Assisted Delivery

As Jessica and I left for work on Thursday morning we saw a pregnant ewe on her own away from the flock. I thought I could see something hanging out the back end of the ewe and it just didn't look right. Jess and I called Kim and headed back to the house. I fetched the surgical gloves grabbed a towel and ran to the paddock with Jess and Kim.
The ewe was in trouble with the lambs heads hanging out of her vagina - not good. Lambs are meant to come out feet tucked under their head first.
We managed to corner the ewe and Kim crash tackled her I don't how he hung on but he did. I was watching closely and thought I saw the lamb breath.
Jess did her expert assisted delivery job and the lamb was born quickly.
The ewe was not impressed with the midwifery skills and took off as soon as we let her up. Another 45 minutes around the paddock to reunite mother and lamb.



Ewe with her Ram lamb


Kim kept a close eye on the ewe and lamb throughout the morning and found the ewe had given birth to another lamb. If, we had not intervened both lambs would have died so good job Kim and  Jessica!

Ewe with her Ewe and Ram lambs looking very healthy

Mother's Day 2012

Mothers Day was wonderful. The kids and partners came over and spoilt me with lots of lovely presents. They cooked me a three course dinner of creamy garlic prawns, duck pasta and lemon meringue pie for dessert! We really relaxed and enjoyed the evening.






 

 Alison and Kate had a great time flying a kite





It was pretty windy and Aison was having trouble as the kite soared higher and higher. Kate was giving advise on how to reel in the kite.



After that fun I got to have some fun of my own.

This is Kim's amazing present! A NEW IPAD!

Geoff and Tara gave me an awesome ipad stand. Great for the kitchen bench I will never need to print off another recipe

Jessica gave me a new stick blender - I love my kitchen gadgets and needed a new one!

Anthony, Alison and Kate gave me the much needed cover for the iPad with an iTunes voucher.



Jess and Kylee brought me these beautiful flowers and a bottle of champagne. So very thoughtful and I am not even their mother!

 What a wonderful Mother's Day! I hope everyone had a brilliant Mother's Day too!

Autumn

We are in the last month of Autumn the trees have been changing colour and losing their leaves. Cooler weather is here. There have been quiet a few frosts but the days warm up quickly. The fire has been going 24/7 since Anzac Day




This picture was taken this morning. A Manchurian
Pear in all it glory on the left with a London Plane tree on the right



Liquid Amber changing colour

With the fire going 24/7 Kim has to get more fire wood from the property. We have lots of fire wood from dead trees and have never had to cut down a live tree.



Kookaburra and Magpie waiting for breakfast.

We usually have about 6 Kookaburras and many magpies visit for food 



Remember these well they produced this.



  

The Claremont Cacklers have laid the first of many eggs.



Sunday Dinner

Twice a month we host family dinner at Claremont all the kids, wives, partners Cameron, Skye, Oliver and Harry come along to share a good meal. Sometimes they bring friends as well so usually there is about 12 to 14 for dinner.  

I love seeing my family all together and having a good time. The girls usually do most of the cooking and Kate with the guys usually wash up

Last Sunday we celebrated Cameron's 31st birthday which was on the 8th May 2012.

Cameron requested Indian Roast Pork Belly. I have made it before and the meal was a big hit.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/28433/indian+roasted+pork+belly

We also made Harissa Split Chicken recommended by daughter Alison and Fried Pumpkin Gnocchi

The chicken  tasted delicious and was very easy to make.

Harissa Split Chicken

4 long chillies de seeded and roughly chopped

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 tsp salt

2  tsp cumin

2 coriander

1 tbls olive oil

1 x 2kg chicken. Butterfly  the chicken by cutting out the backbone with chicken shears

Place all  ingredients except chicken is a food processor and blitz to a smooth paste. Rub paste over chicken and allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes

Bake or BBQ for 1 hours or until cooked through. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting into peices.  



