...you know that brave comment of 'Hiltz being fat enough not to fit through the gate?' Yep, either I was having a moment of optimism big enough to rival Merkel & Crew's over in the Eurozone or Hiltz has been on some serious diet. Perhaps that's it. Perhaps that's the key to £$£$£$ - the grass and sheep nut diet...any takers? Anyway, one Hiltz found wandering alone in the duck paddock last night. Had to be last night. Wednesday's my busiest day by far being DD's chauffeur and it was with heavy Hunters did I do the nightly rounds. Thinking of that ice cool gin in the fridge all dreams of that were shattered at the sight of that bloody stupid sheep! Cue the gundog lead, one lassoed sheep and a hasty drag back to the field followed by even hastier reaffixing of the hurdles back onto the gate. Seriously sheep, when ARE you going to grow?
Spoke to my 'duck man' today who confirms 5 girls and 1 drake (I am mad aren't I for getting another drake?) are coming along, haven't been eaten by a fox, come down with illness, caught duck plague or been abducted and held to ransom. So far so good. The pick up eta being in fortnight or so. I am very excited in a not-letting-it-show sort of way, mainly because DD asks constantly about them and is very jealous her best friend has cute fluffy chicks. It's all a bit 'banker' really in that it's a risk getting my maximum number in one go as if DVE is still in the area it's going to go through them again. BUT, getting them all in one go means less exposure to illnesses, stress, realigning pecking orders etc etc etc...I'm waiting for nature to give me a sign but I imagine it's likely to come after the purchase rather than before...
Having survived the thunderstorms of Monday afternoon (broadband, sky and landline all down) the weather has been pretty constant which means everything has been growing, which for us means a) rabbits are eating everything growing and b) what the rabbits don't eat freak bugs are aiding and abetting. Rose Clear & Bug Clear are as high up as my purchases of Chanel toner & moisturiser and equally as important one might argue.
I am still to find out what those mystery creatures are that ran across the road the other day. I shall research and report back. Who knows? It could be a new species discovered in humble Isfield...most likely not! Speaking of the village. Is it just my village that has huge lorries using it all day long? I saw one swerve to avoid a deer this morning. Dangerous on so many levels - especially as he was coming round a bend way too fast, as most cars do if I'm honest. Now, my driving style has been described as 'enthusiastic' and venison is divine but seriously why can't they SLOW DOWN when passing through the villages?! Not least because their accident is bound to make me late for something vital like a hair or nail appointment and you can't afford to mess a hairdresser about round here as good ones are very hard to find....ahh...gone are my Mayfair salon days...thank god for GHDS....
Mx
Weather: Pleasant, settled, circa 18 degrees. Awesome , inspiring views of the downs - the stuff that makes you remember how good it feels to be alive.
Scouse in the South
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Well, the weekend brought limited success to my plans. The Saturday morning clean out was scuppered by an emergency shopping need in Brighton and then having to detour to Marksies where they have my favourite pink Cava currently on offer...honestly this stuff rivals Lanson Rose and when life becomes 'responsibility' then what are you and DH going to do other than have a little treat on a Saturday night? So that was that. Some gardening did get done but more is now needed thanks to my lunatic dog who on a rabbit chase decided going THROUGH the netted fruit cage, then the raspberries was a good idea...! He was in a funny old mood last night - basted himself in the 33 degrees yesterday afternoon and then drank 4 bowls of water on the trot leading to an 'accident' (accident my a**e, lazy so and so couldn't wait to get over to the field) in my lounge with leg cocked against my new, oak, handmade sideboard. SO unimpressed, especially with the subsequent need to get out the gloves, the dettol, the 1001 and scrub away all with my newly done gelished red nails. It wasn't a good dog day all round yesterday.
The sheep are now all sufficiently fat enough for the freezer (oops, not this years lambs, I keep forgetting!) I mean, sufficiently fat enough not to escape between the bottom rungs of the barred gate (the amount of times I've had to chase Hiltz or number 8 around the duck land paddock, hair wafting across my face annoying me, hunched over, bottom sticking out in a so-not-Beyonce type manner to all and sundry on the 29 bus...I care to forget those days) So the extra hurdles have been removed meaning that I can open the gate like any normal smallholder would instead of having to climb over and jump down all with my dodgy knee. Hurrah! Small progress indeed!
I have no idea what to do with hot sheep, I thought I knew how to deal with hot dogs until Horsley's carryings on yesterday, but allow me to preach a very short lesson to you all - sheep do not like being squirted with the hosepipe. I did this with best intentions to spritz their faces (well my Evian brumisateur works for me) but instead it sent them wild with number 8 (soon to named Minty I think) actually running into one of the oaks head on...lesson learned, provide fresh water, leave to nature, Hozelock is not the answer...
Plenty of wildlife activity happening. Mummy duck and her 8 ducklings still in existence and thankfully still on my neighbours ponds, butterflies galore, newly fledged bird families in abundance including greater spotted woodpeckers, green woodpeckers, starlings, blackbirds, buzzards, wrens and plenty more I can't think of right now. Tonnes of bugs everywhere too - biting things, mozzies and our usual plague of grasshoppers. Each night, armed with a jamjar I collect the silly things and release them outside again. It makes me feel good to have 'saved' them until I remember each bat eats 1500 bugs a night... Fox not spotted for 5 days now but 3 dead fox cubs on the roads by our land.
An interesting creature (2 actually) spotted yesterday morning. On the Preschool run turning out of the drive I see 2 'things' running across the road. Now I can only described them to you as giant centipedes as they seemed to have a zillion legs. In hindsight this was probably the reflection from the road surface. Anyway, they were around 9 inches long and only around 3 inches tall, running quite fast one after each other. I can only imagine they were baby stoats/weasels or perhaps lizards. We get snakes on the field (grass mainly but have had 1 adder a couple of years ago) but never seen a lizard in this country. I must find out!
Thunderstorms on the way apparently, great, probably when sheep feeding later on!
Mx
Weather: Peaked at 33 degrees yesterday. sunny, humid and glorious!
The sheep are now all sufficiently fat enough for the freezer (oops, not this years lambs, I keep forgetting!) I mean, sufficiently fat enough not to escape between the bottom rungs of the barred gate (the amount of times I've had to chase Hiltz or number 8 around the duck land paddock, hair wafting across my face annoying me, hunched over, bottom sticking out in a so-not-Beyonce type manner to all and sundry on the 29 bus...I care to forget those days) So the extra hurdles have been removed meaning that I can open the gate like any normal smallholder would instead of having to climb over and jump down all with my dodgy knee. Hurrah! Small progress indeed!
I have no idea what to do with hot sheep, I thought I knew how to deal with hot dogs until Horsley's carryings on yesterday, but allow me to preach a very short lesson to you all - sheep do not like being squirted with the hosepipe. I did this with best intentions to spritz their faces (well my Evian brumisateur works for me) but instead it sent them wild with number 8 (soon to named Minty I think) actually running into one of the oaks head on...lesson learned, provide fresh water, leave to nature, Hozelock is not the answer...
Plenty of wildlife activity happening. Mummy duck and her 8 ducklings still in existence and thankfully still on my neighbours ponds, butterflies galore, newly fledged bird families in abundance including greater spotted woodpeckers, green woodpeckers, starlings, blackbirds, buzzards, wrens and plenty more I can't think of right now. Tonnes of bugs everywhere too - biting things, mozzies and our usual plague of grasshoppers. Each night, armed with a jamjar I collect the silly things and release them outside again. It makes me feel good to have 'saved' them until I remember each bat eats 1500 bugs a night... Fox not spotted for 5 days now but 3 dead fox cubs on the roads by our land.
