May 2023

Diary

Calves / Milking or not / Ponies

Monday 1 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 4:10pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

So, Monday morning, I had to drive to Stirling to collect our meat chicks and two Maran pullets for a friend. I was supposed to collect them last Friday, but I wrote the time down wrong. Anyway, it worked fine because it meant I was able to fit in a visit to UA Mart, which may be the new venue for the Scottish Smallholder Festival. Forfar Mart, where we’ve held the event for the last two or three years, is closing next month, leaving us homeless.

It was sunny first thing but as I prepared to leave at 10am, we had this huge ninja shower. Temperature dropped from 8C to 2C. Within a couple of miles, I was into sunshine again, then ninja showers all the way. I did say last week that we needed rain – this wasn’t quite what I had in mind.

Mainly calf spam

Tuesday 9 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 11:11am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 1st May

May Day, Beltane, first day of summer. Well, it didn’t rain but it wasn’t taps aff weather either. My brain is like cotton wool – come on, Bronte.

calves Three calves.

After the chores, I did the monthly shop. It’s great to get it out of the way. Dan was doing his monthly chores – invoices and the like. At lunchtime, our washing machine went BANG and we couldn’t get the door open. Manged to get the washing out by prising open the door. And it looks like we’ll need a new machine.

Bronte calves! It's a bull.

Monday 15 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 9:20am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 8^th May

Still dismal weather, but warmer. The grass is growing steadily, if not fast.

It’s almost our anniversary of moving here, so it’s time to review our insurance. It’s making my head hurt.

Tuesday 9^th May

Hallelujah! We have sun.

weather Here comes the sun.

Strawberries / Pizza / Beech

Monday 22 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 8:17am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 15^th May

Sun, interspersed with ninja showers of rain and hail. Desk day and started work on the Festival. Seemed like a good time to scatter some grass seed on the bare bits in Sheepfold, now that it’s been harrowed again.

While I was grass seeding, Dan was trimming the mats in the cow shed. Over time, they’ve lifted a bit and become a trip hazard, so he trimmed them to fit perfectly. Or near enough.

barnfloor Dan sorting mats in the cow shed.

Brassicas / Merlin / Sunken garden

Monday 29 May, 2023

by Rosemary at 7:57pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 22^nd May

The week started well when I have the opportunity to save a bumblebee. It had fallen in the ponies’ water bucket; I thought it was dead but it’s legs were still moving, so I swept it up and gave it a saucer of sugar water. When I returned, half an hour later, it had gone, so I’m counting that as a save.

I registered the heifer calves; it’s a D year, so Baby’s calf is Rosedean Duibhe, which is Gaelic for black and Rora’s is Rosedean Dorcha, which is Gaelic for dark.