And then, there was Jason....

Selecting the photos for this entry, it appears they are all about animals...excepting one Yuletide celebration - a Christmas cake made with love by Grannie, and iced and decorated entirely - and very carefully - by a small girl.  Delicious - and the joy for us is that we are still enjoying it.

The festive season has been a bit of a blur for me...for a start the Ologist was away - he returns tomoro, YAY - so there was very little happening on the social front.  That is apart from one event we were invited to just before Christmas.

The Elderly Dependant decided he would 'chaperone' me and having kick started himself with three large glasses of red wine before leaving the house rather stumbled around gaily meeting locals and had to be shoe-horned into the car to go home well before the cinderella hour.  Due to his aged years he totally got away with it.  All I can say is I hope I can still manage that when I'm 85.

Talking of the small girl, she has a new playmate in her life.  His name is Jason and he is pint sized.  We have somehow collected him - I kind of talked myself into it and now we are a three pony farm.  Mandarin, her companion Pippa and now Jason.

Jason is a 3 year old miniature Shetland pony and what he lacks in stature is more than made up for in character.  He loves company, is very gentle and follows us round the fields and into the barns helping at every opportunity.  He has not been backed but the small girl has sat astride him a few times and he is not phased in the slightest.  With a cub saddle and some help from his owner (my pony guru and font of all things horsey) we think he'll made a great little leading rein pony.

But back to my blur.  Apart from Christmas Day, I think most days in December have been taken up with chasing sheep back into our fields.  That's probably a gross exaggeration, however that's how it feels.   Most of the neighbours have been more than accommodating and happy to have a few mobile lawn mowers in their meadow.  Some have even helped me herd them back to the fields.
Jason, with Pippa and Mandarin

However they were my responsibility and as the winter has marched on so the hedges have become more and more sparse.  The brambles and nettles have virtually disappeared, and after the hedgeman had done his thing we discovered we weren't very sheep-proof.  Well we didn't....the sheep did.  Whoever said sheep don't climb?  I have watched sheep climb up and over a supposedly impenetrable Devon bank.  I have seen sheep jump through the top section of a post and rail fence.  My father - bless him - arrived a week before Christmas and spent every day with me on sheep rescue and sawing branches to try to block up holes.  It became exasperating and was taking up a lot of the day.  Thank goodness Grannie was at home to keep the wheels turning, providing lovely hot meals and entertaining a small girl.

Today, they went back home to their owner.  We were saved by another local farmer who'd been called by an aggravated neighbour.  He knew they weren't his sheep but wanted to come up to us and see what was going on.  His opinion -  they'd eaten their fill and were hungry - they needed moving on he said.   The owner duly collected the sheep as per my request, didn't wholeheartedly agree with the opinion on the table, but certainly didn't want to cause me any further aggravation and hassle.  We have agreed to try again once we are properly ready.
The cats followed us all the way


I can't tell you how relieved I am.  Morning walks had become a panicked route march of checking for escaping sheep.  Countless times I found sheep on the lawn; sheep on the drive and once arriving back late from a school pick up found sheep, in the dark, on the road....the small girl and I herded them back into their field and got thoroughly muddied in the process.  I can feel my breath beginning to slow and deepen, knowing they are gone.  One major plus point is that its been a great way to meet our neighbours.

Priority on our New Year's list is to get some fencing contractors in and stock fence all our pastures.  There is no doubt it was the right thing to do to have the sheep in the first place, however, we have learnt so much in the process about how to do it better next time.  We knew our first few years here would be hard, a big learning curve and a big hole to throw money into.

Its all for the greater good tho', and Westyard deserves it.  It is such a great place but unfortunately needs a lot of tlc.  Most gateposts are held up by the ivy wrapped around them.  My back is one gate away from breaking currently - hopefully it won't be long before our heavy wooden gates swing lightly at a mere touch.  Ever the optimist me.

In the meantime we are preparing for our next houseful of guests.  Our New Year's Eve celebration consists of great buddies with their children; a pot full of something yummy bubbling on the rayburn that involves chorizo and butter beans; lots of laughter; flowing fizz; who knows we might even sample the sloe gin!

As for the New Year resolutions...I'll have to think of some and let you know next time.

Best of the best to you and yours.  Enjoy the rest of the festive season.









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