Sunset sky

Farm shop sprouts on a sunny morning 🌱

Flooding in the River Welland this morning as the water meadows do their natural job of slowing the flow downstream. View from Red Hill towards Shotley & Harringworth

Nearly Home by Craig Everett, 2024. Oil on board 🎨

Tris enjoying a fleeting view of the sun before bedtime. A very gentle emu she is currently top of the pecking order much to her & my surprise. I think she'll enjoy it while it lasts

Interested in making your own Irish cream liqueur? Me too. Guess what I will be doing this week 😋 youtu.be/HVP-2StG4hc?...

A few treasures from the rescue hens. I find it hard to eat commercial eggs now, they have no flavour (probably reated to cold storage & transport). Fortunateluly I have a few gallons of my own water-glassed eggs to use in winter baking so I can eat these ones fresh for breakfast 🍽

Gaudete Sunday 🎄✨️ youtu.be/EDc2FD-vy8M?...

Twilight sky

Somebody couldn't wait for me to finish filling the feeder before tucking in. There is something incredibly restful about standing in the drizzle listening to the sound of a few dozen contented sheep quietly chomping accompanied by the repeat stanzas of a melodious song thrush 🎶 #SkySheep

Really enjoying my Sow Your Own Advent Calendar from the Little Trees, Bees & Seeds Co. Such a lovely idea: a daily packet of hierloom variety vegetable, herb or salad seeds (today is Rhubarb Chard). I bought it late & 45% off which is a bargain for that many packets of seed.🎄🌱

Sunset sky

A Time For Reflection by Nova Scotia artist Mark Grantham, 2017. markgrantham.com/shop

Twilight sky. The calm before the storm

Late afternoon field gate reflections in an inevitably deep puddle. At least today was mainly dry (Halleluja!)

Rushing to get the chores done before the rain arrived. Sheep & geese fed, emus given fresh bedding then the heavens opened as I was closing up the houses so got wet again. Home to light the fire & drape sodden clothes to dry off again in front of it 💦 Rain Rain Go Away ☔️

Wet again 💦

A little late on #RoseWednesday but this was Floribunda 'Dusky Maiden' (Edward Burton Le Grice, 1947) this morning, unfurling her petals. 🌹🌱 #Roses

I feed the corvids. Same time every day. A scoop of peanuts taken from the barn out to the meadow. The crow caws, alerting birds off in the village who gather in the trees watching. Handfuls broadcast on the grass. As I turn back the sky fills with swirling black shapes. Magical

The emus have made the mistake of confusing brightness with warmth & headed into one of the muddy puddles for a bath 💦

Trundling towards the breakfast bar on a welcome sunny day.

Lovely Christmas lights are appearing up & down the village offering welcome cheer on a dark & stormy night 🌟✨️🎄

Time to open the first window of my Angela Harding #AdventCalendar 'Bringing Home the Tree'. 🎄✨️🌟

A few jars of 'Carolina' Coleslaw heading to the pantry. This batch was shredded green/red cabbage, carrots, onions, celery seeds, mustard seeds, cider vinegar & sugar (unrefined). I can either eat it as pickled veg or strain & add mayonnaise. Basic recipe: youtu.be/y6KByUBag3Y?...

Still plenty of haws in our tall hedges to keep the wild birds fed

Sunset emu

Bought a small potted Nordman Fir Christmas tree from @DigbyFarm North Luffenham, Rutland. Very good selection available but quite busy already. I will plant this treasure out after Candlemas to let it get as big as it likes. Previous planted trees are loved by the goldcrests🎄

Damp again 💦☔️

Sunset sky. Rain on the way later

Luffenham Junction disused windmill on a clear, breezy afternoon before a squall line charged through

No room on the sofa for me to drink my mug of freshly ground Javan coffee. Beasts!

ko-fi.com/post/Shes-Ba... The latest on events at the livery yard + some (muddy) photos from today BIG thanks to all who shared my previous tweet it really helped my ko-fi post which got double the usual number of views. It would be great if you could continue to share Thank you x

The first of this year's bare-root fruit trees have arrived. An apple & a pear from Walcot Organic Nursery. Every year I buy a tree or five to add to the orchard. 🍏🍐🍎🌱

Proper winter food. 1.25kg of pig's blood, pork fat, oats, onions, barley, salt, coriander, white pepper & mace. I will chop it into slices & freeze them though keep a few out to skillet fry to eat with my pork & bean casserole tonight 😋

The weak winter sun is beginning to spread its magic on overnight frost ❄️🌱

Sun setting behind the large ash tree. I would have admired the sunset (as usual) if one of the emu pairs weren't messing around at bedtime; they eventually went into their shed well after dark when the stars were shining brightly overhead. A cold night. Home to light the fire 🔥❄️

Chilly morning. In the hedge the gorse has started flowering & the bush is absolutely covered in buds. Such a cheerful sight. Grown from seed collected many years ago on a very hot & sultry high summer day while rambling around the Sussex countryside near Arundel. 🌱

Sunset sky

The soulful sound always takes me back to childhood and was strangely comforting. We called the local foghorn Moaning Mindy. The melancholic sound has always seemed to come from somewhere lost. 2013 saw a performance of Foghorn Requiem at Souter Lighthouse further up the coast. vimeo.com/119231430

Looking for inspiration I often turn to this wonderful little book. Published in 1999 with no photos just very clear advice & instructions on how to cook all types of meat. The recipes are great. Tonight's meal will be Galician pork casserole. Never had it before & sounds lovely

It has stopped raining for a bit so a good time to get into the woodstore, collect a few more logs for the fire & make some kindling. I have had this Hultafors short forest axe for years & it makes excellent kindling. This lot is ash & tonight's fire will roar away in seconds. 🔥

Drip, drip, drip. Rain pattering against the windows on another wet day. Damp clothes from yesterday drying by the woodstove, only likely to get wet again later. I have started putting up the sparkly lights bought years ago in Sweden - they never fail to make me smile.

I have just watched this wonderful recipe for the most glorious bourbon spiced Bundt cake & I can't wait to make it. Highly recommended! Renée at the Kitchen in the Shire is brilliant (as well as hilarious). 🍽😋 youtu.be/Vzm5oqiaioU?...

I much prefer cold weather & frost. Can't think why...... ❄️

For #PostBoxSaturday the pillarbox in Market Place #Uppingham. I thought they were repainting it but it has changed to include a solar-powered small parcel drop off & camera run by an app. Not sure I approve! No yarn-bombs here then, more's the pity

My winter work coat. No (expensive) petroleum-based fibres for me, just 100% pure wool. Big pockets. Mud brushes off it. Warm as toast. Bought for £5.30 from ebay. I am amazed at the quality vintage wool coats etc you can buy for <£10. What a bargain! Reuse Recycle Repair ♻️

A diminuitive moorit Shetland wether with a big character, Bran says he needs extra special treats on cold days. ❄️ #SkySheep

Orange & burnt umber sky at twilight

Twilight. A few snowflakes drifting in the breeze. Animals & plants tucked up against the frost. It's going to be a cold night ❄️

Perpetual flowering Hybrid Musk 'Moonlight' (Pemberton, 1913) still going strong. The blooms, photographed yesterday, are a fragrant delight despite the drab cold weather. One of the first #roses to flower in spring & one of the last as winter tightens its grip. #RoseWednesday 🌹