So tonight I got the tape measure out

As I have mentioned many times before, we have visitors that come most nights, but tonight I was amazing. Not only one but three deer ventured through the back garden gate and ended up only 8 foot from me .It was a shame as I get a clearer photo, when I have the stable door open. It was well after 8pm and as the sun had gone down it was getting quite cool and the dew had fallen. I happned to look out of the window and saw a deer near the gate so I went to the stable door as I thought I would get a btter photo. Low and behold there were 3 of them only 8 foot from me . They are casting their winter coats so they do now look their best. The wire fences are up to stop them coming during the night and getting into the main front garden. They can soon do a lot of damage. One night they cleared the whole 6ft magnolia tree off of its flowers . We turn a blind eye to them nibbling the blossom from the trees. We are hoping to set up a hide so when you come to stay you can see them as near hand as we do

Amazing what our woodland holds. Scarlet Elf Cups is just one of Nature's Miracles.

Jack spied 3 the other morning and so took me up to see them as never in life had seen them before. It was only when I googled them ///thank goodness for Google that we were able to put a name to them . Yes there were 3, but then I look to the right and it was as if they had just sprung out of the woodwork there was hundreds of them. The Scarlet Elfcup displays bright red cups with short stems. It can be seen in late winter and early spring on fallen twigs and branches (often Hazel, Elm and Willow), usually buried under moss. It is reasonably widespread, but not very common. It is mostly found in damp, shady areas. Fungi belong to their own kingdom and get their nutrients and energy from organic matter, rather than photosynthesis like plants. It is often just the fruiting bodies, or 'mushrooms', that are visible to us, arising from an unseen network of tiny filaments called 'hyphae'. These fruiting bodies produce spores for reproduction, although fungi can also reproduce asexually by fragmentation. Hopefully there will be still some about for the grandchildren to see as it is quite near to where they play in the woods and by the stream. As we walked back to the hours we could see how nature is waking up from its winter sleep. The daffodils are pushing through, the catkins are dangling delicately from the branches and the wild garlic is coming through. Another week the ground will be covered with a green wild garlic carpet. If it rains you can really smell the garlic bouncing through the atmosphere

. Even a bumble bee had ventured out to see what pollen he could find. Bobbing and buzzing from one plant to another.It was nice to see.

Friluftsliv ... are you up for this .

#Lockdown 2 - We have added the word "Friluftsliv" to our vocabulary . We are also taking "Friluftsliv " to another degree here at Carr House Farm .... more to follow very soon.

Just in case you didn't know what "Friluftsliv" means -open air living, fresh air and embrace what is all around us in the countryside. We are lucky to have mountains of it around here . Offering another choice of what you do when you come to stay with us here in the heart of the countryside.

So as Friluftsliv opens up into our lives more than ever before, we have something else to thank the Vikings for .

We all need something to look forward to and to get us through this trying time. Everyone will have highs and lows until Spring comes again. We always feel better with sunshine and long light days but I always think if you have something to look forward to ,enjoy something new whether it be an experience or learning something or a small gesture of kindness. It is not about huge expense it is about filling our hearts with joy from the small things in life.

Until then I have been down to Castle Stores -Bentleys Wool shop in Helmsley to buy some wool. I won't be knitting socks for soldiers as the saying goes but I actually find it quite therapeutic until the cat decide to commandeer the ball of wool and wont give it up

Look who came to see the waterfall ..

This must be our video of the year even though you have to be quick to see it.I was clearing some of the debris away near the waterfall and heard a grunt and then another and it went on for 5 minutes or so .So I climbed up the bank side and [you have to be quick to see it at around 11 seconds in ] a deer had come to inspect what we had been doing . It is just above the waterfall but I am sure if I had been really still it would have come even nearer. This was 2.30 in the afternoon so when we say we have deer in the back garden we really do have. I guess the grunting was the fact I had blocked its path down to the back garden gate. 

Will be interesting to see if arrives later or if I have disturbed it for today

if you like trees and water and peace

What do you have when you step out of your back door.

When you live in a place like we do I suppose we take it for granted and some people would spend a lot more time up here than we do . I like to be near water and near trees and sometimes away from the telephone too . Here is a short video to show you just some of the things what you are missing.

When Jack is near the trees he usually has a chainsaw in this hand.

Getting the wood in for winter and as you will see there are a lot of fallen branches to keep us busy. When guests come to stay with us they often get in their cars and go off for the days. To visit stately homes and castles ,walled gardens and even plant centres. They come for all sorts of reasons. But what better place to go some take a book to read,others an easel and some just nod off in the peace and quiet. So as we hope to be coming out of lockdown before too long we are starting to think that people may just want to have a bit of space to themselves ,to feel safe and not to join the multitudes but to come and stay with us and simple enjoy our "back garden" They need to bring their cameras too as you never know what opportunity is there for you to catch , a deer with young ,the woodpecker , the fragile life that live in the woods, fungi and microorganism ...here today gone tomorrow.

Curlews on the North York Moors

This morning I was on my way over the North York Moors National Park on a very foggy June morning, I had left home in bright sunshine . I was rewarded by seeing this pair of curlews and even though we often see them in our fields around home I had my camera with me to video them this morning. They are a strange looking bird with a long hooked beak and look if they come from prehistoric times and are quite mysterious .But to see them shrouded in fog was something I will never forget.