An interesting creature (2 actually) spotted yesterday morning. On the Preschool run turning out of the drive I see 2 'things' running across the road. Now I can only described them to you as giant centipedes as they seemed to have a zillion legs. In hindsight this was probably the reflection from the road surface. Anyway, they were around 9 inches long and only around 3 inches tall, running quite fast one after each other. I can only imagine they were baby stoats/weasels or perhaps lizards. We get snakes on the field (grass mainly but have had 1 adder a couple of years ago) but never seen a lizard in this country. I must find out!
Thunderstorms on the way apparently, great, probably when sheep feeding later on!
Mx
Weather: Peaked at 33 degrees yesterday. sunny, humid and glorious!
Friday, 24 June 2011
That Friday feeling
The sun shines (for now!) and a good forecast for the weekend (mind you with my weather reporting luck I have no idea why I care to believe it. Thank god weather forecasters aren't on performance related pay...) After a week of mostly rain, the monsoon kind, I hope the 'duck plague' to have been washed away and now expect some serious drying weather to aide recovery of the area. Always learning, one comes to be more cautious in encouraging nature's delights so when discovering Mummy duck and 8 babies in our neighbours pond yesterday instead of the usual 'ahh aren't they cute' I was secretly hoping they don't take a walk down to my duck land as the DVE can be spread by wildfowl...last thing I need is it back in the area! The other thing that happened yesterday was a man knock at my door with a bali crested chicken in his arm (beats the old 'want yer drive doin luv?' I used to get up North from such van driving men) No, this man wanted to know if 'it's one of yours?' (presuming to know I keep chickens - which I don't, not yet anyway.) I was tempted to give it a home but took a look at my salivating labrador and promptly sent him on his way to try the farm up the road.
The 'Doubles D's' are looking very skinny these days so this weekend they can have their sheep nuts back having suffered an enforced 'Aitkens' type diet for the last 2 weeks to dry their milk up. One lamb (number 11) is still wary of us all, quite skittish and constantly calling out to Mum but Mum is getting braver each day and basically turning a deaf ear. I'm hoping in a week or so to put them back together again. Just looking at Dors and Dolly though I notice their fleece back around their necks already, not surprised the temperatures we've had these last couple of weeks.
The squirrels are still wreaking havoc in the barn and DH is now convinced a gun is the only way. The fox has yet to be sighted for 3 days but I know he'll be there, waiting... This weekend involves reading up on on trimming sheep feet (gone on the days of reading Tatler on a Saturday afternoon) disinfecting duck land again and probably the barn given the infestation of the fluffy rats and spraying our fruit crops in the hope they come good. Better get a grip of the house garden too with DH else it will overun and come late autumn all the uncleared things will die down...into our stream..and come January I'll have everything upstairs or on bricks again expecting to be flooded...3 feet is the closest the water has come to the house so far!
Opposite the land is Plashett Woods - arguably the oldest Woods in Sussex (saying something given Ashdown Forest is in there.) With that comes the reputation for having the most diverse group of naturally inhabiting butterflies in the UK. I can tell you that 3 years ago it was spectacular with the explosion of migrating Painted Lady's. Last years gave huge cause for concern with poor numbers. This year, the big guns have yet to appear (Red Admirals, Peacocks, Comma, Monarch etc) but seeing plenty of Marbles Whites, Meadow Browns, Clouded Yellows, Small Heaths, Gatekeepers and my personal favourite - the 'icon' of my marriage, the Adonis Blue. As you can tell, I have a thing for butterflies (hate moths - just too City bred for moths, had 8 EIGHT, in my Hunters a few weeks ago that I left outside overnight. AND they were they the huge, furry, squeal inducing Gypsy Moth!
Will update over the weekend.
Weather: Sunny with the odd random black cloud passing over. 19 degrees currently.
The 'Doubles D's' are looking very skinny these days so this weekend they can have their sheep nuts back having suffered an enforced 'Aitkens' type diet for the last 2 weeks to dry their milk up. One lamb (number 11) is still wary of us all, quite skittish and constantly calling out to Mum but Mum is getting braver each day and basically turning a deaf ear. I'm hoping in a week or so to put them back together again. Just looking at Dors and Dolly though I notice their fleece back around their necks already, not surprised the temperatures we've had these last couple of weeks.
The squirrels are still wreaking havoc in the barn and DH is now convinced a gun is the only way. The fox has yet to be sighted for 3 days but I know he'll be there, waiting... This weekend involves reading up on on trimming sheep feet (gone on the days of reading Tatler on a Saturday afternoon) disinfecting duck land again and probably the barn given the infestation of the fluffy rats and spraying our fruit crops in the hope they come good. Better get a grip of the house garden too with DH else it will overun and come late autumn all the uncleared things will die down...into our stream..and come January I'll have everything upstairs or on bricks again expecting to be flooded...3 feet is the closest the water has come to the house so far!
Opposite the land is Plashett Woods - arguably the oldest Woods in Sussex (saying something given Ashdown Forest is in there.) With that comes the reputation for having the most diverse group of naturally inhabiting butterflies in the UK. I can tell you that 3 years ago it was spectacular with the explosion of migrating Painted Lady's. Last years gave huge cause for concern with poor numbers. This year, the big guns have yet to appear (Red Admirals, Peacocks, Comma, Monarch etc) but seeing plenty of Marbles Whites, Meadow Browns, Clouded Yellows, Small Heaths, Gatekeepers and my personal favourite - the 'icon' of my marriage, the Adonis Blue. As you can tell, I have a thing for butterflies (hate moths - just too City bred for moths, had 8 EIGHT, in my Hunters a few weeks ago that I left outside overnight. AND they were they the huge, furry, squeal inducing Gypsy Moth!
Will update over the weekend.
Weather: Sunny with the odd random black cloud passing over. 19 degrees currently.
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Wet!
Urrgh! everything this week has been totally unglam. It's rained - monsooned, lashed, chucked, pis....whatever term you favour it's done it. Freezing and grey - so grey the Downs have been obscured for most of this week. I feel for all people concerned who have come to visit the new National Park and South Downs Way - it's not like this normally, honest! Most of the time we sit smugly in our protected area looking at the rest of the country suffering the worst of the general weather. Not so at the moment. Mind you, it is Wimbledon week...
The ground has turned to the clay consistency I am used to in winter - clay on boots is NOT easy to remove. The barn has a film of moss over it so that it resembles more of an ice rink and subsequently is a death trap requiring the fleet of foot of someone more used to walking over hot coals than slimy concreted pebbles. This also means the ground is diggable - as evidenced by Foxy Loxy. I am not sure why this fox is trying to now tunnel under duck land - perhaps he is applying for planning permission so that when my new inhabitants arrive he can claim full access.... However, on the plus side, diggable land also mean stakes can be malletted in (well, not by moi personally of course!) so phase 2 of the rebuilding of duck land can ensue. This means relocating the house and building a roofed pen around it. Theorectically it means no new ducks can fly out of it, the fox (should he get into the area) will face another challenge to get through the pen, the carrion can't spread disease around too easily and also steal eggs and kill any ill birds or ducklings. Photos will follow once built. Every time we have had a bright idea however nature has so far found a way to mock us so we will see!
