PIGS GOT A THING FOR WELLIES!

Not sure what it is but Tallulah has a thing for wellies, and when I go in there to remove the willows they have piled in there beds she bites my wellies....but they cant sleep in the house if I don't get the willows out, its jam packed, and any other food they don't like, they throw it in the water trough...quite bazaar really. But she comes right up to your face and sticks her wet nose on your cheek....nice!!!

TILLEY

Tills seems to be getting better, but she is still not quite right, and Spring seems to have sweet itch, I am not sure what to do about it though. I did buy cream but doesn't seem to help. The farrier said wait until its cooler and see if it goes, but I think I might have to get someone to look at it, she might have to wear a coat next year!!!...I hope its not anything worse?(like a hat...not sorry that was a bad joke) Duke ...well he's got a small lump on his cheek which we are watching at present. Its never dull when you have rescue animals... or animals full stop really. The ducks have stopped laying as the temperature has dropped, the chickens aren't too productive either ....The Kune Kunes are still in the summer paddock but we will move them probably next week. Buzz is one year old in November...I wonder if he will mate with the girls or whether he wants to keep it as just friends....we are happy either way really. Smudge has hurt her leg and on antibiotics.... I think thats it for today...just a regular day really!!

Tilleys got a thing for the camera at the moment she thinks shes a star, just because she was filmed the other day, I'll have to let you know when its on TV.

RENOVATIONS

Well the staircase is in now and we are laying the oak floor...thats the Royal we...cos Andy and Ant are doing it!!.. I have to change the tiles in the kitchen/conservatory and back porch.... I like the cream ones but after I saw the dogs come back from their adventures the other day with no clean spots on them at all and they shot across the kitchen and slid into me to say hello... I realised cream wasn't an option!....So got some black/brown/dark ones, but was worried that it would be too dark, so as a trial run me and Laura decided to paint the floor with black emulsion to get a feel for it!.... Pete was a little confused and couldn't believe his eyes....but I thought it might help that is until shadow walked in it and had footprints through the house!!!Oh well I tried....anyway upshot is...we are having dark tiles....You are probably not a bit interested in that!!

