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cold, but we still get warm afternoons to catch up on gardening jobs for the winter.

I live in Central England surrounded by beautiful green English countryside, with my animals and quite far away from a town.

I am a mother of three and grandmother of 7, I live in a Norman Farm house which is heavily beamed, has bulging walls and sloping floors, loads of character (sadly I rent it, don't own it ! ) I also rent a paddock in which I keep my three sheep, Esmeralda, Geraldine and Victoria, three goats, Lucinda, Lavender and Daisy, and the chickens and ducks go in there too in the daytime, all my animals are locked up at night for their own safety. I also have rabbits, guinea pigs, cats and a ferret.

Everything here is rescued from various degrees of cruelty, starvation and general neglect, some of my 'babies' come to me in a bad way, and it is touch and go whether they will make it or not, I give them all the TLC I can, and a clean dry home to recover in. I'm happy to say that about 90% make it, and repay me with their loving amusing ways. It is always very sad for the ones that don't recover, and each time I lose something it's a broken heart !

I love the country way of life, try to be as self sufficient as possible i.e. grow my own food, make my own clothes etc. etc., also sell eggs and craft items to help raise funds to care for the animals.

Right now, the growing season is coming to an end, I've had a bumper harvest from the disused orchard at the back of the house, apples, pears, damsons and plums, my freezer is bulging with all kinds of fruit dishes to keep me going all winter. I also chop up the fruit to feed to the animals, so we all benefit.

Tomorrow, I'm taking in an angora goat, who has been kept in a small garden (yard) poor thing, they just want rid of him because he is making a mess ! what do they expect? can't wait to get him here.

I'll finish with a little story which I find delightful.

On returning home from a babysitting session (one of many) I saw what I thought was Daisy, the goat, on my large front lawn, from the back it looked like her 'rear' little tail wagging, I thought 'oh dear, how has she got out and how am I going to get her back into her shelter in the dark?' I turned the car so the headlights were on 'her' and to my wonderment, a full grown stag stood there, enormous antlers, we just looked at each other in mutual respect for what seemed like ages, then he turned, slowly, and wondered off through the fields down to the woods and the river! I was truly honoured and humbled by that experience and will never forget it.

Jeannie