Dorset lifestyle
Looks like there’ll be a good crop, made a crumble from the windfalls. No pears this year but plenty of eating apples, Beauty of Bath and D’Arcy Spice. Picked tomatoes and cucumbers. A day of heavy rain and thunderstorms, the donkeys stayed on the hard standing for the first time this summer as the paddock puddled.
The sun managed to get through even though it was still raining, have had a deluge which will make the grass grow. The donkeys didn’t mind getting wet but did stand under the willow during a thunderstorm, the sheep all ran into their shelter and stayed there. Picked tomatoes, cucumbers and the last of the plums.
Proper rain, at last! Probably had half an inch today in short bursts, so no run-off, all soaked into the ground, hope to get more tonight. The sheep stayed in their shelter and the donkeys rolled over in their dust/soon to be mud patch. A cloudy, showery day with light winds.
Resting in their stable in the morning sunshine before getting up to start their day. They spread their bedding all round the stable and sometimes bring their collars in to play with overnight. Had to take opportunities to poo pick, torrential rain showers didn’t last long but were potent with longer sunny spells in between. The pond has filled up nicely, need to clean the filter. A quiet end to the day with light winds.
Stormy skies and a strong cold winter wind, the sheep sat behind their shelters out of the rain showers, they didn’t want to be inside, they just preferred sitting out of the wind. William is doing ok, although the impaction in his stomach is taking time to remove, it’s being prodded to make bits on the edge flake away. Visiting them tomorrow and taking straw, balancer, treats and a ball for Toby to play with. A very windy day, lunch at the pub.
Torrential rain has left the willow rods very happy, most of them are standing in running water in the meadow strip. Sprouting from several buds the shoots are a pale green, and haven’t been eaten, which is good, they’d be a tasty treat for a passing rabbit. The fields in the vale are flooded, forming a huge lake, will have to avoid the lowlands for a few days. Collected straw bales for the donkeys and one hay bale for the sheep, all unloaded in a light shower. The sky cleared at dusk and the birds were singing.
William and Toby Ready for the farrier, an early start for them at 0730 on a very wet day, their hooves were ok, just needed leveling off, William’s seedy toe is no worse. They always get a ginger biscuit before work starts and they were relaxed enough to be held and not tied to a rail. The paddocks are very wet so no time on the grass, they had to make do with nibbling silver birch logs and eating apple twigs. A wet day with strong winds.
Always curious about what’s appeared in their paddock, the sheep like to taste everything, so the wheelbarrow and the slabs inside were of great interest, they’re now in the gateway. Laid a few more grids for the pathway and turned the rubber mats over by the sheep shelter. A sunny start to a day that ended with torrential rain.
Making their way down to Laneside, Walter is in front and just walking through a gateway, there was a lot of heavy rain overnight so the paddocks are puddling up. Need to collect poo samples for a worm count, hopefully the burden will be low and they won’t need dosing. The donkeys will have to spend the day by their stable block as the ground is so soft. A cloudy day with light winds and rain later.
Heavy rain overnight has made the paddocks even wetter, the spring has sprung by the compost heap and is running over the paddock driveway, so it’s another day staying by the stable for the donkeys. Toby is expecting some food, he often starts to grunt or display the Flehman response – he bares his teeth and looks up, just waiting… The new shed is looking good, the rain runs off the planks in beads. A wet end to a dark, wet, day.
To the sheep shelter in the small paddock so that the hay feeders will stay dry when it rains, the roof is a sheet of stirling board with a tarpaulin over the top held down with planks. Will need to board the sides, hoping the feeders will hang on the pallet walls. The sheep were curious about the activity. A cloudy, wet, rainy day, the donkeys stayed up by the stable.
All liking the hay, they ran up to the bucket and round the field, jumping and twisting when what was left was taken to the hay rack in their shelter, it’ll all be gone by the morning. Walter likes picking the bits off the others heads. This was a brief respite from the wind and rain, the paddocks are very wet so the donkeys had to stay up at the stable, a new branch kept them amused, their coats too wet to be groomed. A wet end to a wet day.
Staying in on a day of thrashing rain and gale force winds, the woodburner was lit early and the log baskets filled up, most of the wood is stored out of the rain but still needs some drying out before burning. The donkeys couldn’t go out in the puddly paddock so amused themselves moving their sticks around, cut apple tops for them when the rain eased off. The spring is running into the ditch, it’s clogged with leaves in places so needs clearing. A dry end to the day with the wind gradually dropping.
Not like this tonight, the vale is shrouded in mist and there was a significant amount of rain overnight. The sheep spent most of the day in their shelter unlike the donkeys who didn’t mind getting wet. Cut another yard off the leylandii hedge to improve the view of the stable from the garden and took the debris to the tip. Shoveled another load of sand onto the mudmats, the donkeys inspected and sniffed at the change before walking across. Water butts all full, no need to water.
In Laneside paddock enjoying the sunshine in between the showers, the ground is puddling up in some areas but they still like doing their rollovers in the same, now muddy, place. Moved the electric fence to give them more hedgerow to forage. A flock of Martins appeared and flew around all day before continuing their migration further south. Heavy rain overnight cleared to reveal a bright blue sky before the clouds rolled in again.
