Action on Additives Campaign
Tartrazine - E102 - artifical, yellow food colouring
Quinoline yellow - E104 - artifical, yellow food colouring
Sunset yellow - E110 - artifical, orange / yellow food colouring
Carmoisine - E122 - artifical, red food colouring
Ponceau 4R - E124 - artifical, red food colouring
Allura red - E129 - artifical red food colouring
Sodium benzoate - E211 - artifical preservative
These are the additives currently in the line of fire, but you can learn more about this excellent campaign here www.actiononadditves.com.
Oh, by the way, the planned photo-fest has been put back due to 2" rain falling today, and yesterday I was too busy doing a village sale!!! Sold all but 1 of my Marvel or Four seasons lettuce, several excess tomato and pepper plants and a few pots of parsley. Not bad for a two hour sale in the hall.
22 June 2008
19 June 2008
The Amazing Tale of the Mad Ukrainian and the Egg Swap
This is just so brilliant I had to share!
The mad Ukrainian in this tale is my very dear friend and neighbour and this is all true. It goes like this.
The Mad Ukrainian came up (she lives down the hill from us) one evening and asked if she could swap some of her chicken eggs for some of ours as she had a broody hen. Do what? I asked. Well seeing as we have a cockerel and she doesn't, could she swap some of her definitely infertile eggs for some of our possibly fertile ones to put under her broody hen to hatch out. Ah, problem number one is our eggs have been out from under a hen for some time and problem number two is we don't keep them at the required 38C so nothing will happen. Well she wanted to try anyway and while she was at it why not try a duck egg too? It would be an experiment.
We laughed, we swapped and we waited.
Last week we saw a very happy Mad Ukrainian. Not only had the experiment been a success as broody hen had sat blissfully on eggs in a quiet shed but she had managed to hatch two live chicks!! Not only that but if she had kept her cool and sat for a wee bit longer there would have been a little duckling too. Amazing. (and good news for us as this proves Sale-Or and Malcolm are not Jaffas!)
Sadly one of the chicks didn't make it having strayed too far from mum's warmth but at time of writing the second chick is doing well and feasting on porridge. Again I hope to get some photos of it when time allows.
Hmmm, I feel a photo-fest coming on and it just might happen next week as the school transport issues have been sorted and we won't be doing 50 miles a day on the school run!
The mad Ukrainian in this tale is my very dear friend and neighbour and this is all true. It goes like this.
The Mad Ukrainian came up (she lives down the hill from us) one evening and asked if she could swap some of her chicken eggs for some of ours as she had a broody hen. Do what? I asked. Well seeing as we have a cockerel and she doesn't, could she swap some of her definitely infertile eggs for some of our possibly fertile ones to put under her broody hen to hatch out. Ah, problem number one is our eggs have been out from under a hen for some time and problem number two is we don't keep them at the required 38C so nothing will happen. Well she wanted to try anyway and while she was at it why not try a duck egg too? It would be an experiment.
We laughed, we swapped and we waited.
Last week we saw a very happy Mad Ukrainian. Not only had the experiment been a success as broody hen had sat blissfully on eggs in a quiet shed but she had managed to hatch two live chicks!! Not only that but if she had kept her cool and sat for a wee bit longer there would have been a little duckling too. Amazing. (and good news for us as this proves Sale-Or and Malcolm are not Jaffas!)
Sadly one of the chicks didn't make it having strayed too far from mum's warmth but at time of writing the second chick is doing well and feasting on porridge. Again I hope to get some photos of it when time allows.
Hmmm, I feel a photo-fest coming on and it just might happen next week as the school transport issues have been sorted and we won't be doing 50 miles a day on the school run!
06 June 2008
Did ya miss me? Did ya?
After a long absence , I'm back to report on life in the house of Highland Madness!
First off, poly tunnel news - it's now full to bursting with plants and we have had our first salad leaves which of course were the best ever tasting in the world. We have cabbages, courgettes (zucchini for those across the pond), two types of lettuce, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, cucumbers, parsley, sweetcorn, two types of squash, cranberry and two types of grapes growing plus more seeds in the propagator for succession. We're hoping for a bumper harvest after all our hard work enriching the soil with muck and compost, sieving the top soil and loading it into raised beds (another engineering master piece from Hot Hubby!)
Veg patch news - I have planted 9 - yes count 'em - NINE rows of tatties of various kinds (a lot of roosters and some different types from The Font of All Knowledge) There's also beetroot, swede, carrot, parsnip, leeks, peas, red onion, white onion, spring onion (scallions for my US readers!) and strawberries.
So far the roosters are making a good show and we have fruit on the strawberry plants. Onions are sprouting and the spring onions that we started in the poly tunnel have not keeled over in the east wind that whips across our hill top. Strawberries, although fruiting, are looking a little wind battered but they should be OK. I'm a little worried our early potatoes haven't shown yet but The Font of All Knowledge says we should be OK.
And what's growing the best? Yep, you guessed it, WEEDS. At least this year we can get to remove them...
Orchard news - we have cherries on our trees and lots of blossom on the apples, pears and plums so deer allowing we should have some fruit this year. Glad to say no sign of the pear leaf spider mite we had last year.
