Sunset time

Its that time of the year again when the sunsets are at their best, mainly because the sun is now setting to the North West of the house so we get a better view of it and mainly because we have had such clear evenings. The sky is still light in the North at 11pm. The colours are truly amazing and sadly I don't have a camera which will do them justice. The sky seems to have been painted using horizontal stripes, deep red at the bottom, rising through the colours, orange, yellow and then (and I had never seen this before coming to Devon) green, before turning to light blue to dark blue. The green is quite clear and is a sort of pale colour, possibly that pale apple green colour you see in the flesh of a granny smith only slightly darker.

The swallows are having a lot of fun especially trying to dive bomb us if we go near the outbuilding where they are nesting. They have also made rather a mess of M's car but it is parked in their flight path.

Charlie cat has taken to sleeping in the long grass in the field next to the house when it is hot, luckily he wasn't there yesterday as the farmer has now started silaging and came to start cutting the field yesterday, he does leave a border round the field so Charlie wouldn't have been mowed but it would have given him a shock. I did feel for the farmer last night, he was still cutting when we went to bed and clearly was still at it very late into the night. He is very thoughtful and didn't cut the field next to our neighbours, who are older, so as not to disturb them. He apologised to us for cutting so late but we don't mind at all, it is all part of living here, you can't live in the country and especially in such an agricultural area without tractor noise every now and then. I think when and if we ever manage to have holiday cottages it is something that we will tell people to be aware of, as some folks don't realise that the country isn't always quiet; March and April - lambing, so beware of where you walk and letting dogs of the lead; end May and June - silaging, lots of tractors on the roads and possibly working late into the night.

The tourist season seemed to start well with half term last week, the beaches were full and although it was hot, there was a cool breeze so it was nice, mind you easy to get burnt if you weren't careful. Some friends made it to the beach last week with M, but sadly I was working - typical.

Work is very very busy now for some reason, I am almost having to turn work away at the moment, but don't want to do it, as I don't know when and if it will dry up again. M is busy too and people (despite the recession) seem keen to buy the garden furniture. I think the local nature of the furniture is a good selling point and it comes direct from the Sawmills which is near here so limited miles on it (apart from delivery of course).

No piccies today, but once they have finished cutting (it doesn't do my hay fever any good), I will try to get some piccies of the fields and the bales, as although they are now in black plastic it is a pretty sight.

Wildlife

It must be that time of year, but we have noticed a lot of wildlife recently and some of it apparently is rare or it is rare to see it so I wanted to record it.

When we first came here I noticed that we had a bird with a very distinctive call and semi recognised it, I suppose from my childhood. The name yellow hammer came to mind, so I looked it up and sure enough we have a yellow hammer, apparently they are very rare.

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/y/yellowhammer/index.asp

We hear it often but had never seen it and then last week M remarked on a bird outside the office window with very bright markings and there was our yellow hammer stealing the hens grain! Just beautiful, I don't think I have ever seen one before, and M hadn't either so we both feel very honored.

As I have mentioned before we also have foxes and have been walking the fields 3 times a day (great exercises to try to walk round all the hedges of 11 enclosures totaling 50 acres, I might actually loose some weight!!) to try to pusude Mr Fox to leave our hens alone (see previous post). We have seen Mr (or Mrs) Fox several times and also their cubs, however, since we started our regular walks the Fox family seem to have moved off as we haven't seen any evidence of them now for about 2 or 3 days. We won't get complacent though and will keep the walks going, good excercise and lovely to see what is growing in the hedgerows and keep our eyes peeled for other wildlife.

Whilst on our walks we have also seen deer. We had seen evidence of them before in hoof prints in the mud, but until last week had never actually seen them in the flesh. On both occasions of sightings, both M and I thought it was Fox hiding in the grass and then suddenly they stood up and we realised that (in my case) it was Mr deer and in M's case it was Mr and Mrs, no young though.

There is also evidence of badger in footprints in the mud but as yet they haven't been sighted. We used to have rabbits but they have all gone, think the fox has decimated that population. Last year we also saw hares but no sightings this year. We have lots of pheasants and I have to admit to have occasionally mistaken a hen pheasant for fox too. The other morning whist making tea first thing I saw a young cock pheasant right under the kitchen window, he must have been hungry to have got that close to the house. They are rather lovely and of course at this time of year safe from ending up as dinner! On the subject of dinner there are of course lots of pigeon, but they haven't ended up in the pot yet! Other bird life includes the swallows who are busy making nests and generally having a lovely time.

The final sighting was in some ways the most exciting (apart from the yellow hammer) . Yesterday I was digging out some muck from under its covering of black plastic (to keep it from being completely dissolved and it helps prevent the weeds) and as I peeled back the plastic found a rather beautiful snake. Managed to find M to see it before it disappeared too. I love snakes but have never seen one in the wild before; after some research (M thought it was a grass snake and we were pretty sure it wasn't an adder) we confirmed that it was a grass snake and rather a long one. Apparently they do grow very long and love hibernating in compost heaps. Also they are very shy and are very difficult to see because they will hide if they feel the vibrations when you come near them, so we were very very lucky to see it. Grass snakes are not harmful so we don't have to worry about the hens or the cats disturbing it.

