Month: July 2021

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Walter and Jago

They have been looking at each other through the fence and today ended up in the same paddock with Ivy and Elton. After a bit of chasing around they decided to become friends for a few minutes! Walter returned to the rest of the flock after an hour and Jago settled down a few yards from Ivy to chew the cud. Did try Pixie in with Jago but the noise of her bleating was just too much so she went back in with the rest. Put up an electric fence to give the donkeys more grass, in a week or two they should be able to graze the hedgerow. A cool day with strong winds and heavy showers.

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Sunset

Balloons would have drifted across the vale tonight, but the wind rose mid afternoon and the forecast is for even stronger winds overnight. Jago is coming to terms with his new flock, he chews the cud a yard or so away from Ivy and Elton, and although Ivy butts him he’s able to run away and keep a yard or so ahead of her so she soon loses interest. The heavy rain has flattened a lot of the taller grasses in the paddocks. Picked a few mange tout, runner beans and tomatoes. Chilly start to the day, warm in the sun.

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Jago

Resting in the crate after his journey from Bodmin, it was a noisy few hours and he drew attention to himself at the coffee stop. Born on April 1st and bottle fed from three weeks old when his mother died, he’s a friendly little ram with broken horns. Light enough to carry into the paddock, the matriarchs in the flock wanted to show him who was boss, decided to separate them and he’ll spend the night with just Pixie and Elton, who are further down the pecking order. Picked tomatoes. A day of heavy showers and a brisk wind, feels colder in the mornings.

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Trebarwith Strand

A long wide stretch of sand at low tide, the beach disappears completely at high tide and can trap the unwary the wrong side of the headland. Looking towards Rugged Gull Rock the slate quarries and harbour are long gone, as are the donkeys that turned the pulley wheels to pull stone up from the cliff side, they also walked the zig zag paths down to the beach, carrying tools and supplies. Not easy work but I expect William and Toby would have been up to the job! Walked a section of the south west coast path in warm sunshine, a sometimes cloudy day with no rain.

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Thunderstorm

Cloud rolling towards Hambledon Hill, could hear the thunder and see the lightening, but no rain until much later. Moved the sheep and their arcs into Willow paddock and gave the donkeys a larger area to graze for the next few days. Picked runner beans, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes, planted out a few more runner beans to replace those eaten by the snails. Took Poppy to the vet as she’s off her food, blood test results may mean an increase in thyroid medication. A warm, humid day.

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Elephant Garlic

Good sized bulbs, and tall stalks with pale purple flowers, possibly harvested them too soon, could have picked off the flowers as soon as they appeared and left them in the ground longer then perhaps the bulbs would have been even bigger, will find out next year! Mange tout are now growing in their place which should produce a good crop before the night time temperature starts to drop. Pulled thistles from the rose bed for the donkeys, they enjoyed spending the afternoon next to the sheep in the laneside paddock. A warm cloudy day with the odd shower and light winds.

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Rollover

Moved the hurdles in the paddock to give the donkeys more grass and cut beech and willow branches for them. William walked up the avenue without doing a rollover, Toby didn’t miss his chance, it’s always the same place so there’s a bare patch in the grass. Thunderstorm last night so water butts full, watered the greenhouse, picked tomatoes, cucumbers and a few runner beans. Lunch in the marquee at the Baker Arms, a cloudy day with mist lingering in the vale.

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Afternoon Tea

Sunny afternoon spent in the garden eating savouries, scones and cake, liked the arrangement of animals in the kitchen. The hot weather continues with the promise of rain tonight, so no watering! Donkeys and sheep choosing sun and shade in equal quantities. First of the runner beans with a fried egg on top for supper. Modified the netting over the centre of the pond to give the plants more room, hope the heron doesn’t take advantage. A blue sky with fluffy white clouds to end the day, doesn’t look like rain….

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Close

William and Bianca communicating through the hurdles that separate their paddocks, they each lower their heads to the ground and William snuffles quietly. Lovely cycle from Child Okeford to Sturminster Newton and Shillingstone, tasty lunch at The Baker Arms. Seventeen miles in 27* is challenging but the route was relatively flat for North Dorset! Arranged sticks around the new pea plants, tied up the wayward runner beans, watered everything, picked tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and mange tout. A very hot day, cooler at dusk, promise of thunderstorms tomorrow night.

