Reading about Barefoot Crofter's exciting new adventure with Dexters got me reminiscing about 'The old days' when, as a teenager, I lived at Riverside Cottage, Duck Sluice Farm, Fornham St Genevieve, Suffolk. We had an old lock-keepers cottage with 5 acres of land and unlimited use of the beautiful old farm outbuildings and meadow.
We had a Dexter cow, called Ruby. The day she gave birth to Rowena is imprinted on my mind. First she made a nest in the sedge. Then without any assistance (and it was her first time) she did the business.
Spot the Hooves.
A protective mother and a baby eager to be up and at it.
We had already had baby Anglo Nubian goats.
From an early age they loved to jump up 4 ft and snuggle together in the old horse feed troughs.
From an early age they loved to jump up 4 ft and snuggle together in the old horse feed troughs.
The Light Sussex Chicks were an integral part of the family - this was actually our dining table!
Captain the tame partridge, rescued (with his eventually not so lucky sibling) from a fox ravaged nest was even more closely bonded to us and came on holiday to Scotland and climbed Ben Nevis.
(Actually he was carried up in a sponge bag).
The Jacob lambs were undeniably cute.
The pigs were too if you like that sort of thing!
But there is no creature quite as loveable as a baby dexter calf.
Oh what a lovely post. We are actively investigating breeding possibilities now, and hopefully by this time next year there will be a new Dexter calf on the croft. Thank you fir this. xx
ReplyDeleteOh I love dexter calfs, they are so cute! Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteThe name of your old farm is so cute! You don't get addresses like that here in oz!
So glad to have found you through Farmgirl Friday blog hop! You've got me beat, I have 3 children! I love the story of that sweetheart asking to 'hold' an ice cream!!! I so relate to these precious moments! Glad to hear you rejoicing in them as much as you can because it goes by so quickly! I also agree with that author you paraphrased, that you will not go to your death bed thinking you spent too much time with your children! There's no such thing! I homeschool and quite honestly wonder how you do it all! I never feel like I do enough, especially with the children... Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories! Calves are adorable.
ReplyDeleteTeresa
What a lovely place to grow up, such great photos and memories!
ReplyDeleteJust wondering...my maiden name is Holmes, and my family are originally from N Yorks, is that where you are?? xx
This is a lovely post. What wonderful memories and such a wonderful place to live and grow up. I grew up on a farm too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. The cottage was a holiday home for us at first and we went most weekends as well as longer stays. I didn't believe that we would ever get to live there so it was a real dream come true that we did for five years. @Devonmama: It's South Yorkshire that we live now, Worsbrough near Barnsley. My branch of the Holmes family come via Nova Scotia! It's always good to hear of other Holmes's. My Uncle lives in Moretonhampstead and we have enjoyed a few Devon holidays based there.
ReplyDeletecool farm shots,
ReplyDeleteI love where you grew up. I understand now we you teach your children the diversity of the world. You lived it.
ReplyDeleteReading this feels like something right out of a book to me...a really GOOD book.
ReplyDelete=)
What a beautiful place to live! We lived in England for 4 years up until September 2001. We lived in Thetford for a while, then moved on base in Lakenheath. I LOVED it there.
ReplyDeleteWhere you live looks idyllic...
ReplyDeleteAll of our partridges are wild and very flighty...amazing that you could actually get that close to your Captain and that he traveled with you.
was there actually a lock there? What a beautiful landscape. And I like the lamb the best - so cute! {:-D
ReplyDeleteamazing shots, farm animals are cute.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and interesting post!! Great photos--especially baby Dexter!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating post! I love that you shared your memories with us. Your childhood seems like the stuff of dreams!
ReplyDeleteI bet you have a few books in you from those country days!
Thanks for linking.
I really enjoyed stopping here this week.
A+