Chickens in The Mist

Today was a very misty morning, Euan was fascinated when he opened his curtains.  I am feeling a bit sorry for the chickens as the days are getting shorter and the weather is colder.  They were so happy in the Summer basking in the warm sunshine and gorging on summer fruits.  The above photo is Poppy, leaping for the last remaining Raspberries.  They can do quite high standing jumps.

This morning my shoes were a great source of fascination and all three were giving me a severe pecking, they also pecked my trousers and when I crouched down to take a photograph someone pecked my on the bottom!

I keep trying with my 'Chicken Photography' but trust me, it aint easy!  I think the chicken colours look gorgeous in the Autumn Garden.  It is giving me colour design ideas, I would definitely like to weave something in red and 'ginger'.  I couldn't really capture them in the morning sunshine but they did look lovely.

The North Wind shall blow and We Will have snow, what will poor Chicken do then?  Poor thing!  She'll Go in the 'barn' and keep herself warm and tuck her head under her wing!

Yesterday they all stayed out in the rain and looked like drowned rats.  Chickens are not really supposed to get wet, but I think they can look after themselves and run for cover if they need it.  Maybe as these are not a year old they are like children and cannot think sensibly for themselves.  Freedom is their main objective, they love to run around, rain or no rain.  They are spending lots of time puffing up in the colder weather and preening to maintain their feathers.  They have been looking like 'Fat Little Hens'.

I was in the kitchen and I heard a bit of a commotion, all three chickens were furiously pecking the door, which I thought was strange.  They each come and peck the door in turn but not all three at the same time.  When I went to investigate I noticed a 'Daddy Long Legs' on the inside fluttering at the window.  The chickens were trying to make a tasty snack of him!

Doh!  This is Daisy with a bit of mashed potato on her face, they love to eat kitchen scraps, vegetables, bread, cake, oats, cheese, yogurt and their favourite is cooked spaghetti.  I think they think it is worms!

Swap yarn Scarf - Ta Dah

I had some lovely yarn from a 'Swap' in June.  They travelled across the pond from the USA and are brands I am not familiar with.  Pinks and Greens are my favourite colours, especially together.  I think these two yarns were made for each other.

Mini Mochi - Strawberry Lime

and:

Lion Brand 'Amazing'- Rainforest

I used double crochet to stripe them together and make a warm scarf.  I love the  resulting 'fabric'.  I cannot yet master very fancy or technical patterns but I love the textured and colour effects you can create with simple stitches and combining yarns.  The way the weather has changed I will be needing this scarf really soon.

  

Knitted Halloween 'Baddies'.....

I asked the very talented Anne  (Seller 'Fingerpuppets33' on Ebay) if she could make some 'Halloween' finger puppets to add to our collection.  I had some help from my photographic assistant to enable me to show you these.  I think Anne has done a brilliant job again.  The orange of the Pumpkin Man glows a bit in this picture, isn't he cute with his sweeping cloak and his little lantern?

 The Bats eyes are glowing too, giving him a particularly menacing look.  Not quite as menacing as when he turns into:

Count Dracula!  He is complete with his Cape and blooded fangs!

This Ghoulish couple are ready for a Halloween wedding.  They would put the Gothic Weddings to shame.  Isn't she a beautiful bride with her long veil and bouquet?  He looks posh too, in his Top hat and tails.  We love these but I have saved the best picture until last.  We had fantastic fun adding the finishing touches to 'The Zombies'!

The filthy rotters!  They are very scary with their vacant stare!  Halloween is very popular in our house.  I hope I can find my
 Who's Got My Hairy Toe?  book by Monday I love reading this poem.

X Marks the Spot!

I was a bit bleary eyed when I did the early morning Chicken Coop run in my PJs.  I looked up and thought this was weird so I photographed it!  It looks like it could have been a close shave to me.  I do not live under a busy flight path (thankfully).  Yep this post is going to be a little on the 'Random' side.  It was a chilly but very bright and clear day.  'Crisp' would be a nice way to describe it.  I had nothing planned (apart from crochet) but I had a dog and a seven year old with 'Cabin Fever'.  Both of them like to go to some local meadows.  I can usually sit down while they wear each other out running around like 'things possessed'.

