Tuesday 27 August 2013

Summer Fun

This summer the bird that has given me most amusement in the garden is the pigeon. The latest one is Kung Foo Pigeon:)  He has decided the garden is his territory and whilst he will tolerate most of the visiting birds, he will not tolerate other Pigeons, Magpies or Crows.  He demonstrates his disapproval by raising a threatening wing and, if the trespasser dares to come closer, a quick karate chop sees off the offender. This has been particularly welcomed by the Pheasants as the Crows and Magpies like to play a game of 'Who can get the Pheasant's Tail' causing several of the more unfortunate Pheasants to have bald bottoms!!:))

It has to have been the nicest summer we have had for several years (at least in the SE) and I am hoping this good weather will last a little longer so that we have a good day for the Downland Project's Countryside Day on Sunday 15th September (Banstead Woods, Holly Lane, CR5 3NR.  10.30am to 4.30pm).  This is a really good day out with lots to do for all the family so well worth going to.

The project always takes along some of its sheep to the show and this year we are trying hard to make the livestock stand a bit more interesting.  One of the things I have been working on is a display to show how animals graze differently and why we therefore use different animals for different sites.  To do this I needed photos of the incisors (the biting teeth) of the different animals we use.  This was not a problem with the sheep (this is the mouth of the all obliging Granny Alice mentioned in previous posts:)...


...and the ponies were easy too (Tavey is grooming Rufus hence what looks like grey hairy grass:)....


...but try getting a cow to open its mouth and, with the cow, I also needed a photo with its tongue included as it is integral to its eating habits.  I searched Google images and the Internet and only found one photo which was not really clear enough so I needed to find an obliging cow that I could get to open its mouth and say "Ahhh," for me to take the photo myself.  Cutting a long story short I did manage it and can now proudly present my photo (I think I am going to copyright it as it is so rare:)) of a cow's mouth....


It always amazes me how obliging animals, large and small, can be when one takes the time to gain their trust (all be it with a morsel of carrot) and communicate with them.

On Bank Holiday Monday, hubby and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Edenbridge and Oxted Agricultural Show.  It is a huge show with crowds of people and lots with dogs but I didn't see one dog misbehaving (I saw lots of children misbehaving though, getting very fractious, understandably as it was a long, hot day:)).  I also didn't see any particularly bad behaviour in any of the livestock classes I watched. There were classes for dogs, horses, donkeys, cows, sheep, pigs, rabbits and chickens and even a parade of cattle where several animals of each breed, including bulls and calves (probably in excess of 50 animals!!) were walked from their pens, across the showground, to the main arena where they were led around for the large audience to see and they mostly remained calm and amenable all the time...just incredible. My favourites, as always, were the horses, particularly the fantastic Shires (I am a bit biased as I used to ride a Shire who was a very kind, gentle giant).  It was good to see so many of these beautiful horses at the show...



At the beginning of August hubby and I had a few days away staying in Alfriston, a little village nestled in the South Downs.  It is only about an hours drive from us and we frequently used to take our children for days out here, kayaking on the River Cuckmere Meanders, but we have never actually spent any length of time exploring the area on foot...Wow... what a beautiful area it is with fantastic chalk grassland and amazing views, definitely deserving of its recently awarded National Park status.  Our most enjoyable walk started at the National Trust's 'Up and Over' car park situated above the White Horse...


From here we walked down through chalk grassland covered in colourful plants like Viper's-bugloss...


...and pretty Common centaury...


There were spectacular views...


Once down in the valley we strolled along by the River Cuckmere Cut to the Seven Sisters Visitors Centre where we stopped for lunch and then followed the South Downs Way up the other side which gave us even better views of the Cuckmere Meanders and sea...


We continued to follow the South Downs Way into Littlington village where we stopped for coffee. Then the path took us alongside the river again and back up through fields of chalk grassland covered in snails (yet to be identified if there are any snail experts reading this)...(also note the diverse number of plant species around the tiny snails in what must be only a three or four inches square..wow:) ...


We arrived back at the hotel where a lovely meal awaited us.  It was one of the best walks I have ever done and worth it even though I have been suffering ever since as I am still awaiting my op to repair the torn cartilage in my knee. The op is scheduled for the 26th Sept so, fingers crossed, by my next post it should be over with and I will soon be able to get back to The Thames Path walk which we aim to pick up again after Christmas. I am sooo looking forward to feeling normal again and to sleep through the night without waking up everytime I move and I have promised my husband (who has had to put up with my frequent moaning) that I will act my age and never again climb over a sheep hurdle carrying a heavy bale of hay!! :)))

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