I'm pretty sure Blaze was a cat in a previous life. His retrieval obsession started off with the odd sock and T towel then escalated to DD's toys, chicks and rabbits. Seemingly slighted by the stern looks and deep voice Blaze clearly thinks I'm unimpressed. The words "no" and "leave" not registering in the small bit between a labs ears. Keen to please, eager to be loved he ups his game regularly. Last week he decided to try for the 'ultimate.' To be fair, he knows me well and he is right in that, this time of year a haunch of venison with red wine delights me no end. 'Pick your own' style however, doesn't appeal to me. Not that this stopped him as he spotted 3 deer in the field. Not even Horsley's call of "been there, done that, still out of breath from it" put a halt to the boys enthusiasm. So off he went. A million miles an hour. I was stunned into simply being able to do nothing except watch as Glory Blaze took off, full athletic, shiny, muscular coat bounding across the fields as the sun was rising and the dew was glistening. Sounds lovely doesn't it? Unfortunately the illusion was shattered by my trusty gundog whistle (3 peeps and he'll return my ar*e) and subsequent yellings of, "right, that's it. I'm cold, it's freezing, you can stay here and chase deer for all I care.." Basil Fawlty eat your heart out. Needless to say, the deer (regulars) are used to the dopey labradors and were away at a graceful bound and leap before Blaze had picked himself up to carry on running after them having tripped over his front paws - yes. He really did. Eventually he returned, ears flat, tail between his legs, cow eyes on. One day he'll learn to save his energy (for like when he earns his keep out at stud) but I love his efforts really. He's learning too that Mother Nature makes fools of us all (and how many times have I written that throughout the course of the blog to date?!)
We saw Darcey the other day on our afternoon walk. Darcey being the black fish we 'released' into the pond from the kitchen tank after she grew too big. DD was delighted. I was too but I have to say, each time I spot one of our family of herons there it's so special to be close up to nature. Even more so as the thousands of goldfish that exist out there in the pond attract buzzards to hunt there (an amazing sight) kestrels to perch and wonderful kingfishers always flying off so suddenly with a fish dangling. So I really hope Darcey has become street-wise after a cossetted upbringing indoors. Kristina, Wenlock and Mandeville are pleased with the extra space however.
We also have a new arrival by the name of Brutus. A shetland ram with scary curly horns! It's the lottery time of year. We don't have a marking spray on him and it costs too much to scan the ewes etc so it'll be wait and see again! We have made a better note of dates this time however. He's obviously quite a catch as even Lily, Saturn and May the lambs not in his field keep following him up and down the fence!
This weekend sees a 'tidy up' need. Lots to do in garden, lots to clean out in chicken area which has resembled a mud field of late and lots of prep to do in terms of getting a hay feeder for the sheep, stock checking the hay, oiling the gates and making a note that next year we must invest in hardcore around the gates so that we can get vehicles on and off. It's always the first and most vital areas to subside into clay and mud. DH and I noticed whilst on a recent trip to the Lake District that it seems quite normal to do this up there. Makes sense really. Not that we have many vehicles. Our little workhorse golf buggy has died so it's either the trusty Volvo or a trailer being pulled by hand to move some logs around in prep for the woodburner being fitted shortly (energy prices can go to hell.) Well, it can't be the car as the lock on the access gate is seized. Nothings moving in or out at the mo! Honestly, everything as a smallholder is hard bloomin work and usually costly!
In saying that I do appreciate every day how lucky we are. About a year ago DH was kicked out the City and though it was hard - people who have experienced redundancy will know just how hard, I always knew leaving the pricks he worked with (oh I could write a book!) would benefit us all. It didn't feel like that for a long time. But. One year on and we are feeling positive again (even if I am still angry - guess thats the scouser in me!) DH has his mojo back. And it is true; what goes around comes around.
Stay positive!
Will update photos when I get a chance.
Mx
Weather: Well it's warmed up a bit to a barmy 10 degrees. It may as well have been minus 10 this morning having to wash Blaze after a spot of fox poo rolling at 7am. Sub tropical indoors currently though as DD has a bug.
Scouse in the South
Thursday 28 November 2013
Monday 11 November 2013
Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin.
Yep. Buy a Retriever, it'll retrieve. Well, not exactly true with Lord Horsley, he'd rather chase a ball then run off with it rather than retrieve it in the old fashioned sense but Blaze is turning out to be an almighty retriever of things. Starting with the rural he has gracefully returned home with rabbits a plenty of late refusing to drop them even for a coveted biscuit. Cue 20 mins of dog negotiation required... Then, he has been retrieving apples off the tree and into his stomach and then his piece de resistance the other week was retrieving a pair of red, lacy ahem, 'underwear' (please. Any male readers can cull the embellishment of this vision - the reality is somewhat 'function' not 'fun.') Oh yes, retrieve them he did, from the washing basket (clean!) and to the front door whereby at the time I was signing for an amazon delivery.... Dear god, there are times when I could cheerfully castrate the dog by hand and this effort was by far the nearest he has come. Still, it'll save DH money as of course, I won't be ordering anything, ever again! Blinking dogs!
