The Blacksmith calls

Our Blacksmith Nigel Stevens called yesterday, as he does every six weeks, to fit new shoes for our Spanish Stallion Danilon. The ancient art practised as it has been for centuries played out in the little stable yard beside the Ednovean Farm car park the ringing of the metal hammer on the anvil the roar of the furnace as it heats the shoes and the hiss as the hot shoes are applied to the foot to check the fit. Only when everything is perfect are they carefully nail on using the special horse shoe nails at exactly the right angle for them to be comfortable for Danni. As you can see it is a relaxed affair Danni is the horse asleep in the middle, Charles is asleep on a box holding the horse (but I think the horse is holding him actually) and Nigel taking the shoe back for some more adjustments at his anvil. If you look closely at the stable door behind you will see Danni's wiflet April and their son Bodkin closely watching the proceedings.




Bodkin the colt foal by Danilon

Do you remember Bodkin when he was born this spring - well he has grown into a fine young colt - we brought him in yesterday to have his feet trimmed so he starts to understand about his life and his feet stay in good shape too.





Danilon practising

I took advantage of the empty car park in the morning to do some work with Danni to keep him supple here he is stretching his back leg to cross it in front of the other one - a bit like horsey yoga!





Here he is moving sideways at ninety degrees following me across the car park




Danilon beginning Spanish walk ( it may take a while)

and finally his new "trick" raising his front leg in an exaggerated fashion when i point at it with the whip eventually he will learn an elegant Spanish walk which will help to free his shoulders but at the moment he can only manage three steps - never mind from tiny acorns!

Pampass and Facebook

I must admit I've been a bit tardy keeping up the Ednovean farm blog lately the combination of a back log of odd jobs and a sudden heatwave meant.........we took a picnic to the beach and it was lovely. We swam in the sea on the 2nd of October although I must admit it took me some time to pursued myself that cold water was OK and not life threatening. The weather then swung moodily and even the garden was engulfed by the threatening roar of the sea from the beach below the village. The garden however has loved the autumn rising into a crescendo of waving (and deeply unfashionable) Pampass seeds, wildly dramatic they lifted the garden into its last waltz of the season.



Olly-Cat Esq still pads the courtyards growing plumper by the day and looking dubiously at the early morning dew on the lawn "so wet for my paws" He manages to supervise the car park though checking the guests in and out and sometimes accompanying them around the garden a small solicitous orange figure discreetly trotting along or occasionally engaging in a little "gardening" We did hear one lady instructing her husband "not to embarrass the cat" as Olly deftly patted the leave mold under the hedge





A view back into the courtyard in front of the house - I love the jungly effect at the moment although I must admit I didn't realise that the Date palms would grow quite so tall! Still the late evening sun on the gate gives you an idea of this balmy season I think?





The terrace in front of the Garden room has a more relaxed look now framed by the Pampass grasses and with the Geraniums still doing well - the lawn is doing rather too well and Charles has had to step up his adventures with the lawnmower but at least the horses are happy with the lush grass of Autumn although they still form an orderly line at the bottom of the garden morning and evening for their daily Oat supply



The fountain plays on in the courtyard at Ednovean Farm, come and visit us soon an Autumn Break, like our little trip to the beach is just the thing to set you up for the winter and before I go I must remember to remind you to visit our face book page (scroll to the bottom of our web site page and then click the brown "find us on facebook") You will land on the welcome page featuring Olly naturally - anyway click the wall and you should see all of the latest information about this area. I try to put local events there as they publish them to facebook, so take a look!