Ivy and Elton sheltering from the rain which was a constant downpour all day, the sheep eventually came out of their arcs to graze, although Elton can feed from Ivy anytime he likes. The entrance to the avenue is full of puddles so it’d be a good time to start laying the mud mats. The fish pond is full of clear water and the water butts are overflowing. The rain stopped at dusk and the sky cleared to reveal a pale pink sunset.
William always sleeps in the same place at night, Toby will lie to the side on the straw, or in front, nearer the door. It’s rare to see them flat out at full stretch but it does happen occasionally. The rain arrived and continued on and off all day, strengthening winds made the donkeys skittish and they came up from the paddock early for their vitamin balancer. Topped up the pond, the fish are still hungry and the various weeds and lilies are starting to take up a lot of room. Heavy, continuous, rain to end the day, lit the woodburner.
Three plants growing on top of the compost heap, the poo/grass combination is more than a year old and still generating a bit of heat so they need regular watering. As always the courgettes come all at once or not at all, and the flowers are usually chewed by the snails. Rained this morning, but not enough to water the runner beans or top up the fish pond. William is still eating the blackberries in the hedgerow, no need for the fly masks today as much cooler and fresher. Time to move the sheep into another paddock as Fallen Oak is looking patchy. A cool, mizzly, day.
Starting at Langport, 31 miles via South Petherton and Rock, riding across the Somerset Levels. Through a few challenging stretches of muddy floodwater and up and down a few hills, with several refreshment stops along the way for cider, chips, ice cream and scones. We had a short rest while one of our group took a wrong turn and ended up in a drainage ditch more than five feet deep and full of duckweed, the waterproofs didn’t work very well! The weather was variable with sunshine and the occasional heavy blustery shower, just made it back to the car before a torrential downpour.
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….
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.
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.
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.
Farnham to Manswood through Chettle, started in the rain and finished in the rain with a spell of sunshine in-between, the bluebells are still in flower and there are fresh green leaves everywhere on the trees. Lunch at The Museum Inn. Finished leveling the driveway in preparation for the top dressing of scalpings. Too wet for the donkeys to be in the paddock, the straw area is getting boggy and needs raking over, tomatoes are doing ok in the greenhouse, still too cold to plant out the courgette.
William and Toby had to stay out of the paddock because of strong winds and driving rain, they had their usual breakfast of three wedges of straw and then mooched around the stable. The feeder was topped up later in the day with the addition of a tasty willow branch and a handful of goosegrass. The sheep stayed undercover only coming out whenever the rain stopped. Collected my bike after a service, needs to go back in a couple of weeks as it requires a new chain and cassette. Checked the greenhouse after the gale, all ok. A stormy day with gale force winds and cold driving rain.
Torrential rain off and on all day, poo picked and finished tidying the workshop ready for the shearer. Planted a few runner beans, the sticks stayed up in the wind, the frame may need reinforcement once it’s covered in leaves, will have to check for slugs in the morning. Donkeys stayed by the stable and the sheep ran for their shelter every time it rained. All the water butts are full, topped up the pond. Removed the first side shoots from the tomato plants. A warm muggy end to the day with low cloud covering the hills.
Toby was being groomed by William while having a groom himself! The boys carried on nibbling each other in their usual right / left stance, William loses his hair in chunks, leaving bare patches. Toby has a much finer coat that always looks the same. Moved the electric fence to give them more grass, they stayed out in the paddock despite torrential downpours that turned the paddock entrance to a soggy puddle. All the trees are looking greener, their leaves filling out. A showery day with light winds.
Sunshine between the showers, the ash trees are just about to show their leaves, no sight or sound of the barn owl at dusk, and no activity around the box in the oak. The grass is growing greener and will soon be full of sugar, so strip grazing the donkeys will continue and the sheep will have to work harder to keep the paddocks trimmed. Topped up the pond, the tadpoles are growing, no sign of legs yet, lily leaves are widening to give the fish some shade. A wet end to the day with lighter winds.
Waiting for his daily mug-full of vitamins, slightly tubby William stood by the straw store for a while, Toby meanwhile helped himself to the fresh straw in the stable, neither of them tempted away by a few apple branches. They both came in from the paddock when there was a downpour late afternoon and never went back out, and all the sheep squeezed into their shelters until the sun came out again. The wisteria is trying to flower, battling against the cold nights and the gale force winds, a cloudy day with heavy rain showers and bright skies at sunset.
Big raindrops fell soon after this photo was taken, once the hills on the horizon have disappeared the vale quickly fills with cloud and there’s not much time to get under cover. The garden and hedging needed the rain, the ground had cracked much like it does in late summer. Moved the tomatoes into the greenhouse ready for planting, the mizuna and rocket seedlings transplanted into one of the raised beds. A sunny end to a cool day.
Pixie is a big fluffy ball of wool just waiting for the shearer, tidier than Bianca who is shedding stylish strands just like dreadlocks. All the sheep were sitting in the morning sunshine chewing the cud before the rain arrived, Walter tidied up Pixie by eating any available hay from her fleece. Finished preparing the greenhouse for the tomatoes, all the pots have a spadeful of worm casts from the wormery in the bottom, the wind increased at lunchtime and the temperature dropped so didn’t move the plants in to acclimatise. A rainy end to the day with waterbutts filling ok.