Celebrations and sorrow

We have now been here for 1 year exactly. When we first took on this house we said we would rent for 6 months and then buy something but we are still here and to be honest it will be some time before we find anything, we are so spoilt here, with wonderful views and 50 acres to wander about in. So that's the celebration.

The sorrow is that after 11 months of having chickens we lost our favorite hen to Mr Fox on Thursday. She was the one with the most spirit who pecked at us when we first got them; the one who started the wellie pecking and the one that M rescued from the hedge just after we first got them and she had got lost down the lane. We thought then that we had lost her to the fox and if M hadn't found her in the hedge that night (and it was getting very dark when he found her) we probably would have done.

We both knew that this is a dangerous time of year, the cubs are young and hungry and hungry foxes will do whatever they can for food, even if that means coming near to the house at 11am in the morning. To be honest we had thought that she wasn't well for a while, we used to get 4 eggs a day but in the last few months have only had 4 once a week, we weren't absolutely sure she was the one not laying but she often had a bit of a stagger and seemed heavy in the undercarriage. We had checked for her being egg bound but never found anything. Last weekend she laid an egg in the grass down the side of the veggie patch (an odd place for a hen to lay an egg as they normally like dark private places). It was unformed and soft and she started to eat it. M saw her do it and said she looked like she was in trouble. On the day she was killed she was down by the big field, where they don't often go and we think she might have been trying to lay again. We think Mr Fox was being opportunist and found her in the grass and killed her. Thankfully the other 3 weren't hurt and thankfully Mr Fox was disturbed so didn't get his dinner. Interestingly, since we lost her we have 100% egg production, so that also strengthens the belief that she was the one not laying.

It is sad and I was to start will less upset than I thought, but the next day I felt dreadful about it. The other hens are now closely watched and locked up most of the day which they hate, but they are only chickens (I am afraid to say). We also don't really have enough room for a proper run, so things are a bit temporary at the moment. It has been a big lesson for us not to be complacent about Mr Fox, and also that we need to harden ourselves a bit if we are going to continue to keep livestock (which chickens are really, not pets). One day we hope to keep pigs, what on earth will I be like when they have to go to the abattoir if I get upset over one hen!

With these lessons learnt, hopefully we can do our best to keep the others safe, but Mr Fox knows they are here now so we must not get lulled into a false sense of security, but we also must accept that if we want our hens to be as free range as we would like then we are going to run the risk of loosing one or two now and then. I know many people who keep hens who loose the odd one or two and it is a fact of life.

Now we must look forward to our next year here in our old farmhouse and maybe we will find our own place in the not too distant future.

Summer has come

Saw my first Swallow today sitting, looking rather lonely and chirping like crazy on one of the electricity cables between the barns. I think he got here first and was waiting for his friends. M said later that he had seen several of them 'playing' together. I love them, they always make you feel happy because they look so happy. I bet they were so excited at having made their journey and meeting up again.

Actually M did say that he thought he had seen one a few weeks ago but we never saw it again so maybe it wasn't. They are definitely here now.

A bit of a rant

I don't normally use this blog for a rant about anything but feel rather moved to do so today.

On Friday afternoon we went to the pub at on the North Cornish coast, we hadn't been for a while and it one of our favorites. Whilst we were sitting in the sun enjoying our beer we saw a rescue helicopter come over the cliffs from Bude and down towards us and then down towards the sea. We thought it was a practice, but found out later that a 20 year old man had lost his life lost having got stuck up the cliffs after being cut off by the tide (his friend was saved).

Now this is terrible and I feel quite strange knowing that someone was in deep danger only a short distance away from where we were enjoying ourselves. However, I am also angry at this accident that could so easily have been prevented. Why don't people check when they are going to the beach and particularly if they plan to walk from one beach to another especially along a rocky coastline what time high water is and the tide height, you should also check that you know where you can get off the shoreline if you need too. These rocky coastlines have few places where you can get up the cliffs. I have no idea where these two got onto the shore and whether they were on holiday or locals but that should make no difference. It should be common sense and common practice to check for high water times particularly.

My rant then is to say to people, please please please be careful when you go to the beach and particularly a rocky coastline, know the tide times and heights and know how you can get off the shore if you need to.

Right, rant over.

Edited on 14 April 09.

Just as I was cleaning out the woodburner I found a piece in the local paper from end March about two teachers and their pupils who were on a school climbing trip to Hartland Quay (a local beauty spot with very dramatic cliffs and rock formations). This group were from a local school and they got cut off too. All were rescued after the teaching assistant scaled the rocks to raise the alarm (which had already been done by some walkers). This is almost even more terrible in the fact that this was a local group who were familiar with the area, and who climb there regularly; they in particular should have been fully aware of the tide times and in this case the real problem which was the tide height!!!

