The hedgeman cometh.

It has been a notable end to the month at Westyard Farm.  In fact, right in the last week I think I experienced my most exciting day, ever.  Actually, it was both satisfying and highly disappointing at the same time. 

I was out walking the fields and checking the sheep.  Yes, SHEEP - but I'll come back to that detail later.  I heard in the not too distant distance, a sound I've been waiting for - and banging on about - for as long as I think we've lived here.  Then I saw a flashing whirling warning light and knew instantly.  THE HEDGEMAN COMETH.....


I greeted the beast of a tractor at the top of the drive with a deep bow, and my hedgetrimmer man told me that he'd not forgotten about me, he'd just had some problems.  He said there was another tractor behind him by a few minutes and that they'd get it all done in a day.  I ran back into the farmhouse kitchen jumping up and down on the spot shouting:- 'the hedgeman's here...the hedgeman's here....'  Everyone else was tucking into porridge and toast.  Throughout the day I waved my arms over areas of brambles and nettles and overgrown hedges and they were compliant.  What their work has revealed, in most of our hedge lines, is that we now need a chainsaw to do the work as most of the hedges have grown in to trees. 




What they have done is really impressive and what I hadn't realised is that their machines not only cut but mulch as it goes along so there are few arisings left behind.   When I shared my disappointment, I was told by my brother that I was being too impatient.  I guess he's right.  These things will take a good few years to get into shape.  You can't rush Mother Nature.

My brother was here to deliver the family pony.  She has provided my niece with many years of fun and now as she prepares to fly into adulthood and is working hard to save for a trip overseas the pony has been granted a new chapter of her life too.  She is very sweet, a chestnut mare with a delightful character and kind nature.  My daughter and I are quite taken with her and dishing out carrots and polos like mad.  She is a bit fat and needs working to get trim.  I could easily pass with that description too, so the pair of us are mission on to get a bit fit.  She has a companion in the form of 'Pippa', an Exmoor X pony with similar dietary needs ie: living on fresh air and not much else.  They have a nice paddock overlooking the village church, with access into the barn and two stables that I've scrubbed to within an inch of their lives. Both myself and my little girl have ridden her, bareback as the saddle doesn't fit, and the pony was excellent (she had all of 20 paces onboard before I got her down - health and safety would not have approved as there was no protective headgear...since rectified with a nice new hat purchased at a local horsey car boot.)  Its all a bit dreamy really.  I'm very happy and enjoying this new opportunity.


Talking of the small girl she also had a momentous month by turning 5.  She requested a 'Rainbow Fairy' party and invited all the girls from her new school.  We had a cake crisis two nights before the party that fortunately was rectified the evening before.  I baked.  The 'Ologist did the icing.  It was good team effort and achieved the 'Oooh' factor desired when presented, rainbow and all, to ten little 5 year olds.  The party was absolute chaos.  Never again.  Got the tee shirt etc...etc...  A few mummies stayed and the rest left their precious poppets to it.  I made the huge mistake of inviting them from 2pm - 6pm.  Should have got them to leave by 4pm really.  The games we organised took less than half the time anticipated.  I could go on.  The birthday girl, on the other hand, had a wonderful party and couldn't fault it.  Fortunately for us the bouncy castle man didn't turn up till the Monday so we got to bounce all weekend in the ball pit in our front room which at the time had no furniture so was just the job.  We are still picking play-doh off the carpet and finding half chewed biscuits down the back of the sofa.


We have 93 sheep on our land.  They have been with us for over two weeks now and have made a big impact on the long overgrown grass as anticipated.  We have replaced many gate posts and have rehung many gates - and still have many more to do.  But for now the sheep fields are in good shape, the stock fence all mended and gates swinging freely...my back is beginning to ache from wrenching 5-bar wooden gates open that are hanging on the ivy growing on the rotten post.  Another toy arrived this month in the shape of a forestry quad bike.  It is a great way to check the sheep and as my sister in law said I'll probably never walk the fields again.


Our tree surgeon has been busy and has now taken down two enormous coniferous trees.  One was a multi-stemmed giant towering over what we call the trampoline lawn. The other no less than 2m away from the front of the house.  It blocked the sky and the light.  The front of the farmhouse faces south and the morning sun used to fight to touch the face of the building.  Now we are bathed in morning sunshine - yes even in deepest Devon.  Today was no exception.  It was glorious.  Sunshine streaming into bedrooms that haven't seen the light for over 20 years.  This week he is planning to take out the biggest one on our front lawn.  We are cooking up a plan to do something 'arty' with the trunk if he can leave it quite high.  Any ideas or inspiration welcome.  I'm thinking steps cut around leading up to a platform....a tree house....who knows.  I guess it will evolve with us as everything else is.


Another great discovery we have made is the horseradish.  I started to clear the area that is to be the veggie patch.  It is slow work and hard.  So much so that we've decided to get some pigs to do the work for us.  If we get long snouted pigs they dig the deepest roots up and manure the ground as they go.  Not to mention the bacon and sausages.  Anyhow, the horseradish is plentiful and having no previous experience of the stuff just dug some up.  It is very rooty.  Once scrubbed clean and peeled we lobbed it into a kitchen whizzer with a good blade and reduced it to a fine crumb.  A small piece of advice here.  Don't be tempted to smell it at this stage.  Or look at it.  Not unless you want to burn your eyes and your nasal hair.  Simply transfer to a bowl and mix in a small bit of vinegar and anything creamy.  We have used single cream and plain yoghurt both with excellent results.  It is sinus clearing stuff and seriously stingy on the eyes when freshly whizzed.  Goggles would have been a useful health and safety tool.  Nothing quite beats a great lump of roasted beef with lashings of bench shaking fresh horseradish...


Frustration reigns...can't seem to upload any more pix.  Will try again later. Have just realised it is the first of December tomoro and the advent calendar needs filling with goodies for the small girl...