On the fringe...

With Mrs. Smallholder away in Scotland for a wedding, I have been made temporary Head Keeper of the 'zoo'. I've been 'mowing' the lawn daily, with six assistants who are glad of the lush grass, as our field is rather sparse and desperately needs some rain.

"C'mon girls, let's get this lawn mowed"

 The up-turned pots are protecting some young shrubs, but I still have to run around stopping them eating the Plum tree leaves or Bramley rampaging across the flower bed and eating other shrubs, while Pelachuta follows and tucks into the Rose bushes.

"spread out a bit"

 I was surprised to find our duck, an Aylesbury, sitting prone as if receptive to mating, with our cockrel beside her, though he wasn't attempting to mount her, so perhaps she was just being submissive?

Autumn Golds sight was being obscured by her 'Beatle fringe', and so we gave her a hair cut.

Perhaps more Limahl of Kajagoogoo than Beatles?

" I hope they're not thinking of going into hair-dressing"

There's a very nice photograph in Alpaca World this month with the glamorous Beckbrow, Patou and Apple Vale delegates, all smiles before they discovered they hadn't won a holiday in the raffle.

In the next-field-but-one, we have some Highland cattle arrived to add to the 'exotic' livestock which seem to predominate at this end of the village.

Highlands in the Lowlands viewed from our boundary by telephoto lens

 And finally, a thought occurred to me this morning, while walking the dog: if someone suffering hysteria, is hysterical, is someone with Wisteria on the wall of their house, wisterical?...