Bird news - we have continued to have a steady-ish stream of eggs although production has been interrupted by a couple of broody birds and the introduction of six Lohmann Brown (egg machines, you know, the brown type you see on Jimmy's Farm). We have also doubled our duck family to have Malcolm and his harem of five.
Sadly we have had some illness and currently have two birds in isolation with respiratory infection that we have had to treat with antibiotics. Thankfully I think we caught it just in time and it hasn't spread any further through the flock. (Total head count is 24)
Also in bird news - WE MADE OUR FIRST SALE!!! Yes, we have sold eggs. We have received money! Up to now we had been bartering with them but we have a sale!
Scrumpy has been having some nosebleed issues and currently we are having to put cream up her nose, which, I have to say, is going very well. No problems getting it up there at all. The nosebleeds have been the abattoir kind of puddle type so I'm hoping the cream will do the trick and we won't have to go down the quarterize route as that would mean a GA and we don't really want that. Seizure activity is still more than we would like but it looks like we're going to have to ride the storm of puberty before we get a better handle on it.
School reports have been issued and Scrumpy is doing well. She's currently teaching herself Danish through the medium of simultaneous Winnie the Pooh on video and on DVD on the computer...
Bear is still being Bear. That statement will speak VOLUMES to those that know her and for those of you who don't let's just say antics include climbing out the window to go to the ducks, wrenching the door open on the bathroom cupboard to get to the goopy liquid soaps etc (through a maglock that is designed to keep adults with Prada Willie Syndrome away from food).
Her school report was very well written - "When in the mood....." We did laugh but on a serious note she is doing well in spite of the issues we have had this year with seizures and medication.
Hot Hubs and I are doing OK, aches and pains and all. We had a night away (!!) which was good for the soul (ahem!) and seeing as ticket sales for the summer dance didn't exactly fly we have cancelled and we, the organisers, are going out instead. Well, we couldn't waste babysitters could we?
The weather here has been just fabulous lately and I have been zooming around in my little blue car with the top down and the wind in my hair having a blast! It has passed it's MOT so another year of fun and frolics is mine for the driving.
Summer holidays, all seven weeks of them, are looming large and only four weeks away so time to get my military precision plan sorted and in place. We're hoping to have some help and therefore be able to get out and about this year so my sanity may remain intact. Notice I said may...
Oh good grief! I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you - our extension is under way and we currently have a very big hole where our yard used to be....along with temporary fencing to keep the birds in and a moved fence to keep Bear in the garden and out of said hole. It should be done by Christmas so not too long. I hope!
That's it for now but photos may follow if I get a chance in between everything else.
First off, poly tunnel news - it's now full to bursting with plants and we have had our first salad leaves which of course were the best ever tasting in the world. We have cabbages, courgettes (zucchini for those across the pond), two types of lettuce, tomatoes, chillies, peppers, cucumbers, parsley, sweetcorn, two types of squash, cranberry and two types of grapes growing plus more seeds in the propagator for succession. We're hoping for a bumper harvest after all our hard work enriching the soil with muck and compost, sieving the top soil and loading it into raised beds (another engineering master piece from Hot Hubby!)
Veg patch news - I have planted 9 - yes count 'em - NINE rows of tatties of various kinds (a lot of roosters and some different types from The Font of All Knowledge) There's also beetroot, swede, carrot, parsnip, leeks, peas, red onion, white onion, spring onion (scallions for my US readers!) and strawberries.
So far the roosters are making a good show and we have fruit on the strawberry plants. Onions are sprouting and the spring onions that we started in the poly tunnel have not keeled over in the east wind that whips across our hill top. Strawberries, although fruiting, are looking a little wind battered but they should be OK. I'm a little worried our early potatoes haven't shown yet but The Font of All Knowledge says we should be OK.
And what's growing the best? Yep, you guessed it, WEEDS. At least this year we can get to remove them...
Orchard news - we have cherries on our trees and lots of blossom on the apples, pears and plums so deer allowing we should have some fruit this year. Glad to say no sign of the pear leaf spider mite we had last year.
Bird news - we have continued to have a steady-ish stream of eggs although production has been interrupted by a couple of broody birds and the introduction of six Lohmann Brown (egg machines, you know, the brown type you see on Jimmy's Farm). We have also doubled our duck family to have Malcolm and his harem of five.
Sadly we have had some illness and currently have two birds in isolation with respiratory infection that we have had to treat with antibiotics. Thankfully I think we caught it just in time and it hasn't spread any further through the flock. (Total head count is 24)
Also in bird news - WE MADE OUR FIRST SALE!!! Yes, we have sold eggs. We have received money! Up to now we had been bartering with them but we have a sale!
Scrumpy has been having some nosebleed issues and currently we are having to put cream up her nose, which, I have to say, is going very well. No problems getting it up there at all. The nosebleeds have been the abattoir kind of puddle type so I'm hoping the cream will do the trick and we won't have to go down the quarterize route as that would mean a GA and we don't really want that. Seizure activity is still more than we would like but it looks like we're going to have to ride the storm of puberty before we get a better handle on it.
