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Me gander, that is.....
for the second year on the trot, no goslings...of the four geese we had broody, not one egg has hatched.
Noo....when we first got the gosling, he gave us a clutch o` eight wee bairns...so I ken he USED to do the business just fine...so cannae figure oot what has gone wrong the past couple o` years.
So noo I hae tae mak a decision....if he is firing blanks, is he for the oven? Or dae I gie him another chance next year...?
I love me beasts, I do indeed..but am a pragmatist...they are here primarily for meat or milk and eventually, hides (except the birds of course!) and we cannae really afford tae be keeping them that dinnae earn their keep.
So I will hae tae mak me mind up soon...or at least, some time afore Jul.

And who knew (for I never!) the beeb did music on cd? See what a sheltered life I hae led?
I bought a cd o` music for the upcoming medieval feast, called "Food, wine and music..five centuries of seasonal songs on feasting and merriment".
It is fu` o` fine ditties wi` alluring titles like `Nowell, nowell, the boares head`, and `In taberna quando sumus`...so I hae nae idea what the titles actually mean, but the melodies themselves are a heady mixture o` the soothing (for, I presume, sitting at table and needing something soothing tae cope wi` me cooking) and the boisterous , which hae tae say, just mak me think o` the ancient Bacchanalian `do`s` the Romans used tae enjoy sae much....*winks*
but the whole thing, ower an hoor lang, is bound for the feast and will nae doubt see the festivities along nicely.
And yet mair o` the beeb`s musical contributions...I also got the soundtrack for the series the bbc did, "The Virgin Queen", aboot the life and loves o` Elizabeth the First. Noo, being a proud Scot, and no` exactly a royalist, I hae no` seen the series though am assured it was pretty guid. How and ever, the soundtrack is, quite simply, the bees knees! Terrific, wonderful stuff it is, and that`ll also be getting played on the night...

The one legged oystercatcher still thrives and is staying aroond the place...he perches on one o` the fenceposts alongside oor track, often waiting til he sees oor car coming up the drive, afore flying off across the field in front o` the hoose. Along wi` him, the mandarin that used tae be a merganser also sticks aroond, though he is still looking awfy drab but has managed tae haud ontae one solitary orange wing feather, a sad reminder o` his former splendour. He did get a fright this morning when I went oot tae chase the geese back intae their pen as they were trying tae massacre the peedie ducklings. But he`ll be back, he`s always aroond for feeding time.
Oor first clutch o` chickens have hatched, and are in the hutch and run tae keep them safe til they`re auld enough tae survive rampaging blackbacks and greedy crows. They are awfy cute and I`ll be adding pics when I can get the time.

For I am snowed under wi` work the noo, wi` a wheen o` skins needing softened and sanded and primped and combed and twa coohides needing worked and bunnyskins ditto, plus dressing the room for the feast and archery practice which I refuse tae quit even under work pressure as all work and no play mak`s yours truly awfy crabbit!

I just want tae say thank you tae me food historian friend...she kindly sent me an authentic spice mix, oh ye should smell this, it is gorgeous! Real medieval feasts must hae been sumptious indeed, and redolent wi` exotic scents and sights. A far cry fae the days o` tv dinners eh?