It’s been hot, hot, hot this weekend.  In excess of 30 degrees I reckon.  Just the weather you need to tame a field.  Yeah, right!

Regardless of the weather we’ve a list of things to do before winter and when I look at the list and look at the weather, the list wins hands down.  It’s just so long and there is no time for resting.

Contrary to typical basset behaviour. Fortnum was out with me when I was photoblogging and just had to stop and scratch in the shade.

There wasn’t much shade for clearing grass and thistle banks and mowing out top field.  I say a field it’s more like a paddock really but is the first part of the drive off the lane down the house.  Eventually we’ll fence it off properly and put some alpacas, goats or minature cattle.  Or some other menagerie that will keep us entertained.

I’ll spare you the before and after shots.  Even if the before shots do exist I’m too tired to look them out in my carefully organised chaotic photo filing system.

Here are the bassets coming up the drive to see what’s happening. I love this view coming down the drive.  The house is just peaking over the slope and behind it is out magnificant view of the valley.  You can’t fail to feel inspired when you see it.  However tired you’re feeling.

Although it’s all been strimmed, mowed and trimmed.  There is plenty more to be done to the right of the driveway.

Although we have done some clearing, although I admit it was the easy bit to access and work on.  But, hey it’s hot today, a girl’s got to take some short cuts.

I didn’t slack off too much though.  I made a special effort clearing around the old fence post and water trough.

I even mowed my red grass which is more like stubble really. If you notice a green patch just in the foreground that’s where I reseeded with paddock mix.  It worked until the dry weather came and it’s struggled without more rain to help it get established.  I’ve a sack of paddock mix to use in the autumn to attempt to get some more green grass growing.

But it’s not all about sweeping panorama views.  I spent half a day clearing ferns, thistles and grass along the boundary in the back.  It doesn’t look much but kept me busy and it finished off the back area.  Well that’s apart from the thistle dump where we’ll be burning the debris.  If you look down towards the bottom you’ll see an early evening visitor.  It strikes me that these rabbits need to pull their weight a bit to keep the grass down.

At last I feel like our house is starting to sit in a garden.  Well a field we’re trying to tame.  Next up is weeding the flower beds which by comparison will be a doddle to do.

If you’ve got any tips on how to tame our field I’d be ever so grateful.  Even with the ride on mower and super strimmer it still seems like a marathon effort to keep on top of things.  I’m seriously considering trading up to a full size tractor or am I being too extreme?