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baffled.

Oct 09 2015
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I am completely baffled.  Aunty Biscuit is measuring sweeties.   I’m sending the collie on a reconnaissance mission to find out more as we suspect a craft project is in early stages.  I’m very surprised as she hasn’t eaten any of them but there is time yet.  We are keeping an eye out to sure she doesn’t accidently take one of our dog treats.

Bottles galore!

Oct 08 2015
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Mum has been bottling off some sloe gin so that the jars are ready to make the next lot.  Some of the bottles have decorative labels applied and are given as gifts.  Aunty Biscuit sometimes helps make the labels.  She has also started to think about making Christmas gift tags.

A Harrier incident.

Oct 05 2015
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Much as I shouldn’t, I’m feeling rather smug.  I generally confine myself to rifling through waste paper bins which doesn’t cause too much mess and the evidence can be eaten quickly should the occasion arise.  The collie usually recruits myself and Harrier as wingmen thus no one is directly held responsible.  What neither of us would do is the schoolboy error that Harrier has just done.  He nibbled through a bin bag, scattered the contents over the kitchen and dragged a few choice trophies into his bed.   This and the fact that he had a small piece of bag sticking out of his mouth ensured that he has been told off and I didn’t..

Solar panels

Oct 02 2015
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One of the houses adjacent to the garden was having solar panels fitted today.  I kept having to go out and check on the workmen and occasionally bark at them, just so they knew I was monitoring progress and to ensure that they didn't have any designs on any of the frogs.  Mum explained that solar panels can provide electricity from the sun.  I'm now wondering if I can have a terrier size solar panel powered heater.........

Appreciating nature

Sep 29 2015
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Another golden September day.  The rowan tree at the front of Mums house is heavy with berries.  Rowan berry jelly is supposedly very good with cold meats.  (I think I’d stick to just the meat).  Aunty Biscuit has had a lot of butterflies flitting about in her front garden, they seem to be enjoying the chrysanthemums.  There have also been a few bees on the lavender leftovers.  I managed to catch a bluebottle which I left in two pieces on the floor, Harrier also caught one.

Jars

Sep 28 2015
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The sloes are now in residence in the freezer.  The current activity is jar sorting according to size, lid type and previous content.  There will be e crab apple jelly collection and a pickles and chutney one at the end of proceedings.  You can only use certain lids for chutney as the vinegar can erode others and shouldn’t use previously pickling jars for jelly, presumably because they may taint the jelly.  If you do things with wool you can also save onion skins to dye it with but apparently you need a lot of them and it can be fugitive.

Sloe collection

Sep 27 2015
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This afternoon we have been out with Mum collecting sloes.  I have formed the theory that they are so called because they are quite small and take a long time to collect.  This was fine by me as the canine part of the job was very important.  We had to run around the field playing and occasionally return to Mum to ensure that she hadn’t got stuck in the hedge, fallen in a ditch, scratched herself or torn her clothing.  I’m pleased to report that none of these disasters befell her, especially as scratches from the thorns can be nasty.  The sloes now need to go in the freezer for a while before being added to some gin along with some sugar. (I believe that some people prick them with a darning needle instead). Eventually it will turn up as sloe gin.

Wriggle it!

Sep 26 2015
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This evenings discussion has been about wiggly eyes.  Whether self adhesive, glue on or sew on is best there is one consensus.  That is that they and cannot be taken seriously, they also look cute.  I bet they aren't as cute as me!

Bags

Sep 24 2015
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One of the current popular topics for debate at the moment is the incoming 5p charge on carrier bags.  Harrier had misheard initially but we’re not going into that.  My thoughts on this are simple and limited to two.  First being that as long as it doesn’t interrupt the food supply we can leave it for Mum to worry about.  My second is that Aunty Biscuit has a half crocheted shopping bag lying around her house somewhere, perhaps she ought to finish it.

Rugs

Sep 23 2015
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I was slightly disconcerted the other day when a large pile of textile with dangly bits tottered in through the door.  Turns out that it was mum under a pile of horse rugs for repair and cleaning. How many horse rugs can a horse trash in a season?  Several it would appear.