General Chat

Hi folks, been a bit tied up here, hence no posts but I have been reading everything that's going on & reading emails - nice photo Jane, woody woodpecker eh!

I hope Les stays with us, Frank, Les and myself could become the 'Blitz Boys' on here. Telling our yarns of , When I was a boy in the war etc etc, but Les is right, you didn't think of it as 'war' as it's what you were growing up with, a way of life.

I'll be chatting away soon but at the moment we are waiting for our eldest grandson to arrive, it's his birthday tomorrow (34! - where did those years go?) and we are doing him a meal and have got a cake for him. He'll get his pressies and card today too, plus a candle on a (sponge) cake. June is birthday time here, four birthdays in the same family, how tiring . . . :-\

C Y A L

I like your neighbours Ann, you won't have to worry about noisy late night parties with them.

Raining here now, is this what our summer's going to be, a few sunny days then a week of cloud and rain :-(

Must look at the five day weather, I want to get in the garden this weekend. How big is your garden Frank, you're always planting more flowers/veggies you can't have much more space left.

Suns out :-D :-D wind seems to have got up too!!

Frank, there's ten wall cupboards to clean out ,i'am taking everything out giving them a good clean and sorting out bits for the charity shop,then it will be all the floor units to sort ,every thing will have to be taken out and stored because the new work tops have to go on and all the muck will drop over all the stuff in the units !!

The hairdresser took a load of glasses i'd sorted out for the charity shop, she's getting married in august,she's just having a few people back to her house after the wedding so she can make use of them.

Hubby's home so we've taken more old tiles and bits to the tip ,tomorrow there's the last bit of plastering to do then i think he said it will be the ceiling to emulsion next.

Hi Frank.

That very fine rain here now too.

Why Dexters?



Where does the Dexter come from?

The Dexter originated in the South Western region of Ireland. Like the Kerry, they are descended from the predominately black cattle of the early Celts.

The frequently heard theory that the Dexters are a comparatively new breed is a complete fallacy as the breed is fully described and mentioned by its proper name, in a report on Irish cattle written in 1845, by Mr David Low.

From this publication we learn that the breed owes its modern appearance, name, and probably qualities to a Mr Dexter who was agent to a Lord Hawarden (pronounced 'Harden') who came to Ireland in 1750 and made his home in Co Tipperary. David Low stated that a Mr Dexter had produced his curious breed by selection from the best of the hardy mountain cattle of the area, and to have succeeded to a very high degree.

Dexter cattle were first introduced into England in 1882, when ten Dexters were purchased by Mr. Martin. J. Sutton of Kidmore Grange, Oxfordshire from Mr. James. Robertson of La Mancha, Nr Malahide, Dublin. They were first shown at the Royal Show at Norwich in 1886.

By 1892, this native Irish breed was so well established in Great Britain that at a meeting of breeders at the Smithfield club on December 6th resulted in the formation of the Kerry and Dexter/Kerry cattle society.

What does the breed look like?

The Dexter breed is the smallest British breed of cattle. It is a dual-purpose breed, with the average weight of a cow being some 300 - 350 Kg's and standing 92cm - 107cm at the shoulder. There are two recognized types, short legged and non-short, both of which have their equal merits.

The breed comes in three colours, predominately black, but also red and dun.

Are they good mothers?

Dexter cows are extremely maternal and because of their dual purpose qualities will milk well.

Calving problems are rare and newly born calves are up on their feet very quickly.

Heifers mature young and can be put to the bull at 15 - 18 months of age.

Dexter's are noted for their longevity and should breed regularly for 14 years or more.

What about carcass quality?

The breed is early maturing. Beef of excellent quality and flavour, with good marbling, can be produced economically. Dexter steers can finish on grass at 20 -24 months of age without supplementary feeding, with average carcase weights of between 145 - 220 Kg's. Because their good meat to bone ratio, a killing-out percentage of over 56% can be achieved.

The meat is very popular with the consumer, though farm shops, farmers markets and home freezer consumption because of its outstanding flavour, small joints and minimal waste.

How good is their milk yield?

Milk yields vary as to whether the cows are kept for dairy cows, sucklers or house cows. For instance, the average daily milk yield for a house cow will be some 8 - 10 litres (2450 - 3050 litres per 305 day lactation). A cow kept as a suckler will raise its own calf as well as a larger commercial calf and do them both well. Dexters kept as dairy cows will yield on average, 10 - 12 litres daily (3050 - 3660 litres per 305 day lactation), with some individuals yielding 14 litres or more (4080 litres per 305 day lactation).

The milk is of very good quality with high butterfat (BF) and protein levels; average BF % is well over 4% and protein 3.51%.