So I am snuffling in the pouring rain (summer colds are so yuk!) wondering if I'll ever feel warm again and thinking about the challenges this year has already produced. Animals aside, we have lost our strawberry crops, our rhubarb hasn't been brilliant - too wet then too dry at crucial times, our raspberries are way behind and our new orchard (3 young trees!) eaten by god knows what. Trouble with living here is you also get these random foreign invaders that are swept in from the sea. Nowhere else will suffer with anything then all of a sudden Isfield is amass of black teeny bugs - everywhere. Next day, all gone!
Dors and Dolly aren't best pleased at being shawn either. Poor things are always by the hedge under one of the oaks at the moment, shivering away. Always the same, you head to a summer event with a carefully planned outfit then the occasion rules your head and you find yourself shivering on a Monday evening at Windsor instead of being sensible and investing in a light boucle jacket or equivalent realising that summer is just not balmy evenings, Pimms and strawberries in this country! Not that my sheep have been racing at Windsor but...you get the picture!
When the weather dries up I will produce some more photographs on here. Until then I have sheep to manage, pigs to consider, ducks to prepare for and then the small matter of eliminating the squirrels, rats and everything else eating my barn contents to bits. When they get through the metal food freezers I'm off outta here!
Mx
Weather: Wet! Cold 15 degrees!
The ground has turned to the clay consistency I am used to in winter - clay on boots is NOT easy to remove. The barn has a film of moss over it so that it resembles more of an ice rink and subsequently is a death trap requiring the fleet of foot of someone more used to walking over hot coals than slimy concreted pebbles. This also means the ground is diggable - as evidenced by Foxy Loxy. I am not sure why this fox is trying to now tunnel under duck land - perhaps he is applying for planning permission so that when my new inhabitants arrive he can claim full access.... However, on the plus side, diggable land also mean stakes can be malletted in (well, not by moi personally of course!) so phase 2 of the rebuilding of duck land can ensue. This means relocating the house and building a roofed pen around it. Theorectically it means no new ducks can fly out of it, the fox (should he get into the area) will face another challenge to get through the pen, the carrion can't spread disease around too easily and also steal eggs and kill any ill birds or ducklings. Photos will follow once built. Every time we have had a bright idea however nature has so far found a way to mock us so we will see!
So I am snuffling in the pouring rain (summer colds are so yuk!) wondering if I'll ever feel warm again and thinking about the challenges this year has already produced. Animals aside, we have lost our strawberry crops, our rhubarb hasn't been brilliant - too wet then too dry at crucial times, our raspberries are way behind and our new orchard (3 young trees!) eaten by god knows what. Trouble with living here is you also get these random foreign invaders that are swept in from the sea. Nowhere else will suffer with anything then all of a sudden Isfield is amass of black teeny bugs - everywhere. Next day, all gone!
Dors and Dolly aren't best pleased at being shawn either. Poor things are always by the hedge under one of the oaks at the moment, shivering away. Always the same, you head to a summer event with a carefully planned outfit then the occasion rules your head and you find yourself shivering on a Monday evening at Windsor instead of being sensible and investing in a light boucle jacket or equivalent realising that summer is just not balmy evenings, Pimms and strawberries in this country! Not that my sheep have been racing at Windsor but...you get the picture!
When the weather dries up I will produce some more photographs on here. Until then I have sheep to manage, pigs to consider, ducks to prepare for and then the small matter of eliminating the squirrels, rats and everything else eating my barn contents to bits. When they get through the metal food freezers I'm off outta here!
Mx
Weather: Wet! Cold 15 degrees!
Saturday, 18 June 2011
Keeping it clean
I woke up this morning, took a view, counted the rabbits on the lawn (daily population increase here) checked for molehills (nearly 2 years mole free - can't believe it, feel like I've had more success than The Priory but still you have to check...) and decided b****cks to the weather forecast. Rain? Wind? Ha! Sunny and lovely it was. So inspired, I decided this morning was the morning to give duck land it's first proper Jeyes fluiding since last weeks cull. By the time I had seen to the family, showered, dug out some gardening type wear, put make up on, straightened my hair and all the essentials it was lashing down. Not just raining - absolutely chucking it down. Again, nature mocks me (though I probably deserve it for my bad weather people thoughts when I woke up.) Armed in full waterproofs, rake and brush in hand I headed off.
Duck land is pretty sad at the moment and I wasn't relishing spending the time there but trying to think positively my mind is now set to getting everything right for the new arrivals in a few weeks. It was interesting to discover plenty of fox poo around the house however - I knew that Fox/Alsatian I espied the other day was up to no good. He certainly took advantage of the electric fence being switched off the cunning thing... I got a bit carried away with the old cleaning (in the most ridiculous rain - even Horsley sheltered in the barn looking at me like I'd lost my marbles) and did everything except individual blades of grass! The fencing, the wooden stakes, the gate..you name it, it's now JF'd. This continued into the barn. I decided to tidy the barn, strip everything out and brush and bleach everything. Not least as our increasing squirrel/rat (not much of a difference I have to say) is causing menace chewing through every plastic container possible. So a full reassessment was called for. It all got finished off with all the used tools being JF'd too!
Aside from being shattered, crippled with knee pain and with hands like sandpaper (why are gloves so rubbish for this type of outdoor work?) and despite having a long indulgent shower on my return to the house, I still smell of JF and I can assure you this does not mix with J'Adore pure perfume. Still, it's a small (annoying) price to pay to think I've started this 'bleach then leave then do it all over again' routine for the next few weeks and with PMA (oh those words bring back memories of office days..!) my new ducks should arrive at somewhere with more private than NHS cleaning standards...
The sheep are all well. Dolly and Dors' 'udders' are subsiding and they've remembered what it was like to be 'lamb free' Off getting themselves sleek and fit for a new ram about town come the autumn. Neither of them give their lambs a second glance now and ironically the lambs now look to the orphans for leadership. But they are all well.. I must post some pics soon of their 'ear accessories'
Horsley is really well - his story is for another day, but given his leg condition (elbow dysplasia and severe arthritis) it's heartening to see him glossy, alert and jumping everything like a stag on days like today. This isn't normally the case with him so his enforced diet of weight control Bakers and no rabbit seems to have started to take effect. He has his Guinness though - purely for the same medicinal reasons as to why I drink gin...
Will update later on this weekend on life here. Hoping for the sun now to dry everything out.
Mx
Weather: See above! Around 18 degrees.
Duck land is pretty sad at the moment and I wasn't relishing spending the time there but trying to think positively my mind is now set to getting everything right for the new arrivals in a few weeks. It was interesting to discover plenty of fox poo around the house however - I knew that Fox/Alsatian I espied the other day was up to no good. He certainly took advantage of the electric fence being switched off the cunning thing... I got a bit carried away with the old cleaning (in the most ridiculous rain - even Horsley sheltered in the barn looking at me like I'd lost my marbles) and did everything except individual blades of grass! The fencing, the wooden stakes, the gate..you name it, it's now JF'd. This continued into the barn. I decided to tidy the barn, strip everything out and brush and bleach everything. Not least as our increasing squirrel/rat (not much of a difference I have to say) is causing menace chewing through every plastic container possible. So a full reassessment was called for. It all got finished off with all the used tools being JF'd too!
