Diary
Ewes scanned
Tuesday 24 January, 2012
The scanner was here at 6.35am today - she's visiting eight holdings and doing 600 sheep today 
What a star, Gillian at www.booscan.co.uk.
All nine are in lamb. Of the three gimmers, Niamh and Nova have singles and Nellie has twins. Of the six ewes, Luna, Lucy and Juno have twins and Jura, Jinx and Lyra have singles. I'm a wee bit disappointed with Jura and Lyra, who both had twins last year. Jinx has had three single tup lambs previously and I expect the same this year.
Another lovely day
Sunday 8 January, 2012
If it wasnt dark at 4.30pm, you'd have thought it was May here today. I was working in a T-shirt and fleece gilet (and jeans, of course). It wasn't sunny but it was so mild.
Dan and John have been cracking on with the January jobs list . Yesterday, they put up the new pedestrian gate at the North entrance to Dalmore, replacing the old pallet. When we moved here, there was no gate, just a metal barrier - fine for horses and stopping your tractor being stolen but no good for stopping dogs or sheep. Or probably Bugsy.
Smokey does the hay delivery
Friday 6 January, 2012
Bugsy got a day off today, because Smokey did the hay delivery. In the absence of a klibber, I used his driving saddle and hooked the haynets over the rein terrets. It worked fine, except he's obviously lost weight and the girth was a wee bit slack, even in the tightest hole on both sides. It's webbing, so I'll make two new holes tomorrow.
He was very good - we had a bit of a trial run on Wednesday. He got his saddle on then I threw haynets round his legs and over his back, before hanging them on the saddle and moving him around a bit. He sometimes reaches back for a mouthful of hay - it's like a picnic.
Now Smokey's working too
Saturday 24 December, 2011
We're preparing an area for the pig enclosure. There are some rhododendrons that need to be removed, so we decided that Smokey was the boy to help. The idea was that he'd pull, using the scrub puller, and Dan would loosen the roots at the same time.
Smokey pulling rhododendrons
This was quite different to anything Smokey has done before - although he's pulled a log and a carriage, he's never pulled anything that didn't immediately follow him, and then that followed him in a rush. I was a wee bit anxious because a) it was new and b) I haven't really done much with him lately.
Christmas Wreath
Monday 19 December, 2011
Our friend, Rebecca, made us a beautiful Christmas wreath from leaves and foliage (holly, laurel, ivy, rhododendron) gathered at Dalmore. We think it's stunning.
Christmas Wreath
I'm just about to order some hedging plants to improve the windbreak at the orchard. Now I'll be trying to select shrubs and trees that will yield materials for these.
Update on sickie Dickie
Sunday 18 December, 2011
I'm very, very pleased to report that Dickie has recovered from his rhododendron snack.
He's had more charcoal, a few oatcakes then a wee feed and some hay. It's a lovely day here, and he really wants to get out. Yesterday, he was quite happy to be inside.
Off to grant his wish now, and let him out. He's a very lucky sheep 
Back to work for Bugsy
Sunday 18 December, 2011
Bugsy's had a few days off because the wood part of his klibber broke. One of the haybags caught on the gate and, although he was very good and stood still, the wood split.
However, John fixed it yesterday, so this morning, Bugsy was out with hay for the ponies and the ewes. Next week, we'll have the cattle to do as well. Over the holiday period, I'm planning to get him going a bit further afield - like the local shop
Rhododendron poisoning
Saturday 17 December, 2011
Our pet wether, Dickie, has eaten rhododendron leaves. These are very poisonous and he's a very sick sheep. The next 24 hours will be crucial. It's very serious and the prognosis isn't good.
I'm so cross with myself. There was a pot grown rhododendron in a sink at the back of the caravan; Dickie and Leo have been in there for a week and haven't looked at it and then today...
To be honest, I hadn't even registered that it was there, although I do know that rhododendron is poisonous. Ironically, when we were walking the fences this morning and looking at the place where the pigs are going, I noted that we had to remove the rhododendrons there, for that very reason. Anyway, it's moved now. Horses and stable doors come to mind 
Fencing 2012
Saturday 17 December, 2011
Dan, John and I walked the fences this afternoon and made a list of what needs to be done next year and what materials we need to buy.
If we can afford it, we'll make one big order for timber as it saves on the delivery costs. With our notes made, I'll be updating the spreadsheet and making up the order for pricing on Monday.
Dan's also told me to prioritise the various fencing jobs - not all that easy, to be honest, and it'll need some thought. Partly it depends on whether any more gets blown down by passing hurricanes. 
Wood storage 3
Saturday 17 December, 2011
John and Dan started cutting the piles of wood in the barn this morning. We didn't have much in the way of logs, but we have loads of waste wood - so the saw's been getting a good workout. My job was to stack the cut wood in the old potato boxes we use for storage.
Feel the tidy!
Wow, what a lot of space there was in the barn when we finished! That's only one pile - there's loads more around the holding and a HUGE pile stacked out in one of the fields. We put it out there when we first moved here to clear a space and did intend to have a bonfire but in these times of austerity, we thought we'd better use it more sensibly 
.