Can Dexters crossbreed?

Mature cows can be successfully crossed with most native beef breeds, and will produce excellent fast growing progeny. Care must be taken if a continental bull is to be used. Ensure the bull has an easy calving record, and that cows are 'fit' and not overweight at calving.

The success of the Dexter breed

The success of the Dexter over the last 25 - 30 years is quite outstanding. The breed's ability to adapt to varying and extreme climatic conditions and to different systems of management is a typical characteristic. They have established themselves well in many parts of the world. Animals have been exported to Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, Argentina, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Italy, Belgium, Denmark and Germany. Several of these countries have their own breed societies, which only goes to show how well the breed has become established worldwide.

Truly, the small cow with the big future...

Morning all/ Evening Kim,
Blowing well outside and the clouds are flying across the sky. I haven't been out yet, so don't know how warm it is.

Conrad SKYPED last night. It had been 39 degrees out in Spain yesterday. He mush be melting away, in that heat.

I caught a programme on SK# last night about "INFESTATIONS" they included homes that were infested with bird mites, cock roaches ,possums, I sat scratching myself , and said to Ros. "GOOD JOB YOU ARN'T WATCHING THIS" My dreams were not good last :-D :-D :-D

If it stays fine (IF) I will try to do my lawns.

Mandy, How many wall cupboards have you got ??? It seems you are everlasting cleaning them out ;-) ;-)

Have a good day at the market Mel. I haven't been to one for years.

Morning everyone,evening Kim,

Very fine drizzle here , you can just feel it on your face when you go out side ,it does keep brightening up though.

Frank, what a dear little girl Sophia is :-) you would have thought Lara would have been pleased to have some nice new clothes to take on holiday for the little one ,they get through lots at that age .

Ann, those cows have plenty of nice long grass to go at !! i hope you don't get woken up with all the mooing !!! :-D :-D :
Don't you go hanging out to many red things on the line !!... might make the old bull charge !!! :-D :-D :-D :-D :-S

Coffee time now ,then i'am cleaning out another double wall cupboard ....what is the saying where's there's muck there's money ....well i haven't found any here yet !!!
BBL

Morning Mel and All/Evening Kim
Must be the week for animal dreams Mel lol.I was in Greece last night and saw a Massive Turtle,then someone lifted its shell right up :-S :-S.It must have been to do with me watching the chap in the Restaurant yesterday opening up the Oyster Shells.
Funny things Dreams.But I luv'em.

Cloud and a bit breezy here but really mild.Sleeveless top for me this morning but I will take my Cardi to wear in the Cinema.I need to crack on now as I have to leave at 10.15 BBL

Morning All and Evening Kim,

Cloudy again today at the mo. we had a little light rain last night which dampened things down a bit.

Need to go to market today for chicken food.

Oh tells me it is going to be very windy here tomorrow and to tie up things in the border that need doing. There is a couple of thing but I need more sricks.

Jane I dreamt of dray horses the other night, pulling this new cart with no paint on it just bare wood. There were barrels on the back too, and they were just the same, brand new bare wood but the same colour as the cart.

Mel I did your Minty Mushrooms last year.Loved them :-D.
Our Baby Woodpecker is a piggy.It is on the Coconut ALL the time.(Unless of course there are more than one!!!!.I wouldn't know how to tell the difference.But the Coconut I put up yesterday is almost empty.I have had a whole family of Baby Gt Tits on it tonight .I think 5 of them.I just can't believe how quickly it goes.
I am off to bed now.It would be nice to have a dream free night,as I can't be doing with the Pet Tigers I had in my dreams last night lol .That was pretty heavy going lol
So Night Night and see you in the morning.

Came down from the tunnel after tying up a couple of tom plants. Picked a nice big punnet of strawberries and I found three asparagus spears among the weeds. My first toms have set and I have baby tomatoes. Now what shall I call them?? Any surgestions??

Silly me.......

Ann oh was saying how nice it would be if we got baby hedgehogs. We have at least two or three visit.

Yes they kept Dexters long ago as a family cow because they were so placid and smaller. They got a bit scarce at one time. We had a friend up the road who kept them but they have moved away now. The meat is good too so I hear. I think it has a nice marble of fat running through it so it cooks well.

Must go and see if the chickens are in yet and put the hedgehog food down.

By the way have halved that recipe.

Ann we pass the Botanical Gardens on the way in to Cambridge.I just said to Chris today we must go an have a look someday.I think it might have been the last day for exams for a lot of Cambridge Students today .There were hoards of young people with lots of bottles of Champers lol all looking very relaxed and happy :-D.It was actually nice to see them.

