Y Sioe Fawr

Well, Monday we went to the Royal Welsh -- it's too late this year (finished today), but if you've never been before, make a point of going next year -- it is incredible! What follows forthwith then is lots of photos -- I have already edited, and can't edit any further! In no particular order, here is some of what we saw on Monday:

Now there is a bit of a story behind this one: Several years ago now, Greg's uncle Roger was on holiday and sent us a postcard from this place called the Agrodome in New Zealand. For ages we thought it was a photo of some stuffed sheep -- and then somebody told us that they are real and they parade up on stage! So the odds of us going to NZ are pretty slim, but lo and behold we have the Welsh Sheeptacular!


Now you will note in this close up here how much smaller the Balwen is compared to the rest of the sheep!!!


Lots of bizarre looking birds in the Fur & Feathers pavilion:


Lots of adorable sheep:










And two of particular note:

This is Lyn's ram that won third place for best ram, two years or older. Lyn also won sixth place for best ram lamb and third place for best ewe lamb. He is the farmer that we bought our sheep from!


This is Bridget's father's Texel -- they won LOTS of prizes and Bridget did tell me what they all were but I've forgotten and I can't remember her father's surname so I can't look them up -- but he's a very handsome looking ram anyways!


Various random signs that amused me:








Best egg competition:




Adorable goats:






Adorable cows:




Look -- all the way from America!


For all your lawncare needs:


What my garden aspires to -- NOT!




Otter cuteness:


These are 12-day old Tamworth x Wild Boar piglets -- I want one!!! (Or several...)


Was much more impressed with the shearing competitions this year now that I actually know what they are doing...


Check out these horns!






This is Teifi who owns the piggery we didn't buy (which is still on the market if you're interested.) He won first place for best boar born in 2005, second place for best boar born in 2006 (pictured here), third place for best sow born before 2005, third place for best gilt born in 2004, first place for best gilt born in 2005 and second place for best group comprising boar, sow, and gilt.


Always one of my favourite categories -- an animal made out of vegetables!


And last but not least, what every garden needs, a mini-digger water feature!


AND, if you're wondering what's going on here at the farm: The first runner beans!

Newyddion Cyw

So I finally checked to see what was left under the hen this morning: two eggs that were apparently not fertile, and one chick that never made it out of the membrane...


The one chick that did survive however is settling in well with her mummy in their new spacious home...


In gardening queries: What is this brown/rotten stuff on the underside of these tomatoes? Is it tomato blight? My book says that the symptoms of tomato blight are black spots on the fruit and browning at the edges of the leaves, but the leaves on these plants look fine. If it makes any difference, these are all Moneymaker tomatoes. The Gardener's Delight tomatoes all look absolutely fine. Any idea? I have disposed of the offending specimens, but should I destroy the plants I took them from to keep it spreading? Or is it something completely benign? Help please!

Mae cyw wedi maru...

So, not only should you not count your chicks before they're hatched, you shouldn't count them after either apparently...

The chick that was still drying off last night was dead this morning...


Apparently the general consensus is that chicks just die...

So there is now one fluffy chick and three eggs. I will give them until tomorrow morning and then I am moving the hen and however many chicks she has into the broody coop...

Cywion!

There are definitely two chicks now -- one nice cute fluffy one and one that still needs to do a bit of drying off...


First meal!

Cyw!

It is definitely alive! What on earth is going on with the other four eggs though I couldn't possibly say... I am too impatient for this!!! :)

Mae hi'n boeth iawn heddiw...

Lots to catch up on from the last two weeks... From a torrential downpour where we lost power several times...




...we now find ourselves in the midst of a heatwave! The heat and the sun are making everything grow like mad...


(Yes, the birds beat me to the cherries YET AGAIN!)




...and we are finally starting to eat the fruits of our labours -- quite literally!






Last but not least -- there will be lots of exciting news later today -- can you tell what this is a picture of? :)