Smallholding
Peas / Sweet peas / Last course
Monday 4 July, 2022
Monday 27th June
Wish we’d done the sheep yesterday. It didn’t rain but there’s rain forecast for much of the rest of the week. I need to get my head down and get through a pile of office stuff. No excuses. No diversions.
Wednesday 29th June
Today was all about peas – sweet and sweeter. Strawberries are coming well now and we have raspberries round in the wood. Not where we planned, but we’ll happily take them.
Strawberry / Royal Highland Show / New car
Monday 27 June, 2022
Monday 20th June
The day didn’t quite get off to the planned start – we both forgot to take the meat birds’ feed out last night, so rather than getting on with that job first thing, we had to wait a bit for them to “empty”.
Still, that gave me time to bake a couple of fruit tea loaves and some ginger nuts and get some of my paperwork done.
In the end, we had nine whole birds, totalling 29.52, average 3.28, range 2.61 – 3.92 and one portioned bird. Plus necks, feet, heads for dog feed.
Weaning / Buddha / Tubs
Monday 20 June, 2022
Monday 13th June
Cloudy, mild and still breezy, although not blowing the hoolie at was over the weekend.
Focussed on getting through the paperwork – I’ve got a couple of newsletters to do, including one for the Festival. And I do need to spend some time on the Festival this week. The trick is not to get distracted by social media.
Bronte and Baby, just because.
Bronte and Baby.
Wall / Pipes / Willow
Monday 13 June, 2022
Monday 6th June
It seems to be a time of “lasts”. This morning we took sheep to the abattoir for the last time; two cull ewes and two wethers from last year. I hope the rest can all be sold for breeding.
It’s cold today and I’m tired. I’ve got the ponies to do for the next three days; I can’t be bothered poo picking today. Will do double tomorrow.
Ploughed through paperwork and random tasks, accompanied by much sighing and yawning.
Blackcurrants / Sinks / Courses
Monday 6 June, 2022
Monday 30th May
Cool, showery.
I was awake at 5am; too many things on my mind. Prevarication is not conducive to a stress free life. Blizzard appears to be coming into season.
Prised Dan away from his desk (not THAT difficult) to go for lunch and to the garden centre. We bought plants for hanging baskets and pots and had a look at water features for the fernery, but nothing jumped out at me. I won’t buy anything until it’s cleared out and I can see the size and shape. My tentative plans include pots with ferns and hostas; a water feature; some sort of lighting; a Buddha head statue and some sort of seating. And maybe a mirror.
Clematis / Daisies / Brassicas
Monday 30 May, 2022
Monday 23rd May
Cool and overcast; Linda said it was 5C early this morning. Poor ewes, without their woolly coats. They love the beech hedge and keep it nicely trimmed along the sides. The lambs can get their wee noses through the netting and nibble there, while Bean and the BFLs get on their back legs and can reach quite high.
Snacking on the beech hedge.
Tatties / Caravan / Shearing
Monday 23 May, 2022
Monday 16th May
What a change from the weekend! Heavy rain most of the day – and much cooler as a result. But it’s to be nice the rest of the week, so hopefully that’ll make the grass grow.
Deskwork today; Festival stuff and other bits and pieces that have been hanging around.
I don’t think the cattle are planning to come in again. Ever. Oh, was that a bucket? Yes, they are.
Tuesday 17th May
Better day than yesterday, some rain, some sun. Grey is getting better at getting tied up – but I think he’s worried he’ll be left behind, because he’s last to get untied.
Blossom / Bluebells / Bean
Monday 16 May, 2022
Monday 9th May
Cool and overcast, then rain. Dan’s home from Portugal – then his phone started pinging as a number of the team tested positive for Covid. Thankfully, he’s negative.
I’ve booked a stand at Bannockyarn, a yarn festival at Bannockburn House of 6th and 7th August.
Tuesday 10th May
Really windy; sunny, but a real blow on. Dan thinks his last bee colony might have died – no activity this morning even though it was warm and sunny.
Potatoes / Astrid / Dusty
Monday 9 May, 2022
Monday 2nd May
Cool, this morning. Actually, quite cold. Damp, light showers. Glad all the paddocks are harrowed and topped -perfect timing – come on, the grass.
I love these tulips
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Tulips.
Tuesday 3rd May
Still cool and overcast. Dropped eggs into the Food Bank, went swimming then for a coffee with our daughter, did some shopping and picked up red diesel. How did it get to be 3pm?
Brassicas / Squashes / Udder
Monday 2 May, 2022
Monday 25th April
Dammit, the fox has taken four meat chicks. This is entirely our fault for not securing the run well enough. Done now
Finally, planted out the brassicas; a summer cabbage, a winter cabbage and three types of sprouts.
Brassicas finally planted out.
The courgettes and squashes sprouting and there are small signs of dahlias coming through.