Frank there was no way I could have eaten what James and Jess have just had.She even made Tortillas from scratch.I can't even begin to describe the mess in the kitchen.James just told me to stay out lol.But they have done a stirilng job of clearing up and I think a bottle of flash has been used to clean all the surfaces !!!!!
Jess gets her final results from Uni next Tuesday.So we will pay for the 2 of them to have a nice meal out .I think she fancies The Bakehouse in Rothwell.

I think my tum feels ok now :-D.I'm just not going to eat tonight.That Fish and Chips I had earlier was enough for today.
When we got back to the Park and Ride Chris decided to go to the loo.But the Mens loos were out of action and the notice said to use the disabled one.Well he waited and waited to use it.....someone must have been having a bit of trouble as it was engaged for ages .So in the end he used the Ladies :-D..Why not too.I have used the mens before when the queue has been too long for the Ladies lol...It's just a toilet.But the Ladies are always much cleaner than the mens :-D :-D

I'm watching the programme on Genius Children.....I'm not sure what to make of it all.I know these Children are different ,but the pressure put on them is tremendous by some of the parents.I'm waiting to see if they mention having friends and free time !

It sounds like you had a good day in Cambridge Jane. At least you got 1 top! The only time I have been there was to work meetings and training courses. They have some botanic gardens I think and I would like to see those.......as well as the college buildings. Hope your tum settles soon........ bugs can leave you a bit iffy for a day or two sometimes.

I'll tell OH that when he gets home Mel.........I can just imagine his eyebrows going up in doubt already and him thinking I'd made it up!! lol. Years ago when we walked along the canal we came across some long horned cattle that had got out onto the towpath. I think he was all for turning back but I wasn't as they were only interested in eating the grass. I remember he kept saying 'just look at the size of those horns' as we squeezed past!!!! lol.

Thanks for putting the 'Minty Mushrooms' recipe up. I have saved it and will try it as the ingredients are all very healthy and I love mushrooms, onion and garlic!! It's lovely that the hedgehogs are staying around in your garden. I wonder if there will be any babies.....I don't know what the usual time is for them to have them. It would be lovely to see them following mum though.

Maureen it sounds like your toms are doing well. Mine were slow starters but have started to flower too. I've just been to tie them all to the canes. Two little cues are fattening up too.

I've a load of spinach and rocket ready.......must see if I can find a recipe to freeze like soup so it won't be wasted while we are away. :-S

Sorry Folks, She is my Great grand daughter. through marriage. I think I have been through that before.

When Ros arrived home, she had a carrier bag full of little dress's, jeans and little tops for Sophia. Lara didn't seem that impressed, even though they looked very nice and summery colours. Lara and her husband are off to Spain to see his mother in two weeks. then down to France to stay with Harvey and Julia in August, So I would have thought see would have been pleased to have all those extra cloths, especially how often they (BABIES) need clean cloths.

Glad you had a good day out Jane. Whatever Jess is cooking sounds to HOT for me and Ros. It would take the roof of my mouth !!!

Eastender's is on in the lounge. Why the hell is it they have to shout at each other all the time. I just can't stand it. That will be followed by HOLBY, so I am out of the way for the next hour or so.

My it's turned warm this evening, I am back to a pair of shorts, and still burning hot.

Will go and see what on MY TELE, and get a cold beer.

What a lovely pic of little Sophia Frank .Bet she got lots of cuddles :-D :-D

Fiona I do hope you get lots of nice pics of Matteo's Christening.Such a shame it is going to be so far away.

Well the day in Cambridge went fine.Yes I did fall in a punt last year .....no punt today though :-DI just got 1 top.Chris got loads .Then we had lunch in Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant.Very nice it was too.Now I don't like a lot of fish but had just the scrumptious Haddock and chips.There was the counter with all the Oysters,Lobsters etc on crushed ice.Lots of folk seemed to having the Oysters (YUK)
I feel a bit sick this evening but think it the remnants from the tummy upset yesterday.So I don't think I will be having anything much this evening.

Tomorrow morning I'm off to the pictures with Fitz to see Song for Miriam )or is it Muriel?) I can't remember :-S

Moo! Ann.I have sent you couple of emails lol
Jess is making something very spicy smelling ...Fajhitas ?(SP) It's making my eyes water.I think it is very hot chillies that I can smell :-S

Mandy what a palaver with your phones :-S.Lets hope the next new bit is the right one and it won't take too long to arrive.

Done the shopping and it's all put away and oh has gone ringing.

I have sunshine here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just love the pic of little Sophia Frank. She is so cute I could just give her a nice sqeeze.