Aside from being shattered, crippled with knee pain and with hands like sandpaper (why are gloves so rubbish for this type of outdoor work?) and despite having a long indulgent shower on my return to the house, I still smell of JF and I can assure you this does not mix with J'Adore pure perfume. Still, it's a small (annoying) price to pay to think I've started this 'bleach then leave then do it all over again' routine for the next few weeks and with PMA (oh those words bring back memories of office days..!) my new ducks should arrive at somewhere with more private than NHS cleaning standards...
The sheep are all well. Dolly and Dors' 'udders' are subsiding and they've remembered what it was like to be 'lamb free' Off getting themselves sleek and fit for a new ram about town come the autumn. Neither of them give their lambs a second glance now and ironically the lambs now look to the orphans for leadership. But they are all well.. I must post some pics soon of their 'ear accessories'
Horsley is really well - his story is for another day, but given his leg condition (elbow dysplasia and severe arthritis) it's heartening to see him glossy, alert and jumping everything like a stag on days like today. This isn't normally the case with him so his enforced diet of weight control Bakers and no rabbit seems to have started to take effect. He has his Guinness though - purely for the same medicinal reasons as to why I drink gin...
Will update later on this weekend on life here. Hoping for the sun now to dry everything out.
Mx
Weather: See above! Around 18 degrees.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Names
Today brings a whole new approach to 'glamour girls.' My Dorset Mums who have been separated from the greedy lambs now have absolutely mahoosive 'udder' teats! Poor girls (but fab Mums!) apart from looking like a unique breed of hybrid sheep/goat and cow they have to contend with the almost constant 'baa-ing' of their lambs from t'other side. No wonder they invariably take themselves off to the other side of their field! They don't seem in any pain from the swollen bits but I may bring them into the barn for a week or so (on advice from other, more capable smallholders than moi!) as apparently this may help. But we'll see how nature wants this one to pan out for me... Anyway, point being, it set me thinking and I think the Mums should be called Dors (Diana) and Dolly (Parton) (together they are...the Double D's!!) You could rattle off a whole load more names of course - Jordan, Jodie, Lola.. but hey, my sheep are pure bred and classy!
Slightly put off this morning by the biggest fox I have ever seen sitting in front of the empty duck pond. Honestly I thought it was an escaped Alsatian it was so big. Horsley (my guard dog extraordinaire) ran away from it! Cheers dog! It soon bounded away, no doubt to return tonight for another 'rabbit by the campfire' session staked out.
Going to need to invest in some new boots soon too - have dettolled them so much lately the pink is wearing off! Sooo not good! Especially when they have started leaking too - leaky boots, squelch squelch - yuk ! Maybe I'll go lilac next time...will let DD decide as she has the matching ones of course! Reminded me of the last foot and mouth outbreak. I reckon I learned a lot from it last time. I was city based then but was still affected by it as had planned my annual pilgrammage to the subsequently cancelled Cheltenham festival and I sacrificed a gorgeous brown suede trouser suit (come on it was fashionable in 2001) and suede knee boots walking over the disinfectant mat at Aintree. God, never have I know rain like it at that meeting. Lashed down entirely (Red Maurader for those wondering btw) Mind you, I remember another time like that when my own horse Mister Tibus was running at Newton Abbot a few years back. In the lead - fell at the last, brilliant. Cue me - 7 months pregnant, in stiletto knee boots and white (yes WHITE!) coat running up the final furlong to be caught on camera (at the races channel) flinging my arms around this sweaty, filthy, snorting beast who (thankfully) got up (eventually.) Apparently the commentary had a fun time of it but hey ho - all about the emotion never the fashion in those circumstances. Oh but the dry cleaning bill was horrendous!
Ok, just the Dorset lambs to name now, pity they are not boys, mint and chops spring to mind....
More tomorrow
Mx
Weather: Whatever you want it to be! Had everything today! Wish it would settle down a bit - It's June for goodness sake!
Slightly put off this morning by the biggest fox I have ever seen sitting in front of the empty duck pond. Honestly I thought it was an escaped Alsatian it was so big. Horsley (my guard dog extraordinaire) ran away from it! Cheers dog! It soon bounded away, no doubt to return tonight for another 'rabbit by the campfire' session staked out.
Going to need to invest in some new boots soon too - have dettolled them so much lately the pink is wearing off! Sooo not good! Especially when they have started leaking too - leaky boots, squelch squelch - yuk ! Maybe I'll go lilac next time...will let DD decide as she has the matching ones of course! Reminded me of the last foot and mouth outbreak. I reckon I learned a lot from it last time. I was city based then but was still affected by it as had planned my annual pilgrammage to the subsequently cancelled Cheltenham festival and I sacrificed a gorgeous brown suede trouser suit (come on it was fashionable in 2001) and suede knee boots walking over the disinfectant mat at Aintree. God, never have I know rain like it at that meeting. Lashed down entirely (Red Maurader for those wondering btw) Mind you, I remember another time like that when my own horse Mister Tibus was running at Newton Abbot a few years back. In the lead - fell at the last, brilliant. Cue me - 7 months pregnant, in stiletto knee boots and white (yes WHITE!) coat running up the final furlong to be caught on camera (at the races channel) flinging my arms around this sweaty, filthy, snorting beast who (thankfully) got up (eventually.) Apparently the commentary had a fun time of it but hey ho - all about the emotion never the fashion in those circumstances. Oh but the dry cleaning bill was horrendous!
Ok, just the Dorset lambs to name now, pity they are not boys, mint and chops spring to mind....
More tomorrow
Mx
Weather: Whatever you want it to be! Had everything today! Wish it would settle down a bit - It's June for goodness sake!
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
with each new day...
...I learn something new about all this space around me. Todays lesson was simple - never think you can get away with wearing your Zara summer pastels (even if it's with the pink boots) to do field work in. You very quickly then turn up at your daughter's Preschool looking more ' Yummy Mummy-in-need' than 'Yummy Mummy-indeed.' Jodphurs with sheep drool, rancid water and squashed fly on them are never a good look no matter how embracing of 'boho' one is... However, though it feels very odd to be without my duck purpose for now, the sheep are back in vogue on the field. After their weekend split all are pretty cool with life. Hiltz has been accepted into the flock without the Mummies ordering her away and the mini flock of lambs (5) are led by Ollie. I feel so proud it's one of my orphans who's doing this - especially as she survived a broken leg at birth (and 2 plaster casts after she shook the first one off!) She's going to be such a good Mum. I've decided we must get round to naming the Dorset sheep. Any suggestions for 2 Mums and 2 lambs? All girls of course!
Sitting in my enforced duckless state - waiting for the virus to 'settle', disinfect and then restock in around 4 weeks, I've oddly decided to look at pigs (bacon and duck eggs, you see my thinking!) and have also realised that I want our smallholding to hold purpose - sheep as lawnmowers are fine and cute but next year, if we get any male lambs they are heading straight for some homemade redcurrant sauce. I am going to stick to the 'thoroughbred of the duck world' (quoting last weeks Country Life) with Indian Runners, hatch their fertile eggs and sell them on. I cannot tell you how far this is away from the thoughts I very first had when we bought our land! I imagined sweet pets, sunny days and charming tales to tell to friends over dinner. Fact is, nature, once again educates us. Nature and it's brutalities and marvels has led me to a) believe and b) to understand that there has to be more for me than 'pets.' If I'm going to crack on and embrace the countryside and not just it's pubs and excuse for my 4x4 then there has to be 'reward' for going out, twice a day (with DD most days,) in all weathers and doing anything from wrestling sheep to burying dead ducks...
