Farmer James and a Family Pack - May/Jun 2019

We high tailed it the length of the country from Dover to Cumbria and back to the farm to spend some time with Stephen and Louise.  It was a real treat to be back in an English speaking country after 12 months of Spanish with a peppering of Portuguese and French.

We quickly settled back in to the farm with James taking on the daily morning milking of Carrie.  The fresh milk, cream and yoghurt produced is second to none. Yum!

It was lambing season when we arrived and Lou and Stephen had been taking in orphans from the neighbouring farm.  On our first evening back this gorgeous little girl was dropped off.  We named her Olive and took to bottle feeding her.  Super cute!!!!

Since we were here 18months ago there had also been a new addition to the immediate family .... Reg, the Border Collie .... soon to be sheep dog ;-)

Poppy is delighted to have a new playmate ....

On duty, baby sitting this one

Man, being a working dog is soooo tiring .......

Clare even went horseriding for the first time in 20 years.  Teagan is also a new addition to the farm since we were here last.

Although the temperatures were a little cooler than we were used to, the gorgeous clear days make this one of the best places in the world to be.

Next we were back down country to a repeat sit in Cambridgeshire to look after the lurchers we cared for two years ago.  Since then, two had sadly passed away, one of old age and the other, on of the pups, rather tragically.  Still, we had plenty of awesome canine company. Mum Hettie, Dad Max and their two sons .... Finn and Jake.  Oh, and their cousin Glen, the Spanador also joined us for a couple of weeks.

Clockwise from top left: Finn, Hettie, Glen, Jake, Max

These guys are such great company who enjoy their twice daily walks in the surrounding fields VERY much.

How to keep some order to our walks and not lose anyone in the meanderings?  Lots of scheduled treat stops certainly work a treat!

Then there's the utter joy to be had rolling around on the grass ... not sure if this is just a lurcher thing!?!?

There is always so much fun to be had ......

Hettie especially loves to goad her pups (although they are now 3yo) into a game of chase, after which she seeks out some shade to gather her breath.

Although June turned out to be much wetter than usual, it didn't dampen anyones spirits!

There was lots to be grateful for.  Firstly, there was plenty of water around for cooling doggies down in their favourite water hole.

The warm wet weather also produced some wonderful mushroom gathering opportunities.

These oyster mushrooms found their way
into a batch of rabbit pasties

A wee crop of parasols

The volume of rain also caused a couple of trees to crash down in the garden.  Not to worry.  The cleanup crew cracked into gear.  The doggies were conspicuous by their absence, seemingly not impressed by the sound of the chainsaw.

We had a couple of lovely visits from James's Mum and Dad who live nearby.

Christine with treats in hand

James worked hard every day in the walled garden, tending vegetables, ably assisted by his apprentice/s.

Jake making himself comfortable on some newly planted seedlings

We thoroughly enjoy the opportunites that present to gather our own food where ever we are in the world.  This location never disappoints.  First came the 'harvesting' of rabbits from the garden .... of which there were plenty!  The doggies also enjoyed the meat yield.  Couldn't be fresher or more organic.  Not to mention the complementary benefits of pest control!

One can always rely on a labrador to show an interest
in fresh meat being processed ;-)

Next came the rabbit and mushroom stew.

Followed by homemade pastry by James ...... 

Lastly, the eating of these wonderful 'from garden to table' meals!

June is also elderflower season which necessitated the making of a few batches of fresh Elderflower cordial.

A fruitful day's gathering

After all the fun and work of the day is complete, there is alway plenty of time for cuddles and the odd snooze.

  Sometimes there is room for everyone

And sometimes there isn't!

The same goes for bedtime round here ... first in first served being the order of the day.

Goodnight from these two cuties ....

That French hideaway ... Apr/May 2019

Spring garden in the beautiful midi Pyrenees

We arrived at our housesit in the Lot area of France full of enthusiasm having just driven through the most beautiful bushland and countryside to get here, arriving quite literally in the middle of nowhere! Our nearest village was Cazals, about a 15min drive but to do the grocery shopping was around 40mins away.  We had no neighbours to speak of so hardly saw another soul whilst roaming around the hills.  We were reminded once again how 'pretty' rural France is.

We knocked on the door of the converted barn which was to be our home for the next month expecting to be greeted by the two year old German Shepherd the family had recently adopted.  Alas, it was quickly explained that he had run off after a deer the night before and there had been no word of him since.  This instilled two emotions in us .... sorrow that we may never get to meet this gorgeous boy (and the family may never find out what happened to him), and fear .... that if we do find him, he may do it again whilst in our care.  A petsitters worst nightmare!

When it came time to pick Miss Twelve up from school we drove around a little calling for him and stopping to speak to people on the country lanes to explain the problem.  No joy :-( Around 5pm the phone went and with much delight we received the news that a family had taken him in and identified him by the tattoo in his ear.  He was 25kms away!!!!  We set off with Miss Twelve to retrieve him and what a happy pup he was to be coming home.  

Runaway Rex

We had a couple of horses to care for at this sit too.  Spring a 23yo has Cushings and arthritis so is on daily meds administered through his food.  Alfie, the pony, is lively and mischievous with a tendency towards laminitis who really hates the biting flies.  Fortunately the weather was not yet warm enough for the flies to be in full flight.  The horse podiatrist who came to trim the ponies feet said that in this particular area of France they have a real problem with them.  The horses just needed feeding twice a day, checking for ticks, popping covers on and off according to the weather and extending their break feed every so often.  They were really lovely characters and loved to be handled which always makes horses a joy to care for.

Rex, Alfie in his fly rug and Spring with Clare holding his
bowl.  With his arthritis, it is uncomfortable for him to bend to it ;-)

We also had two cats, but because of the new inclusion of a rather boisterous dog, they had both taken to different parts of the house and kept largely to themselves, although happy for a cuddle at feeding time.

Upon Rex's return, we made short work of bonding with him.  What a happy-go-lucky, boisterous and playful boy. Having come from a city apartment environment, he still had a little to learn about country living.  We had a daily battle distracting him from barking at Alfie, trying to play chase.  To him it was just a game he played and Alfie took it in good stride .... but horses kick and one of those hoofs in the right place wrong time and it could all turn to tears rather quickly.  There was only ever going to be one loser, and it wasn't Alfie.  We viewed it as a daily training session, another opportunity to teach Rex how to behave in this wonderful doggy heaven in which he was now living.

Day 2: helping fix the vacuum cleaner

We took him on daily long rambling walks in the forest and, apart from one other incident when he disappeared for 10mins (feels like 10hrs) when we were all out on a walk together before the homeowners left, we never lost sight of him again.  Lots of treats were involved ;-)  It never ceases to amaze us how chilled a dog can be around the house when they have been exercised well, not to mention our own health benefits of such long walks.

Cave drawings not far from the house

We usual stopped to visit the horses on our way to or fro ....

Alfie having a kiss and a tickle

Rex learning to sit (and not hassle  Alfie)

We didn't get around to exploring much of the surrounding area (apart from on foot with Rex) as we had plenty to keep us entertained at home.  The house was on the market which made it doubly important to keep all in order.

Water blasting the concrete around the house

And of course, Rex just wanted to play :-)

Police dog in training???

Yoghurt pot to clean

When it came time to leave we had two nights to get to the tunnel where we would cross back to the UK for summer.  All went without a hitch ..... oh, apart from when we skidded off a very quiet country road into a paddock.  No harm done to us or the car (apart from a punctured tyre, but that's why you carry a spare, right?!).  The farmer and his mate came to offer assistance and we were able to drive straight out.  Thank goodness for 4X4 hey.  The Freelander is still going strong.