Month: June 2021

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Rhubarb

A good harvest from the crowns planted earlier in the year, will make a lovely crumble. The cos lettuce and mange tout peas are crisp and tasty and the first strawberries and raspberries are sweet, the runner beans are still not looking very healthy although there are some flowers on a few of them. Walter spent some time with Ivy and Elton in their paddock before they all ran to the rest of the flock, separated them again after a couple of hours and some bleating. A hot sunny day with the threat of thunderstorms, light until after ten o’clock, with a pale pink sunset.

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Walter

Grazing the meadow grasses in the laneside paddock, the tops of the buttercups were mown off a few weeks ago and don’t seem to be as vigorous as they were. The gate was opened and the new sheep met the established flock but they had to be separated again, Nola and Winnie constantly butted Ivy and tried to do the same to Elton, although he managed to swerve out of the way most of the time, will try again in a few days. A warm dry day with storm clouds over the hills.

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Sunflower

One that survived the snails, a bright yellow flower looking up towards the clematis, not sure it’ll get any higher. The donkeys electric fence has nearly reached the bottom of the square paddock, they avoid eating the buttercups and don’t like the birds foot trefoil, either, so it’s good that there are lots of different clovers and grasses. The sheep are still looking at each other through the fence, may try opening the gate tomorrow. A cool day with heavy rain after a sunny start.

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Ivy

Ivy likes the pink bucket which contains a handful of sheep mix, Elton is watching from a distance, he likes to sleep on the patch of paddock that is still bare from the last bonfire while his mother grazes the tall grasses nearby. She looks a bit like a smaller version of Winnie because of her big eyes, but with a grey fleece. All the sheep line up along the fence and lie close to each other, it’s nearly time to let them into the same paddock. A warm cloudy day with heavy rain later.

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Cycle

From Blandford to Shillingstone and back, along the trailway and past Stourpaine, crossing the junction of the Wessex Ridgeway and St Edwards Way, with a coffee and cake stop at the station below Hambledon Hill. Historically, pilgrim followers of Edward would walk a 30 mile route from Wareham Priory to Shaftesbury Abbey after the body of their boy King was moved there in 979, the ancient route was re-established and signposted for walkers in 2020. A cloudy start to a warm sunny day with light winds and a lovely sunset, the owls noisy late evening.

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Smudge

Sitting on a straw bale in the workshop, listening for approaching donkeys, Smudge isn’t confident with them and runs away, which is unusual as he’s fearless with everything else. He won’t go near the sheep and isn’t that interested in the fish, not like Poppy. Cycle ride from Child Okeford to Shillingstone down the trailway, past the Owl Barn to Bere Marsh with coffee at Sturminster Newton. Lunch outside in the sunshine, a warm day with moderate winds.

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William

Tucking in to a fresh willow branch cut from the lane, the donkeys eat the twiggy bits first and then move on to stripping the bark. The sheep had a beech branch and in contrast to the donkeys they started with nibbling at the bark and left the foliage and twiggy bits for later, the wethers often getting their horns caught among the leaves. Ivy and Elton are settling in OK, looking at the other sheep through the fence and sniffing each other. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Bridge Sign

On a bridge crossing part of Twyford Brook at The Orchards: Dorset has a number of bridges with signs that offer the same penalty, the local farm workers were mostly unhappy with the money that had to be paid to the local church and the introduction of mechanisation, so vandalism was commonplace until the end of the 17th century. The white lichen thrives in areas of low pollution in rainfall and forms imprecise circles that can bend round edges. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Ivy And Elton

Two ouessants in a crate in the back of the car on their way to their new home from Mill Farm. They settled on the bed of hay and Elton did a bit of wandering around, Ivy was very noisy at the start and end of the journey, poking out her black tongue every time she bleated. Their first few nights will be spent in a paddock next to the other sheep before joining the established flock. The donkeys watched their arrival, listening to the noise when Ivy left the crate first to leave Elton on his own while his collar was removed. A cloudy sunny day with cool winds.

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Scarlet Tiger Moths

A pair of moths sitting on the concrete path by the runner beans, they live and breed in gardens, ditches and fields in the south west of England during May and June; have sent the photo to the Dorset moth team for verification and inclusion on their database. Lucky not to tread on them, didn’t disturb them to get a better view of the scarlet underwings where they have different pattern variations, some with yellow patches at the edges. Moved hurdles to allow the donkeys and sheep to use different parts of the same paddock. A very wet day with light winds, lit the woodburner.

