Beech Branches

It may have been too wet to spend a long time in the paddock but William and Toby can still enjoy branches cut from the top of the hedgerow. Autumn leaves are falling fast, the ash trees are nearly bare and the smaller oak trees have mainly orange leaves while the bigger trees are still green. Parts of the hornbeam hedge are just thin branches, other areas have crinkly copper coloured leaves that curl and hang on blowing in the wind. The pear tree has lost all its leaves, the apples are faring better, particularly the Bramley. A sunny day with light winds ending with a delicious dinner at The Baker Arms.

Bonfire

A mound of garden rubbish was burnt in an hour or so leaving nice fluffy ash that can go on the compost heap. The cutting of the hedges that the donkeys haven’t grazed will create another bonfire pile, the ground elder and perennial weeds always go in the bin for the fortnightly collection. A local farmer has supplied a few dry hay bales for the sheep to nibble over the winter when the grass stops growing, if they stay dry the bales will be good to eat for the next five years. A very foggy start to the day, the sun was slow to break through but when it did the temperature rose quickly. Lazy lunch at the Baker Arms in Child Okeford.