Starting to thicken out in places, the hornbeam is doing well with the beech following on later. Would be good to let the sheep in to eat the grass but they’d eat the hedge as well so that’s not an option. Moved a couple of barrowloads from the compost heap to help feed the hedge and retain water when it rains – promised for a week’s time. Gathered together all the logs for splitting, watered the raised beds and the seeds in the greenhouse. The runner bean seeds are up, not sure what happened to the French beans so have sown them again. A sunny day with a cold wind from the east.
Grazing happily in the sunshine, the gate was opened later in the afternoon to allow them to nibble at both paddocks and use the arcs as well as the corner shelter for shade. Cycled from Pamphill to the golf club for coffee, all the hedges at the roadside are trimmed very neatly and some are growing new leaves, but not all – they need rain. Collected four straw bales for the donkeys, the farm is optimistically cutting grass and are also desperate for rain, there’s none in the forecast for the next week, we’ve had less than a fifth of the monthly average. A fine sunny day with light winds.
They spent the day grazing in the laneside paddock before coming home for their hay, Winnie, Walter and Digby ran over to investigate a fresh apple branch in the late afternoon sunshine. Enjoyed a lovely walk from Pamphill, fringing the River Stour to Walford Mill for coffee, the ground is drying out and the river has dropped so the swans should soon start nesting. Levelled rubble, have been offered some willow for the donkeys so will collect that later in the week, hope the ground will be firm enough to let them out into the paddock tomorrow. A wet start to the day with moderate winds.
William loves a cuddle, not always possible on very windy days as he’s not quite as chilled but today he was OK. Walked from Tarrant Gunville to Chettle for coffee and a sausage roll in the sunshine, only one squally stinging hail shower on the way back. Hurried across an open field and made it to the hedge line which gave some protection, the sheep and new born lambs in the field huddled together, most of the ewes had twins, their numbers clear to see in bright blue or red. Tomato seedlings have pushed through their compost which is a mix of mole hill and vermiculite, they’re doing well so far, sowed nasturtium seeds. The wind dropped at dusk.
William nibbling at fresh sticks before the rain set in and the wind increased to gale force, a day for waterproofs and gloves – a big change from yesterday, the water butts are full again and the paddocks are starting to puddle. The sheep stayed in their shelter, only venturing out for hay, they don’t like the rain. Sawed wood, shouldn’t be long before it can be stacked instead of being used, lit the woodburners early. Not many birds out and about, mainly the rooks, none of the buzzards were flying. Same weather forecast for tomorrow, hope everything stays where it should!
Growing in a very windy spot and flowering better this year than last the yellow bronze flowers will produce fruiting pods that mature and explode, scattering their seeds, in October or November. Collected oak leaves from the bottom paddock, the sheep followed the wheelbarrow down and enjoyed nibbling fresh grass for an hour or so in strengthening winds. A squall sent them back to their shelter encouraged by a bucket of hay. The donkeys watched from their stable, just too wet for them to be on the grass. A wet day with late sunshine and a bright sunset.
Managed to get a photo during the running and jumping keep fit session, all the sheep join in although Nola is the least energetic, Walter and Digby lead the charge with a pogo and sidekick routine that may or may not involve Pixie, and includes head butting anyone who wants to meet them square on. Disassembled the small area of paddock formed by the electric fencing, the donkeys aren’t interested in going in there and it is very boggy. A lot of rain overnight and a wet start and end to a mild day.
It’s ten weeks since the donkeys had their hooves trimmed, William’s seedy toe is improved in places and looks clean and white when the farrier has finished, Toby has an inward stepping gait so the hooves on his hind legs wear unevenly as steps one hoof in front of the other. After last nights rain the paddocks are full of puddles so no time for running around, the sheep were out of their shelter as usual even though it was a drizzly start to the day. Warm sunshine broke through the cloud so one less fleece required. Lucky to see a barn owl flying over the field at dusk, pancakes for tea.
The shelving has been in its box for the last six months so it’s good to get it off the floor and bolted to the frame, it’ll give the greenhouse a bit more stability in the strong winds and there’ll be lots of room to store all those essentials! The last of the trays can be taken out and the glass cleaned ready for this year’s tomatoes and cucumbers, a trowelful of the casts from the wormery will go in the bottom of all the pots. Cold driving ran all day, two wet donkeys mooched about near their stable and the sheep stayed in their shelter, a promise of sunshine tomorrow.
Dramatic skies over the hills have everything; low cloud, rain and blue skies, paddock rails bathed in winter sun. A pair of woodpeckers spent half an hour feeding on the frost free lawn and the pheasants passed through on their way to the discarded stable straw in search of grain. Emptied more rubble bags onto the driveway. The spring is running into the ditch, paddocks too wet for the donkeys and the sheep are starting to forge favourite pathways to and from the hay feeders and their arcs. A milder dry day with light winds and rain later.
