Duck pond drama

Posted in Wildlife | 14 comments

I‘m back. Broadcasting from Danny’s laptop. First of all a huge thank you for Danny taking up the blogging reins – I really enjoyed his posts and his meals and the endless cups of tea. There is no photo as D’s laptop doesn’t have the upload software. So you have to just imagine these scenes. The best photos of course. My slimline wide screen friend is waiting in A&E at the Newmarket Computer Company. She will be examined tomorrow and a prognosis delivered to my phone. Hopefully she will be fixed by an outpatient procedure rather...

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Blue screen of death gets a hot makeover

Posted in Cottage tales, Fun | 19 comments

Hi everyone, Fiona went to work today although she is feeling just 80% of her normal wellbeing so this is my (Danny’s) third and final instalment of the Emergency Trilogy. I told her that she simply must get back in harness tomorrow or she will lose her regular readers. She agrees and normal service will be resumed.   I have never known a lady who can produce such dramatics when she is supposed to be lying wan in bed. We had fantastic thunderstorms here (Newmarket, UK) late this afternoon and she returned from work early because her current...

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Bees and not to bees

Posted in Bees | 13 comments

Today’s article is brought to you by Danny (that’s me – seems weird to be referring to myself in the 3rd party). Fiona is unwell as per the previous post, but is recuperating rapidly.The big news is that a swarm of bees arrived in one of our two vacant hives. Both our old colonies died off in the freezing cold of January. We had hoped that a stray swarm might take up occupancy and it has come to pass. Happy Days. I remember the old rhyme that I learned when I was knee high to a potato stalk back home in rural County...

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Fiona is ill and her daily posts have been interrupted

Posted in Cottage tales | 39 comments

Hello, everybody – it’s Danny here.   Fiona has been ill for the past few days and I have confined her to bed, with many cups of tea ( omygawd, she is such a demanding patient! )   No, that last bit is just a joke. Almost J   Her blog will be three years old in August and she has recently posted her 1,000th article. That is a great achievement, to her credit. So please excuse her now for missing a few days. Her laptop is also languishing - crashing after half an hour.   Then again, she has divulged her password to me, so maybe I will...

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Sometimes I work in enchanted places

Posted in Wildlife | 10 comments

Sometimes I work in enchanted places

Laptop still crashing after ten minutes so here is a post that I’ve been trying to put up for the last  couple of days. Caroline provided the photo which I just had to include …     I’m very lucky. Over the past few years I have got to know a lot of people and observed hundreds of different lifestyles through my decorating work. If the job is a long one, I become a fly on the wall. Listening mainly to my DAB headset sports radio as I work but sometimes looking beyond my brush. I have been employed on a large estate for...

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Thunder and hail

Posted in General care | 9 comments

Thunder and hail

Still having problems with the laptop. I’ve tried the air spray idea but the precious machine is crashing constantly – answers to inquiries and comments when the system is more stable. Meanwhile here is a post. “When you were little did your parents tell you that thunder was just God moving his furniture around?” “No.”  Danny smiled. “It’s a great concept, though.” “Part of me liked it. I enjoyed imagining the size of a table or sofa that would make that noise. But the idea worried me, surely God would get his...

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Good things and bad things that begin with a C

Posted in Chickens, Cottage tales, Vegetables | 9 comments

Good things and bad things that begin with a C

Caroline sends photos of our leghorn chicks regularly. They are always a joy as she is such a good photographer. And we are getting to know our chicks well, albeit at arms length. The best thing of all is that Caroline and Kevin hand rear their chicks. I’ve only cuddled chickens when they have been sick I’m really looking forward to being able to pick up the young chickens when they arrive. These are good things. Meanwhile we have been experiencing bad things beginning with a C. First of all our cucumber seedlings have succumbed to some...

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The slow cooker chef: Low fat summery lamb shanks braised in red wine and tomatoes recipe

Posted in Lamb | 4 comments

The slow cooker chef: Low fat summery lamb shanks braised in red wine and tomatoes recipe

I tend not to buy lamb shanks as they usually look so weedy and unappetising. Last week I spotted a half price pack of two lamb shanks on the Tesco condemned food counter. These were quite chunky (just under a kilo) and the original price was pretty stout too. They had been reduced from £7.95 to £3.50. So naturally they ended up in my trolley. I decided to try just using ingredients that were knocking about in the fridge and larder and devised this dish that would easily feed eight. The combination of carrots, tomatoes and red wine worked...

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Kitchen garden update: June 2009

Posted in Vegetables | 6 comments

Kitchen garden update: June 2009

“I’ve brought you some broad beans and some new potatoes.” My heart leapt as John Coe passed me the bags. We haven’t grown new potatoes this year – just concentrated on our main crop. “Just wipe the potatoes and the skins will fall off. Easy.” He placed a pack of plants wrapped in newspaper carefully beside his Wellingtons. “What are those?” “Purple sprouting broccoli.” He beamed. My mind whirled. The kitchen garden is choc a bloc. The baby purple sprouting broccoli plants usually are planted in July. I had been planning...

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A present of Pheasant’s Eye narcissus

Posted in Flowers | 3 comments

A present of Pheasant’s Eye narcissus

We grow two types of daffodils in our garden. As these bulbs were bought in sacks from wayside stands, I’m not sure what they are called. A very pretty white and pale yellow one flowers first. Just as the heads are fading another strain appears of the all yellow, King Alfred type. Over the years they have gradually spread through the grass in front of the cottage. Wonderful pools of good sturdy bulbs. My favourites in the daffodil family are the narcissus. Small patches of these start to peep through when the ordinary daffodils are over....

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