After a big cluck and a mad dash back to the ark our Blue Ranger (imaginatively named Bluey!) produced her first egg today.

It started much like anyother day. Got in a bit earlier than usual so I could set up some software on my long over due new computer. Only to find that my vintage Adobe Indesign isn’t compatable with Windows 7!!!!!!!!! Another fine example of built in obsolescence. Vance Packard theory in The Waste Makers is still very much alive and kicking.

Then just before noon I received a phone call from the new printers who are printing The A – Z of Companion Planting. Book all printed and bound and packed ready for pick up when one of the packers happened to pick up a copy, no doubt attracted to it by the cover with photos taken by Stephen Studd (who took the photographs for The Medicine Garden). She spotted that a massive spelling mistake on the spine – The A-Z of Companionon Planting !!!!! Just a tad embarrassing.

It was a ‘feeling sick’ moment. Still feel gutted but shit happens.

A good reason if ever there is one to take the next Friday 13th off.

Our first ever training day was held on Saturday – great fun! Just hope the delegates enjoyed it as much as we did and got as much (and more) out of it. Apart from the wasps that seem to be making The Old Pigsties their nesting place, the day went smoothly and everybody tucked into their homemade pizza’s with gusto.

On a sad note we lost one of our chickens. Our legbar was always the smallest of the flock (if you can call 4 chickens kept in the garden a flock) but forums and research suggested this was not unusal. Well last thursday she went in to decline and despite hand feeding it was clear by Sunday she could not be saved.

Very sad but chickens find ways to die. The other 3 are thriving and although behaving a ‘bit odd’ yesterday are back at the gate this morning waiting for their grapes and bits of pasta (once they have had their layers, of course!).

We are sorry to say that both ‘Urban Beekeeping’ by Craig Hughes and ‘The A-Z of Companion Planting’ by Jayne Neville have had their release dates pushed back due to unforeseen technical problems. All the people who have pre-ordered have been sent letters explaining what has happened, and we apologise unreservedly. We are hoping to have them both in stock in 3-4 weeks time.

We promise wholeheartedly that they are both worth the wait.

Oscar

We had a ‘play day’ on Wednesday test firing our very own clay oven in readyness for the training day. Rachel’s setting the book and has done the new cover – I very quickly conceeded – looks much, much better.

We’re fast tracking this title through in record breaking time to try and get it out in time for the first course on 31st July. All being well it will be at the printers next week.

Spent the weekend down in Sussex at the Smallholder and Self Sufficiency show. Another show under our belt and one more that was dry!!! Lovely meeting up with friends and readers including the Kent Smallholders Group and the Small Farms Training Group

Treated myself to a wonderful, pot grown courgette grown by Simon (sorry, didn’t catch your surname) of the Kent Smallholder’s Group. Got it home all in one piece. It’s beautiful and really brings home the fact that veg plants are not only great to grow but can look majestic in the the garden.

Spent Saturday helping Mike Rutland make a clay oven in readyness for the Home Farmer Building a Clay Oven training Day. Had a really enjoyable day getting thoroughly covered in clay!!! Mike’s book is due out end of July. Rachel has put together yet another fantastic cover – much better than my very hurried cover. All being well and photos agreed I’ll get the cover posted on the blog and the forthcoming books section. I’ll get some pics of the clay oven posted as well. Can’t upload at the moment for some odd reason – technology, can’t live with it, can’t throw it out the window!

No, it’s not a dream! This morning I woke to news that the North West England is to have a hose pipe ban unless we get heavy rain fall in the next 7 days. Just when I finally get my toms in growbags and pots!

Oscar is off on holiday this week and we are tearing our hair out realising exactly how much he does do that we are now having to do. Note to self do not let Oscar book a holiday the week the magazine is due at the printers.

But it’s been beautiful weather and when I came to work the swifts were going crazy at The Old Pigsties – darting and diving and one even flew into the office, did a couple of rounds and managed to find the door to get out.

Paul is proof reading A-Z Companion Planting and we should get that off to the printer on Friday, same with the 2nd edition of Craft Cider Making and Rachel is putting the final finishing touches to Urban Beekeeping – securing copyright releases for various photographs etc.

The new magazine is taking shape and I’m thrilled that the ‘Fat Man in the Kitchen’ is making a welcome return. It will be interesting to see how well this goes down – it’s quite a nostalgic feature for us as he was in the very first 3 issues of Home Farmer. Hope we are not seeing it all through rose tinted specs.

The chickens at home are slowly but surely eating their way through any plant I don’t want them to touch and completely ignoring the weeds – is this an inbuilt thing do you think? Bloody annoying whatever.

Talking about bloody annoying – got a speeding fine yesterday. 36 in a 30 (it was a dual carriage way and yes, I know, should know better). Got me really angry!!

Good afternoon again. Oscar here.

Firstly, i’d like to apologise for the spelling and grammar in last weeks post. It was atrocious. Luckily Paul is proof reading ‘Urban Beekeeping’, so you should all be safe from such errors.

This week, we were welcomed back after a long, glorious Bank Holiday weekend to rain – lots of it. Very surprising given the weather today is practically tropical in comparison. Still, much better than Oyston Mill, where it was frozen all year round.

Rachel has spent the past few days ammending the index in the back of ‘Craft Cider Making’, which is being reprinted, and says it was the most mind numbing thing she has ever had to do. At least she’ll be able to make some Cider after going through the entire book. I have been creating internet links and mocking up our monthly newsletter, and Paul has been a busy bee proof reading ‘Urban Beekeeping’.

Ruth has had a tough few weeks, and we all wish her well!

Before i get back to work, i’d like to leave you with this:

May your crops be ripe and your livestock healthy!

Oscar