In addition to helping plant potatoes (ie inspect them after they have been planted, and play about in the soil which has been ridged up over them) I have been spending a lot of time in the crew yard (this is where the cows used to live and there is still the barn with the wooden feeding troughs. There are also a lot of old hessian sacks about (the brown woven type ones) I love their different smells and they're quite comfortable to have a snooze on. Because I blend in well with the colours of the sacks, wood and straw - and all the grasses that were mowed or have died off from last year, I am quite hidden and camouflaged in here .........truly I am "stealth cat" - I use it to notice all the different species of animals and birds that live down here - it really is diverse!
Speaking of diversity, the farm is taking part in a new environmental scheme called "The Entry Level Scheme" which aims to encourage wildlife, birds, rodents, insects etc (no mention of cats though, strangely!) at the moment, only the other farm is officially involved, but this type of green activity has always been carried out here - and now, a new massive bird box (for owls) is going up near the crew yard - I like owls, they are a joy to watch with their hovering and graceful flight. I think some live in the farm buildings of Dave's across the road. I think that we should all help each other as species -I am a well read cat, and as the Dalai Lama says, "Our prime purpose in life is to help others, and if you can't help them, then at least don't hurt them"
- it is a shame that not everyone uses this as a mantra to live by, as the tv is full of news of the war in the Gulf.
I've also had a day and a bit "home alone" in April as Mum and Dad went to London for the night with Clare and Ian to watch a show, and Will was at the other farm. I enjoyed it and entertained Grandma and Pam - and I got all the beds to myself!
this is the view at night when I was owl spotting!
