Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Tuesday 10 May 2011

The happy farmer's wife turned into an egg....



The blog has been getting neglected.
Ruby has sprouted.

The extension is now complete upstairs and the final hurdles downstairs are being ‘jumped’. The happy farmer has spent many hours loosening and easing huge boulders from their resting place of several hundred years, in order to make an opening between our existing kitchen and the extension into the old stables. It is heavy duty, hard manual labour and he has succeeded in making a right mess of my kitchen in the process and I have succeeded in biting my tongue (not an easy task when everything has been covered in thick dust and my nest has become completely unsettled).
Visitors have come and gone during the process, easing the pain, with plenty of giggles and sociable evenings along the way, and adding to the guddle and the muddle that goes with the chaos of a nearly finished building project and a kitchen full of endless mouths to feed. The cooking was taken out of my hands and I was thoroughly spoilt.


 Lambs popped out on an hourly basis in the fields and the happy farmer managed to squeeze in the lambing rounds in between building houses. The lambing team grew on a daily basis, and the trailer behind the quad bike was soon squashed full of children. The happy farmer was highly entertained at the youngsters’ attitude when the trailer was needed on an SOS mission to transport a sheep and her newly born offspring home to the barn and the young clan were told they would need to use an alternative method of transport to get themselves home, i.e. their legs. They were not a happy bunch, but a few fields later and they were all smiles by the time they reached the farmhouse kitchen.
The new pottery shop and tea room opened in the old byre and the happy farmer’s wife got caught up in loading kilns and serving cake stands oozing with home baking and freshly cut sandwiches to the visitors.
Marmite, the Highland heifer, continues her frequent visits to the local distillery village touting for business, and has even made special roadside appearances for the passing tourists’ cameras. She is hoping to attract more customers for the happy farmer’s wife.
Meantime the happy farmer’s wife turned into an egg….for Easter.
Until next time....

13 comments:

Thedarkerside73 said...

Wow!

You have had a hectic and busy time. Hope the building works moves on apace and dosent drive you too mad!

The farm shop and cafe looks lovely and well done to marmite drumming up business - very savvy.

MBB x

Elizabethd said...

How lovely to catch up with all you have been doing.

I wish we were able to come and visit your tea shop!

Chris Stovell said...

I'd like to come and visit your tea shop too! Especially as our house needs work and I'm dreading the upheaval. Well done on all the hard work there.

Posie said...

You must all come for afternoon tea....that would be so lovely.
MBB the building work is driving me thoroughly mad, I am trying to hold onto my head as the hectic pace of life here picks up....lovely to catch up with you.
Elizabeth - you must visit, when were you last here??
Chris - Chris, I would love that too. Hope all goes well with your upheavel

jane said...

Posie - lovely to read your blogs again we have missed you - wow you have been busy - with so much going on - such organisation and a farm to run as well - take care xx

Bluestocking Mum said...

Any wonders the blog has been neglected! Busy, busy time.

Looks to me, like things are going to plan, looking great.

Good to see your post. And I'm coming with Elizabeth and Chris for tea! That would be brilliant!

xx

Pondside said...

I can't believe what you've been up to! I stay offline for a bit and you go wild!
The tea room looks perfect and if I could I'd pop over tomorrow for something delicious.

Posie said...

Jane - lovely to catch up with you, I just got caught up in the whirl of it all, but the happy farmer was the one doing most of the work, I just did the whole stress bit!!
BSM - wouldn't that be great? I am looking forward to it ;-)
Pondside, what a lovely heart warming comment..its the happy farmer who is the 'wild' one, been trying to tame him but with little success lol, he has worked miracles.
The kettles on :-)!!!

Molly said...

Gosh, it's all happening up there Posie. I've missed your blogs and it's great to have you back. You're right, Ruby has sprouted - hasn't she just! Did the Happy Farmer employ you on the other end of the wheelbarrow - that would have been my lot for sure! Just think how nice it will be when it's all finished1 And the food looks delicious!

Maggie Christie said...

Such pretty lambs! I admire your boulders too. The builders encountered one here the size of a small family hatchback and left it where it was (with the stairs built above it). Old houses throw up lovely surprises sometimes.
Have you painted an advertising slogan onto Marmite yet? I'd love to pop in to the tea shop too - how far are you from Mull I wonder?

Norma Murray said...

My sympathy for the building work. Isn't it horrible how everything gets all scratchy when there are builders around.

potterjotter said...

Know all about building work - a right pain! The tea-shop looks divine, so fresh and pretty. Am glad to hear you have been stacking kilns, etc!

Claire said...

Yowsers, it's all happening. Well done on the tongue biting, it takes great self control. I can imagine the mess you have to put up with but the Happy Farmer looks like he's doing a sterling job, so back patting all round, I say.

The tea rooms look fab.Wouldn't I love to be in the area and pop in for a cuppa and some of your lovely home made goodies........

Yes, Marmite definitely needs a sign painted on her side to advertise your whereabouts.

Sounds like the kids had loads of fun. I loved visiting rellies who lived on farms when I was a kid. Such adventures we had.

Thanks for popping by, lovely to hear from you.
Claire :}