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| << January 2024 | February 2024 | March 2024 >> |
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1st: Things are happening in the allotment    |
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2nd: Spent Hay Spent hay is never wasted. We rake it up from under the hay racks and use it to 'smother' the mud in our gateways. Works a treat and then of course, it provides a perfect growing medium for the new grass to grow through in the spring!!  |
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3rd: Snowdrops |
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4th: Feeding It is simply not possible to have too many photos of afternoon feeding in the sheep and alpaca field. Once again, Mercury is off to one side because unless it is really, really, 'really' cold she won't come up and eat. That girl really does seem to stay healthy on fresh air!!  |
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6th: Frogspawn |
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7th: Classic Otter All the dogs love to dig and listen/watch for moles. mice and shrews - but Otter has the masterclass in it and usually takes a LOT of persuading to come away.   |
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8th: Out at last When the last of the rescue chickens went to their new owners on Saturday, we cleaned out the stable and then opened it up so that our existing five chickens could come back to it (having spent the week in the smaller 'broody' stable) and also so that the three rescues we somehow decided to keep (!!) could then go outside for the first time. That was Saturday! Today, Thursday, they finally made it!!!!  |
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10th: Our willow hedge Question is, will this be the year that this hedge finally starts to look like a hedge - the willow are looking lovely and we hope the autumn planted oak and beech will catch up soon.  |
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11th: Shetland wool - one of our favourites - these colours are so rich and varied and 100% natural!!! This rug is thick, rustic, warm and with any luck, destined to last a lifetime!!  |
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12th: Another great use for mud mats Another great use for mud mats: this time to allow the mud to fall through as we wash the dogs after a walk round our very muddy land (and note the warm shower, lucky things)!!! (Eventually we will lift them up - the mats, not the dogs - and sweep it all up) Question is, was this photo taken before or after we washed them?? 🤣🤣  |
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13th: Sparrow having her first introduction to the whelping box - just over a week to go!!! |
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15th: Beyond wet The land is saturated at the moment - the sheep and alpacas seem to be coping though and the sight of a dandelion in full flower definitely lifts the spirits    |
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16th: Otter loves the rushes |
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17th: Rhea We have decided that the rhea do need to be part of the downsizing plans - a very tough call, especially for David! So far two sets of people have committed to having five of them leaving just two to find a new home for. It will be very weird without them.  |
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18th: Empty box!! Two seconds later: Cat in a box!!! |
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19th: Treats Our dogs trying to be a patient for their treats after a walk round the land with Becky and Daisy!!!   |
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20th: And so it begins Gordon Setter litter number three and Sparrow's first had arrived!!Needless to say we all are kn****** but very very happy!! TEN girls and one boy! Full details on the dog blog         |
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22nd: Dramatic skies this evening at 6pm, after a very wet day |
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24th: Rare sunshine What a joy to walk round the land with a bit of sun on our backs. Apparently we have had half the yearly rainfall in February so far. And doesn't our land know it!  |
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25th: A very welcome burst of yellow amidst the rain and the wind! |
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26th: On the hunt for more colour From the top daffodil, hazel catkins, blackthorn and gorse.     |
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28th: Away from downsizing planning(😕), rug making is most definitely still going strong. We were very chuffed to be able to hand ten Closewool/ Herdwick rugs to their new owner this week. Made from mill-processed slivers, we had such fun coming up with a different design for every single one. These are a few of them....       |
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29th: Our first goodbyes Today White Toe and one of the older grey girls left us to move to their new home - a farm down near Crediton where a trio of our youngsters went to live a couple of years ago. We were anxious about the loading up as rhea hate being confined and moved and so we set up what we hoped was a bomb proof race from the old cow shed to the back of the trailer and then tried to remain as calm as we could as we gently herded them through. It actually all went very well, thanks to the huge team effort from the new owners and their skill in getting the trailer in exactly the right place. The only hiccup was getting stuck in the mud on the way out, but we eventually sorted that and then they were on their way!! It's the end of an era and all feels a tad emotional.  |