Looked too full of water this morning, the paddocks all drain down into it so decided to clear a couple of downstream dams made of a few years of acorns, branches and brambles. Cleared the dams and then discovered a small trickle of water half way up the bank. Digging increased the water rate until a real gusher was cascading down into the ditch, hoped more digging of the bank under the fence would reveal a drainage pipe, but none discovered yet. There is a deep hole in the clay under the paddock out of which water is flowing, so maybe it’s a rising spring, had to clear the ditch several times to let clay and water run away into the lane. A two sets of waterproofs day with strong winds.
It rained a lot last night, a couple of inches in the wheelbarrow. William must have been standing outside as he’s very wet, the raindrops run down and fall off his eyelashes, and he’s rolled over in the stable to have so much straw on his coat. Toby is not as wet, and neither is very impressed with having to stay out of the puddly paddock. Started work on the compost heap, removing a couple of rails and part of the liner to make an opening for the wheelbarrow. The compost is about eighteen months olds at this end and will be good for mulching and topping up the raised beds. A wet morning, drier in the afternoon, milder.
Made by sister and flamed with brandy, was soon eaten and tasted really good. The reindeer head on the wall usually looks really effective but has blurred a bit in this photo. Planted more hazel in the meadow strip to plump up the hedge, the Wren was flying about round the hornbeam and the Robin was watching to see what was changing, they’re all looking well fed and are singing well. Another deluge overnight so the donkeys couldn’t go out into the paddock, the puddles are quite obvious now and will take a few days to drain. A colder day with the odd sunny spell between showers.
Poppy is half Maine Coon so very fluffy, and at this stage of winter her fur gets tangled very easily, the ruff round her neck will have to be trimmed or she won’t be able to reach beyond it to groom herself properly, which isn’t easy without being scratched! The snow has nearly gone, a few piles are left where it blew under north facing hedges. Cold, misty drizzly rain most of the day so the hardstanding was easier to sweep. No time in the paddock for the donkeys, they did a bit of mutual grooming and had fresh apple branches. Puddles in the paddocks and the spring is running into the ditch again.
Must like the warm wet weather as it doesn’t usually flower until after Christmas but there are several plants with rain-dropped petals surrounded by dark green leaves. The donkeys were spooked by an engineer in a high vis jacket working on a telegraph pole over a field away and had to be released from their halters. They circled round a few times and were on high alert for the rest of the day, they’d rather be out in the paddock but more rain overnight has left already saturated ground with more puddles. Heavy showers on and off all day, promise of sunshine tomorrow.
Along very muddy roads, drains clogged with hedge cuttings and soil from the fields, through very big puddles at Hammoon to Sturminster Newton and back through Child Okeford to Shroton for lunch. Lucky the rain eased off for a few hours before setting in again at dusk. The hay feeder in the sheep field needed more support for the roof after last nights rain. Another apple tree has been pruned so the donkeys had more sticks to nibble. Looks like the car needs a wash!
The Ouessants are getting a liking for apples, they come running when you go into their paddock, the only variety left for them to eat is the D’Arcy Spice and they’re stored in a dustbin in the workshop protected from any mice that may be interested. The donkeys ate half the new bale of straw opened for them yesterday, no steaming required! The pheasants and rooks like picking over the straw which is been thrown out of the donkey’s stable each day, there must be grain left to eat. Heavy rain all day.
Mk II; the first shelter has an old fence panel for a roof and is staying in the lower paddock. A shelter is needed in willow so this new one uses two hurdles, has a corrugated bitumen sheet for a roof and it will have plastic sheeting at the sides to keep the hay in the feeder dry. More rain last night so soggy paddocks and no grass grazing for the donkeys. The good news is that William and Toby like a newly opened bale of the wheat straw they’ve previously rejected, and emptied their feeder last night. A very wet day with driving rain and low cloud over the hills.
Likes to drink water wherever she finds it and has learnt to look for this glass because it’s usually in the same place every night. Sunny bike ride for a couple of hours, including the muddy Sweet Briar, with a nice hot coffee at The Anchor. Moved the sheep arcs from the lower paddock, which is still saturated, to Willow, the sheep were curious about the new location and ran in and out of them to make sure they were ok. A cloudy start to the day before the sunshine broke through with a promise of more rain overnight.
William and Toby are very aware when people stand on the grass above the stable yard, it’s a metre or so higher than their viewpoint, it disturbs them and they start to circle around. So the plan is to introduce them to things they may not be familiar with and standing on a chair in the paddock may be a little different. In the event the donkeys are chilled, curious and calm. Heavy rain overnight followed by torrential rain, the waterproofs just about held out for the poo picking and were then hung above the boiler to dry out. Toby brayed in anticipation of the nightly feed. A cloudy sunset with the promise of sunshine tomorrow.
It’s the time of year when the Christmas music books come out of the cupboard, a CD provides the orchestral backing track for the trumpet solo, hope the donkeys like hearing the result! The rain has made cleaning the hardstanding easier, it had developed a green tinge that is gradually disappearing with energetic sweeping a couple of times a day, and there’s no shortage of fresh water. Torrential rain overnight was followed by showers and occasional sunshine, no grazing in the paddock for the donkeys today.
