Fantastic Mr Fox

The mother was shot by the next door person not so long ago. Now he comes to visit here every day - the ducks are currently twice its size, so a little out of snack range (for now, at least). We caught it sitting next to them, washing itself, whilst they all sat on the bank of the pond, quite oblivious to us watching, it was quite a picture. Note. I should point out I apparently wrote this in August and it is now December 12th - Second note, all ducks are still alive, so is this fox.

The ducks started to lay. Six eggs this weeks and all IN the pond, makes egg collection quite challenging but we have decided to try keeping them within the confines of their pen for the next few days to see if they can contain their egg laying to the ground. (That did not work either they continued to lay in the pond and still do, but now the pond is freezing and the ducks should stop laying when they realize it is winter).

Turkey hen is comical and comes for a daily dust bath in the stone gravel behind the house, when no-one is looking.

The summer feels as though it has already finished (much to my delight) and autumn feels as though it is already settling in (much to my delight), the mornings are cold and nippy, jumpers are needed and woolly socks. We got our hay in early. The vegetable garden is almost at a close, we have to learn to stagger that, we seem to rush to get things in after the winter and then it is all over far too quickly and then we are left with far too much far too quickly and then nothing at all for the remaining summer. Steve made some delicious tomato sauces and we harvested a huge amount of rhubarb. Apples are next. The pumpkins and butternut squashes are all ready too early to... ummmm we are going to have to get our timing right next year.

Phennie arrived safely in Japan, she will be working on the West coast of Japan for a year in the Shimane Prefecture. She sounds really excited and has settled in well.

 

The Narragansett Turkeys

Tom has been working hard at Green Table Farms for the later part of this summer which I hope, has been a good experience for him. He has now completed six weeks of pretty hard work, helping set up an organic farm which raises pasture raised turkey, chicken and a huge array of vegetables, a large apiary of bees and over 300 acres of woodlands and pastures. It has been a wild summer of sweat, blood and tears but with much laughter and joy also. We have met new friends, learnt new skills and managed for the most part to be civil to each other, on most days. He is off to a ski clinic to learn how to become an instructor this coming weekend, which may be his winter job, if he is really lucky... driving test in January - then he should be set, for college!

'Remember Remember the 5th November' ... we did, funnily enough, no one else seemed to around here ;- /