Leaning on the Gate....

January 2022

Friends and readers might like to 'keep up to date' and enjoy my 'Life Here In Devon' posts that I send out as a monthly newsletter. You'll find an archive (and a link for how to subscribe) HERE:

https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/p/dispatches_30.html

and different posts about 'Life' on my website:

https://www.helenhollick.net/journal.html

Endangered species: Dormouse
found January 2022

We found this little chap (or chapess) curled up fast asleep in the hay. More about the find in my Newsletter Dispatches archive!

https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/p/dispatches_30.html

January - August 2021

I don't keep this diary up to date - apologies, but here are some photos from

2020 and 2021...

Saffy winning her class at Cricklands
in Wales August 2021

Elfie enjoys a pint

Hay making July 2021

Kathy (sidesaddle) reserve Supreme Champion
July 2021 Redpost show

two new duckies

our flock of geese
summer 2021

the goats July 2021

the hens

Jan 1st 2021
Happy New Year folks!

2020

Elfie in her elf costume!

The awning on the patio died
final straw for it was a storm just
before Christmas.
I shared some lovely outdoors socially distanced
tea and cake afternoons with friends here!

one very muddy Exmoor
(Nov 2020)

Rita - Kathy's winter project
now sold to a lovely home
(Nov 2020)

looks like Rita can jump!

Saffy - somewhere under all that mud
is her star on her forehead!

Another new arrival

A GIRL!!! We've called her Phoenix!
Born May 19th 2020

The queue to see the foal

8th June 2020
Phoenix is finding her independence!

23rd March 2020

We're all in self-isolation - quite pleasant when the sun shines!

My mother's Day gift yesterday was a lovely bunch of daffodils. Picked from the lane! (well why not)

Have you ever wondered why there are

so many daffs in the hedgerows

and banks in rural areas?

No it isn't that there have been a lot of road traffic accidents and bulbs have been planted as a memorial.

It relates back to WWII.

Many farms grew daffs for the floral markets and sent them by train to Covent Garden etc. When land had to be dug over and planted with food crops during WWII the daffodil bulbs all had to be ploughed up.

Many farmers, instead of destroying the bulbs merely scattered them along the hedgerows or in woodlands.

And the daffs' 'offspring' are still there.