Archived News

28th July 2008

The boys came running to find me this morning to say they had found a fox – in the room where the dog sleeps!  It’s not in the actual house, thank goodness but adjacent to the office. The fox was thin and looked mange ridden and exhausted as if he came in for a rest and something to eat.  The dogs didn’t quite know what to make of this creature in their home and I was grateful we hadn’t yet let the hens out.  We chased the fox away but I fear that it will return for our chucks.

The fox didn’t seem at all frightened by us,  I wonder if it’s one of those foxes originally living and scavenging in a town, possibly ‘rescued’ after a  road accident and then released in the countryside.  I have heard of wildlife rescue centres releasing foxes on Leith Hill, the foxes are quite at a loss, they just stay by the roadside because they have no idea what to do or where to go in the countryside.

Hopefully the rain will hold off because David is spraying the weeds in the maize, Dick is topping off the grass fields to remove thistles and Donald and Amanda are checking, feeding and bedding up the cattle as is the usual routine.  Six new calves arrive today from a local dairy farmer and they will be introduced to the milk machine.

The maize which germinated under plastic is already producing cobs which are already 8 inches long compared to the later crop which has yet to begin growing the cobs.