Sticking with the dogs, they are super fine and fit. Horsley continues to lose weight which has kept the pressure off his elbow dysplasia so he's really happy. Blaze and he rule the fields and they are best buds . There is something so delightful about watching a lab clear a 5 bar gate with ease, the sheer majesty of it, accurate, alert and graceful. Gives me almost the same feeling as when I'm close to a fence on a racecourse somewhere and a 17hh beast makes the most beautiful shape blending power, balance and beauty to absolutely ping a fence. Nothing ever comes close to those feelings so, needless to say, I'm a happy bunny now we're heading back into jumps season! All roads lead to Cheltenham in March, maybe even Punchestown afterwards too. Saturday morning cuppas', Racing Post, bets on, notes made in the notebook of 'horses to follow' and all the madness of 25 layers of tweed, exposed to the elements with the car sinking in a muddy car park somewhere in the back of beyond!
Our lambs all headed off to slaughter. It's been somewhat a harsh learning curve this year. You'd have thought the luscious summer would have meant bumper everything, but not true. The wet autumn, cold winter and harsh early spring meant that the grass didn't grow. Then it scorched and didn't grow and so finishing those lambs off naturally became a very hard job indeed. Given the same amount of growing time bar a week as those last year the lambs that went were disappointing in size. I thought they still looked small but a butcher (who wanted to buy some of them) advised us differently so off they went. Lesson learned - always stick by your gut instinct; clothes, men, farming. However, the meat, being absolute meat and little, if any fat is utterly supreme. The legs are unbelievably well formed and the meat succulent and tender. I cooked some kidney yesterday and, by god, it was good. A little like the pigs liver - when you feed your animals proper, natural food and invest that time in maintaining the land for richness and nutrients it certainly pays off. Proof is in things like the offal. Like the pigs liver, the lambs kidneys were clean, shiny and brimming with health. Even DD loved helping me prepare them, though not as much as she enjoyed devouring the pie!
Everything chickeny is muddy and yuck thanks to the recent wet weather. The poor girls have had it all to deal with of late - lost their man, lost one to 'broodiness and raising a flock' and now said broody is back, ruling the roost as before and still being super protective of the 3 chicks - Runty, Dusty and an unnamed. The clucking and squealing at dawn really has to be heard to be believed as they all jostle for position in the house along the perch. Floss (Mum) holds the key. When Roxy, Penny or Misty try to head to the nest box for egg laying Floss goes crazy at them as she presumes they're out for her chicks! Roll on the day Floss tires of looking after the brood and resumes egg laying and flock leading duty once more. Needless to say egg production temporarily stopped with all this unsettlement and upheaval. So with a scone or 12 and the lure of extra free range time around the garden offered the girls agreed new working conditions and this last week egg laying seems to have resumed! Politics! Think I'm going to start call them Ed, Nick and Dave from now on!
Have a great week everyone!
Mx
Weather: Wet! Cold (11 degrees) damp and dark. Generally miserable.
Sticking with the dogs, they are super fine and fit. Horsley continues to lose weight which has kept the pressure off his elbow dysplasia so he's really happy. Blaze and he rule the fields and they are best buds . There is something so delightful about watching a lab clear a 5 bar gate with ease, the sheer majesty of it, accurate, alert and graceful. Gives me almost the same feeling as when I'm close to a fence on a racecourse somewhere and a 17hh beast makes the most beautiful shape blending power, balance and beauty to absolutely ping a fence. Nothing ever comes close to those feelings so, needless to say, I'm a happy bunny now we're heading back into jumps season! All roads lead to Cheltenham in March, maybe even Punchestown afterwards too. Saturday morning cuppas', Racing Post, bets on, notes made in the notebook of 'horses to follow' and all the madness of 25 layers of tweed, exposed to the elements with the car sinking in a muddy car park somewhere in the back of beyond!
Our lambs all headed off to slaughter. It's been somewhat a harsh learning curve this year. You'd have thought the luscious summer would have meant bumper everything, but not true. The wet autumn, cold winter and harsh early spring meant that the grass didn't grow. Then it scorched and didn't grow and so finishing those lambs off naturally became a very hard job indeed. Given the same amount of growing time bar a week as those last year the lambs that went were disappointing in size. I thought they still looked small but a butcher (who wanted to buy some of them) advised us differently so off they went. Lesson learned - always stick by your gut instinct; clothes, men, farming. However, the meat, being absolute meat and little, if any fat is utterly supreme. The legs are unbelievably well formed and the meat succulent and tender. I cooked some kidney yesterday and, by god, it was good. A little like the pigs liver - when you feed your animals proper, natural food and invest that time in maintaining the land for richness and nutrients it certainly pays off. Proof is in things like the offal. Like the pigs liver, the lambs kidneys were clean, shiny and brimming with health. Even DD loved helping me prepare them, though not as much as she enjoyed devouring the pie!
Everything chickeny is muddy and yuck thanks to the recent wet weather. The poor girls have had it all to deal with of late - lost their man, lost one to 'broodiness and raising a flock' and now said broody is back, ruling the roost as before and still being super protective of the 3 chicks - Runty, Dusty and an unnamed. The clucking and squealing at dawn really has to be heard to be believed as they all jostle for position in the house along the perch. Floss (Mum) holds the key. When Roxy, Penny or Misty try to head to the nest box for egg laying Floss goes crazy at them as she presumes they're out for her chicks! Roll on the day Floss tires of looking after the brood and resumes egg laying and flock leading duty once more. Needless to say egg production temporarily stopped with all this unsettlement and upheaval. So with a scone or 12 and the lure of extra free range time around the garden offered the girls agreed new working conditions and this last week egg laying seems to have resumed! Politics! Think I'm going to start call them Ed, Nick and Dave from now on!
Have a great week everyone!
Mx
Weather: Wet! Cold (11 degrees) damp and dark. Generally miserable.
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