Yes, that is a Marmalade Kitten climbing onto a BooNanny’s head

Look at this tiny Marmalade Cat.. climbing up onto Boo Nannys head.  Boo stays very still and then very slowly turns his imploring eyes to me with a ‘how long can this go on’ look. Long time Boo, sorry buddy.

The Duke of Kupa knows that this warm sunshine is on the wane so he sits. And he waits. For the wane.

I had a friend tell me the other day that he could never trust his pigs around his chickens, he said they hunted them and ate them.  Well, I guess my piggies are not that hungry.

Yesterday I  rotated the cows and sheep into their clean pastures. This is my favourite part of the week, calling them through, then watching  them drop their heads into the long tasty grass and all I can hear is that tear and munch of big happy mouths.

All the girls are back into one flock, Hairy the ram is fighting everyone – including me. This happens with hand reared rams. They get too familiar. So he has gone into solitary splendour.  I will probably have to sell him this winter. Or swap him for another fresh ram for the girls.  He has repeatedly broken in with Minty and Meadow (with the help of Charlotte that time) but so far we have kept him away from Tilly.  On such a tiny farm a big ram like that is hard to manage. I was not paying attention the other day and he head butted me in the back, gave me such a fright.  Usually he is such a pet, but you should never turn your back on a ram, especially at this time of year. I know this.

Daisy.

And Queenie.

In Pats Paddock. Eating and Gestating. Everyone gets a bucket of apples each day until I have stripped all the trees. So both cows are lovely and shiny and well fed.

Look at that lovely pasture.  We are so lucky it has lasted this long. Next year, if all goes well, there will be four cows on these fields, so it will be a different picture.

Good morning. I am up early, early.  3 am early actually. The Marmalade kitten is fed and back to sleep. Even the dogs have gone back to bed but I cannot sleep tonight. So I am having a cup of tea beside the fire.  Our first fire of the year.  We heat the whole house with this woodburning stove (though the bedrooms are never that warm – which I prefer) and all winter I will cook on it too.

Soon I am going to pull the fridge out as I can smell a dead mouse. I loathe that smell and I will not be able to settle until I find it and get it out of the house. And they almost always choose to die next to the motor of the fridge. Bloody mice.

You all have a lovely day.

After I have crawled around the kitchen on my hands and knees looking for dead things I might go back to bed too.

Your friend, celi