Turned on to the road ahead of me, dogs running around everywhere and barking with excitement, after a few hundred yards they turned right onto the bridleway. A wet and cold day to be out and about, I hope they had their thermals on, horse boxes were all over the place off-loading horses wanting to join in, and the gateways along the road each had a crowd of people watching and waiting for them to jump the hedges and chase across the fields. A cold day with sunny spells, a lot of rain overnight has led to soggy paddocks and squelchy pathways.
A bit different from the usual advent calendars, the contents are best eaten with a glass of port and a slice of fruit cake, just maybe not every day…. Early cycle this morning from Pamphill Green, along Sweet Briar, and past White Mill, wet and often muddy, the raindrops felt cold but fortunately the wind was light. Heated seats in the car essential! William and Toby are nibbling at their straw in the hope of something tastier, they still don’t look as if they’re losing weight. Cut a few apple tops for them. A sunny end to the day with cloud building from the west.
Sheep and donkeys love to eat beech leaves and chew the bark of willow, there’s no chance of identifying the six ouessants competing for the best bits today, although I think Walter is at the front. The donkeys had the same choice of branches and ate them very quickly, tugging at the willow first. The paddocks have a lot of puddles and would benefit from a few days of warm sunshine. Today was filled with sharp showers, the raindrops had a sting that made me turn away from the wind. The fields are flooded in the valley and the river level at Hammoon is 2.7M which means minor flooding of the road.
William and Toby have been standing out in the rain for most of the day, the drops fall off William’s eyebrows so his waterproof coat must be doing it’s job, he certainly feels warm, their bedtime treat after their vitamins was a sliced apple with no pips. With over an inch of rain there was no time out in the paddock today, the puddles were very obvious and the ground squelchy underfoot. The sun set behind a mass of rolling grey cloud that turned orange, briefly. The sheep made use of their shelters and the fish were hungry as ever – I did a jigsaw puzzle.
Cycled past this signpost at Crichel, a ride of about 18 miles through autumn colours in watery sunshine. Woolly coverings pop up all over the place in Dorset, and this is one of the most recent. William and Toby had a mad five minutes braying and chasing each other around the paddock, the sheep watched for a couple of minutes and then wandered off. Filled the last strawberry bed with donkey poo, have been promised an elephant garlic so I think it’ll do well in there until the strawberry plants throw out runners next year. A mild, cloudy, windy day with the promise of rain, haven’t watered the hedge for a few weeks now.
Collected from the side of the road on the way back from cycling it’ll be a treat for the donkeys. They spent the afternoon in the square paddock running around while I poo picked. The ride from Shroton to Sturminster Newton and back was hard work into the wind, which always seemed to be against us, luckily it didn’t rain. Last night was so windy the chairs in the garden blew over and the oak leaves spread far and wide, no wonder it kept me awake. A sunnier afternoon with a cold wind to end the day.
A tray full of some of the Bramleys brought down by the strong winds, the grass under the tree usually gives them a soft landing so as long as they’re collected the same day they can be peeled and stewed. Heavy rain all morning, the donkeys had their breakfast before mucking out and weren’t allowed to go out and about in the paddock as the ground was full of puddles. Did manage to pick out their feet when the rain stopped and then gave them their worm treatment. The sheep have finally started sheltering in their new accommodation. Started clearing the greenhouse.
The results of the poo samples from the donkeys revealed that William has a lower worm count than Toby, so this is the recommended treatment for both of them because the worms will be in the pasture, and it’s possible that Toby just has a lower resistance to them. The donkeys grazed in the lower paddock, it’s likely that they won’t be able to venture out for a couple of days if the forecast for heavy rain is correct. The sheep are still in two minds about their shelter, gave them their hay inside again, perhaps it’s just been too warm to be inside. Made a stew using the local Red Devon beef, really tasty, expect the dumplings helped!
Moved the Ouessants into a different paddock so they can use the new shelters from Solway Recycling to hide from the rain; not too sure at first they had a helping of hay to help them settle in during an afternoon sunny spell. These arcs are heavy enough to stay put in the wind and light enough to be moved around the paddocks. William and Toby stayed near their stable today to protect the saturated ground in the avenue. They watched the activity in the lower paddocks with interest and we’re excited to receive a couple of beech branches from the hedge. A wet morning gave way to late afternoon sunshine, picked and ate the last courgette.
Dark mornings turn into dark evenings as we move towards the winter solstice. A red sky to start the day, and a lovely sunset. The woodpecker spent more than ten minutes pecking at the good things to eat in the grass this morning while a plump pheasant sat on the fence calling. A day of sharp cold showers and warm sunshine after yesterday’s rain; the rising spring in the paddock has formed muddy puddles which the donkeys paddle through to get to their favourite hedge. As always, the sheep run for cover when it rains. Runner beans for tea.
A very wet and windy day, easy to clean the stable area but difficult to stay dry. The donkeys were a little disturbed by the shoot happening in the field across the lane, sounded very close but didn’t last long, they soon trotted down to the paddock. The sheep didn’t like the heavy rain so huddled together in their shelter most of the time. The hurdles that were delivered a few weeks ago proved to be difficult to put together in a row so were replaced today. Played several games of mahjong and lost!
