nearly 4 kilos, born by Caesarian and is called Nathan.  He joins his two brothers, Nolan and Ewan and this morning I was invited over, with other neighbours, Paulette and Christian, to wet the baby's head with champagne.  I was allowed to cuddle him for most of the visit and he was just lovely.

Glad to report that I have two lots of Workaways arriving this week.  A young Irish couple who will be here for a few weeks and an American girl who is just staying for two days.  I have a long list of things for them all to do and can't wait to be able to cross off lots of items.

I saw the proctologist (bum consultant) last week and he has booked me in for another colonoscopy for 3 June.  This is just to check out the bowel inflammation I have.  I am assured that whatever may be causing it will not be malignant as nothing showed up on the Petscan I had.  I feel well, in spite of the rotten cold I managed to catch in the UK, and seem to have boundless energy again.  Life is good.

Three things I like:

1.   Holding new babies who smell just delightful.
2.   Watching my new bees flying in and out of their bright pink hives.
3.   Making new friends with my new interest in bees.

Chicks, veggies and better weather

The weather has moved on, thank goodness, and we have had several dry days in a row. Not only dry but actually sunny and pleasant enough to sit out and talk to the hens and duck on the field or to enjoy a drink on the terrace - I can almost believe that Spring really will be here soon.

This warmth has encouraged the seeds I have sown in the polytunnel and there are lots of green shoots in most of the trays. 

The tiny lettuce plants are growing and my purple sprouting broccoli is continuing to provide me with delicious plates of gorgeousness. Leeks and beetroot planted last year are still going great guns and now the rhubarb is sufficiently long to pick and simmer to luscious tenderness.  I love this time of year.

Martha and Lisa have each given birth to a ram lamb.  Lisa's lamb is an enigma as both she and the Daddy, Ricardo, are large white sheep, yet her lamb is a small black Ouessant type, as Martha's is but then Martha is a small black Ouessant - the indigenous Breton sheep.

The seven chicks born on 11 February are thriving and now enjoying the barn and field. This week I've had more eggs hatching in the kitchen incubator and so far the count is up to twelve with possibly one more egg looking as if a chick may emerge.  

They are so fluffy and round - I just love them!

Two donkeys in the lane whom I saw on the way back from Bowls 

and a very full stream along the side of the road.

A cow and some gorse in my hamlet in the sunshine.

I have a fairly good sized duck pond but for some reason Domy likes to wash and enjoy herself in an old bath which is really for collecting water to irrigate the veggies.

Having aperitifs and a serious conversation with neighbours in St André.

One thing we didn't discuss was the American elections.  I sometimes wonder what the collective IQ of the US might be?  Horrifyinging to think that this ignorant man just could become the most powerful man in the world.

Apart from the seed sowing, lots of planting has been going on in both the garden and veggie patch during the last few weeks. I've planted onions, shallots, garlic, broad beans, thyme, a fig, a plum tree, a cherry tree, a thornless blackberry, raspberry canes and lastly,  these strawberries, in prepared pallets in the garden.

I am used to large eggs, obviously the goose egg at the right back is big - 152g - but I was amazed at the size of one of the hen eggs this week, front centre, which weighed in at exactly 100g!  I presume it will be a double yolker, but will probably blow it to be able to keep the shell.  I have blown ten goose eggs so far this year and have another ten in the rack waiting for some time to spend on doing them.  I have a decoration idea which I found on the internet - watch this space - one day!

My first two hives with bees will, hopefully, arrive during the Easter weekend, via a new friend who lives locally and who is an experienced beekeeper.  I will be going to my first class at a garden centre in Loudeac on Easter Saturday.  Getting excited now!

Three things I like:

1.   The warmer and drier weather.
2.   The sounds of cheeping in the kitchen.
3.   Receiving a pile of English newspapers from English neighbours who have a holiday home in the hamlet.

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.