Chick hatching

Sadly just this one chick hatched out of a clutch of 6 eggs. A bit lonely perhaps, but oh so lively!

Just hatched.

Day 2: Hopping about like a champion already!

Day 5: Out and about.

Oh dear, Oscar transfixed already!

Wild End baby

 

Honey!

The first honey from the Wild End - I'm just soooo chuffed!

I got 4 jars out of 3 frames... crush and strain, simple. 
Wasn't that hard really (once I got the bees off the frames).

Wild garlic - now in bloom!

 Time runs and runs - wild garlic season is over already. And once again I wish I had harvested more...

Donkey walks!

I'm sooo pleased with my boys!
I'm now able to take Luca & Henry on walks, together and on my own!
I walk them 50m down the lane to my 'big field' on most days but attempting a walk down the village when we were both quite green with each other was a bit of an embarassment, so it took me some time, and some work, to dare trying again.
After several weeks of practicing 'stop' we took our first walk down the village a couple of weeks ago, past a car, a tractor, a chatty neighbour and his stone lions(!). The donks were great, if a bit careful.
Every possible circular walk out the door here involves crossing a stream or two, so the footbridge was our next challenge. It took 3 walks down to the bridge until they felt comfortable by the gushing stream, but then just 5 minutes to tempt Luca to cross the bridge. He then kept going back and forth over it as he done nothing else his whole life, while I was trying to persuade Henry to step on the bridge... took another 3 walks until he felt it was safe to cross. All the while was trying to be less clumsy with my bundle of lead ropes...
Today we did our second circular walk around the village, past gaggles of lambs, a friendly pony, and some not so friendly horses in a distant field making a racket as soon as they saw us - the donks perked up their ears but stayed very cool otherwise.
I can tell they love it - they actualy demand it now!

Winter cosy

Let this be a year of hope and inspiration!