Samples, Silver and Gold

In the expectation of piglets (Precious this time) we had planned another Open Day for the 26th: despite the lady's lack of co-operation, we went ahead anyway and used the opportunity to enable our guests to sample other wares from the Pork Victualler! New on the menu this time were 'Curlies' - slightly hot and spicey sausages made to an old Hungarian recipe - and hand-made Pork Pies. They must have been good 'cos we sold out. The home-made liver pate was well received and we managed to sell the majority of that too. Following the heavy early morning rain, the sun came out; people enjoyed the food; enjoyed looking at the pigs; pigs enjoyed looking at the people. In all, a good time was had. Next Open Day 20th December: will there be piglets by then? We shall have to wait and see --- as ever...!


Meanwhile, we awoke yesterday morning to news that London had witnessed its first October snowfall since 1934: The country as a whole hasn't witnessed October snows since the 1950's. "Snow before Halloween?" unheard of. Local reports were of snow to our North, snow to the West of us, snow to the South ... snow everywhere but here. Instead we had an unseasonably sharp frost which transformed the landscape into a winter wonderland.... all crisp and silver in the shade; glorious and golden in the sun.




That golden theme has been more than echoed in the orchard this autumn.


We bemoaned the lack of damsons and plums earlier in the season, but nature has more than compensated with a bumper harvest of apples. All containers have been brought into service to contain the crop: all the animals - 2 and 4 legged - are reaping the benefit; all friends and visitors are being pressed to "help yourself to apples - please"!

Forget "5 pieces of fruit and veg. a day" - if you can't eat at least half a dozen fresh apples, plus stewed apples for breakfast and an apple pudding for dinner - well, you're just not doing your bit!

Now, if you're a pig or a horse, eating copious quantities of apple is not a problem, but the rest of us are beginning to groan just a little bit.


However, Gunner and I discovered last week that some of our fellow beaters are keen apple eaters - there's another outlet........ and - with all this frost and cold - they'll be even hungrier this week.....