Stop, Look and Listen

 

We have been in the Exe Valley for a week, on one of our regular pet sits and apart from venturing out to the farmer's market in Dulverton, we are very content to be here on the farm.

Have to say, we met lots of lovely folks in Dulverton and spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting and purchasing a few bits and bobs...delicious home made preserves from The Selworthy Pantry,  Pain du Campagne from Lucho Bakes and we couldn't resist sampling some vegan beers from the Cottage Beer Project. Sime was also told that he should visit the music shop...Oggies Music and although it had closed for the day when we arrived at the door, a family turned up and said we can actually ring the bell and they were right...the friendly owner greeted and welcomed us all in. A wonderful shop full of second hand instruments, books and records.

It is always a joy to be back here with all the animals, walking on the land, through fields and woods. In this truly peaceful place, we embrace the remote quietness - far from other humans. We know it wouldn't suit everyone, but we get totally immersed. Like having a good soak in a hot bath; it's both rejuvenating and calming. 

We love hearing the river as we fall asleep at night and on waking each morning. 

We take the dogs for early walks and we all enjoy it so much that the walks seem to get longer and longer...so many directions to explore. A few days ago, we saw a deer running across our path. It stopped for a few seconds when it saw us all before leaping into the woodland and away. Luckily the dogs were too busy snuffling in the undergrowth, but they did eventually pick up it's scent, though by that time it was thankfully long gone. Yesterday, swallows joined us in the top field - they teased the dogs by swooping down on them and seemed to enjoy being chased up and down the field. Such a wonderful display and interaction to watch, really magical.

There are a family of buzzards always around and we often sit and watch them circling around the tops of the trees on the other side of the river. One morning, we were eating our porridge on the patio and became suddenly aware of squawking above us, on looking up we realised there was one of the buzzards fighting with a heron over a creature - we think the buzzard won!

There is a healthy orchard on the farm giving us a plentiful supply of apples, plums and blackberries. We have an Aga in the large farmhouse kitchen and I am in my element...making bread, fruit crumbles, kombuchas and compotes. We are eating very simply (as usual), lots of fresh veggies, stir-fries and dhals.

We have brought several books with us and Sime purchased a couple of second hand books in the music shop on the history of the blues. I've just finished Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher, a bit of a cheesy and dated read, but when we lived at Meadowcroft - we had many guests from Germany who were visiting locations from Rosamunde Pilcher books and films, so when the book was offered to us...I thought "Why not?" It's an easy holiday read and now I'm reading Meadowland by John Lewis-Stempel, which is actually the perfect book for here...so thank you Kath!

We have a few more days of this lovely place and then it won't be long before we're off to another regular sit in Hampshire. For now, we will continue to enjoy our simple life - being in nature, the animals, the wildlife, the weather, the sunrises and sunsets, the night sky, the peace and each other.

Lots of love,

Kay and Sime 

xx