The English Paysanne

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Summer is nearly over, after six weeks of intrerupted nights when being woken by Master C as he comes back from working at the local restaurant he left on Tuesday back to Toulouse. Check out his photos  feldspath.tumblr.com/

It's International Dog Day today here is a link . I have one happy rescue dog who will celebrating with a picnic.

Yesterday we moved 3 pigs that had been in an enclosure half way up the hill. They have now moved down to the bottom which only means one thing. They have had a far longer and happier life than many pigs in France but soon their time will be up. Before then they have an area of weeds to eat down and enjoy. Their excitement of being moved showed in the speed they left their old enclosure and the grunting that was heard for the rest of the afternoon. If only they would stop tipping their water trough over as soon as it is filled farmer J would be happy too.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Finally bringing the hay in for 2016, there is rather a lot of it.

I dug up the late potatoes today as it was overcast and the plants were looking pretty dried and dead so it only meant they were ready to feed the mice if I didn't dig them up first. I thought my fury helper might want to help but she didn't. Instead she ate the raspberries I picked before hand and had put up on top of the compost bin thinking they were safe. With a spot of relaxing Sorrel did find a few mouse holes but eventually found the plastic trough more interesting.

For a well socialised dog it would of been an amazing meet and greet week, how do you do, have you got anything for me week but were talking Sorrel here. The not socialised everyone is just scary dog. Not only have we had to face gite guests each week, the past seven days been especially busy. We've done seeing friends we love, especially when they bring treats for us. Meeting new female dogs, going for a walk with them then having to let them come in our garden and house, which was fine but we couldn't handle the jumpy up thing that she kept doing to the humans so Sorrel, the I'm a calm, polite dog that doesn't jump up (apart from at Miss F and Anita cause I really love them and am so excited when they visit) tried to show Pepper how to behave by nipping her. Then a tent went up. This I wasn't too happy about but once sniffed and barked at it was OK, however when Farmer J's little brother and his two boys turned up it all went a little difficult. ...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Look left everyone. Not all chickens know their left from their right but we are working on it. Pierrot has found his feet, preferring to roost with the younger girls maybe the older ones have snoring issues.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Is this how you get double yolkers?

Last week our old sheep, Miss Fatty showed signs of pain in her back legs. She found it difficult to get up, became very slow and moved as each steep was hard work and painful. After many years on her feet and possibly a little on the large side old age has steeped in with what we think is arthritis/ rheumatism in her joints. We could of called the vet out but her diagnosis would probably of been old age, with a course of anti inflammatory injections. These would of given relief for a short period of time but something she can't take for ever so we tried a natural remedy that worked on a couple of pigs we had ages back who had joint ill and something we take daily. Rose hip. Each Autumn I pick the hips of wild roses and boil them up to make a syrup, taken daily this relieves joint pain and believe me it works. Now we had run out of syrup so have had to buy pills for now which are crushed into her breakfast and tea. Within the week she is moving a lot easier breaking out...

Mr Tweedy catches Pierreot (remember chicken run) Pierrot if only he would keep still long enough he would'nt be so blurry Friday evening we went to collect a cockerel from a farmer friend called Pierrot. He had brought a dozen true Sussex  eggs which resulted in 9 hatching out, 5 cockerels and 4 hens. being a soft farmer he cant dispatch the cockerels for the pot so has found homes for them. As we lost our cockerel to old age it was only a matter of time that another one would appear. However today has been the first day he came out, partly due to me opening the gate which separated the chickens, Gorgon and the sheep so he could walk through the opening. I think as he had been in a pen he thought the wooden slats were also keeping him in - even though he perched on top of the gate at  night and could of so easily jumped down on the other side. So his been strutting his stuff, trying to gain the hens attention and maybe a lit bit confused by following the ducks. ...