November is a long month and it started of with a lot of rain. I’m not yet ready to talk about the amount to water that fell in this part of the world. Suffice to say I’ve seen enough water to last me a while.
The Weather!
The river was higher than I have ever seen.
Our paths and bridge took a hammering but thankfully are repairable. (I have really good contact in the repair business!).
The goats were safe and sound in their little enclosure but we couldn’t access them via the bridge or the stepping stones for a week or so. It was a bit of a round trip to put them to bed and get them fed but thankfully the stepping stones are now passable.
The “ Three Billy Goats Green” are a bit like myself they are none too fond of wet, dark days.
Outdoor Classroom Session
Even with the biblical weather we still were able to have our outdoor classroom sessions with the Nursery school this month.
This was the first school trip “ever “ for this years classes at Kilkeel Nursery School.
The children had a great time counting ducks in puddles and finding a few nests in unusual places.
Some of our November guests enjoyed a huge family get together at the beginning of the month – with talent shows and pizza making topping the bill in The Barn. It was fantastic to get their feedback about the diversity of activities that they all experienced when they visited. Hill walking, golfing, eating out and some fresh water swimming was on their itinerary. They all loved the privacy and space at The Green to enjoy their time together.
Christmas Cake making workshop
With Christmas approaching it was time for the annual Christmas Cake making workshop.
This is one of our most popular activities.
This year we have 16 beautifully baked cakes.
Some of them even have a hint of brandy ….At the beginning of December the cakes will return to be iced and decorated with each of the cakes having their own unique handmade decorations.
Jean Nicholson who is a baker of some renown supervised the mixing and preparation of the cakes. She has her own blend of spices which is added to each of the cakes.
This of course is a closely guarded secret!
So as November draws to a close the excitement of Christmas begins. We have guests looking forward to spending time with us over the holidays and getting the houses ready for their festive break is always fun. My first task is remembering where I have put the Christmas decorations!