So today, I feel a bit closer to truly understanding nature and learning to respect it more. Mind you, I see no point whatsoever in this years rabbit population. Not sure what nature's trying to test with me here other than tolerance. Having decided this year to restock our strawberry patch (last years crop were so not 'Wimbledon') DH replanted, nurtured, fed and netted (twice round) them. Sipping a Pimms the other week we were feeling pretty smug (DH more into the fruit growing side of this smallholding malarky) on hearing this year a bumper crop of strawberries are expected given the outstanding Spring. Next morning - a savage attack had taken place down on the patch. Bloomin' rabbits had chewed through 2 layers of netting, left every leaf and eaten every single strawberry! All whilst my rabbit obsessed labrador snored...typical Horsley.
Will update again tomorrow.
Mx
Weather: The sun doth shine! Gorgeous - clear view of the South Downs - awe inspiring. 21 degrees currently.
Sitting in my enforced duckless state - waiting for the virus to 'settle', disinfect and then restock in around 4 weeks, I've oddly decided to look at pigs (bacon and duck eggs, you see my thinking!) and have also realised that I want our smallholding to hold purpose - sheep as lawnmowers are fine and cute but next year, if we get any male lambs they are heading straight for some homemade redcurrant sauce. I am going to stick to the 'thoroughbred of the duck world' (quoting last weeks Country Life) with Indian Runners, hatch their fertile eggs and sell them on. I cannot tell you how far this is away from the thoughts I very first had when we bought our land! I imagined sweet pets, sunny days and charming tales to tell to friends over dinner. Fact is, nature, once again educates us. Nature and it's brutalities and marvels has led me to a) believe and b) to understand that there has to be more for me than 'pets.' If I'm going to crack on and embrace the countryside and not just it's pubs and excuse for my 4x4 then there has to be 'reward' for going out, twice a day (with DD most days,) in all weathers and doing anything from wrestling sheep to burying dead ducks...
So today, I feel a bit closer to truly understanding nature and learning to respect it more. Mind you, I see no point whatsoever in this years rabbit population. Not sure what nature's trying to test with me here other than tolerance. Having decided this year to restock our strawberry patch (last years crop were so not 'Wimbledon') DH replanted, nurtured, fed and netted (twice round) them. Sipping a Pimms the other week we were feeling pretty smug (DH more into the fruit growing side of this smallholding malarky) on hearing this year a bumper crop of strawberries are expected given the outstanding Spring. Next morning - a savage attack had taken place down on the patch. Bloomin' rabbits had chewed through 2 layers of netting, left every leaf and eaten every single strawberry! All whilst my rabbit obsessed labrador snored...typical Horsley.
Will update again tomorrow.
Mx
Weather: The sun doth shine! Gorgeous - clear view of the South Downs - awe inspiring. 21 degrees currently.
Sunday, 12 June 2011
officially duckless...
Today am feeling pretty shell shocked. Of course the moral is if something seems too good to be true it usually (no - ALWAYS) is. If you see a pair of this seasons Chanel sunglasses at £20 then they're more likely to be Shanelle than Chanel... Of course I should have realised this with the 2 ducks I bought from the local show a few weeks back. I am 99.9% sure this is where the DVE has come from. Needless to say, this morning, Betty was found dead in the house and the only kind, controlled thing left that we could do was cull the youngest Belle. She too was showing symptoms... So DH armed with spade and a very rough guide to 'twist and pull' did the deed. The only mildly humorous moment being when a stray deer decided to freak us all out appearing from the corner of the field to then bolt straight through us! So I have no ducks - I am determined to bleach everything within an inch of it's life (ironically!), relocate the house area and then get more feathered friends. It's hard explaining all this to a 3 year old though...You have to take responsibility in life and it's my fault. Any new stock bought simply MUST be quarantined for 4-6 weeks. Trust me. I have learned the hard way.
Down on the sheep fields however all lambs are now tagged. Feeling slightly American chasing sheep around a pen like the proverbial rodeo each were caught, tagged and released. All without too much fuss either, no damage to lambs, just minor grazing, cuts and nicks to my hands and arms from barbed wire (my gelished nails survived though!) It took 3 men, myself and a 3 year old (and lab) to catch the Mummies however! But they are all tagged and feeding lambs are now separated from their Mummies. Already the lambs are screaming (it's like being separated partway through a bottle of Verve Cliquot) but Mums milk has to go so they can recover for the Rams visit come November... Of course, feeling smug we then stood around and chewed the cud for a while before realising we'd left the gate open at the other end of the field! Cue sprinting down the field, hurdling one gate (with dodgy knee) and then trying to tempt 2 astray lambs back into the field with an (empty) bowl of 'food' (a box of matches rattling!) Stupid is as stupid does and thankfully, amid pouring rain, they went back into the field and the gate got shut quicker than the tickets for women's beach volleyball next year got sold...!
Mx
Weather: Windy, cold 15 degrees, mostly raining.
Down on the sheep fields however all lambs are now tagged. Feeling slightly American chasing sheep around a pen like the proverbial rodeo each were caught, tagged and released. All without too much fuss either, no damage to lambs, just minor grazing, cuts and nicks to my hands and arms from barbed wire (my gelished nails survived though!) It took 3 men, myself and a 3 year old (and lab) to catch the Mummies however! But they are all tagged and feeding lambs are now separated from their Mummies. Already the lambs are screaming (it's like being separated partway through a bottle of Verve Cliquot) but Mums milk has to go so they can recover for the Rams visit come November... Of course, feeling smug we then stood around and chewed the cud for a while before realising we'd left the gate open at the other end of the field! Cue sprinting down the field, hurdling one gate (with dodgy knee) and then trying to tempt 2 astray lambs back into the field with an (empty) bowl of 'food' (a box of matches rattling!) Stupid is as stupid does and thankfully, amid pouring rain, they went back into the field and the gate got shut quicker than the tickets for women's beach volleyball next year got sold...!
Mx
Weather: Windy, cold 15 degrees, mostly raining.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
The best laid plans...
I was hoping to bring good news and some tales of (my) misfortune on my 'sheep day' today. Sadly not. I'm afraid my vet rang to confirm the results of the PM on Amelia - DVE (duck viral enterites) So there we go. Though I made the connection in jest it is indeed the same disease that killed the Queens flock. I had great excitement yesterday afternoon as after we got Betty's first egg for us in the house, Belle, not to be outdone had a go at her first egg. No shell mind, but bless her, she tried. Makes it all the more of a kick in the teeth then to write that Betty this morning didn't want to leave the house and was too easy to catch and has weeping eyes and a wheezy quack (bit like listening to an 80 a dayer.) 5 days of antibiotics and it's done nothing. My vet advises a cull and I never, ever thought I'd say this but listening to nature - rather than talking to it, I think this is the kindest. To cull or not to cull..? That is indeed the question...
I have achieved nothing with the sheep today. The stoats/rats have also run riot in the barn knocking everything off shelves and ripping (empty) bags everywhere...Observed something very interesting though on my walk back from the land - our resident Kestrel trying to land on our neighbours pond assumedly to try and attack his carp! Most unusual behaviour.
A sad day in 'duck land' How on earth am I going to cull them?
Mx
Weather: Miserable - showery, thundery, 13 degrees in the rain!
