Great Gutton Ghosts and Ghoulies.

Never one to miss out on a chance to party, we had a gathering of ghoulish guests for the annual Halloween Bash. Once again every one got in the mood and spirit of the night and we had horrors of all kinds.

Dragons blood soup and ogres fingers for those that hadn't overdosed on the apple bobbing, doughnut dangling and mighty mayhem as well as all the chocolates apples, sweety treats, garishly coloured baked goods and assorted skull jellies and gooey stuff. Mulled wine kept the grown ups happy while the kids charged around on sugar overload and had a great time. Head count at the end of the evening showed we had lost no one to the horrors of the Halloween.......unless things went bump in the night!

All things Appley

Two weekends down and the shelves are nearly filled with Apple juice, although the trees still have fruit a plenty. Our first weekend of juicing welcomed over 70 guests, friends and neighbours and the sun shone throughout. Trailer loads of apples were gathered in a trice and then the real work began. We soon realised there was an awful lot of lifting, squashing, washing, squeezing, wheeling, pressing, pulling and shoving and yet somehow folk found their spot where they could be useful. Those without a job helped to prepare the feast for afterwards which took place in the barn, and once we had filled every available barrel, container and bucket with juice, we downed tools, tidied up and started emptying bottles for our own consumption! whether you were a guest staying at great Gutton Farm, a friend or simply had some apples that needed pressing, there was a real  "Community spirit" over the whole weekend and everyone went home with some juice of their own, with many returning the following week to repeat the whole process. Fun Fun times and next week we are handing over to the men as they have a go at some cider making........uh oh, I sense trouble!

Guilty as charged......

........No excuses for having abandoned the blog. Too busy enjoying the summer and watching all our guests enjoy themselves at the same time. Suddenly though the nights are drawing in, wood fires are being lit and the woolly jumpers are appearing once more. I love the autumn but this year we really have had such a wonderful summer and I'm still not sure I'm quite ready to wave it goodbye. 

However, the blossom that was so fantastic in the spring, has turned to what is looking like a bumper crop for October.

 branches of the trees have actually been breaking with the weight of their fruit, and we have filled  basket upon basket already of fallen apples. Our apple juicing weekends in October are now set and we hope to produce more juice than ever as the trees continue to mature.

And as if we are not spoilt with all the apples, there are pears ripening in the front garden, blackberries coming to an end after a seemingly never ending supply from the hedgerows and a quick walk with the dogs this morning saw my basket filled with field mushrooms before even reaching the top of the hill. The recent damp and warm weather does have some positive after all - I wonder if apple and mushroom crumble would work?

Making Hay while the sun shines.....

....and boy has the sun been shining these past two weeks. Simply fabulous to have warm summer evenings, followed by bright sunny mornings. Sheep and lambs continue to thrive and as you can see, our two pet lambs have remained as friendly as ever. They were weaned off the bottle mid June, but still like to come and say hello if ever we are in the fields - be it to let us sit on them or just to get a lick of an ice lolly! Here's Ella to demonstrate with Jeremy Nom Nom;

And all this sunshine means the grass has been growing like crazy,  so we have made hay to be used next winter- it's all in the planning you know! Neighbouring friends and farmers came to our two fields on Monday to cut, Tuesday was turning time, Wednesday it was all swished into rows in time for the baler to come along, scoop it up and push out the lovely string tied small bales - easy to handle and perfect for our small Shetland flock.

The only down side was walking up and down the steep fields in the heat of the sun - but nothing that another ice lolly all to myself couldn't cure! 

Baaaaa time

Here's the very gorgeous Rachel and her Mummy Helen looking after pet lambs Jeremy Nom

Nom and Lamby whammy ( ridiculous names I know but our kids are to blame!). Of course bottle feeding couldn't take place without our Peggy ably assisting all our holiday makers.my how they've grown and continue to do so in all this glorious sunshine.

It's all in the wood

These are "spars", which in our case are made of hazel. So you split the lengths of hazel and point each end using a bill hook. Then you fold in half and twist at the same time, to create  a sort of wooden staple.  These are then used to fix the straw to what is the roof. Apparently they have tried to reproduce these in plastic but just cannot get the same "springiness" in the man made staples and so the tradition carries on. If the spar is not bent then it is called a "ligger" and this is used on the outside of the ridge for decorative purpose. I'm heading off to see if I can get a picture...

Thatches, matches and no dispatches.....

So the Thatchers are now here, and rather than think of it as a messy straw fest of inconvenience, I'm seeing it as another opportunity to wonder at the glory of this house made of mud and straw. Yes there are ladders and scaffolding everywhere but with Terry and Wayne working their straw filled socks off, it's just great to see a work in progress and learn a little about the art of thatching. 

'twas the night before........

.....The wedding. Richard and Amy celebrate their marriage here at Great Gutton tomorrow and as you can imagine, this week has been hectic as we prepare for their big day. Whilst we grandly call our barn, The Party Barn, it really is quite simply a barn.

But with some muscle defining work with a broom, a huge dollop of gluing and sticking, miles of ladder climbing and some wonderful imaginations, Richard, Amy and their dedicated team of family and friends have transformed it to a Wonderful Wedding Barn. It's all the little touches that I love, spraying baked bean tins for flowers, hand crafting banners and flags, a whisper of netting transforming dull ivy clad walls into a wonderful back drop, drippings of fairy lights.......ooooh I could go on and on, but instead will settle with a few pictures now and the promise of lots more when the big day finally arrives. So it's fingers crossed for sunshine and all the very best to the Delicious Bride and Groom for tomorrow and always.

