27th November -A Long Autumn

The absence of heavy frosts has resulted in autumn extending almost to the end of November. The grass continues to grow, many trees are still scattered with green leaves and insects, including bluebottles which lay eggs on my hanging game, are still extremely active. Last night the wind blew fiercely and soon after daybreak I was watching pigeons negotiate the swirling currents as they made their way for the wood behind the cottage. The flock had formed into a sprawling ribbon of birds which snaked arduously across the meadow, their path bisected by dry leaves which having been torn from the boundary oaks streamed across them. When the first individuals reached the lane, they flared up to catch the draft and setting their wings like falcons, allowed its force to propel them into the waiting shelter of the wood. As I suspected, wood pigeons are becoming increasingly numerous and every evening flocks, several hundred strong can be seen moving across the landscape to their roosting sites. If the weather turns cold as promised even more will arrive to feast on the acorns, still thick beneath the oaks and there will be some fine sport!

My morning was spent cutting logs with dad and finally we got to the end of the willow left behind by the cricket bat company. In late summer Gray Nicholls harvested eight willows from the bottom field plantation and having taken the trunks, left enough cordwood to produce eight, four tone trailer loads of logs. Despite not being a particularly good fuel owing to its lack of substance, once properly dry willow burns well and certainly does the job of keeping the Raeburn's insatiable appetites sated.

After a spectacularly busy period which culminated in Em and I  sleeping for 12 hours straight (save for a few disturbances from G) on Saturday night (hence no blog) we found time for a leisurely walk this afternoon. I needed to stretch my legs after the lunch of mutton sausages, bacon and Yorkshire oatcakes which Em had prepared and it felt idyllic to stroll lazily through the woods and fields with my family. Strange how as two, you are just a couple but with the arrival of one baby you feel like a family. On returning home we glanced back up the lane.  The way between the old orchard and the avenue of pines was bathed in sepia light and illuminated by the rays, hovering clouds of midges milled lazily in the sun's warmth - truly winter has not yet arrived.

Dinner

Roast duck with potatoes, parsnips, brussels sprouts and red cabbage casserole. Despite the number we produce, duck still feels like a treat! We like to cook them long and slow until the meat falls from the bone in moist tender flakes and the skin is golden crispy and of course the parsnips and potatoes are put to roast around the bird in its copious fat.