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Smudge

William and Toby taking an interest in Smudge who ventured within a yard or so of their yard. The swallows are still flying in and out of the tack room despite there being a broken egg and a couple of tiny birds on the floor this morning, there must be a bigger fledgling in the nest. Balloons are drifting along the vale morning and evening, taking advantage of the hot weather. Another very hot day with light winds and a pale pink sunset sky.

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Produce

Picked thirteen Mini Munch cucumbers from a couple of plants in the greenhouse and pulled a helping of Early Nantes carrots which have successfully escaped the carrot fly in the raised bed. Temperatures are soaring so the donkeys stayed in the shade of the stable before being let out onto the grass, the sheep choose to lie in half sun half shade and quietly pant. Wheelbarrow handles and the tops of the metal gates are too hot to handle, watering everything, the strawberry runners are rooting hopefully!

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Runner Beans

The first of the year, the plants don’t look strong enough to hold them but they have survived the snails, must use hedgehog friendly deterrents next year, still have a few plants to put in the ground next to empty canes. Cycle ride in 30* from Moreton to Athelhampton House for coffee, coming back across the heath was the hottest part of the ride and a bit dusty, had to walk the sandiest stretch. Everything in the garden needs watering, the mange tout have sprouted so will soon need sticks. A very hot day with occasional cloud and light winds.

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Sheep Shelter

Mark IV, with one more shade-providing sides added, the tarpaulin roof withstood the last rains but developed a droop in places so will need supporting from inside to make sure the water drains away from the centre, it returned to normal after a few hot sunny days. Feeding the fish every couple of hours, they are very hungry, the water lilies are pushing up the heron proof netting, must donate some to another pond. The tractors are up and down the lane late into the night bringing in the hay. A hot, humid day with light winds.

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Donkeys

Larking about on the straw before going out in the paddock, Toby has hold of William with his teeth, they spin round in this position for a few seconds before William breaks free and kicks out. Added a few more elements to the sheep shelter to give more shade, the sheep are using it to lie in and chew the cud. A misty cloudy start to a very hot day, watered the raised beds, the level of compost is going down, they’ll need topping up in the winter.

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Pixie

Feeling hot although her fleece isn’t that thick, Pixie sits by the fence in the sun and pants, if she moved a few yards she could lie in the shade of the willow tree, but for some reason that doesn’t suit! The wool on her face is really soft and smooth and often has brown patches from sticking her nose in the salt lick tub. Picked a tick off my arm, that’s the third this summer so must be lots of them in the paddocks, one result of letting the grass grow longer. A very hot day with light winds.

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Redcurrants

A good crop of glossy red fruit that’ll go in the freezer with the blackcurrants for use later, picked cucumbers and lettuce, the first courgettes have been lost to the snails. The donkeys have moved from the square paddock into the avenue and the buttercups mown off, the sheep will go in there when it’s been fallow for a while. Sprayed the donkeys legs with citronella, the flies are a nuisance when the weather gets warmer. A sunny day with light winds, watered the raised beds and runner beans.

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Ivy And Elton

Exploring the small paddock before joining the rest of the flock, Elton is nearly as tall as his grey fleeced Mother. The ash trees are still looking ok, will let standard trees grow out of the hedge, probably field maple and beech, just in case they need replacing. A piece of paneling has come off the side of the shelter, will replace it with another one. Picked blackcurrants, redcurrants and rhubarb. A warm sunny day with light winds.

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Puss Moth Caterpillar

Crawling along the fence rail under the willow, it’s a favourite place for them to be, along with poplar trees. When enraged this caterpillar rears up, shows its eyes and red head and shoots formic acid from glands behind its head at any predator. Love it’s stripey legs. It grows to 6cm before building a cacoon in which to overwinter and the moth emerges in May. The paddocks have dried out after the deluge with just a few puddles in the gateways. A cloudy start to a warm sunny day.

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Sheep Shelter

Work in progress in laneside paddock, the new Mk IV shelter will be big enough for all eight sheep. They all came over to have a look, Walter was especially inquisitive and walked on the bag containing the tarpaulin for the roof before nibbling the end, he also tasted the pallets; need to order more nails and lining boards to finish the job. Torrential rain overnight, a cool day with light winds.

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Bench

A second coat has been applied so the green bench is now back in it’s usual place overlooking the stable yard. The oak tree is getting bushy with fresh growth, although the leaves all have a coating of mildew, need the ivy to spread over the top of the owl box which is still too exposed from the south and must be getting too hot. The swallows are in and out of the tack room all the time having made repairs to last year’s nest. A warm day with cloud and drizzle later.

