'Punky' paca'.

To be honest, I've never 'got' Halloween -it's the Englishman in me. However, today I carved my first pumpkin, one that Mrs. Smallholder grew, and I had to put the Apple Vale stamp on it.

It was while scooping out the flesh, it dawned on me - so that's what ectoplasm is!

Talking of excavation - I laid the land drain yesterday - when I say, "the land drain", it was just a short cut-off drain to reduce the run-off reaching the gateway and shelter in wet spells - and when I say, "I laid the land drain", I mean I also had the help of a couple of mini-diggers as well (Mrs. Smallholder and our daughter offered to dig, for the exercise - our sub-soil is stiff clay) - it was an offer I couldn't refuse, and saved the hassle of collecting and returning a real mini-digger. So I missed the opportunity of using a 'boys toy', but I'd rather have a light footprint on the planet and my field anyway. So, job done, turf replaced, scattered a bit of grass seed in the gaps, and even the chickens helped to drill the seed in - at least, I think that's what they were doing...

Pleased to report that Minnie is growing fleece back on her face -she still has a bit of a crusty nostril, and I was surprised how tolerant she was of having salve put on it - it's as if she understands that I'm trying to help her.