Thursday 28 October 2010
Yes I'm sorry I said the C word- but it has come early with our presents to each other - I bought MrP an Ella...



Ella LOVES ivy!

 They are looking a bit odd as they were sheared before I collected them- they look much much better with their lovely curly locks


Ella means 'pretty little elf/fairy' suits her doesn't it?
 He bought me a Dotty- Dotty was bottle fed and follows me everywhere like a little puppy

Beautiful Dotty (note the pretty collar)
 They are pedigree Angora goats- I have wanted one for sooooo long. They have a purpose too they are organic strimmers and will hopefully eat the long grass and weeds off the field that the horses won't eat- at the moment though they are concentrating on the ivy on the old barn- plus when they are next sheared in the spring I can have the wool spun and knit something made from my own angora


                                             Dotty also LOVES ivy (and savoy cabbage)

The garden with the stables in the background
I decided to break you in gently with the before pictures at the farmhouse- this is the garden from the back door (which for convenience is located right next to the front door) I'm hoping at some point next year this will be a beautiful cottage garden- one of the Belfast sink planters was in great condition so now has pride of place in my kitchen- it is almost half finished (pictures to follow)

Remember though a goat is for life not just for Christmas...
Monday 11 October 2010


View from our living room

I have been away way too long. I can only apologise.

 

Busy, is the word to describe my life of late but hopefully things can at least begin to return to whatever will pass for normal in my new world now.

"New world?" I hear you ask.

Yes we have finally moved. Not to the long anticipated cottage- that got complicated with a messy divorce involved and the ex-wife living next door to it and no deeds!! So we cut and run.


the "not to be" cottage
 Not even to cottage number 2 the Old Post Office, it just wasn't doing it for me, I can't say why, it just didn't speak to me.





a lovely farmhouse- but not ours...
Our new home (it is a home not just a house) wasn't love at first sight.
It is in fact not a cottage at all but a farm house- no not the one on the right although it would be lovely wouldn't it??

Set of Follyfoot Farm from Yorkshire TV
 
No, our new home is more reminiscent of Follyfoot Farm. That is what eventually made me fall in love.
I am a romantic and am therefore willing to overlook the fact that there is no kitchen, that the roof leaks above the spare room, that there are weeds growing between the cobbles in the yard and that there are spiders the size of small dogs. I now love that to cross the landing you first walk down hill then up hill (this could save a fortune in wine as you feel drunk most of the time anyway) and I'm thrilled that under the laminate floor we have discovered the original quarry tiles in the kitchen and under the green carpet and 1973 newspaper in the hallway the original stone flag floor looks all intact and fabulous.

Darcy, Pebble, Promise and Rowan (but where's Poppy??)

Even better is that all this comes with 4 glorious acres so the horses and hens have come to live at home. The boys are growing at a rate and have magically changed colour. They are now bestest friends and whinny to each other at night "Goodnight Jim Bob" "Goodnight Lee Roy"

We have two tiny new additions and I will try and find the camera in one of the packing cases so that you can see Ruby and Tuesday.

Angora goats at the GYS 2010

After much research, I get to go goat shopping too. I may even get to have my absolute favourite- angora goats!

And I finally get to be Dora of Follyfoot as I dreamed of many many years ago...