mardi 16 juillet 2024

Summer update

The weather this summer so far has been very unsettled. Hay making is 3 weeks behind schedule. I cut it yesterday and in the afternoon contrary to the forecast it rained. Today is overcast. It's still salvageable if the sun shines for the rest of the week, but it nutritional value is already low.

Earlier in the week Valentine - one of our white sheep - became ill. A trip to the vet confirmed he had piroplasmosis from a tick bite. He died later the same day.

On a slightly more optimistic note, Pompom, one of our two remaining hens is sitting on half a dozen eggs. We selected them from eggs laid before the fox attack but we cannot be sure how many are fertilized. We're hopeful we may get 2-3 replacements hens.

The barn is progressing with the inside first floor 75% pointed and wood to build the new roof trusses (prior to removing the old roof) due to arrive in a week or so's time.

The oak tree that came down in the spring has yielded 4 stere of firewood so far with another 2 stere still to split and stack.

The foxes have made a number of visits but so far have eluded capture or shooting (the latter no longer being an option with guests in the gite for the rest of the summer).


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