7th April

Had our neighbours from "up the hill" here this afternoon (well technically its across the hill, as their house is sort of beside us - but across the fields - however, you have to go UP the lane to get to it.)


They brought their three grandchildren over to say hello to the horses. What a lovely family Monty, Freddy and Freya - super children!

Granddad brought us a present of a milk bottle.
OK - not as weird as it sounds. The bottle comes from the time when Windfall Farm was a real farm - a dairy in fact, for the bottle has on it "Windfall Farm Dairy" (only of course it has the real name, not Windfall Farm - which is a made up pseudonym that I use to keep a little bit of privacy for us.)

It seems that the milkman who delivered the milk lived "up the hill", so I assume he got his milk here from "us".

View which meets me as I step out our front gate.
That white building is....
the Dairy
(pic taken last summer)
So now I need to do some research - I wonder how many cows were here?




Saturday 6th April

What the photos I take don't show are the sounds.

The sheep - you can here the mums calling to the lambs (no pics yet, they are in the field behind the trees, so I can't see them.)

The sound of the tractor as the farmer comes to feed them (and the baas and bleets increase tenfold)

The helicopter - rare to see it this close, although we often hear it in the distance.... it's the air ambulance, and on this occasion hovering over towards Umberleigh:


In the woods you can here woodpeckers and pheasants. The waterfall rushes down the rocks - my wellies squelch in the mud, accompanied by the occasional curse...

The horses' hooves drum on the grass as if the hills are hollow. The wind in the trees sometimes sounds as if a train is hurtling down the valley... or the real train, the Tarka Line passes by from Exeter to Barnstaple, and back again: clackety clack, clackety clack, clackety, clickety, clackety-clack...

The blackbird singing, all the little birds twittering away...

And the smell. The pure, sweet, Devon air that is as intoxicating as champagne... well almost.

~ ~ ~

This is my evening walk with Baz.

Up the drive:

(this photo was taken in March -
the last one of our oold dog, Rum)

Past the daffs in front of the stables:



Up the lane:


OR

Up the field (saying hello to Ishe, as we pass through)




Up to Top Field:


 then back down the lane:


to stop and photograph the most beautiful clump of primroses:




and to shed a few tears of emotion when I spot my lovely house through the primrose-laden hedgerow....



I love it here. Absolutely LOVE it
(oh dear, I'm going to cry again....)

and as I round the corner and head back to the house, the sun has set, dusk is drawing in... and I hear the tawny owl hoot from somewhere in our orchard...





Friday 5th April

Both Ron and Adam away, so its just me and Kathy, the cats, horses, and Baz.

Seeing as Friday was actually a lovely sunshine day (even if it was still a bit cold)

Baz and I went on our frequent walk to our woods ...

 and went paddling in the Windfall




Fungi ? (I assume)












This, believe it or not is the pond!
Could do with a bit of clearing



2nd April

Bit of a to-do over giving Baz the dog his 2nd doggie vaccination - made difficult because Baz is terrified of getting in the car.
Being an abandoned dog we don't know his history - some trauma happened in a car though.

We are slowly getting him used to going near the car - he'll at least go up to it with the engine off now - but runs away with it on.

Taking things slowly though, one step at a time.

Which meant we couldn't put him in the car to take him to the vet for his jab.

Simple (if somewhat expensive) answer: the vet came to us.

What a lovely lady! Baz and I were waiting for her in the lane. She pulled up, turned the engine off and came to Baz to say hello (which involved some yummy, healthy, dog treats) she then went back to the car to get her things and called him to her - again for more treats.

So pleased all went OK. Another hurdle hurdled.


1st April

My dear friend Jo & her sister Wendy came over this morning for a "viewing" and a cup of coffee - lovely to see them and show them round.
Nice thing was they brought their dogs with them - Jo's Lorna and Poppy and Wendy's dog (& I'm sorry, I've forgotten his name :(.  )


Was so pleased that Baz got on well with them all - people and dogs.

Lorna and Poppy appear in Ripples in The Sand by the way.

~ ~ ~

P.M. Ron and I (and Baz) went for a nice walk in our woods. Be even nicer if it managed to warm up a bit!





Primroses everywhere! 




Fungi on a fallen trunk






Ron & Baz