Smallholding
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.
Mastitis / Beans / Bye, Buster
Monday 25 April, 2022
Monday 18th April
Glorious day – sunny, bit of a breeze. I hung a load of washing out and got it all dried – solar and wind powered dryer. Ploughed through the office jobs though, then got into the greenhouse to pot on most of the tomatoes. And I set the runner and French beans to germinate and planted out the sweet peas.
Dan managed to get away from his desk to get the harrow on the tractor.
Tuesday 19th April
Spot and Notspot barely feed off the bottle at some feeds, so we’ve put them on to three feeds of 300ml each -7am, 3pm and 11pm. If they start clearing up, we’ll increase the amount. They look well.
Scoot / Astrid / No2
Monday 18 April, 2022
Monday 11th April
Kit and her lambs are now out in the wee paddock; I’ve put No3 in there with her single ewe. I’m not delirious about No3’s lamb – she looks a bit tucked, but her mother has plenty milk. Made sure she got a good feed this afternoon and will keep a close eye.
No1 is in the pen in the barn with her twins, because she has two doses of antibiotic to get before she goes out. If I let her out, my chances of catching her again are slim. She seems well and the lambs are quite content.
Spot / Notspot / No1
Monday 11 April, 2022
Monday 4th April
Still feeling rough; didn’t even get up for the morning chores, which I’ve done the last two days. Tested positive for Covid. Quelle surprise.
Tuesday 5th April
Woke at about 5.30am; raging sore throat. Could hear the ewes fussing. Out of bed, in the jammies, and round to the field. Kit had one lamb – she scanned with twins and wasn’t due until Saturday. It was cold and wet, so I got them into a pen and decided to leave her for half an hour to have the second. Went back in half an hour, still only one lamb. Looked around and here’s this wee, soaked, bedraggled lamb outside the field shelter – obviously the first lamb born. Whisked cold lamb into the kitchen and into a bowl of warm water until he warmed up, then towel dried and left wrapped up with a hot water bottle, on the floor (we have underfloor heating) until we moved his mammy and brother into a new pen in the barn, with a heat lamp. Two tup lambs, both a bit dim. Got them warmed up and latched on then gave them both some packet colostrum in a bottle to warm the up and give them some energy. By bedtime, they seemed to have found the milk bar and are quite content. Fingers crossed.
The lurgy has struck
Wednesday 6 April, 2022
Sorry, no diary this week. I have Covid - how I got it I have no idea, but I have, so I'm having a week off. Hope you're all well!
