Apples / Vegetables / A rat - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 8 September, 2025

by Rosemary at 8:11am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Monday 1^st September

I feel like I’ve been up all night. Diesel brought in a “snack” about 3am and crunched it under the bed. Then at about 5am, he and Bertie had a really, really loud fight, again under the bed. Shattered.

Rain this morning, but not cold. The sun came out at lunchtime and brought a brisk breeze.

First of the month, so “big shop” day, that includes tidying the cupboards, while I make a list. Checked the date of the spices – some are virtually antique, but I can’t throw them out without consultation, so a few were returned to the pantry.

The ponies are settling into their new routine. An acquaintance was picking up a surplus freezer from ours at 8pm, and the ponies were in, so I fed them and shut them in.

Kirsty, who was picking up the freezer, is a butcher and has set up her own business. Honestly, I am so in awe of her. I hope she does really well. We didn’t want anything for the freezer, but she gave us some Highland beef. Looking forward to trying it.

Gwenna has tapeworm. She and Bryn had their monthly pill today, but it doesn’t do tapeworm, so I’m picking up a second pill tomorrow, one each. If she’s got it, it’s unlikely he doesn’t.

Tuesday 2^nd September.

The farrier was here at 8am, to trim Smokey and Mickey. He’s so good and so reliable.

Murdo was here for his first day this week. He was mainly banging in fence posts.

Lorna and I had our usual walk along the front.

Wednesday 3^rd September

The cooking apples are coming thick and fast. Two batches a day being cooked and frozen, so lots of mincemeat required.

Cooking apples.

We have a rat in the feed store. Same one as last week. I think. I let it go again with a warning (it was in an empty feed bin).

We have the best yield of potatoes ever, I think. Dan only plated one row in the 4ft wide bed, instead of two. Fewer potatoes, but MUCH bigger, and good quality.

Good sized potatoes this year.

Thursday 4^th September

Trees starting to change.

Plenty haws this year.

Dan was up first; the rat was in the feed bin. Dan shot it. It should have listened to me.

Murdo was here and Dan didn’t have to be at his desk, so they got on with the sunken garden. That’s all the sleepers in; next job is to clear it, then infill behind the sleepers. I favour slabbing over the bricks, because I think they’ll be a pain to maintain. Dan thinks otherwise.

Progress in the sunken garden.

It’s certainly better than 2022.

2022.

I weeded. The broccoli has flowered and is covered with bees. Hard to be sad about that.

Flowering broccoli.

Our cabbages are monster. We’ll have to share with friends.

Monster cabbage.

Bryn loves to lie in the long grass.

Bryn's spot.

Friday 5^th September

This morning.

Good weather continues.

Cooper likes sheep feed.

Cooper eating sheep nuts.

Dottie likes the feed store. I wish the two of them would focus on the day job.

Dot.

Saturday 6^th September

Dan was away to Glasgow for the day to attend a natural dyeing workshop run by Jules Billings of Woollenflower. He had a great time and came back with some beautiful naturally dyed yarn the group produced on the day. These are samples from previous workshops:

Naturally dyed yarn.

Looks like Ratty had a chum. Cannot see where it’s getting in. Only a sorry end lies in the future.

We have an intruder.

Sunday 7^th September

Cool (16C), grey and drizzly for the most part. Really feels like autumn now. The rain came on in earnest about 4pm. I persuaded Dan to light the stove. Comforting but very hot.

We ate our first sprouts of teh season, with Guardswell Shetland beef cottage pie. Followed by spiced treacle cake and custard. YUm.

Dan, Kate and Astrid were apple pressing. Well, Kate and Dan were. Astrid was sailing her “boat”. The wasps were loving it. The apples, not the boat.

Wonderful Discovery apple juice.