Euan is always quite enthusiastic about Blog photograph suggestions, here he is with The Lovely Lacey posing angelically on the church steps.  I didn't realise Lacey was sticking her tongue out.  Never work with children or animals!  This Church is 'Saint Peter's Church' but I have always known it as 'Ipsley Church'.  It was built in the 14th Century.  Within the last decade it was someone's great idea to add on an ugly brick extension tut tut tut.    My Mom and her brothers used to walk here to Sunday School, I think my Mom said from about the age of four.

It is a pretty little church and it looked all the lovelier for the bright blue sky and the sunshine.  Most Churchyards boast a Yew Tree and this one is no exception.  Yew trees are considered by some to be The Sacred Tree of Transformation and Rebirth.  They are believed to ward off evil.

Yew trees are very poisonous while the berries look very decorative I wouldn't touch them.
 The Yew is the longest living plant in Europe there is a tree in Scotland that is confirmed to be 2000 years old.  According to 'Wikipedia' some trees have been confirmed as between 5000 - 9500 years old.

 Lacey is blissfully unaware of all these facts and figures and as long as she finds a 'Big' stick she is happy.

She will play for ages with a big stick, the bigger the better!  This is lightweight compared to some of her usual finds.

Euan found a big stick too.  All these expensive toys...but give a kid a stick and they are quite happy.  The sticks usually find their way home and litter our garden.

I live in a busy, built up town but there are lots and lots of trees that hide all the sprawl.

The trees do a great job at hiding all the factories and large buildings.  In among all those trees is a large industrial estate.  The whole town is pretty much like this all the highways are edged with trees and shrubs.  It hides the 'ugliness' really well.  I really don't know of an 'Urban' town with more greenery.

My apologies for the rambling post...I just wanted to share my pictures :)

Hope you have all had a good weekend.

Green Enchilada Sauce

I am so easily lead.  I read this post Green Enchilada Sauce over at 'Sheep Spinach and Strawberries' back in March.  I had never heard of a 'Tamatillo'.  I promptly popped on Ebay and ordered some seeds.  My Dad planted the seeds and nurtured them into healthy plants.  He has had a bumper Tomatillo Harvest too and plans to make 'Salsa Verde'.  This was this mornings pickings.

This is a ripe and ready Tomatillo.  You peel back the paper lantern and inside is a tomato looking thing.  It is a bit tacky to touch.  I harvested more than I thought I would, I probably had about a Kilo.

This is what the inside looks like.  I was a bit hesitant to try one raw but I popped it in a chewed.  They are strangely pleasant.  They taste like a cross between a Tomato and a Green Pepper.

I found some dried up chillis in the greenhouse and a surprise cucumber!

I decide to make a 'Green Enchilada Sauce in the slowpot.

I put them all in the pot on 'High' with four or five chillis, four cloves of garlic, a chopped onion, salt and pepper and two tablespoons of Olive Oil.  After a couple of hours I whizzed it all together with my hand blender.

I am left with a large pot of 'Green Sauce'.  Let me tell you it is delicious.  It is very tangy.  The only key ingredient I was missing is fresh coriander and this sauce seems to be crying out for it.  I am going to freeze it in small pots and will remember to buy the coriander.
I have just had a lovely lunch of 'Cheese Enchiladas with Green Enchilada Sauce'.  (Half fat cheese, honest!)  I used Mozzarella and Cheddar.

It tasted better than it looks!

Yum!  I will definitely be growing more Tomatillos next year.

Yarn Eating Monsters, Big Balls and 'Ninja Gloves'

Here is my Yarn Eating Monster

Each new stripe is greeted by an appreciative 'Woaaahhh!' from my seven year old.  You would think crochet were alchemy with how amazed he is that Mom can make things.  (Unless he knows how to make me happy!)  He loves getting his sticky mitts on my stash and shows an interest in whatever my current project is.

He just helped me hide put these away, he was passing his opinion on each colour and thought they were all nice, his favourite was the 'Pinky Purple'.  I have three 'big' projects planned using 'Black' DK so I searched Ebay for a bargain.  500g Balls.  I love them and they get the seven year old excited.  They are big balls!

The weather has really turned here and got very chilly.  When I went to open the coop today the grass almost crunched underfoot.  We have lots of single gloves around the house and not many pairs.  So I used this pattern Ninja Gloves as a basis to make these last night:

The idea is if you call them 'Ninja Gloves' then they become very coooolll indeed.  They certainly have enhanced his 'Ninja Skills'.  He will be 'Airbending' before I know it!  Euan loves them and said his mates at school think they are cool.  They should be quick enough to rustle up replacements too.  Hey, and I think I will have enough black DK for a while.