Chilly days and gamey treats
Brrr, the weather is bitter here in Surrey, but at least it’s dry and cold and we’re not having to cope with the crazy disruption that a few snowflakes in the south of England always cause. I would quite like to see Renae in the snow, she’s never experienced it as last winter when we brought her home, the snow had all been and gone. We can’t know if Susie-Belle has ever experienced it, but if she has, we’re certain it would not have been from the comfort of a warm and cosy home, so maybe it’s not a bad thing if we escape the white stuff this winter so as not to stir any horrible memories of being cold and wet in some freezing, miserable barn that an outing in it may trigger in her.
She does love her comforts, and we love to provide them for her. Now we’re lighting the log burner first thing in the morning, as soon as she’s back from her walk, had her breakfast and a bit of a brush, she can then be guaranteed to settle herself down in front of the fire. Yesterday when Mark came to collect them both to go to the daycare place, I had to prise her little bottom off her comfy cushion and hoist her up onto her feet; Mark had to cajole and encourage her to leave the warmth of her bed, neither of us blamed her for wanting to stay put, once she’d gone, I quite fancied settling down there myself.
Tonight’s supper was a puree of carrot, pear, banana and celery, with a tiny sliver of root ginger for added warmth and taste and a touch of garlic. I then whizzed in one small lamb’s kidney and added a portion of tripe – tripe is the most stinky smelling thing the girls eat but they both love it and by all accounts it’s very good for them. The white deodorised stuff is useless, it’s the smelly version that has all the nutrients. I buy a bag of it frozen and it just looks like frozen mince, but as soon as it starts to defrost it could never be mistaken for anything other than tripe for the girls. Their breath is something to behold tonight!We’ve got a very fresh and tasty treat for them that is being prepared right now. Michel’s brought home a whole bunch of pheasants he’s been given. At the moment they’re hanging in the garage apart from these two. They are beautifully marked birds and it seems a shame on one level that they’re dead, but I can’t be silly and squeamish, I’m not a vegetarian and at least these beauties have lived healthy active lives and have not endured intensive farming conditions. Back to the treat we have in store for the girls, Susie-Belle in particular loves game, so we’ll have enough pheasant carcasses in the freezer to keep her happy for quite a while, plus the offal that will be enjoyed over the next few weeks. Renae is never as keen on either game or offal, but as we know it’s so good for her, she’ll be getting a fair share of it, probably disguised in purees.
