Beached

Wednesday - We got all the farm jobs done early and took Dolly and Jake to the beach again.   We had a lovely pub lunch in the Bridport Arms Hotel which is right on the shore and then went for a walk in the right direction this time.    Although shingle it was much firmer and there were greater stretched of beach for the dogs to run around on.   They had a lovely time and more or less ignored other walkers and their dogs, which was what we wanted to happen.  Dolly has discovered the joys of wave hopping and Jake just loves to swim.   As we said at the time - should have taken the camera.

Next Wednesday I am going up to Salisbury to stay with Zach and Tara whilst David and Jane go to the Maldives for a holiday.  When they break up from school on Thursday the children will be coming down to the farm for the rest of their half term break.

The broody chicken is very bad tempered but when we get her out for her daily constitutional she disappears into the flock with the others, so we have marked her with some spray to make sure the right one goes in to sit on the eggs.  Once there she wants to stay there.

Thursday - We had quite a few visitors including some potential customers.   Our local advertising is working, but time will tell as to whether it is worthwhile in a financial sense.

Friday -  The kids are looking a wreck where they are spending more time in their shelter and eating hay which is getting tangled in their fleece.   I went to do the shopping and at the same time went to Mole Avon (country stores) and bought some haylage for them.   This is somewhere  between silage and hay and so is much more moist and so does not hang in the fleece like hay.   It has to be eaten quite quickly once the bag is opened, though, as it can breed nasties like listeria if exposed to the air for too long.

Saturday - getting all the jobs done early including grooming the dogs so that we can relax a bit this afternoon.  The alpacas are enjoying their hay and between munching they are lying around in the sun which is actually quite warm despite a brisk breeze.