We separated Tufty from Pinky and also Domino. We were planning on giving them an early and dignified retirement. Tufty had other plans. Last week we found him in the wrong quarter of the field – having abandoned the main flock to pursue his “old girlfriends”. We managed to get him away from Pinky and Domino with “food”. But today he has jumped the fence twice to get to his women and we are resigned to lambing with Domino and Pinky – even though Domino has a scarred udder and we will have to bottle feed her offspring and Pinky’s first delivery in February was so traumatic that “I” am still recovering!!!

The more pleasing surprise was this afternoon when I spied some rosy red apples on a tree near the raised beds. Then I realised that the fruits weren’t on the apple tree but actually on a tree we planted 7 years ago – a peach tree. The first fruits for that fine tree.