Paddock diary

Today was a first, I gleaned wool from the boundary of our paddock and washed it. Not sure what I will do with it when it is completely clean (this was the first wash only). I may try felting it into something.

I am also keeping an eye on our plums this year, as last year they were demolished by a variety of birds.

The fringe of the paddock is decorated this year with lots and lots of foxglove "bee apartments". So pretty.

Starlingist purges

For five years now, I have had a running battle with a family of starlings who like to nest in our mailbox. The first year we lived here, I allowed it - through ignorance.

Never again.

Getting out the nest after the birds had fledged was horrible. There were fleas, there were ticks and there was a dead bird.

It's not as if there aren't any trees or rooftops. We have 3 families of starlings in our roof and every year they make an unholy mess of the side of the house with their pooping. That's fine, it can be washed off. But I object to bird poop all over our mail, especially at Christmas.

So, in the last month I have tried a number of tactics to put off the starling. All have failed. I just took the photo below half an hour ago. I thought I had packed the fabric into the letter box well, but no, three inches of straw had been wiggled inside. The pile at the base of the box is the last two days worth.

Ask me at Christmas if we won the battle.

No cupboard is safe

Yet more forays into divine duvet comfort. Menace!

There is no escape for clean laundry and freshly dry cleaned quilts. The boy will seek them out.

No mouse in the house

He is always trying to help. A regular clerk of works! Like most cats, he can't resist an open drawer or a linen cupboard full of squishy towels, blankets and sheets.

I've turfed him out more times than I can remember, and have actually raced down our long hall corridor to try and stop him getting inside when the door has drifted open. I have also accidentally locked him inside when he's buried himself out of sight behind tea towels.

"Have you seen Mango recently? He hasn't turned up for breakfast"

"Check the laundry basket first, then the linen cupboard"

Yesterday I was putting boxes away on the floor of the said cupboard and could smell the unmistakable scent of mouse. I was hoping it had run under the door and conveniently died amongst the boxes and cabin baggage cases. Apparently not. I started to pull out all the linen, and on shelf three found droppings and a stained apron, but no mouse. Minnie was long gone, there being a sizeable gap under the door to escape from.

"Blooming cat took home a friend"

So, the washing machine is now going full tilt - I suppose it gives me the chance to sort out what we don't use or need any more.

Meanwhile, he is still trying to help

When the security you hire sleeps on the job

As I have mentioned a few times before, I sell second hand jewellery to support a number of charities. I love doing it, and my husband is very tolerant of every nook cranny and spare drawer in the house and garage being filled with sparkly things.

On Wednesday I'm taking jewellery to a local retirement village, invited by a friend who lives there. It involves quite a lot of work, as each place I go to is different, and I can't haul everything each time, so I select and sort and arrange on trays.

Today I imposed on Junior Ginger's bedroom. He somehow managed to squeeze in a nap, surrounded by tray upon tray of costume jewellery.

Not much of a guard cat I'm afraid.

I bet Paul Hollywood doesn't have this problem.

Living in the country with three city cats has been a learning curve. I did wonder how they would settle, but they have taken it very much in their stride.

Here are a few comments from my Facebook page today. It was one of those days when I had a LOT to do, and I was trying to get it all finished in time so I could have a nana nap. No such luck. The events took place within a space of 30 minutes, the time it took for my cardamom bread to rise.

Half way through making bread, I see 4 naughty lambs have escaped from our paddock and are charging around next door. Sheep dog activated, lambs grounded, yows giving them a royal ticking off! Who needs Netflix?

Mango tries to bring an adult rabbit into the house. I get to the cat flap before he does, and get out to try and rescue rabbit. Wrangle 8kgs of hungry cat, meanwhile the rabbit plays dead on the lawn. I try and encourage it to get up. It does, but Mango escapes and chases it at an illegal speed across the paddock. Sadly, I don't think it will escape a second time. So long as he doesn't try and get a lamb for dessert. 15 minutes ago I'd refused to give him an extra lunch, so he got his own takeaway. Blooming menace!

Caught Mango, who is slithery with the damp grass. Rabbit should get an Oscar for the death performance. I took the cat out with a flying tackle near the paddock gate. Rabbit is thumbing a lift home and the ginger murderer is now locked up.

Well at least the bread worked out OK

Dawdling at dusk

Our cats like to take us for walks in the garden in the evening. This evening, I was out assessing a few of our trees which appear to have suffered in recent weird weather. Two of them on the border may need to be cut down, but it will mean more light for the trees lining the driveway.

As I bent down to check the base of one tree, I heard the thundering of 8 kgs of ginger tom charging up the driveway then up the tree.

The photos are out of focus due to the lack of light, but you get the general idea. Simon came out later to check the tree, and caught Mango about to spring on Ruppin, who was hiding, as is his wont, under the agapanthus.