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Sheep

All eight enjoying the fresh beech leaves, the paddock still has lots of grass, and it’s growing quickly in the warm and wet weather. Clouds of Meadow Brown and Skipper butterflies are flying around and a White Admiral appears as the sun warms the grasses. A lot of rain overnight, water butts overflowing so no need to water the hedge. Picked cucumbers and sowed cut and come again lettuce seeds and the last of the mange tout peas. Tomatoes are getting bigger, feeding them twice a week. A cloudy day with light winds.

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Formation Caterpillars

Each eating their own section of leaf the rose sawfly slugworms appear between June and October, hopefully the local finches and sparrows will keep them under control. Moved the sheep and their arcs to the fallen oak paddock to let willow lie fallow for a few weeks. Went down the lane to cut some beech branches for them and the donkeys, the hedge has grown really well since being laid a couple of years ago and is now wide, tall and bushy – more than enough year round fodder for the animals. A sunny warm day with light winds.

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Sharing

William and Toby love thistles and this monster was growing in the meadow strip, over four feet high and bristling with spiky leaves and flowers the boys watched as it was carried towards the stable. An early evening treat after a day spent grazing the paddock, they like to pull the leaves out of each other’s mouths. Their lips are soft to the touch and the thistle too prickly for me to pick up without thorn proof gloves so it’s hard to understand how they can enjoy eating it, it’s consumed within a couple of minutes. A sunny day with warm sunshine.

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Ivy

In the foreground, head down and grazing happily with the rest of the flock, her fleece looks grey compared with the black sheep. The paddock is being divided by their trot tracks which is helping with poo picking, finding smartie size poo in the long grass is tricky. Strawberries are over, picked raspberries, mange tout and cucumbers, tomatoes have reached the top of the greenhouse. A sunny day with a cool wind.

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Windy

William and Toby spent some time chasing each other around the straw, bucking and then biting each other, they’re heavy enough to push each other over, they both had a good try. A day of heavy squally showers that blew through quickly on the gale force winds, all the animals took cover from the rain, the donkeys returning to their stable and the sheep to their wooden sheep shelter. Painted a bench in the workshop, the rain hammering on the roof. A calmer end to the day with high cloud and a pale pink sunset.

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Garlic

Hanging in the greenhouse drying out, the bulbs were harvested a couple of weeks ago and stored in a cold frame before plaiting and tying with string. The empty bed will be sown with mizuna lettuce and land cress before being planted with new strawberry plants in the autumn. Planted courgette plants on top of the compost heap, hope it’s not too hot for the roots. Assembled a new raised bed, will take a while to fill with donkey poo and compost. A warm sunny day with heavy rain overnight to fill the water butts.

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Catmint

Poppy enjoying the scent and taste after standing on the pot and crushing the leaves, fortunately deer don’t like it so if the cats don’t destroy it the plant should survive. Started a new sheep shelter in laneside, the first arrangement of pallets isn’t quite right so will have to modify. The sheep spent all day in the same paddock and settled in the arcs together when it rained. Picked raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants. A cool day with sunshine and showers.

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Meadow

The grasses have reached their full height, a mix of Red Fescue, Timothy, Common Velvet Grass, Yorkshire Fog, Meadow Foxtail and other perennial grasses. The sheep disappear among the swathes of swaying seed heads and eat the grass from the top down so an area this lush will take eight sheep a long time to eat, the living hay will hopefully last through the winter when all new growth has stopped. It’s a haven for butterflies, including Meadow Brown and White Admiral, and various moths and grasshoppers. A cloudy cool sunny day with a few showers.

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Toby Yawning

A sleepy start to the day, the donkeys settled down on the straw and dozed off. Scratching and stroking woke them up a little but they weren’t interested in their breakfast. The swallows were in and out of the stable all the time, disturbed by mucking out and replenishing of water. The sheep spent the day together in laneside paddock, separating them for the night was challenging, would be good if they all came when they were called! A sunny day, very hot when the mist cleared. Rhubarb crumble was very nice.

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Elton

Walking into one of the arcs, with Winnie on the left and Walter at the back; he managed to stay inside for a minute or so before being butted by Winnie. He tried again later with the same result so gave up and started moving around the paddock grazing before settling down to chew the cud. Ivy and Elton returned to their own paddock for the night with a shelter to themselves. Picked mange tout and strawberries, topped up the compost in the tomato plant pots. A very hot day with light winds and low level mist developing in the vale.