Each year the committee members (me being one of them) look at the categories and make slight changes to the programme and a couple of years ago I suggested an egg category. Since it’s addition to the show, the egg category has been hotly contested. I am yet to win although have won secondand third places in the past with my guinea fowl and leghorn hen eggs.

This year I entered some guinea fowl eggs and khaki campbell duck eggs and was delighted to get second and third place. Roll on next year, the contest is still on to the win first place!

Show Winning Duck Eggs & Guinea Fowl Eggs

Have you ever entered eggs for a produce show?

I have made a victoria sponge, butterfly buns, cheese scones and fruit scones. Everyone of them has had a disaster. The victoria sponge is as flat as a pancake, the butterfly buns have sunk, the cheese scones are very thin and the fruit scones I forgot to glaze with beaten egg so look abit pale!

The produce show is tomorrow and I am on the committee so like to make an effort and usually manage to grab a trophy as well but don’t think I will this year. Will let you know how I get on. Off to sort my eggs for the egg category which is hotly contested!!

Crocus

I was thrilled when my colleague Judith suggested to Sally, that my crocus photo might look good on the cover of the Spring catalogue.

Ample Bosom Spring Catalogue 2009 With Farming Friends Crocus Photograph On Cover

I work part-time for Ample Bosom, an online and mail order lingerie, swimwear and nightwear company with a large range of sizes and styles from leading brands. If you are looking for beautiful, comfortable and well made lingerie, swimwear and nightwear, then Ample Bosom is the place to look.

If you are not already on their mailing list then request an Ample Bosom catalogue today. When you get your catalogue you may notice that the writer of the catalogue has attributed the photograph to Judith, which doesn’t matter, but I can assure you that I took the photograph back in January 2004.

Ample Bosom was founded by Sally Robinson, nearly ten years ago. Sally is a farmer’s wife who lives on a beautiful farm in the heart of North Yorkshire. Ample Bosom is run from the farm and the offices were barns on the farm that have been converted.

I know that Sally would like to feature a picture of the white horse at Kilburn on the cover of one of the Ample Bosom catalogues, so if you have a photograph of the white horse or any nature, farming or North Yorkshire scenery photographs that you would like Ample Bosom to feature on the cover of one of their catalogues, then please leave a comment and I’ll send you an email so that you can send in your photograph for Sally to have a look at.

I have moved the sows and piglets from the farrowing barn into their normal pig barn and mucked out two pig barns and moved the seven gilts.

I have given both poultry huts a Spring clean with lots of new straw and all their feed pots are full up.

Taken egg turner out of the incubator. Quail eggs are due to hatch Sunday!

I have also made a delivery of quail eggs to Langlands farmshop.

Reading this back it doesn’t sound like I have done that much but, let me tell you it feels like I’ve done alot!

I am leaving my father-in-law in charge of the animals so I have been getting everything ready for him so that it makes the job of feeding the animals easier.

I am going for a bath in a minute then bed, well after I have written instructions for feeding and given the tiny piglets some more milk!

So here are my 8 happy farm facts:

1. I am happy when my five beautiful white and ginger cats greet me in a morning and I am particularly happy if none of the cats are missing!
2. I am happy when Hatty the hen looks healthy and is laying her beautiful flavoursome eggs every day.
3. I am happy when I have found the ground nest that my guinea fowl like to lay their eggs in and I am especially happy when this nest is not in the middle of a nettle patch and the circling magpies have not taken the eggs.
4. I am happy to have seen at first hand calves being born and it is a special moment when they stand and start to suckle.
5. I am happy that my husband decided to allow me to have my pigs (Cagney and Lacy) and that I saw my first Saddleback piglets being born.
6. I am happy when the eggs start to pip in the incubator and I am even happier when all the chicks have successfully hatched out.
7. I am happy when I see the farm wildlife merrily going about their business – it is a thrill to have seen such range of animals from the barn owl, pheasant, hare, deer, toad to the snail, mole and even the fox, as long as it keeps away from my poultry!
8. I am happy when I hear my guinea pig squeaking out as I walk on by the guinea pig hutch.

The Rules

When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you, then post the rules and list eight things that make you happy. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people.

If you would like to write eight happy thoughts then consider yourself tagged. I hope you have enjoyed my eight happy farm facts.

1. I love your happy farm thoughts Sara, I am with you on all of them. As you already know I spent many years growing up on a farm, and I loved every minute of it, although only seen in the eyes of a child, it was much harder for my Dad, but although long hours and many sleepless nights, I am sure he loved it too. x Comment by Louise – December 19, 2007 @ 9:54 am
2. Hi Louise,
   Thank you so much for your kind words.Living on a farm is a wonderful experience. I can highly recommend it as you do.I find it hard work too but very enjoyable. spending time with all my livestock is my favourite past-time. Thanks for visiting and commmenting as always.
   Sara @ farmingfriends

   Comment by Sara @ Farming Friends – December 20, 2007 @ 5:40 pm

Although our wheat bale tractor did not win one of the cash prizes of £3000, we were sent two boxes of weetabix in the post.

I am very impressed with weetabix as they made us feel that our entry was really appreciated even though we did not win. Not only did they phone us to say that we were not successful but they also sent a letter thanking us for our entry and then they sent the gift.

So thanks weetabix – not only did you run an enjoyable competition but you took the time to show the farmers who entered the competition that you appreciated their efforts.

On Wednesday the cattle that have spent the Summer at the Ings were moved back to our farm.

The day was spent moving the cattle in the livestock trailer into our back field. The grass has grown in the back field since the calves from last season were brought in for the Winter so the cows and this years calves have some grass to graze on.

The injured calf is now limping about the field and sucking from his mother which is great news.

Calf Cattle Cattle 2007Calf, Cattle, Cattle 2007

If you would like to join Photo Hunters then click on the image below for more information.

Landscapes Photo HuntLandscapes, Photo Hunt

I am thrilled to receive this fun Halloween Sweet Treat award from one of my photo hunt pals, TeacherJulie, who regularly visits and comments on my photo hunt posts.

A great halloween treat are toffee apples and as I have an abundance of apples from my orchard I am going to make toffee apples to give out to the trick or treaters who call at my door.

I would like to share this Halloween Sweet Treat Award with the following;

SI from Sunk Island

Fiona from The Cottage Smallholder

Lorna from Family Natters

Louise from This Is My Patch

Maiylah from Picture Clusters

This award was created by Anni.

Apples AwardsApples, Awards