Ann The Dexter is a very quiet type of cattle so I shoudl think it would be ok for Gordon to go into the field. They have a lovely lot of fresh spring grass in there to keep them happy.

Now I don't know whether I have put this up before but just walking past my mint and seeing it in lovely condition I thought I would make some of my Minty Mushrooms for lunch tomorrow as I have a couple of advocado's for oh with prawns. He is going to make me try them again, not the prawns bit as I hate those.

I think the mushrooms would go well with them.

I know Frank asked me for the recipe and I don't think I ever sent it.

Well here it is for those who want to try it. It keeps quite well in the fridge too.



MINTY MUSHROOMS.

3/4 lb mushrooms
2 small onions.
Large handfull of fresh mint.
3 cloves of garlic.
5 tablespoons olive oil.
Juice of one lemon.
2 to 3 tablespoons wine vinegar.
1 tsp salt.
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper.

Pour olive oil into a large sausepan along with lemon juice and about 2 to 3 tablespoons wine vinegar. Then put in a lot of freshly ground black pepper, a teaspoon of salt, the garlic (crushed) roughly, chopped mint leaves, sliced mushrooms and onions peeled and cut into very thin rings. Mix all this with a spoon and put on a very low heat with lid on for not more than 10 mins.

Pour into dish and cool in the fridge.

Serve with brown bread to mop up the juices.

Had a very busy ironing day today only finished 20 mins ago.

Yes I seem to remember Jane falling in or out of a boat last year, hope she is doing better this time and having a nice time in Cambridge, I've been there but only as far as the record office.

What a sweet little girl Frank, but she can't be a G.G. Granddaughter surely :-0

I must get down the garden and see how my salad stuff is doing, the toms were pretty good last time I looked, even had some flower, celery looked okay too but I still haven't planted the new cucumbers yet.

Afternoon All,

Oh how frustrating Mandy!! I hope the 'new' bit they send makes everything work again. I seem to remember we had to plug a little box thing into our phone line and then plug the phone and the computer into that......to my shame I'm not very good at computer or phone things. :-S

Thanks for sending the pic of those clips Frank.........they do look brilliant and much better than faffing with bits of old rotary line like I do!! I'll certainly be looking out for some next time we are at the garden centre. :-). You keep typing as you always do, you do fine with your one finger and most on here make odd slip ups with typing or spelling........we always know what you mean!! ;-)

That sounds up my street Fiona.......coffee and then a nice meal!! :-) We don't have your rain here yet which is good as I need to put a few french marigolds and mesembryanthemums I have grown out into the beds after I have posted.

OH is still having intermittent problems with pains in his foot, so I'm hoping he will be ok to drive to Anglesey, otherwise it will be me driving and putting gaffer tape over his mouth!!! lol. He had an ECG and blood tests on Monday and now they want him back to do blood tests again tomorrow as his iron count looks borderline as is his BP.

We have new neighbours in the meadow at the back. We spotted 6 lovely cows, all with their pretty calves yesterday. THEN we realised why the farmer had fenced off the end of the field when this muscular, big, black bull wandered into view!!!! At the end of the field a public footpath crosses it, so it looks like the fence is to keep the public and the cattle apart!!! I would think he could be quite dangerous if he saw a threat to his ladies and their little ones!! OH took one look at him and said he won't be trimming the nettles down at the back of the fence this year!!!! lol. The bull doesn't have a ring in it's nose, so I would think it is probably ok to handle, but it does look a bit mean when it looks you in the eye. (I'll send a pic!!) It is really lovely though to see such a natural scene, a bull with his little herd of ladies with their calves all enjoying the long grass and sunshine. They all seem very content. :-D

"All by my self" as the song goes. No sign of Ros or Lara and baby.

Horrible afternoon here. Heavy cloud and wing. I was co0nsidering doing the windows outside, but they can wait for another day.

I have made my own sticky sauce to go with some Pork ribs for tonight, together with new potato's pea and carrots and cabbage,

Lara has arrived with Sophia. 9 months old. She's an absolute little darling. She's sitting on the mat with half of a HOT CROSS BUN. I think it's the butter she likes as most of the bun in on the carpet.

Will pop back later.

Thank you Frank apology accepted :-D :-D

Been raining this afternoon but it feels very stuffy & close.

Victoria text she is feeling well now and has been eating little & often which is good,
glad she is better before the weekend as they are off to visit Daniele's mum & dad and other relatives in Italy , they fly out on Saturday morning for 2 weeks will miss Sofia & Matteo, will be thinking about them all on the 23rd of June when they celebrate Matteo's Christening. Hope they manage to take lots of photographs.