Dorset lifestyle
From Shroton to Sturminster Newton for coffee and then back along the trailway for lunch at The Cricketers. Lots of people walking their dogs, some easy to pass with twenty riders, some not! The rain clouds stayed on the hills and looked threatening but we arrived back in the dry. A sunny cloudy cool day, the temperature dropped late afternoon, not good for the courgette plants.
Trapped in a set of hurdles so that her feet could be inspected, she was limping a bit but there was no sign of an injury or stones so a quick hoof trim and a dose of purple spray all round should help. She’s a good weight, it’s easier to tell condition without the fleece, the marks from the shearer’s clippers are quite obvious, I wonder how long it will take for the pattern to disappear. A sunny cloudy with a chilly wind.
Not too prickly for the donkeys, it was growing in the rose bed and was over three feet high, and as there was only one they had to share. Tied up the runner beans that were trailing along the ground, one of the poplar rods had stopped sprouting so cut it into two foot lengths and pushed them in around the courgette plants on top of the compost heap where it’ll be well watered. A warm sunny cloudy day with a brisk cool wind.
Misty in the Vale, but not over Bulbarrow, let the sheep into the small overgrown paddock behind the stable, they disappeared from view as the grass is three feet high. Could hear them chomping away, they ate the sorrel first and some of the docks which they’re not supposed to like! Late home last night so the donkeys were waiting at the stable for their balancer. A sunny day with a chilly wind, lovely in a sheltered spot.
Maybe feeling the chill without their fleeces, they almost disappear when lying in the longer grass, the wethers have fluffy bits of wool round their horns. Cycle from Kingston Lacy to Shapwick and back along Sweet Briar, coffee at Pamphill and spicy prawns for lunch at The Anchor, a cool wind meant eating indoors. A break in the clouds let the sun through to lift the temperature late afternoon, but only briefly before the clouds came back at sunset.
Chewing their way through the pear twigs cut from the top of the tree, they usually have ten or twelve to share at the end of the day, or a handful of goosegrass each. They like thistles as well, but there’s a very prickly variety they don’t like that’s taken over the mound in the Small Paddock, so have started to dig those out. Rain overnight and a cloudy day with a very cold wind, lit the woodburner.
Nine fleeces in paper sacks ready to be put in a box and sent to Pocket House Studio for making into a rug, the rug made from last year’s fleeces is expected to arrive in July, so it’s a fourteen month wait! Had to go out first thing so the gate into Laneside was opened early, the donkeys had a look and decided to stay where they were and lie down on their straw for a while. A sunny showery day with blustery winds.
A level twenty two miles from Ferndown Forest to Upton House and back via Wimborne, Delph Wood and Holes Bay, with coffee and flapjack en route and a tasty sausage roll at the end. Planted out a few more runner beans, the first ones planted a couple of weeks ago are half way up the sticks. Collected four bales of straw. A sunny start to the day with rain moving in at sunset.
Seeking shade from the sun inside the sheep shelter in Laneside, it’s not exactly the right size for him but he manages to squeeze in with Toby, they’re still shedding hair and covered in dust from rolling over on the bare patch in The Avenue. Picked the first cucumbers from the greenhouse and planted a couple of courgette plants on top of the compost heap. Lunch at the The Baker Arms. The hottest day of the year so far after a cloudy start.
Bianca losing her fleece, there was a lot of lanolin in the fleece close to the skin so although the sheep were shedding their wool round their necks it was a couple of weeks too soon to shear them. Shearer’s talk about the grease ‘rising’ up the fleece away from the body so the clippers can get underneath, the temperature has stayed low at night so that will have made a difference. They were all finished within an hour and let out into the paddock to graze. A cool start to a warm sunny day with light winds.
The sheep are being sheared tomorrow and they must have dry fleeces, so they’re staying in the workshop tonight. All manner of things have been stored elsewhere; the sheep (dog) crate, ladders, stools, bailer twine, tables etc. It’s a reasonably sized space for nine sheep to roam around, the door is open so they have a view of the vale, just through a hurdle to stop them escaping. I think they’ll settle down after a few hours. A showery windy day, a lot cooler than yesterday.
The irises are looking good and the first water lilies just need a little more sunshine to make them open. Smudge likes to drink out of the waterfall which has slowed down to a trickle so the filter needs cleaning – a job for a sunny day. Cycle from Pamphill to The Anchor for coffee, and skittles in the evening. A warm sunny day with light winds.
Bianca and Nola are shedding wool from their necks, the shearer is booked for Saturday; haven’t received the rug made from last year’s fleeces yet, will be sending some more next week! Strimmed the verge the other side of the laneside paddock, the willow rods planted to fill in the gaps in the hedge are doing ok, the cow parsley was over four feet high. A warm cloudy day with rain late afternoon, no watering.
William and Toby keen to go out into the paddock, just waiting for the gate to be opened, they’re wearing their masks to stop the flies settling round their eyes. The ground has puddled after overnight rain, so no watering required. Tied up the tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse and have been given some leek seedlings, still have room in a raised bed so they can go straight in. A cloudy sunny day with a chilly wind.
Almost due south over the stable, a misty start to the day. Cycle from the Fox and Goose at Coombe Bissett to Downton for coffee and a slice of flapjack before a long climb up to the ridge and along Pennings Drove. The swallows are taking more interest in the stable block, flying in and then out again, one of them took a wrong turn and ended up in the shed at the back, luckily the cats didn’t see him before he escaped. A showery day with sunny spells and a brisk wind.