Tatty has lost an ear tag which will have to be replaced if she ever moves, she’s not as tatty as she was after shearing but the name suits her. Gave Winnie the purple spray treatment on her front left hoof, she has developed a slight limp and the leg above feels warmer than her other three; will have to check it again tomorrow, couldn’t see any sticks or stones that could be causing discomfort. All the sheep have been eating a little hay every day and the runny poo from Nola has improved. Rained a lot overnight, all the water butts are full again, no need to water the hedge for the next few days. Another lovely sunset.
The paddock entrance has been a bit of a problem with several vehicles getting stuck in the mud when it rains, so in the winter bales of straw etc are often left at the front of the house and manhandled to the workshop for storage. A quantity of rubble should help to form a base that’ll be worked into the ground by the next set of tyres, fortunately there’s lots available locally. Rained all day, good for the garden, made a few additions to the temporary sheep shelter to afford more protection from the weather, the donkeys are very wet but still stand outside. Wore gloves most of today as the temperature dropped, hope the weather improves tomorrow for a cycle ride.
A busy day mowing the lower paddock, moving the electric fence and rotating the animals around, the rain wasn’t too bad in the morning, but it turned into a downpour later in the afternoon so the stable yard had a good wash and sweep. The donkeys waited (almost) patiently in the avenue until their new paddock was ready and then they ran and bucked with excitement. The paddock they left had been cut in half because of the acorns from the tree collecting in the grass, they’re poisonous to most animals but pigs can eat them with no ill effect – don’t have any pigs! The day ended with stormy skies and then a bright moon.
10 miles, mostly up, sometimes down, in glorious sunshine from Milton Abbas to Bingham’s Melcombe and back via Gallows Corner. The yew hedge at Bingham’s was planted by Henry VIII, yew was planted to keep out livestock and supply the wood to make longbows. Gallows Corner is at the junction of six green paths that lead to local droves, barrows and ridgeways and Hilton Church has medieval paintings of the apostles that were rescued from Milton Abbey. The terrain was varied and sometimes technically challenging and needed concentration, a lovely ride. Walked the donkeys up and down the avenue, the sheep stayed in the shade, panting until the day cooled. More watering, no rain in the forecast this week although the dew is much heavier in the mornings.
These may be the last blooms of the summer, I hope they’ll flower again before Christmas after a prune, the petals on the red rose are really thick and the sun dazzles around them. The grass in the paddocks has turned a bright shade of green since the thunderstorms and is growing well, a sprinkling of donkey and sheep poo must have helped; the rain came too late for the fields opposite, there’s not enough grass for the customary second cut as there are large bare patches, so no more hay this year although there may be a cut for silage in November. A low lying mist started the day which cleared quickly in the morning sun, watered the runner beans and the greenhouse before cycling.
Moved the Ouessants into the square paddock for a change of scenery and greener grass, it was fine until it started raining and then they all ran under the sheep shelter, it’s smaller than the one in their usual paddock so a couple of them moved outside and were dripped on. Before the storm arrived the donkeys moved alongside the shelter and then they all got very wet. Tucked them up for the night during the thunder and lightening downpour and then half an hour later the rain stopped! Picked courgettes, runner beans, blueberries, windfall bramleys and sloes.
The Sweet Peas outside the back door have been flowering for weeks and attracted this bright yellow spider. Crab spiders don’t build webs to trap their prey they just wait for an insect to land and make a grab for it. Some change colour to camouflage themselves but this one wasn’t blending in at all so I guess it will have moved on to a different flower. A stormy day with strong winds and horizontal rain, made it easier to clean the hard standing outside the stable as there was more than enough water available. Good news for the hedges and trees, no watering required.
The donkeys didn’t win any prizes in the Virtual Donkey Show but they have been given special rosettes! William and Toby weren’t too disappointed at the result and seem happy enough wearing their new decorations. A lovely walk from Spread Eagle Hill towards Fontmell Magna started in a heavy rain shower and ended in bright sunshine, followed by lunch at Compton Abbas Airfield. Took down the electric fence and moved the Texels for the last time as they leave to join the rest of their flock tomorrow, the Ouessants will miss talking with them. Promise of a day’s rain tomorrow.
The donkeys have turned part of their scratching post on it’s side, thinking they’re beavers! A lot of debris so maybe they’re sharpening their hedgerow eating teeth. There’s not a lot of grass in the paddocks; they are returning to their stable for straw mid afternoon and it’s also an opportunity to use the salt lick. Tried to remove a few dock plants from the square paddock, the soil is wet for the first inch but dry beyond that, it’s surprising considering the deluge we had yesterday, we definitely need more rain. A drizzly day with mist in the valley and over the hills but nothing significant in terms of rain, watered the vegetables and picked runner beans and tomatoes. Ate one of the four plums on the tree, delicious.
The six sheep borrowed to keep the grass cut in the paddocks will be going to rejoin the rest of their flock in a few days, they all need to get to know each other again before meeting the rams in September, and they need to be fattened up a little, the donkeys will miss them. Tupping will carry on for six or eight weeks before the rams are separated from the ewes for the rest of the year. All the sheep have been talking with the flock that’s moved into the cornfield across the lane; the sound of bleating carries a long way. A much cooler day with persistent mist and the threat of rain, not much watering to be done.
