A bit of this, a bit of that —

Well it seems that when I told myself that I would try to blog at least weekly, the message didn't get through!! So here I am a good two three weeks since my last post. 

However it feels like I don't have a huge amount of creating to share. I'll get writing and see what I find to talk about!

A wee look through my photos reminds me that I blinked and the Oak tree was in leaf - all of a sudden it was spring!

Spring and September for us here can be wet, but in between showers there are a few beauties.

I grew Crocus for the first time —

Another first, I planted some Rununculus bulbs and they are flowering too! It was a gorgeous day when I took these photos —

When I planted the bulbs, I also sowed a packet of wildflower seeds in the same barrel so it will be interesting to watch the changes as the year progresses.

On the farm it's easy for the MOML and I to only notice the muddy gateways and and soggy pastures. However our daughter in law sent this fun photo through of the kids (and pets) rolling down the hill - doesn't the farm look great from there?!

Ha! the next photo she sent though brought us back down to earth with a thump - yep, the kids' favourite puddle, apparently!!

September is the month when the kowhai flower and I always look out for the first yellow blooms. I took this photo when feeding calves this morning. These trees in the bush are on the other side of a swamp so this is as close as I got today. 

This is a photo I took another time, such lovely flowers.

Calving has slowed right down and the end is nearly in sight, with approx 20 cows left to calve. The last ones always drag on for ages....70-80% of the cows get in calf on their first mating so we have an almighty rush of calves in the first 4 weeks. Some cows need a second mating, or a third or.... you get the picture. We've sold a bunch of calves, I currently have 103 that I'm feeding. Lots of delicious brown Angus cross in the photo below —

I always love seeing all the different shades of brown —

After being housed in various sheds and so on, most of the older ones are out on grass and getting milk-fed once a day, so that has eased my workload a lot.

Which gives me time to get back to my normal pursuits. 

A little childminding (Odie loves his Gandad's farming magazines!) —

And a little sewing —

I've had a bit of brain fog lately that's upset my apple cart so I've avoided anything that requires too much thinking and decision making.

Evenings has been basket making, with a straightforward design. Just the background fabric and one other —

The pattern was kindly provided by Michelle - she has now finished her Basket-case quilt, it looks lovely.

I didn't realise that I'd amassed such a pile of these - so it's motivating to keep going with them and aim for a decent sized quilt.

I've done a little sewing during the day, enough to keep my hand in!

I have made another one of the Reindeer blocks for Juliet of Tartankiwi's Sleighride sewalong. Details *here*. Again, once I'd decided on the fabrics for this deer, there weren't too many decisions to make, just the foundation piecing process, which I have down pat, to follow. 

(I showed my first blocks *here*)

I think the fog is starting to clear now so I'm hoping for a bit more creativity in the future :-)

And, just right now, there's new calvers to get to the shed and calves to be fed!

'til next time,

happy stitches,