Tag: This Dorset life

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William and Toby

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.

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Ellingham Show

As the Show is cancelled the judges are holding a Virtual Donkey Show, 12 classes in all, details on their website https://ellinghamshow.co.uk/whats-on/donkey-show/. We may enter the ‘ears’ and ‘portrait’ classes. It’s always been a great day out at Ellingham, there are lots of animals to see and it’s well worth having the membership. Released a peacock butterfly and a meadow brown from the greenhouse when I was watering, and there was a balloon flying over the valley tonight, first sighting this year. A hot day, rain expected at the weekend.

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Raised Bed

Lower than my other three beds at a foot high these will be filled with donkey poo and then packed with new strawberry plants and relocated rhubarb. Easy self assembly, no fancy packaging, all bought from Solway Recycling who make all their products from waste farm plastic. A fire last month delayed delivery but they’re back in production now, and offer an excellent service. Picked 6 cucumbers today, gave a few away…. no pumpkins yet, sheep and donkeys happy, a cloudy start to the day with hot sun later, watered the vegetables, removed sideshoots from the tomatoes.

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Bristly Oxtongue and Wild Marjoram

Oxtongue is considered a bit of a pest by farmers, it’s a traditional herb used to get rid of parasitic worms, it’s growing alongside maturing poppy heads and Wild Marjoram in the rose bed. The donkeys enjoyed grazing the central avenue and eating their ration of thistles, beech twigs and apple branch prunings. Toby briefly escaped from the stable through the workshop and was tempted back by a rattle of special donkey mix. Lovely hilly cycle ride up and along Ballard Down to Old Harry Rocks and on to Studland for coffee, a bit of a cloudy day with some drizzle, views to the Isle of Wight and Swanage still amazing.

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Sheep Manual

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.

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Runner Beans

Stenner runner bean seeds sown on 7th April, planted out today before they started winding up and around each other. Sticks have been up a month or so, secured with lengths of bailer twine to cope with the strong winds. Poppy was briefly interested in the chives! Good that the deer didn’t eat the young plants, hope that’s true of the flowers as well. Not sure about the rabbits. Ordered more raised beds for the strawberry plants, still chilly in the evening so lit the woodburner, hope we don’t get a late frost.