Newsletter September 2008
Loadsa Toads!
The extra rain recently has meant loads’n loads of toads! In the hay bay, in the stables, in the yard. I even had to evict a toad from my feed room on a couple of occasions (it could have been the same toad which found its way back in!) I try not to scald their cool wonderfully soft little bodies in my hands for too long before I carefully place them on the ditch bank. There must be quite a colony of them there now, which hopefully will mean lots of baby toads next spring.
Steps at Oak Cottage
We have had some steps put in at Oak’s front door which
greatly improves access.
Oak also has wheelchair access via the back door.
Hatched, Matched and Despatched
Misty (and her foal Thomas) went to Honour’s Degree, a thoroughbred stallion, whose offspring can all jump, so we are hoping for a talented competition horse in due course.
Thomas now 3 months old, below. 
Thomas managed to jump out of the field a couple of weeks ago. He was found at the closed road gate saying “Let me in! Let me in!”
Danny (14hh pony club pony) has gone on short term loan to Sarn, approximately six miles away.
Sloe Gin
This recipe was given to me by my good friend Anne Jenkins, who runs a B&B near Lampeter.
Half fill a 1lb Kilner jar with pricked clean sloes (or
damsons), add 4ozs caster sugar, fill to the top with dry gin.
Screw down the lid tightly. Shake the jar daily until the
sugar has dissolved. Leave for about two months shaking the
jar fairly often. When ready for drinking, strain through
muslin or filter papers into a very clean bottle.
If made in September, it will be just right for Christmas. There is no better way to finish off a splendid Christmas lunch!
(My mother in law insisted that the sloes have the frost on them first. I suggested putting them in the freezer – she was not impressed!)
Download the September 2008 newsletter (pdf).
Newsletter Archive
Check out previous newsletters.
The March 2008 newsletter.
The June 2008 newsletter.