SHADOW AND HER MIRACLE ESCAPE

It was one sunny day in the life and times at Woodmill, not a care in the world..(nearly choked on my hula hoop then!)...all was quiet and changeover commenced, dogs came down the field with me to clean out the ponies and they were all playing an frolicking in the long grass....(god I do spout some rubbish.....) you all know what its like here....adventure and crisis after crisis generally....Anyway...on to the story...Well to cut a VERY long story shorter...Lucky and Gem came back without Shadow, which they never do, they always stay together or Shadow might come back first, but she is never last in. I knew instantly there was a problem, she must be lost/stolen or hurt....Pete and I started the search, dropping everything to find her, started in the obvious peat bog places and known haunts of the dogs. Everyone I met that day now knows where I live and has my number...frightening eh!....We told everyone we passed to look out for her and after an hour we were getting really concerned. Rang in the missing dog at the RSPCA/dog warden/note at the local petrol station and we scoured the area more than once, it felt I ran for 6 hours constant and getting more panicked by the moment. Luxulyan Valley/Prideaux Woods/St.Blazey and beyond. Pete had to go and collect Steven who was stranded in Truro and I kept looking. I was like a gazelle or something far less elegant jumping through the woods at great speed shouting her name. I knew if she could hear me she would answer, Shadow talks you see, she makes a funny noise as if to want to speak when shes spoken too... Suddenly I heard the fainest response, but couldn't figure out where it was coming from, the valley distorts and throws the noise, so you think it is coming from the top and really it may be coming from the bottom, I ran and ran from noise to mumur. I was really worried we would loose her noise or the light. I rang Dad and Mum to come quick to help...Dad with 2 new knees and mum with dodgy balance and a bad shoulder!!!!!We located the noise and I walked on the course that we thought. All the mine shafts in the woods are open and not protected at the moment as they are harvesting, god knows what good ol' health and safety would say...its lethal up there, 21 mine shafts later......I heard the noise coming from the bottom of a shaft.....and it was deep and the noise was desperate and weak. Laura was up there by this point...she had hurt her back...we were all a right lot up there!...I didn't know what to think, I couldn't see that far down, must have been 60ft or so. I reassured Shadow we would get her out, she went quiet... I rang 999 and asked for the Rescue team to help, they were scrambled from far and wide. All volunteers and no funding, they raise there own funds. This will now be our Woodmill Charity and we will be raising money for them in future.....Jim the guy in charge I think, or certainly the one that rang me to say they were on the way was great and I gave him as much info as I had. We set up a relay, I stayed and talked to Shadow whilst Laura ran to get the rescuers and walk them and kit half a mile into the woods and show them where shadow was. Mum went and got food for them all for afterwards. Tim and Holly were over by this point and Tim came up to see. Holly and little Mason were safer at the bottom...not sure the pram would have made it!!!...The 12 or so rescuers and lights ambulance arrived in the drive and the vet was put on standby for pain relief and surgery.. None of us thought she would make it. She had fallen so far and she was so heavy 45kgs in fact...and only a baby!.....She had also stopped talking so that was a real worry. Pete and Steve arrived back in the middle of it and came up to watch/help with the rescue. After a difficult roping off and set up, they started to hoist Shadow up, a couple of attempts were made to get her up as the sling wasn't big enough. It is difficult to explain how big she is without actually seeing her. Leonbergers can grow up to 60-80kgs.....Finally they held Shadow part supported in their arms and she cuddled them all the way up, she is so loving and docile. Good job she wasn't fierce they may have left her there!!!!... When we saw her head appear over the edge we were so happy and amazed she was alive. I just wanted to hug her.She appeared to be in one piece..no one could believe it.... We tried to get her on the stretcher in case of internal injury but it was too precarious. After a thorough examination she was walked gingerly down to the house for pain relief/water and warmth. We had to watch for internal bleeding and shock etc but other than that she was fine. We had a celebration tea and cakes outside..in the dark by this point and thanked the Cornwall Search and Rescue team for there work and for saving our Shadow.....For obvious reasons we couldn't get many pictures but above are some that were taken. It was dark so they are a bit blurred!....I have missed loads out...but that's the gist.....Shadow is a very lucky girl....I think she may be in the paper tomorrow too!

KEITH AND MYRNA!

Well hello you guys and welcome to our world, Keith and Myrna kindly gave us the pictures of number 6 to put in the blog back in June for anyone wanting to see....But now they have a computer and can keep up to date with woodmill!

FILMING AT WOODMILL

Well we finally made it to the Z list of celebs!!! ha ha...Seriously.... We were filmed last week for mycornwalltv.com and they are finishing this week with filming on Thursday. We are having a 1 minute advert done that will be on the website...and also because we are so unique...mmmm heard that before.... why do people think that??!!!!They are also doing an article for the cornwalltv site about us and our story of why and how we came to be here....Soo I hope you will all have a look once its done....You'll be able to recognise me I still will have me wellies on!!!!still in a whirlwind!! Exciting though isnt it!...oh and pictured above is the blackberries and haw that I made the wine from...I must get going on some wine...we are going to be short of it next season I think. The apples never really came and there was a shortage of fruit... have to come up with something......

A CARPET KINDA DAY!

What a day, seem to be having rather a lot of them at the mo!....The carpet man came to lay the carpet as we were trying to get it done before the TV crew come tomorrow, but even that is uncertain at present as we are slightly flooded in the paddocks!...Anyway Auntie Lou and me cleaned the kitchen all day just in case, don't want dust and stuff everywhere eh...cant have them seeing it as it really is eh!!!None of that authenticity rubbish!!!!....Well anyway the carpet guy came and laid the carpet, he called me in to see if it was ok, I didn't walk all the way up but it looked fine....Paid him...then we cleared all the left overs up as we were on tidy mode, took it to the dump....Pete came back and said "why haven't they carpeted the top riser?".....My heart stopped, all I could think of was OH MY GOD I have dumped all the off cuts.......And true there was a piece of carpet missing...so Pete jumped in the truck up to the dump in the pouring rain to rescue a bit of carpet....He got there...the dump was shut, but he could see a couple of guys there and shouted through the cracks in the fence. Just as they were coming over to Pete the tractor thing was pounding the skip with its bucket and turning it over to tip....In slow motion Pete went 'NNNNNNnoooooooooo" But it was too late the carpet had been pummelled and there was no way of saving it, it must have been similar to that of a Mr Bean episode.... I rang the carpet guy and he reckoned he may have a large enough piece to save my bacon, so we'll see tomorrow....Could only be me eh....If those TV people weren't coming I wouldn't have raced to the dump tonight...and now they may not be coming either....what a day......

