Happy New Year to you all.
Tomorrow I will put some of the photographs that have been sent in.
Just got back from collecting two late eggs from the Emu. It is the first time that I have been to the Emu Field in the dark. I disturbed a few of them, but as soon as I spoke to them they calmed down. There were many other laying together in pairs. I presume that they were mating pairs as I have never seen them in pairs during the day. A couple of weeks ago I went to the field at dusk and there were a few pairs mating so I would imagine that they lay together through the night after mating. I also disturbed a few that were in the shelter. I did not think that they used the shelter. Mind you it is cold here at the moment. Mild winter the met office clowns told us. There has got to be a big problem in that organisation. Something for sure is not working.
We didn’t manage to get the Emu back to the Emu Field that I told you about in the last Diary until two days ago. By that time he has acquired the name of Edwin. How he managed to be named that I really don’t know, but it was nothing to do with me, I promise. Edwin had started to follow us. Last Friday, or maybe Saturday I went down the Valley on the Quad Bike with three lads who were here with the Family for the New Year. It was a return visit from their holiday with us during the Summer. Within a short time Edwin had joined us from the Horse Field where he had not strayed from since we put him there and it is not easy to get out. I was more than concerned as you know the Valley is surrounded by our Woods. If he had gone into the Woods there are many ways out and where he would finish up wouldn’t be worth thinking about. I should not have been worried as when we went up to Edwin he followed us through the gate back into the Horse Field. The next day with the help of our Holiday Guests we walked Edwin up our drive back to the Emu Field. He was a little hesitant, but he followed us as if he was on a walk. It went a lot better than I thought it would, but I wouldn’t have tried it on our own. Done and dusted a good job done I thought until I went to feed the Emu yesterday morning. There in the Horse Field that I pass on the way to the Emu Field was Edwin as bold as brass waiting for his feed that he was use to having on my way to feed the Mob of Emu. He had a slight nick on one of his legs but, other than that he was fine. It would have been a long way round to get to the Horse Field from the Emu Field. It seems that Edwin prefers our company rather than the Emu, so we will leave him there for the time being.
Some of you saw the Rooks, Magpies and Buzzard in the Valley yesterday. They were feeding on fresh Ox liver and hearts that we get for Tass and Kye from a small abattoir in our Village. We use to feed Tass and Kye on a couple of chickens, canned dog feed and dog biscuits costing about