This September

The first days of Autumn and the shadows grow longer, the lanes are full of Blackberry pickers and the garden drifts on steadily approaching its climax when the Pampass grasses flower




We finished preening the box at last and rewarded ourselves with another trip to Peppercorn Piazza Parlour for one of the last regular openings but eh young man assured us they will serve evening Piazzas a couple of times a week into the winter




Prawn Sweet chili and rocket in case you are wondering with Lemon spritzers




We returned to Ednovean Farm to watch the last fingers of the sun creeping through the palm trees




Mounts Bay again from just outside of the Blue room this time



and of course Ollie's unchanging routine of catching the evening sun outside of the Pink room before transferring to the courtyard steps - its a busy life for him. What will the rest of the month hold for us - not sure but brisk winds for this week I think! Take care Christine

A Cornish sunset

At last the time of sunsets has arrived and I waited with anticipation near our "sunset benches" that I have positioned in the garden for just this purpose. ...of course you can sit on them at other times too!




The sky was a fabulous mix or swirling clouds that caught the colours perfectly

and the teasels that line the field boundaries lay waiting to feed the birds this winter.....but not yet, not yet.

Turned out nice again!

Young horses at the top of Ednovean Farm enjoying the slight breeze from the sea on Thursday

Against all of the odds or should I say the weather forecast it "turned out nice again" We've had the sort of weather when even a horse needs suntan lotion




Poor young Archie suffers from too much sun and has to have complete sun block applied





In keeping with our topsy turvy season the Apples are ripening in the little orchard - we planted vintage West Country varieties






And finally my gardening report! After two afternoons of what felt like slave labour, the formal garden just below the Apricot room courtyard is now ship shape and ready to face the winter - sadly the Parterre in front of the house is still laying in wait for me next week. We celebrated by visiting The Peppercorn Piazza in Perranuthnoe for a scummy Piazza - crispy thin with oodles of topping eaten in the stylish little stepped lawn outside accompanied by a bottle of BYO wine (small corkage charge). We shared a salad overlooking Cudden Point before wandering on down the village to the beach to eat an ice cream at the Cabin Cafe hanging over their garden bank to watch the activities on the Beach below - alas I forgot the camera so you will have to image the dappled golden sunlight still touching the warm red umber cliffs and the silky smooth water but believe me it was just right!

Young Toffee is now one year old and growing fast as you can see

A sudden vacancy for the weekend

Alas we suddenly have the Blue room available again for this weekend - would any body like a last minute break in Cornwall at Ednovean Farm starting on Friday the19th for three nights?? Can I tempt you to the Blue rooms stunning view, private terrace complete with sun loungers; en suite bathroom with roll top bath and double shower with all of the bath robes hand made soaps white company toiletries to go with it? Should I mention the flat screen TV. the DVD CD player Radio and free WiFi? Maybe our acre of landscaped gardens with seductively concealed sitting areas or the th walk through the village to take the coastal path eastwards to Cudden point and Prussia cove or westwards to visit St Micheal's Mount might inspire? Perranuthnoe Beach just below the village to dabble your toes or the Victoria Inn with the Raymond Blanc trained chef? (pre booking essential here though) or for something less formal the stroll to the new summer peppercorn piazza, tucked beside Lynfield craft market. A weekend in tranquil West Cornwall far from the crowds??

I saw.......

It has been a steady month of slightly changeable weather and discreet somnolence. The garden has reached a point of natural repletion, happy with its growth but not yet sinking towards Autumn and rest. The Cornish banks are threaded with ripening blackberries mingled with the summer honeysuckle and the sloes grow plump and dark. Our resident garden birds have reared a second brood under our eaves and are now zooming around playful from the release from their duties. And Ollie - he disgraced himself the other night by setting up a load yowling defending his garden from an intruding tom. I arrived to find the two antagonists nose to nose, pitching their wails into almost perfect synchronisation and after a moment reflection retreated back to bed.......claws a teeth not a good combination but I think they stuck to the sound effects!

Lets see the washing machine failed terminally after three years hard service strangely it was joined by the toaster and a flat screen TV so I'm hoping that is our three things.......!!? Please.

And this morning I saw a boat, mammoth and white, just under the St Micheal's Mount as I glanced out of the kitchen window while cooking Breakfast so all changed but really nothing had changed at all! I'm told there is high pressure on the way towards the end of the week, so hope the day is kind to you - some of our guest are off to the Minack Theatre this evening but Ollie and I are staying at home!