From nightfall until dawn

No, we’re not cruel but the cows muscle in on the sheep and eat all their hay (as well as the hay in their own barn!).

Now the sheep can feed, undisturbed, throughout the hours of darkness.

Tidy shed!

The paddock birds are laying up to three eggs a day – bless ’em

And this paddock adolescent has a very cool hairstyle

Perfect conditions for the Wednesday walk

And for the roofers putting slate tiles on a house in the village

As the rain began I went to the paddock and found that Willow and Wisp had taken themselves inside to keep dry

What a perfect opportunity for me to stroke them and get them used to human contact

Very high winds forecast from midday onwards. Batten down the hatches!

Willow (like Nigel) is a curious creature and can’t resist nosing around and even, tentatively, approaching me.

Wisp stays well behind her half sister in case I do something dreadful – such as stroke her! In return for concentrates the goats are subjected to daily cuddles. They are learning to tolerate my affections. It’s a pleasure for me but not for them.

Jeremy has been tidying the garden sheds. In one he found an old friend. A seamless, stainless steel bucket which we used twice daily when milking our goats, Penelope and Prudence, 40 years ago in Devon. Let’s hope we can use it again in 2020.

(Yes it’s a Jacob wool neck warmer spun on a drop spindle – it’s lovely and warm and smells faintly of sheep!).

The goats enjoy the rose prunings – pink flowers and thorns and stems!

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