AND IF NOT PERHAPS ONE OF THESE?

I would settle for one of these if I can't get the TP.....or maybe I could stagger the ideas and get them both...Ok so now its getting silly...but never say never!!!!... I reckon we would definitely draw a crowd with one of these...hey could be a marketing idea...now theres a real thought...have it all painted up with Woodmill things!.....mmmmm will have to come up with a plausible plan to the master!!!!!!!! Ha ha...we only went out for a bike ride and now look at the ideas we well I have...dont let me go out for a whole day or we wont get anything done...more ideas than money!!!(shame that)

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!

Those 5 little words are the ones Pete dreads, another plan/scam hatched by yours truly....I think Tee-Pees are the way to go, I think lots of people would enjoy a night or two in one....or I may just have it for my garden!..There was a great little bed in there made of wood and really comfy...Have to work on that one...perhaps I could make one???? Mind you we still ha vent put our house back together, we are still in a really mire here, I think it was possibly a mistake tackling 4 areas of the house in one hit????Possibly??

FUNGI

Found this fungi, does anyone know what kind it is and whether it is edible? Thought I had better ask before I tried some!!!!

Shadow hurt her hind leg today and was limping and it was giving away on her, I was really worried. She sat on my lap all 40 kgs of her and had a cuddle, I gave her bread and butter and a tin of sardines to make her feel better....and do you know what for the rest of the evening she was fine, I think she has got me down for a mug....watch this space!

TOMORROW HAS GOT TO BE EASIER! WISH I WERE A PONY!

If only the only thing I had to worry about was to eat grass and be brushed...life would be a piece of cake!

Woke up after a real bad night sleep for one thing and another, Andy and Ant turned up and got on with their work, carpet fitter came and measured, Steven was off school due to an inset day so got him ready for golf at St Enodoc. Auntie Louise came out to help, Tim popped over with some clothes....sounds ok doesn't it......then had a phone call to say the company we had booked a Stevens Portugal accommodation with for the final had gone bust, not sure where money is, Laura came home with a raft of nightmare regarding UCAS and the ruddy lecturers at Truro college, well one in particular being particularly difficult, I could really go in to one at this point but am seeing the head on Monday so I will save it for then. Booked cleaners to cover for uni visits, only to find this will all change and its too late to cancel and sort things now, and after begging a couple of unis to open especially for us, doesn't look like she will be able to apply to them now, statements to write, a host of complete nightmare situations to sort. If any music teachers or UCAS members or uni people reading this help needed for personal statement and information on applying for more than one thing!!!...Then go to feed pigs and no food, not even in store, so jump in car as Baileys are about to close to get some, but cant get it all because the banana that didn't tell me there wasn't any food.... has the truck!....Got pig feed, chainsawed duck area, de nettled some chicken area, fed animals, then Laura rang to say she was stuck in the petrol station as they wont take American express, so rang them to pay and after a few choice words took payment. Farrier came and horse reared and landed down Meg the farriers back, think shes ok. pig netted paddock as the ponies escaped, caught a couple of chicks that escaped. still got to paint, clean up after the patio door installation, bring up the laundry, clean the dining room, make pack lunch, do uniform, oh prepare tea, put wine in to ferment. Oh get trailer to Tim's for him to fill and then I can dump it....and just had a phone call from someone needing help with some plans and it has to be tonight as the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, wait till I hit Pete with that one when he walks through the door!!!....the plaster isn't drying too quick and we are having the carpet laid next Thursday, OH I cant remember everything but its been one hell of a day and really not sure if I can hack another one!.....Anyway hows you day been?