March to April

Been very remiss and not updated this for ages so very busy.

I have just started a new job, one day a week at a local college. Trying to fit in the one day with all the other work I have right now is going to be a challenge but exciting (I hope). I really shouldn't complain with other people loosing their jobs all over the country and I have managed to get a new one.

Been busy too on the wine making front with the gorse wine just gone on the ferment. Dandelion will be started after St Georges day (as this is traditionally the day for picking Dandelions for wine making). Elderberry and Runner bean bottled today, a lovely colour but very very dry. I am very naughty in my wine making, I always forget to take the OG so have no idea how strong it is but it tastes strong and the final SG was 995 so shows how dry it is. The other wines are still in demijohns but the blackberry, marrow and the apple will be bottled next weekend. The tea (very sweet still so restarted) and the peach (very thin) and the banana (very interesting!) still have a while to go. Once the oak leaves start coming out that will be another one on the list. I have also sowed a lot of courgette seeds as the marrow is really nice so will want to make more later this year.

Speaking of the veggie patch, M made a great raised bed (only one as we have run out of our free timber) which has at least solved the bog garden problem for the salad stuff. The spuds are in, as are the following; runner beans (coming up), french beans (not coming up yet), peas, courgettes, beetroot, radishes, garlic (up), rocket, lettuce, carrots, hot mix (coming up), spring onions (coming up), shallots (up and doing well if the chickens don't manage to dig them up). M's tomatoes and chillis are doing well too.
The garden (and the hedgerows) are also full of flowers, daffs, primroses (hundreds of them), grape hyacinths and lots and lots of celandine's. It really is very beautiful. I can't wait until the foxgloves come out, they were fantastic last year.The farmers are also busy round here as you would imagine, there are plenty of lambs about but it seems that our local sheep farmer is still lambing (bit late really, think it should finish soon). Some farmers have put their cattle out but the farmer who rents the fields that belong to this house hasn't yet. He has been busy though fertilising the fields and rolling them. Now this just goes to show what a townie I was (still am!). When I saw fields like this I used to think they had been mowed - of course they hadn't (not at this time of year) they were rolling them. At least I know now. Mind you it does look like an enormous cricket pitch.

I also decided to have a go at making 'hobnob' type biscuits (I have never made any kind of biscuits before). I rather forgot about the effects of self raising flour and so they rather 'merged' on the baking tray. Have to say though that they were very good and M ate two in one go. Next time I might try putting chocolate on top!!!!!

'Spring has sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the boidies is. Some say the boide is on the wing, but that's obsoide the wing is on the boide'! (apparently not Spike Milligan but Ogden Nash).

Obviously its been busy as I haven't managed to post for rather a while, and work is picking up for both of us which is of course good news, especially under the current climate, it just has meant that I haven't been able to update this.

Spring has definitely sprung but its had a bit of a struggle getting there. Its lovey now, but we have had some very wet and windy weather too. Even snow the week before last which took us and the forecasters by surprise. The daffs are doing well now as are the primroses. Thankfully the hens aren't interested in them!

We keep meaning to get down to the beach to do some fishing but time and the tides seem to be against us. Each time we have time to go the tides are wrong. I am trying to finish a dissertation for a master degree and this will be finished at the end of this month so then hopefully we can do more important things, like fishing and walking on Dartmoor.

We had been rather slack on the planting and brewing side. M has planted out some chilli seeds, tomatoes and spinach and now we have managed to get runner beans, french beans, peas, S onions, shallots, lettuce, carrots and lots of different flowers finally planted. The spuds are chitting nicely and will go in soonish. I just cannot believe it is mid March already.

Part of the planting delay has been the problem of our bog garden, M has created one raised bed but there are already some leeks in the plot that we obviously cannot move and we cannot really build a raised bed round them (might try); however we have also run out of wood which M is going to try to rectify. We also struggle with the weeds and so have covered the ground with old silage sheets in the hope that this will kill off the worst of it and then we can get moving, but time is marching on (ha ha) so we really must try to get some of these things in sooner rather than later somewhere. Thankfully the s peas and the beans and marigolds can start off in pots.

The brewing as I mentioned is slow. M was supposed to make more beer weeks ago but it was so cold in the outbuilding he really couldn't face it. Then last week he finally managed to get a brew going only to find that his brew boiler thermostat had packed up, so mid brew had to poor off boiling beer into two smaller containers that would fit on our hob. We think the OG wasn't quite right but we are going to see how it goes. The boiler isn't that old, so M contacted the manufacturers who were brilliant and are going to replace it free of charge; apparently they had had some problem with some of them...!

The wine side isn't bad, I have a nice looking peach ready to rack off and a tea which looks a bit like a bad urine sample but sure will be OK. The banana continues to bubble away despite the fact it was made about 4 weeks ago but it is starting to clear and in a couple of weeks will want racking off again. The rest probably need bottling now but seem to be happy as they are.

The cats are enjoying the nice sunny weather as are the hens.