My friend Linda just reminded me that today five years ago we were packing up birds and going on my fateful trip to the US, with 189 birds of prey, 6 labradors and my life’s trappings. Little did I know then that I would be sitting back at my desk in my old place in my office, looking at a cool autumn sky, with the Oak trees still in gorgeous orange leaf, five years later.

What a lot has happened in those five years, some very sad, some ridiculous, some lies and I apparently have met three first class con men in that period as well. I am determined to finish the book this winter before my memory fades on the whole debacle.

It was a very rainy day yesterday, so not a lot got done outside in the afternoon. Mike Turner and I went to get a new wheel for my dumper, who should go like a ‘goodun’ once it is on. Hopefully the brakes will work too as that makes for a much less interesting drive.

Talking of drive, no the Range Rover is still not fixed, I have no idea what is wrong, and I suspect neither does anyone else. David Kenworthy came yesterday, and needless to say I changed the plan a little. He took down a particularly ugly Leylandii tree that was starting to ruin a flower bed and made releasing the birds from the weighing room difficult. That was gone and cleared up by coffee time, what would I do without my volunteers. Although I have to say that Sedge and Acer although thoroughly enjoying themselves did not exactly help with the clear up. Then we looked at the hedge between the flying field and the sheep/horse (one day!) field. I had hoped to have it laid, but the cost was prohibitive, and I need several others done more. So I decided to treat it like the beech hedge round my house, and we chopped it down to fence level. The Maple trees were crown raised (cleared out and made to look less cluttered and more shapely to you and I!) and we got about one third down, it gets easier towards the far end. I need to plant some more beeches to fill in the gaps, but it is going to look great by the spring and it opens up the field no end.

His next task and not an easy one is to reduce the height of more bloody Leylandii that are behind the small falcon block, that happens next week so we can use them for our late Bonfire Night!

Mike Turner came today and we started on the base to replace the old enclosures at the end of the Hawk Walk and make the tethered birds more secure as well as giving us back our enclosures at the end of the Hawk Walk. He leveled the area before the rain started, then we finished the Zoo Mesh on the second of the Kite aviaries. Most of the birds got flown before the weather changed.

Now there is a storm blowing outside and neither of the puppies want to go out for a late night pee, which I have to say I can’t blame them!