|
|
|
Author |
|
Message | |
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
Posted: Wed Apr 26, 17 6:20 am Post subject: |
|
We only had one short hail storm yesterday, not even enough to dampen the ground, but they are threatening us with short showers of anything at the moment.
Tried to get the frame for the basket sorted, but it was a total failure I am afraid. I managed to make another frame yesterday, and it is now in the jig for a couple of days. I may be able to do something with one half of the frame I made, but the other half doesn't fit it, so no good for the handle.
I tend to knit my socks with any colour for the feet and the tops, which are long, in plain dark colour Gregotyn, as I sometimes wear them with a skirt. I use elastic garters, although I think the ones I have need replacing as the elastic isn't very.
Cassandra, I forgot to comment on your medlar. You can pick the fruit and blet them off the tree if you like, but you have to keep an eye on them in case they go too soft. |
|
|
|
|
cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013 Posts: 1733 Location: Tasmania Australia
|
Posted: Thu Apr 27, 17 9:17 am Post subject: |
|
I got out and about again today JL! Went to Hobart to the Spinners and Dyers Guild to join and to see what they had to offer. That was a mistake! I now have a moorit fleece to play with. This is the 'sample' bag attached to the fleece.
'Moorit' is not a breed of sheep, but the gene that creates the brown coloration in skin and fleece in some sheep. It is a recessive gene so is only expressed when it is BB (rather than Bb, or bb). A woman in Tassie had started to develop a consistent BB expression but died before she got it 'set'. Her flock went to pack for a while but was eventually auctioned off and split between two properties. The fleece I bought at Bothwell was from one property that was badly affected by drought which is why it was 'tender' and so was returned. This is from the more fortunate and wealthy property that was able to keep handfeeding.
By the look of the fleece the base stock are Corriedale, but probably includes other breeds as well - where-ever the colour expression occurs.
The neighbour's horse got out the other night, and of course they too were out. I figured there was a problem as the stallion was screaming at intervals, and eventually went out to see what was going on as he had started sounding very distressed. As I turned the corner of the house, the sound of galloping hooves on the road explained the situation, and by the time I had got to the road, the filly had disappeared again. A car pulled up so I asked him if he had seen her (he hadn't but someone else had and had called a third person who asked him to come tell the neighbours). After establishing they were out I went and got my boots on, grabbed a dog lead and added my head torch to see what was going on. The filly had put herself in the pig pen, so we secured the gate, congratulated ourselves on a job well done, did a cursory check of the fence to avoid the stallion getting out too, and headed to our respective homes. I took Seb out for a brief walk as he was a bit worked up by all the excitement and spotted that the fence at the other end of the pig pen had been dismantled. So Seb went indoors, I headed back over to secure the loose ends of the fence and found that the yard she was in had a pile of loose wire in it, which she had, of course decided to step into. Now none of these horses has been handled properly, so I took my life in my hands by running my hand down her back leg to see if I could lift it. She, meantime was sampling my back to see what it tasted like. After we agreed this was not on, I had another go, lifted her foot, let it go when she started waving it around in objection and she landed back in the wire. So in the end I had to bend the wire back and forth till it broke and her foot was free. She also does not lead, so telling her to 'walk on' did not achieve terribly much, but she got the idea eventually and I removed the coil of wire, fastened the fence back in position and went home again.
Yesterday morning she was back in with the stallion but they neighbours decided it was not necessary to do anything to secure the fencing at all, instead heading into Oatlands for a nice lunch and general messing around, so it was no surprise when I found this in the back yard this morning.
She was helping herself to my mulch hay which is not fit for horses, so I tried to catch her and after being offered teeth and hooves decided it was their responsibility so went over and hammered on the door till I got a response. At least they thanked me this time. |
|
|
|
|
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
|
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 17 7:05 am Post subject: |
|
Those neighbours of yours didn't ought to be allowed to keep any animals Cassandra. Pity they are so good at talking their way out of trouble with the RSPCA, because they are the sort of people who need dealing with. Bad for the animals, and from what you say they aren't trained in any way so you had trouble helping them, which also puts other people at risk.
Your moorit wool looks good, so hopefully this lot will spin up well. I went to the Ancient Farm near us yesterday to find the lie of the land for the show Saturday and on the way back to the car had to pass a field of sheep. Think they were soay, ram, ewes and lambs. They are evidently used to being fed because as soon as they saw me they started bleating and all walked along the wire following me. There was one disgusted bleat as I went beyond the end of the field without feeding them.
Gregotyn, a place near the coast has already made their first cut of silage, but I don't think our main season will be for a couple of weeks yet. Hope your move continues well. These days elastic isn't too expensive, so I might go mad and if I can't find some elastic in my work box, lay out the few pence a metre or so would cost.
I started another basket yesterday. We took the frame off the jig, and husband and son pinned it together. (involves a hammer so mans work). I produced some weavers with the bark on and managed to get enough for the beginning of the St. Brigids cross or Gods Eye on each side and a couple of ribs. The ribs have gone into the jig until I have time to do some more and I wove up the crosses when I got home. They still need some more, but at least they are started.
Also took some members of the Trefoil Guild for a bluebell walk. The flowers are still a good colour in spite of having been out for a couple of weeks as it has been cool, and we saw plenty of other things too, although the moschatel that I found last week has gone awol again. |
|
|
|
|
cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013 Posts: 1733 Location: Tasmania Australia
|
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 17 7:50 am Post subject: |
|
The RSPCA only has three inspectors for the whole of the State MR. So people like my neighbours who operate very close to the line, but only occasionally cross it, get away with it as the officers are busy pursuing more cruel behaviour. Since the horses are presently in a paddock they have forgotten to add electric fencing to, and the back fence of the paddock is knee high it will only be a matter of time before they are out again, but I will cross that bridge when i come to it.
