I think this was a very optimistic painter to start when he did.. it took another month before anything else happened LOL

I simply do not know why, when my grandchildren visit and they want to visit Bourton on the Water, it always rains in some form or another.

Always plenty of things to do and places to see, even if there are so many tourists even in autumn!

When you do not have your own hedge cutting equipment you have to book, hope and pray for the ground to be dry when your turn comes.. meantime bonkers conkers in October!

I hate to say that I think we are in for a wet winter this year.. when we get this so early on. You guessed it folks – the Mole Valley Car Park flooded – wellies needed to get across the car park !!

There is, as I have often said, nothing more beautiful than the Cotswolds in the right light ..

Well sometimes you have just too much good grass and you need a helping hand to keep it down.. well maybe a few more mouths to be honest..

for those of you not knowing what sheep they are, they are Coloured Ryelands..

even if they do disappear into the grass somewhat – watch out for flystrike!

The promise of chilly frosts and cooler nights as September lands in 2024.. so glad we have our hay in!

Feeding alpaca all year round at Kensmyth avoids the transition from grass to hay issues when needed because they are already used to it! Grazing sporadically across the plains from their origins, alpaca would not have had continual lush grass so thinking about their normal eating habits always helps.

I always love seeing the true colours come through after the alpaca have been shorn – that lovely conker colour known as mid brown in the alpaca world reminds me of the conkers to surely come this Autumn..

  just to be clear he is actually a Rose Grey because of the new colours and markings (how confusing is that) but his body colour is conker colour (mid brown if had no markings)  in my mind!

But if you miss the white feet and bib.. you are called a “Fancy” in the alpaca world .. fancy that!!

Happy birthday to the farm dog who can still run fast and round up livestock better than a sheepdog!

Do not be fooled that she likes cooling down with part of an ice lolly – at 40kg and a dog that “holds” strangers at bay a Curly Coated Retriever is not to be messed with.

Talking about birthdays – my Mothers American Banana pecan cake was fab – any chance of another Mum?

Finally we have electric gates at Kensmyth Alpaca entrance – takes a bit of getting used to and remembering the “flicker” pressing but looks nicer than before!

         the start of things to come.. Nearly there but no caps on pillars..

  the end result