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First Day Of Summer

Smudge taking an interest in the barbecue, as the charcoal warmed up and the rain started he stayed sitting underneath, warming his back. Turned part of the compost heap, the latest load of grass cuttings are steaming and are now mixed in with a few barrow loads of sheep and donkey poo; another raised bed has arrived and will need filling so will have to brave the nettles and start removing half rotted compost from the other end of the heap. Removed a deer tick from behind my knee. A drizzly end to a cool day with cloudy sunshine.

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Blending In

Walter and his horns just about visible in the upended arc with Digby watching from outside. Had a lovely walk through hayfields to The Plough at Manston, unfortunately arrived just after ‘last orders’ so had a thirsty walk home! Planted another courgette plant, all the others have been eaten by snails, first flowers on the runner beans, removed side shoots from the tomatoes, picked a cos lettuce. A sunny cloudy day with rain later.

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Goosegrass

William and Toby enjoying a late green treat after their vitamins, they spent most of the day in the square paddock after chasing each other around their straw area for half an hour, repeating the routine as soon as the gate was opened. Overnight rain softened the ground slightly and definitely a benefit for the vegetables. Picked a lettuce and three mini cucumbers. A wet day with late sunshine.

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Baling

Happening in fields all over the vale, a five day window of hot dry weather has allowed farmers to cut, waffle and bale their hay, so the race is on to get it all in the barns before the thunderstorms arrive. Cycle from Pamphill, twelve mile round trip to Badbury Rings and The Anchor for coffee, past fields of linseed in full flower, acres of deep blue replacing the familiar bright yellow rapeseed. A hot humid day with clear skies and a pale pink sunset.

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Sheep Arc

Delivered to the fallen oak paddock today, a third arc for the sheep to share, Walter was the first to have a look, but Bianca wasn’t far behind. Mowed the avenue so the donkeys can graze there in a week or so when the square paddock needs resting, they had a trot round when the arc arrived, the horses in the field opposite whinnied their support. Tied up the tomatoes, cavalo nero and runner beans and picked roses and peonies before the promised rain flattens them. A hot sunny day with some late cloud.

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William

Halfway through a rollover, it’s one of the first things the donkeys do when they are let into the paddock, always in the same place and now there’s a small depression of bare earth in which to roll. Went to the tip with three dumpy bags of hedge cuttings and weeds, the hedge is now higher than the buttercups and grasses so perhaps they can be left instead of weeded out. Collected four bales of straw, the hay making is well underway in the fields and the yield is ‘ok’, so better than last year. Watered the vegetables, a very hot day with light winds.

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Howitzer

Nestling near a pub car park, would make a good restoration project, next to lots of other rusting vehicles that have been left there over the years. Replaced a few slats on one of the garden benches, hope it will last a it longer as it’s very comfortable, next job will be to reinforce the legs. The donkeys are looking a lot smarter, their winter coat has almost gone to reveal a shiny, shorter version. Watered the hedge and the vegetables. A very hot day with increasing winds and a pale pink sunset.

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Lolly

William and Toby enjoying an ice lolly filled with sliced carrot. William licks and bites the chunk of ice while Toby stamps on it to release the carrots. Spent a couple of hours watching the planes at Compton Abbas followed by a BBQ in the garden – the donkeys are not entirely familiar with the smoke and smells of food cooking so they paced around the stable yard. The sheep spent all day in their arcs. A hot sunny day with light winds.

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Evening

The field has been cut for hay and the sparrowhawk is stationary in the sky, fixed on an area of ground waiting for something to move. Unfortunately, the mole seen running around the garden has been despatched by the neighbours cat, there must have been a reason for it being out and about in daylight. The sheep spent all day in their shelters out of the sun, and the donkeys grazed their paddock, keeping a look out for the horses in the field across the lane. A hot day with light winds.

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Horses

Let out for the first time into the field next to the lane, the donkeys spotted them very quickly and nervously watched them for most of the day, occasionally all of them chased around, bucking and kicking. Moved the sheep, and their arcs, into the fallen oak paddock and arranged a few pallets and lids next to the fence to provide some shade. Watered the raised beds, the courgette plants have been eaten by snails. A warm humid start to the day with increasing winds and drizzle early evening.

