HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!
Our first Christmas with a log fire in the lodge, Roses Bower lambs in the butchers and all is well. The Xmas period in the shop was manic but thanks to a lot of hard work by the staff, we made it to a euphoric Xmas break! New Year and Xmas , was spent quietly with guests and family thoroughly chilling out and enjoying a few lie ins and the peace and quiet that prolonged snow brings. All fit and well here, apart from Susan and a cough to end all coughs!
The sheep have demanded more food (new hay feeders everywhere) and the horses have cosied in the barn. James from the Ash presented us with our first pheasants home bred and the cats and dogs have made the most of the log fire. We have all appreciated the advantages of four wheel driving and abandoned any car that tries to survive without it. Garden birds seem to be doing well with a nuthatch taking up residence this year. The two hares have taken up residence in the tumbledown tup barn, but sadly the barn owl at Craigshield has visited but not returned to her nesting box.
Will finishes his apprenticeship soon and has plans to add butchering to his skills as well as running the farm in the Spring. Who knows he may even start to build a house for Claire and himself in his spare time. Lewis is fit and well with his new pacemaker and planning a few trips to Zimbabwe this year. Susan and Claire continue to learn the farm shop trade, adding haggis and card machines to the skills list. Never a dull moment!
I have some new pictures for the site! My new years resolution is to learn to get them on line before 2012!
Still waiting in anticipation for a comment I can publish! I live in hope!
Best wishes to you all for 2011 and look forward to seeing some of you here this year in Wild Northumberland.