I have achieved nothing with the sheep today. The stoats/rats have also run riot in the barn knocking everything off shelves and ripping (empty) bags everywhere...Observed something very interesting though on my walk back from the land - our resident Kestrel trying to land on our neighbours pond assumedly to try and attack his carp! Most unusual behaviour.
A sad day in 'duck land' How on earth am I going to cull them?
Mx
Weather: Miserable - showery, thundery, 13 degrees in the rain!
Friday, 10 June 2011
A new day
For the first morning this week I have awoken not expecting to find a dead duck. Betty and Belle had indeed survived another night. I survived administering another shot of antibiotic (Baylix) and there in the house was Betty's first egg! Not as big as the IR's but an egg it is! Mind you, if I'd have had to witness what she has this week I'd have probably laid an egg too!
Despite the rain (again but hey we are close to drought here so thankful of it really) it was a pleasant walk to the land. The Buzzards (we have a very unusual family of 7 living in the woods opposite) were doing their usual fighting with the carrion - go Buzzards! Our baby woodpigeons had flown their nest from our straw storage in the barn. The huge family of blue and great tits were very active in the nesting box on one of our trees and the wrens seemed to have survived a nighttime attack by magpies! The walk this morning also saw a very brief sighting of a Kingfisher on our neighbours pond. Goldfinch have recently moved to the area also and the (dreaded but welcome) Cuckoo has been making her presence heard also! I was hoping some swallows would nest in the barn but they don't seem to have settled there - I'm not surprised, it's hardly the Goring Park. How the woodpigeons have survived I don't know but we get rats, stoats, squirrels and rabbits galore (serious cull of the latter needed urgently) in there. Oh and of course the bats! Brown bats, short eared and pipistrels! Yes, you can imagine my reaction when I first discovered bats (and I first discovered them when they started using the loft space above our bedroom window for a maternity lodge) But though I would sooner wear a bright yellow branded logoed tracksuit and fake Louis V bag than touch one I have learned to embrace them. Yes the noise in the dead of night from them and the barn owls can be verging on anti social (I reckon you wouldn't fare too well trying to asbo an owl) but these bats eat 1500 midgies and mozzies each every night! Now that is a fortune saved on repellent and bite cream! I could bore you senseless with the wildlife living here but Springwatch ain't got nothing on life here in Isfield! And very lucky we are too!
Not that lucky with old crops however - but that's a weekend updating story! Thank you to everyone who's following this! Means a lot and happy to have support!
Mx
Weather: Showers again! 18 degrees so not too cold, less breezy too.
Despite the rain (again but hey we are close to drought here so thankful of it really) it was a pleasant walk to the land. The Buzzards (we have a very unusual family of 7 living in the woods opposite) were doing their usual fighting with the carrion - go Buzzards! Our baby woodpigeons had flown their nest from our straw storage in the barn. The huge family of blue and great tits were very active in the nesting box on one of our trees and the wrens seemed to have survived a nighttime attack by magpies! The walk this morning also saw a very brief sighting of a Kingfisher on our neighbours pond. Goldfinch have recently moved to the area also and the (dreaded but welcome) Cuckoo has been making her presence heard also! I was hoping some swallows would nest in the barn but they don't seem to have settled there - I'm not surprised, it's hardly the Goring Park. How the woodpigeons have survived I don't know but we get rats, stoats, squirrels and rabbits galore (serious cull of the latter needed urgently) in there. Oh and of course the bats! Brown bats, short eared and pipistrels! Yes, you can imagine my reaction when I first discovered bats (and I first discovered them when they started using the loft space above our bedroom window for a maternity lodge) But though I would sooner wear a bright yellow branded logoed tracksuit and fake Louis V bag than touch one I have learned to embrace them. Yes the noise in the dead of night from them and the barn owls can be verging on anti social (I reckon you wouldn't fare too well trying to asbo an owl) but these bats eat 1500 midgies and mozzies each every night! Now that is a fortune saved on repellent and bite cream! I could bore you senseless with the wildlife living here but Springwatch ain't got nothing on life here in Isfield! And very lucky we are too!
Not that lucky with old crops however - but that's a weekend updating story! Thank you to everyone who's following this! Means a lot and happy to have support!
Mx
Weather: Showers again! 18 degrees so not too cold, less breezy too.
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Getting the control back...
So, the latest. Well, 2 remaining ducks in the house locked away from Mr and Mrs Fox (haven't even bored you all with that!) Every night for the past week, sure enough the chicken wire on my gate has been clawed back - hoping the electric fence stays strong! (well it was strong enough for my dopey lab who got electrocuted not once, but twice! Now, he won't even come into the same field!) So without ill ducks about the two KC's have been able to go in the house safely locked away.
Sheep are fine - I have to read up on chapter 45 of around 2 million of Defra rules to find out what I need to do to replace a lost ear tag... I've also got to tag my lambs this weekend (I can assure you this will amuse you.) It starts with me actually catching the damn sheep... Having wrestled this evening with Hiltz - the stupidest sheep alive I am not relishing the weekends job! As a none flock member she misses out on every fresh water and sheep nut time meaning I have to chase her, carry her (avoiding all wee and poo) and literally shove her nose in the troughs. Then, and only then does she realise 'yum.' Honestly she makes my other sheep look capable of sitting a degree. Still, with my orphans it is nice as they gambol down the field after you like a pet dog wanting a stroke and play with the actual dog! Ollie survived a broken leg at birth, Bonnie a mega mouth absess and Hiltz, well she's just Hiltz. They other thing I need to look into over the next few weeks is trimming their trotters...I am hopeful I can obtain the services of a sheep manicurist for this (maybe they could give them a wool wash and blow dry too)
Updates tomorrow and a bit more of an insight to surviving here each week whilst DH travels to London from crack of dawn till dusk each day...
Evening all
Mx
Weather: 8:40pm and the nicest part of the day! Hoping for a nice start to the weekend.
Sheep are fine - I have to read up on chapter 45 of around 2 million of Defra rules to find out what I need to do to replace a lost ear tag... I've also got to tag my lambs this weekend (I can assure you this will amuse you.) It starts with me actually catching the damn sheep... Having wrestled this evening with Hiltz - the stupidest sheep alive I am not relishing the weekends job! As a none flock member she misses out on every fresh water and sheep nut time meaning I have to chase her, carry her (avoiding all wee and poo) and literally shove her nose in the troughs. Then, and only then does she realise 'yum.' Honestly she makes my other sheep look capable of sitting a degree. Still, with my orphans it is nice as they gambol down the field after you like a pet dog wanting a stroke and play with the actual dog! Ollie survived a broken leg at birth, Bonnie a mega mouth absess and Hiltz, well she's just Hiltz. They other thing I need to look into over the next few weeks is trimming their trotters...I am hopeful I can obtain the services of a sheep manicurist for this (maybe they could give them a wool wash and blow dry too)
Updates tomorrow and a bit more of an insight to surviving here each week whilst DH travels to London from crack of dawn till dusk each day...
Evening all
Mx
Weather: 8:40pm and the nicest part of the day! Hoping for a nice start to the weekend.
They say it goes in 3's...
