From the Edge of Exmoor: Goodbyes and hellos

Blue skies, happy cattle, the moon and Sonny.

It’s not the same once the swallows have gone. Not long ago they were chasing each other around the house, chittering with excitement and keeping the insect population in check. Our gang flew south and were temporarily replaced by fellow travellers from the north, but now my swallow wire is empty and it’s time to clean the crap off of the walls.

However, nature always provides a new distraction…in fact, several. The stags are getting a bit frisky and we can now hear their ghostly moaning some nights. Dad’s telescope is coming in very handy for remote-spotting. At our latest pub quiz, Ann excitedly reported that she had seen a barn owl at our Cross, and lo and behold it flew over my head when I turned into our drive as I came home. Imagine my surprise the next morning when I found it sheltering under our porch, lifting off on silent wings to glide away gracefully across the valley. You are welcome back to eat our vermin any night. An hour later, I disturbed a snipe in the field just below the house…an exciting day.

Farmer Ian was looking after his dad’s place for the weekend, so I was left in charge. Saturday was a real stinker for weather – Sonny and I got drenched. Ian had bought me new leggings, but while labelled as large, they were clearly designed for someone a lot taller and wider than me…so I waddled around with the cuffs turned up (which filled with water) and three inches of the waist tucked into my jeans. Fortunately, I did not come across anyone on my travels.

The teaser rams are in and performing their services. Their vasectomised role is to get the ladies ready and receptive to the amorous advances of the rams with functioning equipment. A plum job I would imagine for some – lots of sex and no child maintenance. Not that the other rams do much different, I suppose. I’ve also come across some very sleepy sheepy in the fields – several times I’ve had to drive up to a “corpse” and shout to get a very startled sheep to wake up and smell the hay. And of course there is the occasional animal with its head stuck in the fence that needs a wiggle to get it out.

The Sunday was glorious, and a reward for not getting too grumpy the day before. The mist hung in the valleys, while the hilltops were in blazing sunshine. I felt a bit sun-struck by the end of the day, having engineered being outside most of it (and helping Ian do hooves – always hooves – when he got back).

Looking across Devon. Autumn is beautiful...and so is Mrs Cow.

We’ve also been cutting logs as “Winter is coming”. My dad is probably very excited seeing these pictures. I’ve never met anyone so log obsessed as him - he would bring huge branches home from outings to the woods.

Love the chainsaw!

That should keep us going for a bit.

We also had an unexpected visitor in the garden...Bonnie helped us keep the clover down when Innes popped in for a cuppa. Might borrow her more often for grass control...

Ian keeps Bonnie out of the flowerbeds.

The biggest hello has to be reserved for the new man in my life. Neddy arrived just over a week ago from the neighbouring farm, and I am completely smitten. He has fitted in (although the other dogs might disagree and just refer to him as “the little shite who keeps nipping my ankles”), and adores Sonny. He seems very bright, and has a stubborn streak in him that will be interesting to deal with as it develops. He’s already met cows, sheep and a horse, and while cautious, is not fearful…which is what you need in a sheepdog. The house is a mess, and Ned thinks that the log basket is simply full of toys to be taken around the house and stripped of bark. The indoor plants are for shredding, and Joey’s bed needs a thorough killing and disembowelling. I made the mistake of putting down a new roll of kitchen tissue (on its spike) while I mopped up a little accident…and he Andrexed the whole thing across the room. That’s my boy!