The Gentleman Shaver...

This year my family in Denver sent me an "Art of Shaving" travel pack for Christmas. Never having heard of this US brand before, I did some investigation - for consideration of inclusion in another Shaving Post for my upcoming "Manly March" series (after the exam). However, I thought 'just a little blog won't hurt'...

Here is one of their video clips I found amusing. You can find out more at the Art of Shaving website, and also on this great Men's interest blog, Ape to Gentleman.

Well, if it's good enough for Rog Fed...

20 Days til the Big Day...

I had my 'mock exam' yesterday - an 8 hour practice for the real thing in just under 3 weeks. My head at the moment feels like the blackboard above - over stuffed and disorganised. I know I've read everything, but trying to recall every detail that must be included is so difficult. The more I put in the more that falls out the other end!

I wouldn't say that yesterday was a wake up call, but I am redoubling my efforts in this sprint towards the finish line. I am also conscious of the fact that having shared my endeavours with you, my dear readers, that there will be a sense of embarrassment and shame should I fail!

So, no more blogging until after 15 February. However, I do have quite a few lovely posts to share afterwards.

À la prochaine fois,

David.

Flash Flood...

So this is the height of summer? An unrelenting 3 day storm has snapped our London Planes down the drive, and caused flash flooding over much of the farm!

At least the pigs are enjoying the mud it has caused, as you can see from the clip below, though you can also see one of the piglets crates swimming in the water and their milk barrels blown on their side...

All in all a jolly good day to be wrapped up side studying. We are going to take a break this evening and go to see "The Iron Lady". I've been told it's very good...

Fairwell to Edward and Bella...

This week Edward and Bella are off to embrace a colder climate. It is hard to believe that they are just over 2 years old. Dispatched quickly whilst eating hand-picked organic apples from a barrel, we know that there are no ethical concerns about the origins of our dinners to come...

Edward (above) and Bella (below).

Hard to believe they were just scrawny little calves 2 years ago...

We had said that we hoped they would grow up to resmble beasts like this...

I don't think they are too far off...

Edward was always the dumb one, though rather noble looking, and Bella the intelligent one, inqusitive and always a handful...

Peter has been reading through one of his favourite cook books and licking his lips as he turns the pages...

... trying to decide which cuts he wants. Other than a jolly decent steak and a few roasts, I am looking forwards to oodles of prime mince, so that Peter can make the most of the Soggy Bottom Farm sausage-making course I sent him on last year for his birthday. Gourmet bangers here we come....

Now we've conquered home grown beef, I wonder what's for Christmas dinner this year...

For the faint hearted vegetarians out there, there is always another option...

With Willowbrook's Kitchen we could run weekend cookery classes, and even put out our own cookbook...

(Mock up spoof using an old Reader's Digest Cookbook Cover)

Hopefully they would be more successful than some of Delia's classes...