A lot of it, the thunderstorms arrived in the afternoon and filled up the water butts, very noisy on the stable roof and the gutters overflowed so the hardstanding has been swept clean. The sheep all preferred to stay in the dry whenever possible and shook themselves like dogs when they did get wet. The donkeys stayed out until their usual time, not bothered about the rain, although Toby would have stuck his head under a shelter if there had been one available. No watering required except in the greenhouse, hope the deluge has helped the hedge. Picked cucumbers, tomatoes and runner beans.
Eaten first by the sheep and now by the donkeys, not as neat a finish as a hedge trimmer but much more interesting and satisfying for them. There’s a big difference in the grass, a month ago it was much greener. Found two tiny swallows on the tack room floor, they must have fallen or been pushed out of the nest, hope there’s more in there, the swallows are still flying in and out regularly. A stiflingly hot day with none of the promised thunderstorms, the new hedge is going brown and curling at the edges despite being watered every couple of days and the sheep have stayed in their shelter all day. The Texels are running out of grass so gave them a few apples as a supplement, hoping for rain tomorrow.
Should have taken a photo before I picked today’s crop, this bush will be full of berries for another month at least if kept watered, probably 30 every day so enough for a fresh topping to deserts and breakfast cereal. The runner beans are also cropping well, lots more flowers, need to keep them well watered. Cucumbers and tomatoes are suffering in the greenhouse and need watering several times a day. The donkeys enjoyed an apple lolly, they made short work of the frozen disc. A very hot day with a few drops of rain at dusk.
The yellow Tumbler tomatoes are growing in the same pot as the sunflower and a few red Outdoor Girl have ripened in the border, all different shapes and sizes. The sun and wind has been so hot today that some tomato plants have shriveled in the greenhouse, I hope they recover, will let a sideshoot develop if not. Picked more runner beans, they’ve been thrashed by the high winds so tied a few back to their poles. There’s been a real variety of weather conditions that the plants have to withstand – both varieties of courgettes are doing OK, the drop in the level of compost in the raised bed means they’re protected. A few drops of rain evaporated as soon as they touched the ground so more watering.
In one of the square beds the pumpkins are starting to overwhelm the french beans; the early purple sprouting plants are doing ok although the butterfly’s are laying a lot of eggs that need removing regularly. The intermediate beds need filling with donkey poo ready for the strawberry plants Which need planting out ready for next year. A pair of wrens were hopping about on the bench by the ceanothis tonight, they amused Poppy for a while, fortunately they’re too quick for her. The ouessants are all grazing in the paddock, they sat together chewing the cud in the shelter, a lot calmer today. A sunny windy day, watered the vegetables.
As soon as it started raining Toby ran down the paddock to the sheep shelter and stuck his head under it, that’s all that’ll fit as it’s too low for him – the donkeys are supposed to walk back up to their stable when they want to stay dry! William joined Toby and reversed up to the shelter – he likes standing in the rain. Enjoyed a rather wet cycle ride with a coffee stop and sausage roll at Marcia’s Farm Shop in Spetisbury. Ouessants are messing about today, the lambs are happy enough together; not sure about the ewes wanting the new lamb around so the two flocks have been separated for the night. Picked runner beans, water butts full, no watering required.
The two new Ouessants safely in a dog crate in the back of the car – forty minutes of loud bleating all the way home! I made a shelter in willow paddock with hurdles and a fence panel for Winnie and her lamb Digby. They actually joined the existing four in the small paddock quite quickly; thought it best to keep them separated at first, but there were too many heads poking through the stock wire just wiggling around trying to get stuck. When the gate was opened between the paddocks Nola butted Winnie several times and there was a lot of bleating. I made a third shelter next to the existing one in the small paddock so they could decide how close to sleep, it’ll be interesting to see how they get on tomorrow. A cloudy day with much needed heavy rain in the late afternoon, which filled up a few of the water butts and gave the garden a good soak.
William and Toby are getting the hang of these now, especially as there’s more carrot and less ice. Toby especially likes to crunch the ice to get to the carrot, William is happy to wait for the ice to melt. The fish in the pond want feeding every time I walk past and there was a very young newt sitting on top of a lily leaf. Picked beans and almost have a ripe tomato, cucumbers doing really well. Tried to sort out the compost heap so that I can plant something on the top, need more raised beds….. A hot day with the promise of rain later, watered everything.
In the roof void at the highest point in the upstairs hall. There was a brown stain on the ceiling that looked like a water leak, and a pitter patter noise. Turned out to be a bad idea to touch the paper thin ceiling (wasps eat plasterboard) and they quickly emerged through the hole, very angry. The cats made a run for it, unscathed, and a few moments later the hall was full of wasps. Pest control arrived within the hour, dealt with the nest and taped over the hole. A check outside revealed no other activity, but this morning wasps were emerging from around the wisteria, so another nest has been treated today. A hot day that ended with cloud and some light rain, more expected overnight. Watered the vegetables, the runner beans have reached the top of the sticks so rain may not reach all of the roots.
