Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness....

Yes, it's been a while, I've had so many enquiries - have I been away, travelling the World, seeing the sights, sunning myself on foreign shores? Well no, more of a "staycation" this year. Me, Valentine and Doris have whiled away the summer months in our lovely moatside paddock with glorious river views. Don't think we've been idle though, no, we've cleared back all the vegetation, created a couple of beautiful muddy wallows, done some fairly impressive excavation in the shed, and caught up on a bit of sleep while the place was so quiet.


Then before you know it, the children were back, lots of noise and activity and although our sleep is more disturbed we do get our meals on the dot. And somehow while we've been resting the summer has slipped away and those chilly, misty autumn mornings are back.













And all around the farm the signs of a bumper harvest are in evidence - the orchards are groaning with apples, pears and blackberries. The children have been busy harvesting then spend the afternoon with Mandy turning the fruit into delicious crumbles for tea.




























And it's everyone's favourite season in the vegetable garden, last week's school harvested and enjoyed eating more than 15 different vegetables over the week. The freezers are full to the brim and there is a shed-full of onions waiting to be used.





























At the end of the garden the children are also enjoying a lovely new shelter built for us by our friends from the local Severn Vale Rotary Club. They harvested the willow and built the structure around our "stone circle" (not quite prehistoric but very atmospheric). Then an expert from a local firm helped with a beautiful canvas roof and the result is a magical space providing shelter from rainstorms and shade on those hot summer days - (remember those days...?)






The shelter was officially opened and toasted by the Rotary Club and the visiting school - it's amazing how many people you can actually fit inside!














And at this time of year the local villages hold their annual produce shows and this year Saul held their first ever. With lots of classes for fruit, veg and flowers there was much gardening-as-a-competitve-sport over the summer. Cakes and biscuits were baked, photos taken, massive marrows were lovingly tended and overfed. There was a whole section of children's classes so the children of Friar's Primary spent the week leading up to their Wick Court visit painting and collaging some entries. Their creations were hung all around the tea tent and several won prizes.



The only area of the farm where the harvest wasn't quite so good was in the hay meadows. A very dry early season meant there wasn't so much grass and this year we harvested much less from the fields. However there is plenty for us animals here and some to sell, so not a disaster.


While we pigs have been relaxing in the meadow there have been a few new arrivals - the last foal of the season arrived safely and is very happy out in the field next to ours. It's always good to live close to the horses, not only do they get to mingle with all the animals, they even get to go off the farm. I'm not saying they're gossips but if you want to know anything it's always best to try the stableyard first.





That's how we heard there were new pigs on the block - black and white pigs in fact. Apparently they're Saddlebacks and they're very demure and ladylike. None of the rowdy squealing and jumping up that my offspring are so famous for - pigs with table manners, who'd have thought it? The first school named them Mary and Virginia after their past and present Headteachers, it'll be very interesting to see what their piglets will look like.



I guess now the nights are closing in and the temperatures are dropping it'll be time for us to move back to our winter quarters. Valentine and Doris should both be back in pig and they'll need to move into suitable accommodation. Apparently my name is almost at the top of the transfer list, so who knows where I'll be spending the winter.... my time at Wick Court has been very special and of course I shall hand the blog over to someone else - our own correspondent.....


Borisx