PS. Did I mention the GLITTER BALL I spotted - dancing shoes are at the ready!

You don't bring me flowers..........

Well actually, 'im indoors may not but some of our guests do and last Friday got off to a great start with the arrival of guests bearing flowers - not just any flowers but a balloon bunch. Fabulous. Rich and his family and friends were returning to Great Gutton for their first weekend  "Gathering" as part of City Life Church Exeter. It was all go as they and our other guests settled in with the promise of sunshine for at least part of the weekend. Now' I'm not saying the BBQ's all came out and folk were sunbathing but I did spot some bare feet in flip flops and there was the odd shiny red nose on Sunday morning. The group marked their gathering with the planting of a tree and so first off they dug up the old tree that 'im indoors had mistakenly slaughtered with some over enthusiastic strimming and replaced it with a Sorbus Commixta Embley to be precise, but to you and me, a Rowan Tree. I now feel the weight of responsibility in getting it to flourish and grow amidst attack from errant strimmers, run away sheep and general neglect. I accept the mission.......

Jumping For Joy........

Our two orphan pet lambs have finally been let out to play with the big kids - Lamby Whammy and Jeremy Nom Nom loving the warm sunshine and opportunity to join the other lambs in the Orchard field. Spent the afternoon running and skipping around the paddock and came crashing into us when we took their afternoon bottle out to them. Headed back into the warmth of the stables at night time for a much needed sleep.

The sun has got its hat on....

and what's more it has truly come out to play. After the cold and wet, we are seeing sunshine and what a difference those rays make. Grass has been cut to within an inch of its life, washing is on the line, guests are arriving, Great Gutton is glowing and I just heard a cork pop. It's that Friday feeling BIG TIME!

Toowit Toowoo.....

It was sad to hear on the radio today that the Barn Owl silently flying in the Orchard and Yurt field during day ight hours is actually desperately hunting for something to eat. The recent cold spell is likely to have killed much of its natural prey, usually abundant in Spring time and so times are hard and food is scarce for this beautiful and rarely spotted bird. The picture is not our owl but gives you an idea of what we are lucky enough to see most afternoons.

Hitting the Bottle..................

One single healthy lamb born today - Bella, who managed to walk with her Mum to the orchard, stopping only to pose beautifully in front of the house. Sadly one of the ewes who gave birth to twins on Saturday, suffered complications and despite the vet calling round, didn't make it. This means we are now bottle feeding two orphan ram lambs - time consuming but oh so very gorgeous. We have just given them their night feed and put them to bed in the stable. I'm now on watch to make sure Ed and Peggy don't try and sneak them into the house................

Great Gutton or Great Gluttons?

So as well as chocolate and new born lambs, this Easter we have also been  treated to some glorious sunshine that just makes the whole world a better place and lets Great Gutton glow in perfect Spring weather. No more lambs today but instead our time was spent with a fabulous Easter Egg hunt around the garden in which guests and friends were able to fill baskets with all things chocolatey. Whilst we then sat back and filled our faces, the new lambs were able to bask in the sunshine with their mums.
A lovely lovely day, but I need to lie down..............and perhaps just one more chocolate?

Just like a Number 7 Bus.....

You wait ages for one to come along and then 3 of them appear at once. First Great Gutton lambs of 2013 arrived today, two sets of twins and one single. Mothers and babies all doing well and have been moved to the orchard maternity unit where there is shelter, grass and since it's just behind the back door, we can keep an eye on them. Even spotted the beautiful white Barn Owl flying through the apple trees - we first saw it a couple of days ago and it seems to be hanging around, so who knows what will be arriving next!

 Here's a picture of our first arrivals - one ewe and one ram lamb. The boy is called Harvey (a promise we made to some guests last year whose son Harvey helped us with apple juice and cider making) and we have yet to decide (or agree!) on the ewe lambs name.............................

Easter Bunny or Easter Lamb?

I've just walked up the very steep hill, in the very freezing cold, with some very lovely guests in the hope of finding at least one very cute lamb. But no, it's not to be and so now we are back in the kitchen, defrosting by the Aga and getting the feeling back in our fingers and toes. It's all a bit of an anti climax (especially when you are only 6 years old), and so I have pointed out that the Easter Bunny has more chance of making an appearance before the Easter Lambs. Needs must and at times only chocolate will suffice - this seems to have gone down well as a temporary measure and now we need to hide the wrappers..............

Minus three days and counting!

Minus three days and counting but still no lambs! Very cold here but at least we do not have snow. Guests all warm and cosy with log fires blazing. Looks like John cannot put the chainsaw away quite yet as he and Jack need to cut more logs in the morning.

Ladies in waiting......

This is it then girls, it's no good coming over to say hello, we need you to go find yourselves a quiet bit of field, settle yourselves down and get on with it. We don't want any of that "Call the Midwife" nonsense - leave that to BBC1
The rest of the family are now on keen alert - never before have the children been so eager to don their wellies and head for the hills. Let's have Sunshine, Deep Breathing ......................and ACTION!!!!

A quick look at the sheep gestation table this morning confirmed that the Great Gutton lambing looks like starting on or around the 22nd March and not on the 1st of April as we all thought! 

Breakfast.

Sometimes I just LOVE this Friday feeling. Jam and cream anyone?

Uh oh, uke alert!

Nearly ready for tomorrows guests who are taking over Great Gutton for a family gathering and planning on having a few jamming sessions. Must try and keep John and his Ukulele away from them - although temptation to be rid of both man and instrument may be too strong..................