Today was unexpectedly sunny (they forecast overcast), so all the washing was done and dealt with and most of it is now put away. I am skiving off cleaning the bank - will do it on Sunday when I am in town for the History Room and I am having a lazy night in.
Meawhile I have a young woman coming tomorrow who comes highly recommended and she will be helping me with the last of the shed lining, moving stuff out to the shed etc.
And I now have another load of wood to stack (and pay for).
I forgot to mention I finally sent away for those tree spirals and they arrived a couple of weeks ago - I showed them to my woodman and sent him off with two to protect his wife's ornamental tree that is being ravaged by possums - perhaps we have found a new use for them!
And the UK also came calling yesterday with a rather belated bill for Council Taxes from Medway council - asking for payment by the 24th of April in cash or by cheque!!! I rang them and spoke to a lovely young woman who sorted it all out for me and paid by credit card from my Australian account as the exchange rate is very favourable for money heading your way at present.
Having a lazy night in, might even get some spinning done, but more likely I will finish the latest beanie off instead. The Moorit is a joy to spin and I have now washed one staple as I was concerned about potential reduction in colour when clean, but if anything it is a deeper richer caramel instead, so I am very pleased with it. Thinking in terms of some fine fair isle with that as the ground colour and either pale grey or creamy white for the pattern. |
|
|
|
|
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
|
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 17 1:34 pm Post subject: |
|
I am concerned that the horses may do irreparable damage to your property and to themselves if they escape again. To have horses in an inadequately secure fenced paddock, in such a local situation, I find unacceptable. Those folks are lucky not to have me as a neighbour. My graziers are conscious that their horse is safe at my place because the fencing is good. He is a lovely horse and we have chats every day. He has a good boundary fence as well as electric-oh and plenty of grass to go at too. No need to escape.
I hope the young woman comes up to the mark Cassandra, with shed filling and so on. I could do with her here for a week or two. I would like a picture of the tree spirals please, or have I missed that? A guide to size would be helpful too-please.
We have had a good weather day here too, but it appears to want to rain now because I have so much to do at home! 3 whole days of moving stuff ahead of me, so I should break the back of it.
I am surprised to hear that some silage has been cut in the country already, a lifetime of being north of the Watford Gap! We are just getting adequate grazing now, and I don't think anyone has shut pasture up for silage; it isn't warm enough to justify expecting serious growth yet. I think a couple of weeks before I see any longish growth with no stock on it. The winter oilseed rape is in full flower and potatoes have been planted on one farm I pass daily but no emergence yet.
We still have primroses out , and some bluebells are in blossom, but I haven't had a walk to look for anything else. I must say that involvement with a hammer is the work of anyone, MR, but they should also be the holder of the nail, concentrates the mind on hitting the right place! |
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
|
|
|
|
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
|
Posted: Sat Apr 29, 17 9:07 am Post subject: |
|
I will have to have a look in a book about moorit or ask around as I am sure I have heard of a flock or breed called Castle Moorit sheep, which suggests that they have this suffix because they are all BB or Ba genes, as I assume the dominant gene will show even if the recessive is present, as in Mendel's law. However, this is a new fact to me, I always thought it was a breed in its own right-never too old to learn.
I am doing the bulk of the moving this w/e as we have a holiday on Monday too. It seems a bit silly to have one so close to the last, but there we are. I don't want to know why Easter moves, I just find it strange that it does-May Day is always the first Monday in May, as much as my birthday falls on the same date every year.
I will have to do a bit more bricklaying before I complete the base of the shed to stop leaks going in. I also have to find a couple of strips of heavy rubber to form a seal at the base of the doors as a rodent deterrent and a few traps will be set-I'm a bit loathe to use poison in case other things get tummy upsets and die, but I don't want too much going on inside my shed of stored possessions, including clothes. |
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 17 7:07 am Post subject: |
|
I forgot to say about the hammer work yesterday Gregotyn. I find that my men like to do things like that to prove that they are the men about the house. I am perfectly capable of using a hammer, although must say husband does tend to get the nails in straighter.
There is a breed called Castle Moorit, and I suspect it is as you say, the dominant gene. Interestingly, in flocks of wild Soay, the predominant colour is brown of some kind, but in domesticated flocks more whiter or paler ones appear. Think it may be to do with the lighter colours showing up more so more likely to be predated and the line dying out.
We did the Beltain festival at the Ancient Farm yesterday afternoon and evening and are now tired out. Quite a lot of people, but don't think as many as last year, and more 'ordinary' visitors rather than those there for the more spiritual side of it judging by the clothes, although most ended up with face paint. Not a bad evening, and the wicker man burning was spectacular as usual, although I think it was built rather too robustly by some real coppice workers and may well still have the frame standing. I sold some of my spoons, and son sold some of his leather work. |
|
|
|
|
cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013 Posts: 1733 Location: Tasmania Australia
|
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
|
|
|
|
gz
Joined: 23 Jan 2009 Posts: 8576 Location: Ayrshire, Scotland
|
|
|
|
|
Mistress Rose
Joined: 21 Jul 2011 Posts: 15539
|
|
|
|
|
cassandra
Joined: 27 Mar 2013 Posts: 1733 Location: Tasmania Australia
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archive
Powered by php-BB © 2001, 2005 php-BB Group Style by marsjupiter.com, released under GNU (GNU/GPL) license.
|