Birthdays / Planting / Clouties / Mucking out
Posted: Monday 23 April, 2018
Monday 16th April
Dan has embarked on a tidying of the workshop. He may be some time.
I visited a local primary school today to talk about wool (they’re doing a topic on Mary Queen of Scots, so it was about wool as a fabric of the time). We also discussed sheep keeping and dog worrying.
And I made cheese apple and walnut mini loaves.
Tuesday 17th April
Wet overnight but clearing mid morning. I’m writing this on Saturday and have no idea what I did on Tuesday.
Wednesday 18th April
It was Ace’s second birthday today, so he and the cows each got a good brush.
Ace on his 2nd birthday.
Thursday 19th April
Beautiful day. Painted the meter cupboard on the side of the house. It looks much better.
Made a Cloutie Dumpling.
First cloutie dumpling. Need practice.
The workshop tidy up continues.
Friday 20th April
Another lovely day. Went for hay, planted garlic elephant garlic and shallots.
Dan inspected the bees and started harrowing the paddocks. Well, “resumed” would be more accurate because he harrowed sheepfold weeks ago. Rain interrupted play.
It’s Bertie’s ninth birthday. He’s now senior cat.
Bertie's birthday tuna.
Saturday 21st April
Another glorious day, but breezy.
Dan’s got a raging sore throat but managed to make some frames for the bees.
Planted potatoes - earlies and main crop. Discovered I’ve planted the garlic and shallots in the wrong bed.
Also discovered – from a glance at Harry’s headstone – that Bertie’s birthday is actually tomorrow.
Started mucking out the field shelter – it’s been on the list since the heifers went away weeks ago, but it’s been slipping down the list.
Field shelter mucking out.
So today I decided that I’d do an hour – and it’s almost done. I’ll get it finished tomorrow.
Sorted through horse stuff for the auction – washed some of it and stuck some through the washing machine. It’s going to the market on Monday with the poultry stuff.
And we got our pigs – they’re only tiny, just eight weeks.
Pigs exploring their new home.
They’ll be exhausted tonight as they’ve covered every inch of the pen. They’re Tamworth x GOS.
Sunday 22nd April
Cloudy and cool start but the sun got out about lunchtime – really windy though. Dan’s still poorly.
I made another Cloutie dumpling – twice the size of the last one.
Finished the field shelter apart from the final sweep out but leaving that until the tiny furries move out.
Field shelter done.
Found myself reciting Rabbie Burns while I was working.
Finished sorting through the horse stuff. Put Bug’s harness on and took him for a wee walk up the road; asked him to walk over some sheets of black plastic and to let me drag a rubble bag behind him.
This week, HE’S going to be pulling the rubble bags.