...and whoever 'they' are is right. Despite appealing to fate/luck whatever I found my last IR Amelia dead this morning. Another lesson learned - nature isn't frivolous or soft! Funny, at the first one dead you'd have thought I was trying to remove a nuclear atom or something, today, with just a glove, I picked her up. I decided there and then to sacrifice my weekends blow dry and spray tan (seriously only use St Tropez - stops that fake look) and send Amelia off for a post mortem. I know I know! My farming/smallholder friends reading this will think I'm nuts for a ruddy duck (well 4 actually) but I just HAVE to know, to learn from it and to ensure my KC's aren't ready to drop dead and the new IR's I get next month won't be at risk...it's just this once. Mind you, I knew I was tempting fate having my ruined gelish nails redone yesterday...me and Jeyes fluid are a formidable team right now, but my nails have paid for it again...
So...what's it to be? - infection from one of the new ducks brought in, an area infection, carrion, straw...? It's the big whodunnit of Isfield (honestly, it's a very small village where we like to think this is scandal but really some people here really DO have big skeletons in their closets...!)
Will write a bit more later on as usual!
Mx
Weather: VERY showery!! 18 degrees approx.
So...what's it to be? - infection from one of the new ducks brought in, an area infection, carrion, straw...? It's the big whodunnit of Isfield (honestly, it's a very small village where we like to think this is scandal but really some people here really DO have big skeletons in their closets...!)
Will write a bit more later on as usual!
Mx
Weather: VERY showery!! 18 degrees approx.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
evening update
Well, 3 ducks are alive, 2 KC's seem ok though mega stressed. Poor Amelia however isn't faring too well. Was hoping for a rally after shot 2 of antibiotic but no, I've put her away in the house tonight by herself (I can't face another 'Abigail' moment tomorrow) so again...fingers crossed...
I'm in good company though in my duck misfortune as the Queen no less has lost 180 swans through duck enteritis....maybe I've got a royal connection after all...?
It's a bit short this update (sorry know I said I'd give more detail to life here other than ducks!) as it's been quite a day - again and I've got a busted knee from 'dance mania' (never let your figure go when sometimes you have to eat snickers at 10am to keep your energy levels up trying to catch sheep..) so no fun as can't kneel. Plus, I don't know about you reader but I need a very large glass of Sauvignon. I'd much prefer some fizz but will save that to the weekend.
Onwards to tomorrow - come on nature, I can take it now, I'm getting tougher...oh but please Amelia keep going...!
'Speak' tomorrow
Mx
PS Oh and just like falling off a bike/horse am going to get straight back on. Spoke with my breeder and have reserved 4 new IR's to collect in around 4 weeks time. Young stock from someone I trust.
Weather: breezy, 20 degrees, mostly sunny.
I'm in good company though in my duck misfortune as the Queen no less has lost 180 swans through duck enteritis....maybe I've got a royal connection after all...?
It's a bit short this update (sorry know I said I'd give more detail to life here other than ducks!) as it's been quite a day - again and I've got a busted knee from 'dance mania' (never let your figure go when sometimes you have to eat snickers at 10am to keep your energy levels up trying to catch sheep..) so no fun as can't kneel. Plus, I don't know about you reader but I need a very large glass of Sauvignon. I'd much prefer some fizz but will save that to the weekend.
Onwards to tomorrow - come on nature, I can take it now, I'm getting tougher...oh but please Amelia keep going...!
'Speak' tomorrow
Mx
PS Oh and just like falling off a bike/horse am going to get straight back on. Spoke with my breeder and have reserved 4 new IR's to collect in around 4 weeks time. Young stock from someone I trust.
Weather: breezy, 20 degrees, mostly sunny.
broken hearted...
7:30am
...well that's what I think really killed Abigail off overnight, her and Waldo were quite the 'Brangelina.' As I began my walk down to the land (in lashing rain which promptly disappeared when down there leaving DD and I looking ridiculous to the passing double deckers in full waterproofs!) with some trepidation I have to admit, it soon became crystal to me that the now familiar gloves, bag and spade ('essential' items for moi replacing lipstick, perfume and a good handbag) was needed thanks to Mr & Mrs Crow/Rook/Raven - whatever-you-bloody-horrible-birds-are, leaving yet another sight to behold...
Amelia continues to fight but she has now lost her drake and best buddy so is now the only IR in the flock (ha!) of 2 KC's . She's had another shot of medicine without complaint bless her. Though the KC's seem fine I have to treat them too and put it down as a good thing when they nearly pecked my finger off protesting.
So, back to the house hating all things carrion, feeling sad I have to say at Abigail's passing, wondering how to explain it all to DD which I'll have to do at some point, wondering how many ducks can one bury in a compost heap? Having lost a lamb, a close family member and now 3 ducks my DD probably doesn't rate my mothering skills highly...
You know, I have moaned at my ducks every single day threatening them with 'the pancake' and wishing to rename them at times morello, plum, orange... especially Waldo. Ah Waldo, what a great character you were, what battles we had - reader, his finest moment was when coming back from an evening out I decided to be lazy, stop the car, hop over the gate and put them away for the evening only to have yet another 'Carry On' moment (or perhaps 'Benny Hill' was more appropriate) chasing him around the pond. I claimed victory by catching him only for him to poo all over my brand new joules wool jacket, diesel jeans and pretty ballerinas...that'll teach me!
More updates later on today and I'll tell you a bit more about what else goes on 'on the land' as I appreciate my ducks have somewhat stolen the show presently! Will try and update the photos too but no promises today...
Mx
Weather: Showery (special rain that waits only for me to leave the house), breezy, around 16 degrees.
...well that's what I think really killed Abigail off overnight, her and Waldo were quite the 'Brangelina.' As I began my walk down to the land (in lashing rain which promptly disappeared when down there leaving DD and I looking ridiculous to the passing double deckers in full waterproofs!) with some trepidation I have to admit, it soon became crystal to me that the now familiar gloves, bag and spade ('essential' items for moi replacing lipstick, perfume and a good handbag) was needed thanks to Mr & Mrs Crow/Rook/Raven - whatever-you-bloody-horrible-birds-are, leaving yet another sight to behold...
Amelia continues to fight but she has now lost her drake and best buddy so is now the only IR in the flock (ha!) of 2 KC's . She's had another shot of medicine without complaint bless her. Though the KC's seem fine I have to treat them too and put it down as a good thing when they nearly pecked my finger off protesting.
So, back to the house hating all things carrion, feeling sad I have to say at Abigail's passing, wondering how to explain it all to DD which I'll have to do at some point, wondering how many ducks can one bury in a compost heap? Having lost a lamb, a close family member and now 3 ducks my DD probably doesn't rate my mothering skills highly...
You know, I have moaned at my ducks every single day threatening them with 'the pancake' and wishing to rename them at times morello, plum, orange... especially Waldo. Ah Waldo, what a great character you were, what battles we had - reader, his finest moment was when coming back from an evening out I decided to be lazy, stop the car, hop over the gate and put them away for the evening only to have yet another 'Carry On' moment (or perhaps 'Benny Hill' was more appropriate) chasing him around the pond. I claimed victory by catching him only for him to poo all over my brand new joules wool jacket, diesel jeans and pretty ballerinas...that'll teach me!
More updates later on today and I'll tell you a bit more about what else goes on 'on the land' as I appreciate my ducks have somewhat stolen the show presently! Will try and update the photos too but no promises today...
Mx
Weather: Showery (special rain that waits only for me to leave the house), breezy, around 16 degrees.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Day so far...
