Congratulations Lauren! 15/05/2014

We received the news yesterday that eldest daughter, Lauren has passed her veterinary degree and obtained a First!

Excellent news, a fitting reward for three years of extremely hard work. Only two more years at Nottingham Vet School and she can be let loose on an unsuspecting animal kingdom......

Well, she has the look, how could they deny her?

May 15th, 2014 15/05/2014

Over the Bank Holiday weekend I spent time clearing scrub from the bank next to the area we hope to extend the orchard into. As they carry a virus, fire blight, which is harmful to apple trees, some or possibly all of the Hawthorns in the distance may have to go but until then we will enjoy the blossom and the birds will enjoy the berry in the autumn. This bank side extends the length of the field and rises above the burn and has not looked like this for 25 years since it was heavily grazed farmland. We will be leaving as much of the mixed scrub as we can so that the wild birds, many wrens and bullfinches, can continue to feed and breed long into the future. There is still another twenty meters to go but that can wait till the weather improves again.



The willow catkins have been lovely, so delicate.....



At home in the Tyne Valley, this Exochorda, one of my favourite shrubs has been stunning.



And the Bergenia simply glorious........

April 14th, 2014 14/04/2014

After several days of frustrating weather up here, I woke to glorious sunshine burning the curtains, Happy Birthday!!

Quick(ish) breakfast, washing on the line, round up the dogs into the Land Rover and up to the cottage to see to the animals. Hilary is still away in Shropshire on an MSc tutorial weekend, so let the hens and ducks out and feed and muck-out the horses, fill hay nets and walk the dogs in the field and spend a relaxing morning lying in the field beside the burn, taking photos while the dogs played and dug holes (Jack Russells!!). By the time we were halfway up the field, the sun was hidden by heavy cloud, un-forecast and rolling in from nowhere, and the temperature plummeted........



After half an hour I gave up, my fingers had gone white, and retired to the cottage garden and got the only worthwhile shots of the morning, this lovely Dandelion Taraxacum official growing through a joint in the paving....



..and the blossom laden Damson Prunus domestica in the orchard but overhanging the garden and looking wonderful. This tree should be self fertile but has never produced much in the way of fruit. Perhaps we will have to include another damson when we replant and expand the orchard, hopefully this winter.



While I was lying in the field beside the burn, trying to photograph some Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa, some of our neighbour's lovely young Ayrshire cattle came over, they just can't help being nosey......

Spring Flowers at Holly Cottage 11/04/2014

All of a sudden the wild flowers are coming into bloom on the bank sides and edges of our burn, they always manage to keep us on tenter hooks wondering if and when they will appear.

And always very welcome when they do......

Celandine Ranunculus ficaria

Birdseye Speedwell Veronica chamaedrysWood

Anemone Anemone amorosaCommon

Common Daisy Bellis Perennis

Primrose Primula vulgaris

Viola riviniana

Hot Nesting! 06/04/2014

Doris our broody duck is doing sterling work sitting on the varied collection of eggs we have given her. A mixture of Muscovy, Indian Runner duck and Cream Legbar hen eggs. We will need to keep an incubator at the ready just in case she gets bored.

Doris is being more tolerant than Duck-duck was, she is allowing two of the hens to lay in her nest box. The little Vorverk hen is looking especially determined to stay put and lay.



On the banks by the burn, the first Wood Sorrel has come into flower.



On the banks by the burn, the first Wood Sorrel has come into flower.

Primrose 05/04/2014

A much brighter day today, spoilt only by a very rare but particulaly stinking head cold!

Down beside the burn the primroses and primulas are starting to burst into flower, they will be wonderful over the next few weeks as the number of plants is increasing every year. This gorgeous, delicate primrose is right on the burn bank and may well have washed down from Slaley Hall at some point in the past.

This shot was taken with my Nokia Lumia 520 mobile using "Refocus", quite pleased with the result from quite a basic bit of kit.

Pea Soup! 03/04/2014

We have had thick fog up here for the last few days, driving on the high ground at night has been fairly desperate stuff. Today the gloom has finally started to lift, just in time for the Sahara dust and European industrial pollution to arrive!

On the bright side, no pun intended, one of my evening journeys a few miles over the tops on the A68 into Co. Durham, resulted in acquiring some more Muscovy hatching eggs, to replace for breeding purposes, the dear departed Duck-duck, my only unrelated duck. The surprise was being given four Indian Runner duck eggs too! All are now under a very broody Doris, it will be interesting to see how many she hatches though I will be keeping an incubator on standby........