Trampoline / Pigs / Vegetables
Posted: Monday 2 July, 2018
Monday 25 June
The good weather continues. The grass in the fields has stopped growing though. Still, it’s long enough to hide two calves.
Spot the calves.
I thought I had made a mess of my lamb registrations but it’s not as bad as it first seemed and it’s easily fixable. Ordered the tags I need and will get them sorted next time they are in.
Spent some time in the veg garden; I need to do something about the brassicas but I’m just blind-spotting them
Tuesday 26 June
A bit cooler today. Forced myself to plant out the brassicas and tidy up the eaten ones. Sowed more swede and built the cages. Tidied out the rubbish seedlings in the greenhouse and sowed more Savoy cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli.
The rose that was planted beside Meg’s grave is flowering beautifully.
Made scones; Paul, Tara and Brady helped us eat them – as did John-next-door, who came to borrow a pinch bar and joined the tea party. Good times with friends.
Wednesday 27 June
Hot today. Went to the bank and Harbro; had a coffee with Ruth Watson of KeepScotlandtheBrand campaign. Always good chat.
The sheep managed to find some shade.
Sheep in shade
Our pigs like to eat sitting down. In a row. Weird.
Well mannered pigs
Thursday 28 June
Popped up to Arbroath to see Martin to discuss the Festival and the “Shetland Cattle at RHS 2020” project.
Still no calf from Blizzard; spent half an hour with the calendar, trying to work out when’s the last date she could be due. She looks pregnant and she scanned in calf but she’s running out of time. If she lost the calf after she was scanned on 17th October, I never saw any evidence. Nor have I seen any evidence of her bulling – and she was housed with the bull over winter, fed every day and handled. If she hasn’t calved by 4th July – or has bagged up indicating that calving is imminent, I’ll get the vet out for a look.
One of the folk whose house backs on to Laing’s Field has dumped a trampoline in it. A big trampoline. It goes with the other junk dumped over the wall. There’s going to have to be words.
Ace's trampoline.
Friday 29 June
Cooler than yesterday. Made strawberry jam using the River Cottage Preserves book recipe – it’s a lovely flavour but poor set. I’ve ordered jam sugar and will try again. Even got the waxed discs and cellophane tops, ready for the Show.
Saturday 30 June
Did some weeding. We have six raised beds, so I’m trying to do one a day with Sunday off. Dan and I spent a few hours thinning fruit on the apple trees – kind of breaks my heart but it’s better to have fewer good fruits and an undamaged tree. Cooked some of the trimmed fruit and made apple and mint jelly – but it’s more sauce like then jelly. Dan made elderflower cordial.
Vegetable garden.
Sunday 1 July
The trampoline has moved – but only further up the field. Not sure if Ace was responsible for that. Finished thinning the apples – it was good to work with Dan in the orchard. Good job, done. The pigs enjoyed the thinnings too.
Pigs enjoying apple thinnings.
Used some of the runny strawberry jam to make Eton Mess. Very nice indeed.