School reports have been issued and Scrumpy is doing well. She's currently teaching herself Danish through the medium of simultaneous Winnie the Pooh on video and on DVD on the computer...
Bear is still being Bear. That statement will speak VOLUMES to those that know her and for those of you who don't let's just say antics include climbing out the window to go to the ducks, wrenching the door open on the bathroom cupboard to get to the goopy liquid soaps etc (through a maglock that is designed to keep adults with Prada Willie Syndrome away from food).
Her school report was very well written - "When in the mood....." We did laugh but on a serious note she is doing well in spite of the issues we have had this year with seizures and medication.
Hot Hubs and I are doing OK, aches and pains and all. We had a night away (!!) which was good for the soul (ahem!) and seeing as ticket sales for the summer dance didn't exactly fly we have cancelled and we, the organisers, are going out instead. Well, we couldn't waste babysitters could we?
The weather here has been just fabulous lately and I have been zooming around in my little blue car with the top down and the wind in my hair having a blast! It has passed it's MOT so another year of fun and frolics is mine for the driving.
Summer holidays, all seven weeks of them, are looming large and only four weeks away so time to get my military precision plan sorted and in place. We're hoping to have some help and therefore be able to get out and about this year so my sanity may remain intact. Notice I said may...
Oh good grief! I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you - our extension is under way and we currently have a very big hole where our yard used to be....along with temporary fencing to keep the birds in and a moved fence to keep Bear in the garden and out of said hole. It should be done by Christmas so not too long. I hope!
That's it for now but photos may follow if I get a chance in between everything else.
25 May 2008
Scrumpy scores again
Scrumpy has won the gold medal for the walking race at the disability sports day.
Needless to say I am fit to burst and said medal is in pride of place in the front room (away from Bear's fingers)
Needless to say I am fit to burst and said medal is in pride of place in the front room (away from Bear's fingers)
12 May 2008
This is a giggle
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Go and find out what flower you are the let me know - I got this from Kim.
11 May 2008
Things you wish you hadn't said
A while a go Scrumpy took to having a bed time story again (a welcome return!!) after a period of finding it too hard to share a book. It has been "Little Robin Red Vest" for AGES and I now know it off by heart cover to cover. Last night as we were doing our bed time routine she had a slight panic because having made her room look like the average almost 11 year-olds' bedroom she couldn't find "Little Robin" I decided to capitalise on the situation and get her to have a different book which got the reply of "and then Little Robin".
We read the "new" story which she enjoyed and then the moment came for "Little Robin". I said "It's OK, it's in my head" as she was diving under the bed. Scrumpy wriggled out from under the bed, looked at me like I was mad and, as the words came out of my mouth, proceeded to lift my hair up and look for Little Robin.
I will now have to find the blasted book, which may have been kidnapped by Bear, or I fear I will be scalped, most likely mid-recital...
We read the "new" story which she enjoyed and then the moment came for "Little Robin". I said "It's OK, it's in my head" as she was diving under the bed. Scrumpy wriggled out from under the bed, looked at me like I was mad and, as the words came out of my mouth, proceeded to lift my hair up and look for Little Robin.
I will now have to find the blasted book, which may have been kidnapped by Bear, or I fear I will be scalped, most likely mid-recital...
10 May 2008
OUTRAGE DOES NOT EVEN COME CLOSE
I was emailed this by a friend, a fellow animal and dog lover, but I have edited out the graphic photographs as they are so offensive I don't want them appearing on my blog.
In the 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, he tied him to a rope in an art gallery, starving him to death.
For several days, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died.
Does it look like art to you?
But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008.
Let's STOP HIM!!!!!
Click on the following link :
http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition-sign.html
Thankfully in the UK he would have been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. People have been imprisoned for less. Remember the news a couple of days ago? A woman was prosecuted for leaving her dog to starve to death in a room on it's own. This creature died a terrible death, only surviving as long as it did by licking the condensation from a failed double glazing unit. At least it was not held up as some kind of entertainment. To say this behaviour is outrageous, depraved does not do it justice. Psychotic? Am I getting closer? Tell me if you think I'm wrong
In the 2007, the 'artist' Guillermo Vargas Habacuc, took a dog from the street, he tied him to a rope in an art gallery, starving him to death.
For several days, the 'artist' and the visitors of the exhibition have watched emotionless the shameful 'masterpiece' based on the dog's agony, until eventually he died.
Does it look like art to you?
But this is not all... the prestigious Visual Arts Biennial of the Central American decided that the 'installation' was actually art, so that Guillermo Vargas Habacuc has been invited to repeat his cruel action for the biennial of 2008.
Let's STOP HIM!!!!!
Click on the following link :
http://www.petitiononline.com/ea6gk/petition-sign.html
Thankfully in the UK he would have been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. People have been imprisoned for less. Remember the news a couple of days ago? A woman was prosecuted for leaving her dog to starve to death in a room on it's own. This creature died a terrible death, only surviving as long as it did by licking the condensation from a failed double glazing unit. At least it was not held up as some kind of entertainment. To say this behaviour is outrageous, depraved does not do it justice. Psychotic? Am I getting closer? Tell me if you think I'm wrong
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