Relaxing in front of the fire (which is possibly the only thing I am in charge of) after a day with the animals.
This is my first day as the garden designing housesitter in deepest Shropshire. And how gorgeous this lovely old farm house is. But very little has happened in the way of garden design today! But it is day 1.
My charges are 2 lovely donkeys, 3 terribly easy sheep, 5 completely chilled hens, two dogs with lovely natures….. and 13 cats….all with their own personalities. Before you gasp not all the cats live in the house. In fact just at the moment I’ve only got Willow and Dilly for company. Although Mincey did follow me up to the shower…realised it was a bit wet and promptly took off again.
What a funny day though. Just as the lady of the house was on her way out of the door to Australia for a lovely long holiday there at the door was a father and son who had come to see the house from Australia! The father’s mum had lived here when she was a child about 40 years ago, so in they came and we showed them round. They were just tickled pink by this lovely old house with its nooks and crannies, beams and low ceilings….and so am I to be honest.
Feeding time down here on the farm is going to have to be a much stricter affair than it was this afternoon though. Everybody is after everybody else’s dinner. I’ve never seen anything like it! The dogs like the cat food….the hens like that too, the donkeys quite like the sheep food and the dogs like the hens’ afternoon tea. So lesson learnt, doors will be closed and animals will be segregated!
My best pal for today has been faithful Dixter. What a goodhearted dog he is. Cheerful and happy but sticking with me as if to make sure I was OK. And so biddable. Possibly the most easy going animal I’ve ever come across. And his constant companion Harry – who is an incredible 15 years old, but still dashing round following a trail in the woods amazingly. It’s a bit tricky to call him though – he’s quite deaf. He’s fast asleep now though very sensibly, still chasing something in his dreams. I might just join him.
So, tomorrow is another day, I might just look at that garden…….now where was that wine?
Readyplanted 