Journal
Clipping dates, weather, repairs and the occasional escape. Roughly monthly, sometimes less.
- Autumn clip done — 312 g off the six, the best autumn we have had. Fern sat through it without a sound, which is not normal for Fern.
- New shade cloth on the run. The old one had gone brittle along the eastern seam and tore the first time the wind came round that way.
- Pepper out again, third time this summer, found under the water butt. Mesh skirt checked along its whole length and re-pegged in two places.
- Spun the last of the spring clip. Cream and fawn both went lighter than expected after washing — closer to the colour of the coat than the colour of the raw fibre.
- Summer clip, 248 g. Hot week, so we did it in the evening with both doors open.
- Wheel serviced: new leather on the treadle, flyer bearing cleaned and re-oiled. The clicking noise is gone, which we had got used to.
Wild rabbits
Still at the bottom of the hill, past the fence. One of them comes up as far as the gate post in the evenings, which is close enough for the skirt to have earned its place.
Bottom of the hill, 7:20 in the morning.