Ty Ieir Newydd

Nearly finished with the new chicken coop -- just need to finish affixing the roof -- which will involve me going to town tomorrow morning and buying some more drill bits as I have already broken and/or blunted all the ones I currently own...

I got to use this scary grinder to cut the corrugated sheeting -- sparks were flying everywhere! But it was so easy -- like cutting through softened butter!

Tri Cyw!!!

Look -- it's official -- proof that we really do have three chicks! Aren't they adorable?!

Cywion!

We are having chicks again! There are definitely three living chicks thus far, perhaps there will be more tomorrow morning? I have tried to photograph them, but Mommy hen is being VERY protective and not really letting me near the chickies!!!




This is quite exciting as even if we only have the three, it will be the most we've had from a single hatching thus far...

So, now that we have more chicks, where are they all going to live??? Well, the last chick we had (who is now 4 weeks old!) is getting rather biggish...


...so we are going to set up an area with electric netting and let her and her Mommy out -- which means I need to build them somewhere new to sleep! This is what I've got so far:


It started life as a planter that Greg made last spring -- nearly identical to this one:


Now it just needs a roof! Perhaps I should go into business... :)

Dw i wedi bod yn y gegin trwy'r dydd...

I began to tackle the courgette mountain with this (hopefully) lovely courgette and tomato chutney...






It tastes good now, so I reckon it should be good this winter, but am slightly nervous as it took about twice as long to cook as the recipe said it would and also I have never done the jar sterilising thing before...

Enilles i!

I have been winning lots of things recently! At United Counties Show, I won third place for my plaited bread, and second place for my penmanship. At Llangadog Show, I won second place for my brown bread.


But most importantly of all, I won a prize at the Eisteddfod last week! There was a competition for learners (dysgwr) to write a postcard from their holiday (in Welsh of course) -- and I wrote a postcard to the chickens!

Annwyl ieir,

Dw i yn Efrog Newydd nawr, a does dim ieir yma. Dw i'n gallu cysgu yn hwyr yma, achos does dim rhaid i mi godi i'’ch bwydo chi!

Mae'’r tywydd yn hyfryd, mae'r gwesty yn braf, a dw i'n bwyta bwyd da. Mae Central Park yn fawr iawn a– mae llawer o laswellt i fwyta!

Dw i'’n dod adre Dydd Mawrth a gobethio gwela i lawer o wyau pan dw i'’n cyrraedd yna!

Hwyl am tro,

Blodwyn


This is me receiving my certificate and cheque from the Archdruid, Selwyn Iolen:


And this is the first cheque I have ever received in Welsh! :)


In other news, I found a really odd looking caterpillar -- it turns out it belongs to the elephant hawk-moth.


We also saw lots of lovely animals at Llangadog Show:






I finally started putting eggs in waterglass -- will keep you posted when I start eating them!


The garden is chucking out lots of veg:


And we continue to dig odd things up out of the ground!


Hwyl am tro -- mae rhaid i fi bostio mwy yn Gymraeg!

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!