It's been a beautiful start to 2026
Admittedly very cold - just before 8pm as I type this and already the temperature is down to minus 6.78C. I've invested in a heated gilet and am wearing it as much in the house as outside...
We're hard at it though. Pruning is now in full swing - nine minutes a vine is my pace - as well as working on drainage, subsoiling, tree surgery, fence work and so on. I spent today inspecting all the hedges to make sure they are in as good condition as we can get them for the birds and animals that live there. Lots of birdlife at the moment rummaging for food and the farm and vineyards provide great sources of nutrition: scrape away a few frozen leaves and it's amazing the bugs and seeds the birds will find.
The Sheep are back!
I love having the sheep in the vineyard not just because of the enormous good they do to the soil but also because I love seeing them. The dogs aren't so happy as they're not allowed in the vineyards holding sheep as even though they wouldn't chase, the sheep don't know that and it's not fair on them to be alarmed.
I had an alarmed neighbour over Christmas: "Your sheep have escaped and are in our back garden..." Although watching The Great Escape is almost synonymous with Christmas, I didn't think the sheep had been in the vineyard long enough to dig a tunnel under their electric fence and through two hedges nor had I seen any trying to leap the fences on motorbikes. The escapees turned out to belong to a neighbouring farmer. Well, we all like a Christmas stroll...
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