Mucho eventful morning...arrived down on 'duck land' around 7:30am to find Waldo dead in the house and a scene that, at best, reminded me of the loos in dodgy nightclubs one frequents in earlier years...(or was that just me?) Anyway, will spare you the details but NOT PLEASANT! Slightly panic stricken but trying to stiffen my country upper lip I gathered the remaining ducks into boxes ready for vet trip. Vet confirms an infection - likely sources, either brought in by one of the new KC's (though remarkably they seem free of this infection) a disease carrion has brought in (big magpie/crow problem here) or that it's been a dormant infection brought out by the stresses of last week (one dead new KC, one flown away KC) I leave £30 lighter with antibiotics to administer 'in the beak!'
I have spent my morning scrubbing the vile house out with Jeyes fluid which I can assure you all ladies does NOT mix with gelished nails (btw gelish the solution from heaven for working Mums!), digging a hole in our compost heap for Waldo to lie in and oddly feeling quite proud of myself at being able to give my ducks their antibiotics without choking them or doing something awful to them! I gave them each a sponge wash (ladies, we always feel better when we've had a nice bath right?) and left them in their pen with their original layers pellets (I had changed their feed and could kick myself for not changing it back sooner)
So roll call from last week:
Waldo (IR Drake) dead today
Abigail (IR white) very very weak - unlikely to make it but has drank today
Amelia (IR Apricot) was v weak but after a blast of antibiotics is now able to stand and waddle to her bowl - no food taken yet though.
Belle (youngest KC) survives though v traumatised by life
Betty (newest KC) survives, mega stressed but seems ok so far
Betty (original KC bought with Belle from a show 2 weekends ago) found dead in the water last Friday
unnamed KC (bought with Betty number 2) scaled a 6ft fence and currently missing in Isfield.
Great - how out of my depth do I feel right now? AND it's only meant to be a flipping hobby. Nothing to report on sheep, all are fine!
Mx
Weather: breezy but sunny and warm +20 degrees
I have spent my morning scrubbing the vile house out with Jeyes fluid which I can assure you all ladies does NOT mix with gelished nails (btw gelish the solution from heaven for working Mums!), digging a hole in our compost heap for Waldo to lie in and oddly feeling quite proud of myself at being able to give my ducks their antibiotics without choking them or doing something awful to them! I gave them each a sponge wash (ladies, we always feel better when we've had a nice bath right?) and left them in their pen with their original layers pellets (I had changed their feed and could kick myself for not changing it back sooner)
So roll call from last week:
Waldo (IR Drake) dead today
Abigail (IR white) very very weak - unlikely to make it but has drank today
Amelia (IR Apricot) was v weak but after a blast of antibiotics is now able to stand and waddle to her bowl - no food taken yet though.
Belle (youngest KC) survives though v traumatised by life
Betty (newest KC) survives, mega stressed but seems ok so far
Betty (original KC bought with Belle from a show 2 weekends ago) found dead in the water last Friday
unnamed KC (bought with Betty number 2) scaled a 6ft fence and currently missing in Isfield.
Great - how out of my depth do I feel right now? AND it's only meant to be a flipping hobby. Nothing to report on sheep, all are fine!
Mx
Weather: breezy but sunny and warm +20 degrees
Monday, 6 June 2011
oh great...
7:45pm
....well my quiet ducks are still quiet - even moreso. Have become very worried about them, haven't moved all day, no water, no food taken. My Drake, Waldo is moving about the house pooing green poo over everyone else (oh the glamour, the glitz!) The house stinks (worse than even brut or Insignia) and my white female IR Abigail is quite laboured with her breathing. Please ducks settle down in life!!! All I want are eggs! So, phone call to vet who thinks they may have a bug and tomorrow morning at 8:45am we have to trek off to the vets - somehow. All I can say is score 1 to me for nagging my lovely husband to get shot of our Jaguar....
Sheep on the other hand are all present and correct, baa-ing and maa-ing with my 2 Dorset Mummies pretty damn cold having been sheared last week (cue my daughter 'Mummy they've turned into goats!)
Well...I wait till tomorrow to see if they survive the night, fingers crossed.
Mx
Weather: Still raining, cold and miserable
....well my quiet ducks are still quiet - even moreso. Have become very worried about them, haven't moved all day, no water, no food taken. My Drake, Waldo is moving about the house pooing green poo over everyone else (oh the glamour, the glitz!) The house stinks (worse than even brut or Insignia) and my white female IR Abigail is quite laboured with her breathing. Please ducks settle down in life!!! All I want are eggs! So, phone call to vet who thinks they may have a bug and tomorrow morning at 8:45am we have to trek off to the vets - somehow. All I can say is score 1 to me for nagging my lovely husband to get shot of our Jaguar....
Sheep on the other hand are all present and correct, baa-ing and maa-ing with my 2 Dorset Mummies pretty damn cold having been sheared last week (cue my daughter 'Mummy they've turned into goats!)
Well...I wait till tomorrow to see if they survive the night, fingers crossed.
Mx
Weather: Still raining, cold and miserable
Ok, day one...
8am
Today I ventured into 'duck land' (my fenced pond and pen) to see how all were (it's been an eventful week - Waldo drowned one of my new Khaki Campbell (KC) girls having sex with her on Friday.... cue 2 replacements found pronto, only for one of them to freak out on Saturday (on reflection maybe I should have taken my aviator sunglasses off) scale a 6ft fence and scarper - lost KC now in the village...great!) So anyway, all ducks are currently in a pen within a pen 'getting to know each other' before being released onto the 40ft pond. But there is a water bowl stand off with the Indian Runners (IR) at one bowl and KC's at the other...it's like this in their house - an invisible line held by Waldo who just goes from duck to duck...hoping they are ok as normally they practically stampede to get out of their house.
Sheep are fine - now that my youngest orphan Hiltz (have you watched The Great Escape?!) is off milk it's taken a while (6 days) for the penny to drop and realise the water bowl is for drinking and sheep nuts actually are food - the light bulb moment happened yesterday (making up for a pretty rubbish duck weekend.) I am hopeful she now will make more effort to become part of the flock as at the moment she's always alone and doesn't make friends easily (not surprisingly she isn't friends with Horsley who she tried latching onto.... think male dog...) Bless her, she was born with an absent Mum and brain I think...
Will check on all later on...
Weather: cold (13) and raining
Mx
Today I ventured into 'duck land' (my fenced pond and pen) to see how all were (it's been an eventful week - Waldo drowned one of my new Khaki Campbell (KC) girls having sex with her on Friday.... cue 2 replacements found pronto, only for one of them to freak out on Saturday (on reflection maybe I should have taken my aviator sunglasses off) scale a 6ft fence and scarper - lost KC now in the village...great!) So anyway, all ducks are currently in a pen within a pen 'getting to know each other' before being released onto the 40ft pond. But there is a water bowl stand off with the Indian Runners (IR) at one bowl and KC's at the other...it's like this in their house - an invisible line held by Waldo who just goes from duck to duck...hoping they are ok as normally they practically stampede to get out of their house.
Sheep are fine - now that my youngest orphan Hiltz (have you watched The Great Escape?!) is off milk it's taken a while (6 days) for the penny to drop and realise the water bowl is for drinking and sheep nuts actually are food - the light bulb moment happened yesterday (making up for a pretty rubbish duck weekend.) I am hopeful she now will make more effort to become part of the flock as at the moment she's always alone and doesn't make friends easily (not surprisingly she isn't friends with Horsley who she tried latching onto.... think male dog...) Bless her, she was born with an absent Mum and brain I think...
Will check on all later on...
Weather: cold (13) and raining
Mx
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