Taking Hainoa to the bull

Now that Hainoa has recovered from having the stillborn calf we decided that it was time to get her pregnant again. So we took her back to the same place as before, but a different bull this time.
It was quite an undertaking getting her in to the trailer. We failed completely on the first day we tried and had to try again the next day. With more success fortunately.

Shifty look - you ain't getting me in there!

EVENTUALLY we did get her in.

The Sebastien and Valerie have just moved to a new bigger farm. It is slightly closer to us or at least the roads to it are better. They have a fab barn which is all set up for cattle. They have something like 40 highlands

When we opened the door of the trailer Hainoa rushed out like a total maniac and a few moments later when Sebastien was trying to herd her into a small enclosure on her own by the bull went a bit mental and charged him. I was quite concerned for a second, but he managed to dodge and she maybe dodged a bit and wasn't actually trying to killing him. He seemed un-phased, I guess it happens from time to time if you have that many cows!

This is Angus the bull that Hainoa is visiting. He has broken one of his horns because highland bulls rub the base of their horns on trees and things to mark their territory and he managed to wear through it.

They have alpaca too

We went in to the field to visit various other cows

They all came running for the apples

This is Hainoa's mum with a calf a similar colour to Bear (Islay's calf)

This is Bear's dad, his name is Capi.

This is Islay's mum Griotte.

Hainoa will stay with them for about 2 months then we will have to go and persuade her back in to the trailer.
We are not quite sure how we are going to get Islay pregnant again as we couldn't really send her away with Bear. We can get her AIed if we manage to spot her in heat.

Trompette de la Morte

Nice name for some mushrooms - doesn't make eating them seem a good idea.
They were nice in kedgeree though - and we didn't die!

Home grown dinner (Entrecôte steak)

Got the Ozpig out. We need to spend some time chopping some tiny logs for it. But I managed to find enough.

I think Entrecôte is sirloin. A nice tender cut anyway.

With home grown courgette (heading closer to a marrow really but the skin and seeds hadn't gone tough)

You can see the beta-carotene in the yellowness of the fat here. Makes it extra tasty I think. Perhaps healthy too!

Homegrown lettuce and tomatoes with home made cheese, and thyme I found in the orchard.

We bought rather than made the bread though :(

Autumn!

The apples are starting to ripen, so are the pears and the horses have started to grow a thicker coat.

We have just eaten windfalls so far.

They all tend to be a bit gnarly looking whether windfall or still on the tree. I wonder if there is some fungus thing we should spray for.

Pears don't ripen well on the tree.

I just picked a few to see how they get on ripening. Some came of really easily, some less so.

Bramley is looking healthy despite setback over last winter of being blown over.

There are a couple of mature trees with plenty of apples.

I found some thyme in the orchard - when I stepped on it and could smell it.

Windfalls off a smaller russet tree. Not planted by us - bigger than that. It takes quite a few years for them to get going.

Long way to go until he reaches full fuzzy winter Owen, but his coat is definitely feeling thicker - and he is shedding all over the place, presumably the summer coat. 

The water supply

You hear a lot less about our water than a few years ago as it is much better (plus we are more experienced in managing it). But from time to time it still does run out. Cleaning the horse box with the pressure washer often causes this - particularly by the time we have had a couple of showers as well.
It ran out last weekend though I had recently changed the filter so I went to check it really had run out because we had used it all rather than the filter being blocked again (that is the most frequent reason and we have a new type of filter). I managed to break the plank - which has been on its way out for some time, so I was being careful,  but clearly not careful enough - and bruise my leg. Thought it was broken for a moment! You can see the tank here pretty much in the center (side to side) and about a third of the way up.

This is the naughty plank

Looking in to the near empty tank. It never get's totally empty as that red thing causes the water to cut off when it hangs on end from it's wire (when the tank is full it floats on its side)

This is how the water flows in to the tank

This is where the water comes out of the spring and is captured :) takes quite a bit of wading in the swamp and battling nettles when this bit goes wrong

Trompette de la mort

Scary name huh?

But yummy in kedgeree

I didn't use this mini egg, but was tempted.

Time off work

For the last 3 years I have been flying to London every Sunday night, and back to France on Thursday evening's. Easyjet and their persistent lateness have made that more painful than it needed to be. 

As of today I am taking a break and staying in France for a while. 

I feel sad leaving the team I have been working with, as they have been great. I feel sad/angry about the mismanagement that resulted in quite a few of us leaving so suddenly.

But overall I feel happy to be able to spend more time with my Doug and my dog, and am looking forward to getting more work done on the house/garden - also riding, sking, cycling, walking, going to the spa, camping, going to the beach, doing local French things like the market, learning more French, seeing friends and other FUN things - my god how did I fit work in?

Last time I had some time off I put on 12kg over two years - note to self - DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN.

Interested in new job at some point, but rest first. Thanks for offers I have had already :)

See ya later Poplar/Canary Wharf/London. Hello home!

We had a nice restful day today and took the dog for a walk to the virgin.