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 !!!!!!!

Saturday 14th November 2009

At last, the hide is almost complete. Windows are in, just need a bit of insulation to stop the draughts, and it will be ready and waiting for all you twitchers. The whooper swans have been arriving in their thousands in the last month. The sight & sound as they pass overhead is amazing as they make their way to Martin Mere.
Trying to get my head around this 'Twitter' business. If anyone is interested in following my 'tweets' you will find them on Twitter / Martin Lane Farm   Our home made jam & chutney is going well and, fortunately, the hens are still laying. Pinky & Perky continue to eat us out of house & home, I'm sure they must be fat enough by now for..........

Sunday 1st November 2009

What a difference a day makes! After a beautiful day yesterday when the geese were enjoying the warm, autumn sunshine, woke up this morning to a howling gail and the rain beating against the windows. It then hit me that I had forgotton to bring in all the washing from the changeover yesterday. To make matters worse, I then discovered that the washing line had broken and so all the bedding (from 8 beds) had to be rewashed....hey ho !!!!

Sunday 4th October 2009

What a week. Alan has been away in Stutgart for the beer festival so I have been here on my own. Pinky & Perky are lucky that they aren't bacon !! On Friday evening, when I went to feed them, they had got out into the field and had made a right mess ! I eventually got them back into their pen and settled them down for the night. Saturday morning all was well, fed the beasts and then went off for a round of golf with my friends. Returned Saturday evening ( loooooooooooong game !) only to find that the porkers (no longer sweet little piggie wiggies) had, once more, escaped from their pen.  Not satisfied with just digging up the paddock they had rampaged through the potato patch and devastated it. All our  potato crop eaten in one day. (Roast pork & apple sauce now has a distinctive appeal!)
Still busy in the cottages, only a few days vacant up to the end of October. Seem to be very popular with Germans in two of the cottages this week and next week all our visitors are from New Zealand.
Played golf again today.....absolute rubbish....think I'll stick to watching it on the telly

Tuesday 15th September

Still holding onto the summer weather thanks goodness! Pinky & Perky are growing really fast, they really love being out in the field and digging up the earth. They don't like the rain however and soon scurry into their sty at the slightest drop!
Last Saturday we saw a red squirrel running across the garden and up the oak tree. It stayed up the tree for quite a while and we could see it leaping across the branches then it just disappeared amongst the foliage and we haven't seen it since.
Diane, who stayed here last week, spent hours trying to get a photo of the little owl. It would sit on the roof of the shed watching her but, as soon as she got near enough to get a good picture, it popped down out of sight.

Friday 31st July 2009

Introducing you to the latest additions to Martin Lane Farm. Pinky & Perky (not very imaginative I know!!!) have now taken up residence. They are living in the shed at the moment but, when they get a bit bigger they will be going out into the field.

All the cottages are full this week. Yvonne & Val are here once again from Ipswich. This must be their 5th visit. They have come up to watch the Ladies Golf Open at Lytham St Annes and they have already booked with us for next year when the same event takes place at Royal Birkdale.

The weather hasn't been too bad, we seem to have escaped alot of the rain so I'm keeping my fingers crossed about August.

I completed the Race for Life on Sunday 19th July. Was very pleased with myself as I completed the 5k in 40 minutes and have so far raised £405 for cancer research with some more promised. If you would care to add to my total, its very easy to do via the 'Just Giving' link on this blog

Monday July 6th 2009

What a difference a week makes!! Last week we were sweltering as the temperature soared ever higher but yesterday & today the rain has come down in torrents. The garden looks better for it and the geese are delighted but the poor hens are looking a bit bedraggled.
Have been very busy getting the 'Welcome Walkers & Cyclists' accreditation so, now we've got that,
we're working to get the 'Green Tourism' award. We want to be as 'environmentally friendly' as we possibly can so there's quite a few things we need to change, but I was surprised at just how many things we were doing right already.
Our free range farm eggs are proving very popular with our guests so the 'chucks' are earning their keep at last.
Work has finally started on our fourth cottage which, when finished will be suitable for wheelchair users and guests with other mobility problems.
I'm running in the 'Race for Life' in two weeks so, if you would care to sponsor me for Cancer Research, its very easy to do via the link to the left of this article.