Cracked mugs and fat pigs

Today we visited the garden to do a few jobs and collect leeks. But mainly it was to meet up with some of the family. My nephews and their families have come to stay with my sister for Easter and they came to see the pigs and the lambs. They walked and were therefore dressed like Eskimoes.

Tim was very busy with the lambing. He is bringing the new-borns under cover with their mums where they get a bit of heat and TLC.

One twin looked a bit poorly and had an extra feed from a bottle. They can get quite cold especially if they are born in the night. Tim is up and down the lane all day with the trailer, transporting the new mothers and their lambs. Anne was putting carpet into the Woodland yurt. William is off to Australia again, to help with the cotton harvest.

Steve and I pottered. He flattened yet more molehills.....looks like they are building hotels from the size of them. I half-mooned round the perenniel bed and the asparagus bed to neaten the edges.

I`d just begun a bit of weeding (which was much easier now the ground is drying out,) when all the family arrived.

We looked at the newest lambs with their mums and then the barrel-sized Kuni kuni pigs (I can hardly call them piglets any more)

 They have grown so much since Christmas. 

  

 

Then we went to see the orphaned lambs. These three were keeping each other company,

 

 My newest niece-in-law, Hayley pretending to be a sheep!!!

This is me, looking a bit rosy-cheeked. This little lamb`s heart was beating fast. They were all nuzzling up to my legs thinking I was a surrogate mum I think.

It was so cold at the garden that we decided to squeeze into the greenhouse to brew up some tea.

This is Steve and our great-niece Hollie.

My nephew Toby and his wife Amanda, Aiden our great-nephew and Tom, another great-nephew.

Hayley, Luke (my nephew) and my sister Paula.

When I poured the boiling water into the first cup, it immediately split  

and cracked due to the cold....amazing!

It has now become part of the base in the cob shed!!!

We warmed up, tucked into raspberry cupcakes and Easter fruitcake. Lovely.

When we stepped outside, the sun had broken through, at last, and it was quite wonderful to feel the heat of it on our backs.

The cold weather is set to last for quite a while yet. It still feels like mid-winter rather than the spring equinox.

The clocks go forward one hour tonight.....hooray. Lighter evenings ahead.

Talking about the cob shed we noticed that the door had come away from the walls, 

due I expect to the wind. Let`s hope it can be manoeuvred back.

Let`s also hope that it won`t be long before we can get going with the cobbing once more.