Dorset lifestyle
Making contact through the gate to the Avenue, the sheep had spent the morning wandering round from the square paddock. Their hooves are pushing the sand down into the mud mats, so scattered more gravel to fill the holes, will add sand later to form the top layer. Moved the sheep arcs into Fallen Oak and let the donkeys into the Square. The woodpecker spent a few minutes pecking at the lawn. A mild, cloudy day with light winds.
William and Toby inspecting the third section of mud control mats, the ground does gets drier further down so hoping this can be the final section, will have to buy more mats if not. Toby tasted the sand and wasn’t that impressed. Moved a few paving slabs into the square paddock to make a flattish base for the old shed that’s being replaced, it’ll become a sheep shelter although it may be a bit small. A cool, sunny, drizzly day with strengthening winds.
Carrots and a courgette, the carrots had a couple of small holes in them and no carrot fly, which was good. The courgette is more like a marrow, still tasted ok with lamb mince, the donkeys ate the carrot tops. Filled some of the holes in the edges of the mudmats, they’re staying level even with the weight of the donkeys, William likes to stand on them for a few minutes when he comes back up to the stable. A sunny warm day with light winds and the occasional downpour.
Toby’s brown nose is a bit of a giveaway, he’s been licking the sheep lick; not harmful in small doses, it must taste nice – the result of being in the wrong paddock a couple of days ago. Collected more bricks for the driveway and edged the mud mats with some broken slabs, filled the gaps with small stones and topped with sand. The donkeys inspected the changes before crossing. A sunny, cool day with light winds.
The donkeys have stripped the lower leaves and managed to eat the twiggy bits with a lot of stretching, so need help reaching the higher branches for their dose of medicinal aspirin. Rain overnight has made the paddocks a bit soggy and the spring has re-emerged in the Avenue, the mudmats are doing a good job of making the entrance passable so hope they remain in place. A blustery rainy day with the occasional burst of sunshine.
Growing up, he’s looking a bit tubby, as are all the sheep, and he’s growing whiskers on his neck, may have to confine them all to the Fallen Oak paddock where the grass is shorter. Toby in the paddock behind the fence had been over for a nose rub, William hadn’t quite got that close. Emptied a couple more barrowloads of sand on the mudmats, the gradient at the edges is significant so may fill it with rubble and then a concrete mix so the mats don’t slide sideways. Another sunny warm day.
The first two rows at the top of the Avenue are being filled with quarried sand, more will be needed as they’re used and the sand settles. Coby the next door cat likes rolling on them, and after an initial inspection the donkeys are crossing them OK and Toby knows not to get too close to cat claws. Added a board to the other side of the sheep shelter in Laneside. A foggy start to a warm sunny day, cycled from Pamphill to Shapwick.