Thie recipe was soo good  http://steamykitchen.com/6515-pan-fried-pumpkin-gnocchi-browned-butter-sage.html





The roast tasted as good as it looks




Baby Harry so cute in his Owl hat


Skye, Cameron and me cooking up a storm




Oliver had a good time as well




Cameron and Anthony having a birthday hug. PS Cameron thanks for the pictures. http://ourlittlehodgefamily.tumblr.com/



Lambs are arriving

The first of this year’s crop of lambs started arriving on Sunday. A beautiful Type 5 ewe gave birth to twin ram lambs. Another ewe gave birth to a ewe lamb on Monday.

All the pregnant ewes are in the paddock that has an electric fence around the perimeter to deter the foxes. A shooter friend shot a fox in another paddock last week and we saw two foxes frolicking around the dam in the same paddock. So the foxes are out there in numbers.

We have often counted many sets of twins when they were first born but by the time you get the lambs in the yards to mark them the number of twins is halved. If, you can protect the lambs until they are a couple of weeks old the survival rate of twins is much higher.



The lambs are very strong and a really good size.



Covered Shopping Bag Tutorial

Remember these, I have made lots of them and everyone loves the bags. They have 4 good sized pockets 2 on the inside and 2 on the outside.
Sewing level Beginner to Intermediate.
Eileen, Sarah and I are going to make some to sell at the Murrumbateman Fields Days.

The Promised Tutorial

It may seem like a lot of steps but the bag takes about 1.5 hours to make and all straight sewing.
I am going to give Fabric.com a plug here. The are a fantastic company with the cheapest prices and very reliable. Go to www.fabric.com and then home decor for the fabrics used in all bags shown here. The fabric delivered to Australia is usually around $10 a 37" yard and they have a really good range.

Supplies

70 cm fabric. I use furnishing fabric where possible as it is firmer and more durable.

Scissors/Rotary cutter

Pins

Tape Measure

Matching thread

Store bought reusable tote bag. This one is from David Jones but most larger stores and supermarkets have them

Magnetic Snap Closure (optional)

Measure the width and length of your bag. Measure the length and width of the handles. Write down these measurements including seam allowance.

Here is what I wrote down

Using the Measurements you have written down add 1" seam allowance to the length and width of the body piece and the handles. This bag body measured 42" in width and 12" in length. I cut my body fabric at 43"X13". The handles were 24"x 2". I cut the handles 25"X 3"

 

Cut

1 piece for the body of the bag

2 strips for the handles

2 large pockets + 2 lining pieces

2 smaller pockets + 2 lining pieces

Fold 1/2" seam allowance on each side of your handles and press

 

Pin the handles to the top side of the bag handles.

Stitch the fabric to the handle 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Stitch down both side of the handles

 

Pockets with linings cut out

Place the fabric right sides of the pocket fabric together and stitch around the pocket leaving a space at the bottom to pull through to the right side

Clip the corners before pulling through to the right side

I use a chop stick to push the corners out


Iron all the pockets nice and flat

Pin the inside pockets as shown here

Stitch the inside pockets to the bag

Press 1/2 inch seam allowance to the top and botton of the body of the bag fabric

Sew the short sides of the bag fabric to make a tube.

Pin the bag fabric tube to the tote bag.

Make the closure if, you decide to use one. A small pocket of fabic sewn on three sides. I put ironed some interfacing on the closure pocket to give it some strength. Leave the top open as it will be stitched with the bag fabric.

Place the closure button in place.

This is how mine worked 

Mark the cutting lines using the back of the closure  as your template. Cut smal slits in the fabric.

Place the top half of the closure on the bottom of the fabric then slide the back half into the pocket and secure

Pin closure in place on the bag. And place the other closure on the other side of the bag.

Stitch around the top of the bag. Stop at each corner and hop over the corner and then keep sewing to the next corner.

Stich down the cornes

Pin the outside pockets and stitch in place

Here the the finised bag

This is the view from the sewing room window. Must get too and wash the windows some day soon.