Smallholding
Leeks / Gracie and Bronte / Polytunnel
Monday 9 January, 2023
Monday 2nd January
Spring cleaned the feed store. With no hens or sheep, it’s emptier than it’s been for years.
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Nice and tidy.
Tuesday 3rd January
Tom loves the fire. This isn’t an action shot – he’s been lying like this for ten minutes. Channelling his inner Gwenna.
Rain / Raspberries / Polytunnel
Monday 2 January, 2023
Wednesday 28th December
Bit grey, but no wind and not frozen, which is good. After the morning chores – feeding and mucking out the cattle and feeding the ponies – and after feeding ourselves, Dan took the dogs for a walk down the Buddon and I had a happy couple of hours in the garden.
I'm trying to see the potential.
Winter garden.
Thaw / Ring feeder / Hospital
Tuesday 27 December, 2022
Monday 19th December
Temperature up to 11C and we have a total thaw. The water is back on everywhere, which is fab.
Tuesday 20th December
Lovely day. Took Gwenna to the vet for a check up; she disgraced us by peeing on the mat, but other than that the vet is very pleased with her progress. She wants to see her two weeks after her meds are finished. However, she has a wee ear infection (left ear) and had drops so her hydro session tomorrow has been rearranged.
Fox / Snow / Mince pies
Tuesday 20 December, 2022
Monday 12th December
Minus 7C first thing this morning, but blue skies, sunshine and no wind, so pretty pleasant if you’re well wrapped up. The dogs are enjoying poopsicles.
Poopsicles.
We must have a dozen pheasants living in and around our garden. And there was a heron and a couple of dozen curlew in the fields today. And so many blackbirds, gorging on apples.
Ice / Tom / Santa
Monday 12 December, 2022
Monday 5th December
Winterfest preparations are underway. The decorations are going up in stages. There have been years when the last stage of going up has coincided with the first stages of coming down (which is generally just one stage). Lights are great but, jings, batteries are expensive!
Tuesday 6th December
Much colder today; wee bit of frost this morning but clear sky tonight and cold. Need to find gloves.
Out and about doing a pile of jobs, like posting the cards and dropping eggs into the food bank. Then scone and hot chocolate with my daughter then straight to my chum, Janet’s for a cuppa and a blether.
Freezers / Apples / Ice
Tuesday 6 December, 2022
Monday 28th November
Beautiful day.
Bertie had a productive night in the feed store. We know this because there was a pile of cat sick with a dead mouse in it this morning.
Tom had his annual visit to the vet. His teeth aren’t fab, but they don’t need work this year. He had them scaled and polished just a year ago.
Tuesday 29th November
I moved the ponies’ electric fence. They do leave a tidy edge.
A tidy edge.
Ponies / Polytunnel / Marmalade sponge
Monday 28 November, 2022
Monday 21st November
Three of our four cats have their annual check ups in late November, reflecting when the Christmas spirit moves us and we rescue another one. Today was Penfold’s turn. He’s been with us ten years, so we estimate he’s probably mid-teens. Since he had a bit of a kidney issue a few years ago, and because he’s become a terrible mooch for food, we decided to have some bloods taken and his blood pressure checked. Results tomorrow.
Sprouts / Rain / And more rain
Monday 21 November, 2022
Monday 14th November
Nothing quite went to plan today. Having started the Christmas puddings, I then discovered that we had no pudding basins – our old ones had become crazed and cracked and I decided it was time for new ones, except I discarded the old ones and forgot to buy new – so steaming is delayed again. I just keep adding a slosh of cherry brandy to the mix.
Picked tomatoes – there are still quite a lot left and they are delicious but I will have to clean out the polytunnel soon. There are a few pears left on the tree and plenty sprouts.
Raspberries / Buffet / Sewing
Sunday 13 November, 2022
Monday 7th November
Farrier out to trim Smokey’s feet. He was a very good boy. I’m wondering if he’s staring to be a bit stiff in his hind legs.
Was supposed to take Diesel to the vet for his annual check up this afternoon. 2pm, no Diesel. New appointment made for Wednesday morning. He’s usually snoozing it up in the morning. Bloody cat.
Tuesday 8th November
Had my Covid and flu jags this afternoon. Can I swing a duvet day tomorrow?
Calves / Hens / Holidays
Sunday 6 November, 2022
Monday 24th
So that’s the Scottish Smallholder Festival over for another year. It all went swimmingly – or maybe more like the swan analogy – all calm on the surface and paddling furiously under the surface. We now have a bigger team and a very good one. We’ve had much positive feedback on the Festival from visitors and stallholders – thankfully, it doesn’t make us complacent but makes us want to do better next year. I’m staying on for another year to do the rural skills but not the communications. Most of my stallholders want to come back next year, which is great – on, because they were very good but two, because it allows me to think about new things to do. The cookery theatre went well – I think that will be back next year. Tidying up now, copying over files and thanking everyone.
