Invasion of the toads started the night before last. Every year once the weather gets damp in the autumn a stream of small toads come into the house, I have never understood why as I thought they liked the damp. They come under the back door and hop up the hall, it will be a little more hazardous for them this year as the puppies are going to think they are edible until they learn they are not! I don’t mind them, they are pretty cute actually, but if they don’t get put out again I find them later on as a sad little desiccated toad in a corner or under a radiator, which I would rather not have happen to them

My record in one evening before I left for my ill fated sojourn in South Carolina was 34 toads, one frog, who was extremely difficult to catch and a tiny newt! I swear they were hoping round from the French windows back to the back door and coming in again! Still I would rather have them that the invasion of spiders, who run at you viciously gnashing their teeth and waving their eight legs menacingly at you, and then rush under the sofa so you don’t know where they are…………………


Having watched the PowerPoint programme about bottled water, for the third time and which Linda has put on the Latest page on the website, I am pleased to say that we have decided to change from selling drinks in plastic bottles as of the end of this season. All our drinks will either be cans which will be recycled, or paper cartons which will also be recycled. We will sell NO BOTTLED WATER, if you would like a drink of water we will provide you with a glass of water at our expense, it will be free to you.

I don't know where this fad of carrying round drinks has come from, we never used to carry around water in a bottle, and it is completely unnecessary, and wasteful, not to say incredibly expensive. We are trying not to just talk conservation but to do it as well – why don’t you!

Buy a nice metal water bottle and fill it up before you leave home, it will be fresher, cheaper, nicer and better for this stunningly beautiful planet that we are fast ruining. If you run out we will refill it for you. Be sensible, be responsible and care!

So this morning it was invasion of the wasps, having got up before light, it was pretty dismal outside, and after turning on the light in the scullery, a few minutes later the whole window was covered in wasps. Unfortunately I did not spot them before Sedge had trodden on one out in the courtyard, you could have heard the yell from Newent. He does not deal well with sharp pain, he yelled for minutes and then needed a lot of TLC, and is still feeling a little sorry for himself even now.

Although I have to say I am feeling a little sorry for myself as the young Lugger bit through my tongue while I was doing up the braces on his hood yesterday. As I could not yell for help, the only thing to do was tear him off it, and my tongue is definately the loser in the experience! He is an odd bird to fly, OK some days, it is very early in the training, and then its as if he is focusing on something else rather than the lure. I think he will come right though. Casper let me down and sat in a tree, which was not good. But the Gymnogene was getting better every day. Clocks change tonight which means we will have even less daylight to finish the day, better start earlier I guess!!