First cattle feed of the winter

Mr Cruisedog and I were out longer than usual with extra tasks to perform. Not many foxes abroad as after a protracted spell of rain earlier, many were loath to venture out. A couple of 'strange' foxes (strange as in aware of our presence and knowing the game but not prepared to approach, preferring to stay at some distance and move in when we depart) in evidence but the real news was the sighting of a single badger boar - the first badger seen in nearly 3 weeks ... though I knew they were visiting as the banana was disappearing soon after being put down - foxes (or rats for that matter) rarely take bananas. The cows have now been put under cover in the barn and needed feeding as they had eaten their way through the bales of hay put up against the outside rail and could no longer reach the rest. Mr Cruisedog sat patiently watching as I peeled off several large layers of compacted hay to feed the ever-hungry cows. As we wended our way back up the hill, the skies had begun to clear and the wet lane was starting to freeze as the temperature dropped away. Final score: 6 foxes, 1 badger and a low-flying barn owl sighted.