Continue to take a daily walk and to take pleasure

in everyday sights and sounds. Such as the robin that “owns” the territory in the front garden and sings so beautifully.

Two days running Willow has been well behaved and hasn’t tried to put her hoof in the milk bucket. I think it’s because she likes me singing her Patsy Cline medleys. Or maybe she just wants to get the milking over as quickly as possible to get away from my singing!

Ordered online and put together last night, it was time to begin rearranging the library (and ordering two more bookshelves). Look what’s on one of the shelves!

He also sits at the head of the dining room table surveying the work

Now Nigel is sitting by the fire and watching, with interest, David Attenborough’s “A Perfect Planet” on BBC 1.

Our support bubble arrives and the day falls into its usual, comforting Sunday pattern.

We always have a lunch of oven cooked Gables chips and tomato ketchup (which I call sauce!) and some cucumber. This week it was followed by yet another cake to belatedly celebrate grandpa’s birthday, again. Any excuse for cake! Not much left.

Outside Pinky is also hobbling so we may have to bring her in later. When we trimmed Perky’s hooves we noticed that she was “bagging up” – her udders were beginning to get ready for lambing. It could begin at the end of this month but most likely in February. My favourite time of year with the animals (and some sleepless nights). Does anyone remember the “poddy lamb”, Wiggle? We hand reared him and he followed us around like a puppy until he became a boisterous ram and a menace. To see an old video of Wiggle click on

My friend and neighbour see them often but they are rare visitors to The Gables. In the off breeding season (July to February) they flock together to roost and keep warm at night during the winter months. In the breeding season they pair off and make nests and raise their young. The young often do not survive and the birds will help other pairs raise their young if their own efforts fail.

Inside the old cow barn, two sheep stand together penned in since yesterday afternoon. They had been limping for several days so we brought all the flock in and trimmed their hooves and sprayed their feet with bright purple antiseptic. These two need to rest and recover and allow their hooves to heal.

I spied the Bushmead Buzzard, indicated that I was pulling over and said to my friend, “excuse me for a second but I just need to photograph a buzzard!” She laughed and waited for thirty seconds as my trusty iPhone did its best through the open car window.

After getting goat milk on my clothes and jacket, every time I milk Willow, it was time for different morning attire