A rare bog beauty...

After milking we have a 'turn about the estate' and check that all fences are secure and all animals are where they are supposed to be. A couple of weeks ago we found the first orchids, tucked down in the boggy part of the field. There are several now and easy to spot once you know what you're looking for.

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap...

This dirty deed is one I can't say I enjoy a great deal. Who would? And how can a creamy white lamb, like the one below:

Turn into a shitty-arsed muck magnet?

It can't be nice for them, to have all that extra weight round their backsides. Having seen the damage flies and maggots can do, I try to make sure I have all the dung off them but it can be difficult if they don't stand still. If you nip them with the scissors then they do tend to leap about a bit, and I can't say I blame them.

First of the year...

A strange year so far, with the long hot May and then the damp and chilly June. Then today, again, we're at boiling point after planting out leeks in the rain yesterday. Haven't been to my parents' plot for a couple of weeks, due to Todmorden Show, so the spinach was a bit of a mess when I got there this week. Stripped a lot of it to tidy it up and picked a few other bits and bobs. That gave us our first home grown meal of the year:

New Charlotte potatoes, mange tout, calabrese and a slice of home-made cheese on top. You can't get better than that!

Bread and cheese...

There is a glut of milk from the goats at the moment. Two of them are filling the bucket to (almost) over-flowing, while the others give at least 4kg a session. That's only half of their daily offering but I am not there in the evenings and can only imagine how much there is every day. The plus point is I have been able to get my hands on plenty of raw milk and have the chance to experiment a little, with a bit of cheese-making.

The first one I made ended up too salty, thanks to faulty scales. But this one looks to be much better. Semi-hard and very creamy, it is perfect for spreading on the bread. 

The purchase of a new book on bread-making has given me some further tips and suggestions and I tried using some of them last night. I am not sure the table will be up to vigorous kneading as it did make a few creaky noises.