GOZZY

Think  foxy roxy must have moved home! The geese were ganging up and attacking another one, (now called 'Gozzy') so we had to spilt them up. Gozzy now roams free around the farmyard and is still alive to tell the tale so foxy roxy can't still be around. Milly isn't quite sure what to make of Gozzy. She runs towards him then, as soon as Gozzy flaps his wings and hisses at her she skids to a halt. Then its like a 'mexican stand off'......neither will lose face and turn away so they both stand there looking at each other menacingly, at least as menecing as a 15 week old puppy can look!!
Beautiful day today, sun cracking the flags so should be able to get some work done to the nature walk we are trying to establish.

TOURISM AWARDS

Delighted to have been shortlisted in the Lancashire Tourism Awards for 'Best Self-Catering'. Busy working on my final submission, I can't believe just how long these things take to put together, still it will be all worth while if we win.

Milly is just adorable. Can't wait to start taking her for walks next week once she is fully vaccinated.  She has really settled in well and doesn't cry at night any more.

The hens are laying well now but we will have to get some more to keep up with demand.

MEET MILLY

Meet the latest addition to our family. MILLY is our beautiful border terrier puppy. She is just 11 weeks old and is absolutely gorgeous. Only arrived here on Sunday and hasn't lost a minute exploring her new home. She's very inquisitive and full of mischief but loves nothing more than to cuddle up to you.

She's had her first vacination and will have the second one in 2 weeks time. Until then she cannot go out but I know she will love running around the garden and will definately be a big hit with our visitors.

GOING GREEN

Over the last 12 months we have been endeavouring to be 'greener' and all our hard work has now been rewarded with a SILVER award from the 'Green Tourism Business Scheme.

The hide is well & and truly finished and loads more bird boxes and feeding stations have been installed around the grounds. Our project for this year is a nature walk, through the garden and down the side of the field. As soon as we get some reasonable weather and the ground is soft enough to dig, we will get started.

Work has started on our 4th cottage. This will be a single storey, 2 bedroomed cottage with complete accessibility. Hopefully it will be ready by the summer but not taking any bookings as yet.

FOXY BUSINESS

One good thing to come from all this snow is the discovery of a fox living in style under our big barn. After the first heavy snowfall we noticed this strange set of prints coming from the lane and down our drive, skirting around the edge of the courtyard then over the wall into the farmyard. We could then follow them around the barn to a foxhole dug under the floor in the wood store. It is probably the same one who killed the geese last year!. Talk about 'sly'....living rent free with ready made meals to hand!! Anyway, the hens and the geese are now kept in their compounds at night so 'Foxy Roxy' can't get to them. This is presumably why she/he found it necessary to go down the lane to look for sustinance. Don't quite know what to do about it at the moment. Zoe would never forgive us if we exterminated it. (She's already horrified that we now have 2 freezers full of pork/bacon)

HAPPY NEW YEAR

After all that hectic preparation, Christmas came & went in a nano second...or am I just getting too old? Still, it was nice to have the family all home for Christmas. Total 'whiteout' today, hasn't stopped snowing since the early hours and I've a really bad dose of the flu so, feeling really sorry for myself!
It will be a shame to take the fairy lights down from the trees as everyone has remarked how lovely they have looked. 'A Winter Wonderland' was how one guest described it.
We have a beautiful Jay visiting the back garden on a regular basis now. Its colours are just lovely and it looks huge next to the robins!. Alan has erected loads more bird boxes around the site so, hopefully, they will become 'home' to the many species we have around here. 'Ossie' the owl made a rare appearance yesterday, we don't usually see much of him this time of year!

What a welcome change in the weather. Thought it would never stop raining long enough to get the Christmas lights up. We normally get them up on the first weekend in December, but have only managed two trees to date due to the weather! One of the hens fell off its perch this week so now we're down to 4. Will probably wait until next spring now to replace her. Pinky & Perky????????.............Pork chops anyone !!!!!!!