Snuggled up by the water trough, keeping cool in the sun. Welcome rain overnight so no watering required, a cool start to a sunny cloudy day with the occasional heavy shower. Pinched out the side shoots on the tomato plants in the greenhouse and potted on a few more young plants, pulled rhubarb and cut a few pear twigs from the top of the tree for the donkeys. A cloudy end to the day with the promise of more rain overnight.
William and Toby chasing each other round a paddock full of buttercups in the sunshine, they always avoid eating the flowers, which is good as they’re a cumulative poison! Pheasant Fest at the Baker Arms so spent a fun day selling tasty food, with everything pheasant, and lots of raffle tickets in aid of Dorset Air Ambulance. Over £3000 was raised which will fund one take-off for this vital service. A warm sunny day with light winds.
Firing their Royal Salute at the Platinum Jubilee Celebration; A Gallop Through History. The Royal Horse Artillery gave a great performance, criss crossing the arena and just missing each other at full pelt and then leaving through a very narrow gate as fast as their horses could go pulling the guns, closely followed by the rest of the troop. A cloudy, sunny, day with light winds.
A good day out at the Horse Show, the Household Cavalry looked very smart and the musical drive was at full gallop. The very efficient arena team did a great job setting up and dismantling the jumps for the Shetland Pony Grand National, always fun to watch and the height of the wall meant the puissance proved challenging. A cloudy sunny day with a chilly wind.
Ready to be planted out, the first of the carrots and radishes are poking through the soil in the raised bed, it rained most of the morning which saved watering. Sowed land cress, spinach and peas, tied up the tomatoes and cucumber in the greenhouse. Stacked wood and sharpened the chainsaw. A sunny end to a wet cloudy day with blustery winds.
Eating the leaves from a bramble that’s grown out from the hedgerow, planted a few willow rods to supplement the ash trees in the hedge. Collected four bales of straw, the fields around the farm are being used as leys, producing a sileage crop for the cows that has matured twelve weeks after sowing, the ryegrass may be left to grow and produce another two cuts, or it could be ploughed in and replaced with maize. A cloudy sunny day with light winds.
Lying down on the straw until it’s time to go out into Laneside, I did wonder why they didn’t come up for their balancer later and then discovered they’d managed to shut the gate that leads out of the paddock… The sheep are shedding fleece, especially the white ones, looks like they have dreadlocks, hope to have a date for the shearer soon. A warm sunny day with light winds.
A lovely day for Shaftesbury Festival, the races up Gold Hill carrying a 25lb cheese were fun to watch, lots of people entered and the record stands at 15 seconds for the fastest runner. Lots of food and drink stalls to wander round. The donkeys managed to shut the gate into Laneside so had to be released to come up for their evening mash. Watered the raised beds and the runner beans. A warm sunny day with light winds.
The old shed is proving to be a popular place with the sheep, it’s slightly cooler in there than lying out in the sun, the temperature reached 20* yesterday so they’ll be pleased when they’re sheared. Tied the tomato plants to their canes in the greenhouse and cut off the developing side shoots, planted out a few runner beans. Warm enough for breakfast outside, wore sandals for the first time this year, blue skies and fluffy white clouds.
One of the perennial herbs growing in the paddock, said to be sacred to fairies it’s unlucky if brought indoors and was never included in May Day garlands for that reason. Also known as the Cuckoo Flower because it flowers at the same time as the arrival of the first Cuckoos. It’s a food plant for the Orange Tipped Butterfly and their are lots of those flying around. A warm sunny day with light winds.
The boys are back after their hospital visit, William’s ulcers have gone and there’s no sign of any lice or worms on his skin so he must just like scratching! They we’re very pleased to get out of the transport and after a quick bite to eat in their stable they were off down the paddock for a run around and a roll-over. Toby came back up for salt-lick so they had their portion of balancer and mash followed by goosegrass and thistles. A cloudy, sunny day with light winds, feeling a bit warmer but still cold at night.
Looking good, the bees love it and so does the wren. William’s ulcers have gone so they’ll both be back from the equine hospital today. He’s been a bit itchy so the vet has done a scrape to see if there’s a problem with his skin, may just be his winter coat being scratched off, he certainly loses a lot of hair when he’s groomed. A foggy start to a cloudy, sunny day with light winds.
Showing off a fine set of teeth while chewing the cud next to the paving slab walkway and the lumps of wood. William and Toby were picked up by the Donkey Sanctuary transport, William will have his tummy checked for ulcers and Toby will be able to watch from the stable next door. Hopefully the medication will have worked and he’ll be given a clean bill of health, they’ll be brought back tomorrow. A warm, cloudy day with light winds.
The blossom is bursting on the apple trees, and the pear, looks as if it could be a good year for Bramley’s. Planted out more tomato plants and a couple of cucumbers in their pots in the greenhouse, one of the cucumbers has started flowering already. Will keep the courgette plants inside for another week. A misty start to a hazy day, several degrees warmer than yesterday.
Taking a look inside the sheep shelter to make sure everything is as it should be before going in for a measure of salt lick and hay, although there’s still enough grass. The swallows have been back for over a week, swooping low and round the stable block deciding whether to nest here again. A cloudy day with light winds.
On the way back from Llangollen to Chirk, crossed the aqueduct ahead of three fluffy ducklings and moored on a straight stretch between two bridges at Moreton. Walked down to the River Dee and back up to the visitor centre at Trevor. A duck decided that there may be easy pickings available so hopped on board. A cloudy sunny day with light winds.