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Salt

Toby savouring the salt lick; he’ll walk up to the stable midway through a warm afternoon for a small dose and then have a second helping in the evening, his rough tongue rasping at the block. This Himalayan salt mined from a mountain range in Pakistan is ideal for donkeys because it’s too hard for them to bite through – they can’t bite bits off which would give them a digestive overdose. They spent the day nibbling the short grass in half the paddock, will soon have to give them the whole area. A warm sunny cloudy day with a hazy sunset.

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Dartmoor Ponies

A group ran round the hillside and down to the stream which proved impossible to cross at Harry’s Ford, there were stepping stones further downstream and a few yards away a narrow plank, both of which proved impossible to cross. The mist was low over the moor, drifting through the valleys and down towards the villages below, a day of big temperature swings depending on whether the sun broke through the clouds. Rain later.

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Birds Foot Trefoil

Growing in laneside paddock, it survives mowing, grazing and trampling and will grow to the height of the surrounding grassland, mostly on sandy soil; so to see it growing on clay is unusual. It’s a high quality feed and doesn’t cause bloat in ruminants, so ideal for grazing sheep. The flowers are mainly visited by bumblebees, and are a breeding ground for butterflies including the silver studded blue and the six spotted burnet so must watch out for those. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Ouessants

Bianca happily chewing at an apple branch although it’s a few months old, and Walter always inquisitive, head on one side. Their fleeces are growing and they’ll need to be protected against fly strike in the next couple of weeks. There are lots of different opinions on how short to cut the grass so they will like to walk in it as well as graze, so will cut pathways through the paddock then they can stand on the short grass and eat the long! Perhaps there’ll be more grass for the winter and certainly less grass to deal with on the compost heap. A warm cloudy day with late sunshine and light winds.

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Willow

William and Toby both tried to eat the same short length of willow although there were two branches waiting for them when they came up for their vitamins, I guess it’s more fun to have a competition for a few minutes, eventually William wandered off to start nibbling at the other piece. Watered the raised beds and the runner beans and snipped off the tomato sideshoots. A warm sunny cloudy day with a few spots of rain, pint at The Baker Arms.

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Poppy

Sitting in her favourite place, which is a bench warmed by the sun, Poppy will stay there all evening, sleeping and trying to get the forget-me-not seeds out of her fur. Mowed the lawn and strimmed the edges, planted more runner bean plants. Tomatoes have set the first fruit and there could be a glut of mini cucumbers in a week or two. Thinned out some of the apple clusters, could be a bumper year for the Ellison’s Orange. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Gone to Seed

Mizuna salad leaves and rocket, both sown before a cold wet April and now really tall and setting seed, the mange tout peas are yet to flower, the cos lettuce and carrots in the raised bed behind are doing well. Let the sheep into laneside paddock but they sat in the sun next to the fence instead of lying in the shade of the hedgerow, had to let them back into willow paddock and the shelter of their arcs. Saddlebacks are available locally, managed to negotiate half a pig for the freezer, it will have travelled less than 10 miles in it’s whole life, hope it tastes good. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Paddock

Full of grass, buttercups and sorrel, the donkeys eat everything except the buttercups, the electric fence is moved a yard every few days to give them a fresh strip. Mowed the tall grass in the oak paddock so the sheep will graze the new growth, they won’t eat the taller grass, possibly because they don’t like the feel of it on their tummies. Cycle ride from Pamphill past Badbury Rings to The Anchor for coffee, followed by fish and Chips from the van in Child Okeford. A cloudy cooler day with the occasional shower.

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Sleeping Toby 💤

With William looking a bit dozy Toby was lying flat out, donkeys don’t relax like this very often but with the temperature rising in the mornings they’re going out onto their straw before eating their breakfast in the shade. A small mole was running round the terrace wall at lunchtime, probably a youngster driven from his birthplace by his mother, so he’s out and about looking for new territory to conquer, hope he doesn’t start tunneling under the lawn. A warm sunny day with cooling rain for an hour or two.

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Sheep

Let through into the adjacent paddock they started eating as soon as they could although the grass looked the same in the paddock they’d just come from. The grass is growing really quickly after the rain and the sugar levels will be high until September so they should gain some weight before Autumn, Winnie especially could do with putting on a few extra pounds. The fleeces have arrived OK at Pocket House Studio. Collected more wood for the new sheep shelter in the square paddock, should have enough now. A lovely hot sunny day with light winds and a pale pink sunset sky.