“It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring

He knocked his head and he went to bed and he didn’t get up in the morning…” Did I get the words right?

So much rain today so we kept the donkeys here. They haven’t got a shelter yet in the top field. The weather forecast says minus temperatures coming our way next Sunday night so let’s get planting: 2 apple trees, one Canadian grey and a very old variety one, some French stock from the 1600, which sounds good: Its apples get harvested late in the season and keep really well over the winter. A blue fig tree and a Sharon fruit tree…planted under the rain. Difficult to keep the mud out of the house.

When I found all the girls foraging happily at the top of the field above the woods, my heart sang. Their coop had not been locked up properly the night before and they were out there doing what they are best at doing and not wasting time with that. Fortunately, the cockers were still in their shed and would stay there until the girls were safe, I told myself.

 But those ladies were not ready to get back in their pen and no amount of convincing was going to work… Imagine! Such an exiting time for them! When I called, Queeny came to see me but none of the others followed.   

I went to feed Binnie and the sheep while thinking about what to do. I was so relieved they were alive though, so pleased the fox and the pine marten had been busy somewhere else on that morning.

We took curry to the vet. His belly was so big as if he had swallowed a football and he hadn’t been very interested in his food lately. When the worming pill didn’t do anything, we went back to the surgery and after an echography and a blood test we had to face it: it was a tumour. ¾ of a litre of a yellow liquid was pumped out of his body which will make him more comfortable said the vet. He’ll breathe more easily. His appetite has returned as well. He is now on pills to keep reducing and evacuating more liquid, after which …?

Lunch with our neighbours yesterday at Monique and Yves’ place. All of them grand-parents and so busy, we don’t see each other very often. Got a call from Mireille in the morning, do you want 5 litres of milk she asked. One of Amedee’s cows had a calf and he has too much milk. I don’t want to make any cheese she said. I’ll make some, thanks mate. She had a jenny killed by a wild boar a couple of years ago, and another one died suddenly last year…Her 2 mares have laminitis and they are such a sorry site before they get their yearly regular injection. Poor girls.

The average age around the table was 79.4 years old which made me think communities need rebuilding to include young ones. It was a great lunch nevertheless and we had a very nice time together.  

The hens followed me when they saw me with their feed early afternoon, and the cockerels were so happy to be freed for the rest of the day. I am glad the timing was right and all went back to normal. The boys didn’t have to stay in their shed the whole day after all.

Curry is curled up by the chimney, waiting for his next meal which will include some green clay… he is just 10 years old…if there is anyone reading this, who can communicate with animals using a photo of that animal, or know someone who does, please talk to curry, using the photo above, and let him know how loved he is. Throughout his 10 years with us he has been behaving as if he doesn’t know. And as it will be time to say goodbye soon it would be very sad if he died still not knowing….

Thank you.