Eyes tight shut, smudge likes sleeping outside on the woodpile. Poppy prefers to be under a hedge and being a long haired cat she has a lot of grooming to do. Finished the sheep shelter today and had to add another rail to the softstanding as William managed to knock off one of the middle rails in an effort to reach through the fence to get to something tasty. Luckily, he didn’t step through onto the paddock driveway and into the little copse. Always need to keep a few spare rails and posts, I think. Collected fish and chips from the travelling van in a heavy and persistent drizzle, no watering required.
William and Toby were both up close to the sheep in the shelter in the square paddock, they touch noses and set each other off running when they’re excited. A very windy day, need to put the roof on the new shelter when the wind drops. Mowed the grassy area by the stable, almost looks like a lawn, the lawn by the house has bare patches despite the rain so this ad-hoc grassy area looks much better. The tomatoes in the greenhouse are growing at last, removed the side shoots and gave them a feed. Hope to pick the first cucumber later this week. Late sunshine, still windy, no rain so watered the vegetables.
A pair of Bright-line Bright-eye moths (I think) resting on a rubber mat in a warm and sunny spot close to their feeding ground of nettles under an elm tree. Sheep shelter progressing, ordered lining kick boards and fixed stock wire to a couple of paddock gates. Let the sheep into the lower paddock that was mown last week, they really do believe the grass is greener on the other side of the gate – any gate! The wisteria is flowering for a second time, there’s lots of new foliage to be blown around by the strong cool winds and after a cloudy day there’s evening rain, so no watering.
I was given the Haynes manual for one of my cars, which I did look at occasionally, good to see the brand lives on in other ways, lots of pictures, must do some reading. I’m building a Model 2 sheep shelter in the new paddock – it will be an improvement on the first one, William likes drinking from the puddle on the roof. It rained for most of the day, still cool and windy, nice sunset, no watering required. The deer has a companion, they were in the neighbours field most of the afternoon, and the hosta has tall flowers so I think the barricade is still working. The donkeys had a run down the paddock today, not enough to interest the sheep who were bleating in response to calls from a flock further away down the hill.
The six borrowed sheep are ewes that didn’t lamb this year, after a few weeks of grazing the paddocks they now come when you call, and creep up behind you when you’re fiddling with the electric fence. They were shorn before they arrived and are growing a new fleece. Weeded a patch of the border and fixed another camera to the stable to view the new paddock. One runner bean that the deer missed is 8 inches long, the second set are an inch or two. A very squally day, heavy rain and strong winds for at times, much cooler.
The shrubs, flowers and vegetables needed the steady rain overnight, although the wind has been too strong – the wisteria has lost some leaves and the sunflower needs a taller cane! The tomatoes and the cucumbers in the greenhouse are growing at last because of the higher night-time temperatures and the courgettes in the raised bed are four inches long so soon there’ll be a glut to enjoy. The Birds are busy, buzzards call to each other as they sit on the thermals facing the wind and the sparrow hawk is constantly harassed by the crows. The chaffinch outside the back door is taking a chance with the cats….
One of the 15 Left on the tree, there was a lot of blossom so must have caught the last frost, all the remaining fruits are under the canopy. This variety is mid season and juicier than its ancestor, the Cox. Over 24 hours of rain now, everything in the garden will be happier, not sure about the fencing company who are here to divide the lower paddock, they put their wellies on, unloaded the posts and wire, and left! They’ll be back tomorrow…..
Yellow and pink flowering at the same time. These hardy Water Lilies float on the surface of the pond unlike the sub tropical varieties that sit on long stalks above the water. The leaves dislike being splashed, so prefer growing at the other end of the pond to the fountain. The fish are very hungry and want feeding several times a day, the water boatmen that eat the plant debri and algae sit on top and push the food sticks to the nearest leaf edge. It started raining early this morning and should rain all night so no watering. Donkeys are standing outside and quite happy to get wet, the hardstanding is nice and clean having been swept a couple of times, water butts filling up.
This apple is the last to be picked in November, doesn’t mind a bit of frost and stores until February before going a bit wrinkly, it’s best eaten after a month of storage as the skin softens. Originally from Essex, the variety predates 1800 and is grown in windswept situations because the fruit doesn’t fall off in a gale, so is a good choice for this garden. Apparently, apples kept for a year or more taste of spicy mince pie filling, must try it! Looks like there’s a good crop that would benefit from thinning out. More rain showers so no watering, cut a bit more mixed hedging for the donkeys who know exactly what’s coming and get very excited at the prospect of a tasty treat.
Almost in full flower, nearly lost this tree in the winter storms, a hastily built support has stabilized the trunk and it went through a leaf losing stage but has perked up now. Will have to see how it does in the next gale, may have to reduce the top growth. Popular with bees and butterflies, birds are not supposed to like the berries but the blackbirds eat them in the winter. Provides the only midday shady area in this part of the garden so I’d like it to keep growing. Rained overnight, first rainfall for weeks, half filled several of the waterbutts, temperature has dropped by several degrees.
In amongst the buttercups in the paddock and not trampled by the sheep, struggling a little because the buttercups are so tall. Hot again today, the hay in the field, which was cut five days ago, has been baled. Watered the veg, trees and hedge, saving the last full waterbutt to top up the pond so it’s tap water from now on until it rains. Saving as much water as possible from the kitchen, helps to water the plants outside the back door.
