Smallholding
Bacon / Panforte / Tools
Monday 30 November, 2020
Monday 23rd November
Cold today, or at least colder than it’s been. Beautiful sunrise, then it clouded over and then cleared again. Not much to do in the office – I need to file but can’t quite raise the enthusiasm.
Set off to pick up the last Festival trophy and post it – trophy shop closed; East Pitkerro to check the steers – Charlie loves his bucket now. Might put some hay out for them this week; Sainsbury’s for lemonade and hazelnuts; Harbro for Closamectin, but they didn’t have any. Fifty per cent success.
Tool store / Tupping / Calves
Monday 23 November, 2020
Monday 16th November
Touch of insomnia last night. Office today but slipped down to Eats Pitkerro to feed the steers.
Archie (LHS) and Charlie.
Aurora is getting to be a big girl – eats hay and everything.
Big girl Aurora eating hay.
Winter maintenance
Sunday 15 November, 2020
Monday 9th November
Overcast and damp after heavy rain last night but brightening up a it by lunchtime.
Woke up determined to focus and get through the list, then decided to strip our bed; that lead to the examination of all the pillowcases. Oh dear, some are pretty threadbare. The sheets and duvet covers were replaced a wee while back when we bought the bigger bed but the pillowcases, being unaffected by this change, were not. Counting up, they must be 25 years old. No wonder they’re threadbare.
Watch / Sheep / Office
Monday 9 November, 2020
Monday 2nd November
Rain overnight but a nice morning – colder than it’s been, but bright and dry. Fed the cattle this morning then let them out. If the weather’s OK, I’d rather they were out – and the wee one can get better exercise.
Fed the steers at East Pitkerro, did a bit of shopping and picked up flukicide for the sheep from the vet in Dundee. I bought myself a watch - £6 reduced to £3. Much easier to check the time than getting my phone out.
AGMs / Aurora / Pudding
Monday 2 November, 2020
Monday 26th October
Did two checks on Blizzard through the night; I told her today would be a good day to calve because it’s warm and sunny (with a couple of heavy showers). Not sure she’s listening. The field shelter is ready though if we need it.
Boots on this morning; did the ponies and pottered about outside for a bit. Swept up the feed store and started moving things into the byre. Dan phoned me to say that the sheep wanted out of the pig pen – they must have shut themselves in, because it certaiy wasn't me. They’ve done a good job of eating it down though.
Nugget / Festival / Blizzard
Monday 26 October, 2020
Monday 19th October
Wet, really pretty wet.
Well, the loading and transfer of the steers couldn’t have gone any more smoothly. I sat in the car – Dan and Tara did the work.
Spent most of the day on Shetland cattle stuff or Festival stuff. Less than a week to go to the Festival – Dan’s put in so much work. We’ll both be glad when it’s over.
My 2121 Diary. Hope it has fewer scorings out than the 2020 one.
Cake / Pears / Byre
Tuesday 20 October, 2020
Monday 12th October
Wet and miserable. And so is the weather. Foot bruised and swollen. Managed to make mincemeat cookies though. Spoke to Stuart, our butcher, and booked the steers into Shotts for next Monday. We’ll need help to load them. Well, Dan will. I’ll just be sitting watching.
Tuesday 13th October
Woke at 5am to heavy rain. Not what I want as we’re still hoping to get the wildflower seeds drilled this autumn. Had a bit of a meltdown. Poor Dan’s having it all to do. My foot is worse this morning – Dan said it would be worse today then would start getting better. As usual, I had unrealistic expectations of my old body.
Rain / Steers / A&E
Wednesday 14 October, 2020
Monday 5th October
Nice day, but showery and the flood waters are receding. Went shopping, dropped off Lorna’s birthday cake and gifts, spent the rest of the morning in the office. Dan was up at dawn and did some more painting in the byre.
Wormed the ponies and took them for a walk.
Tuesday 6th October
Lovely day with ninja showers. Another coat of paint on the byre walls. Started Smokey on his new meds. Fingers crossed.
Hay / Rain / Pigs
Monday 5 October, 2020
Monday 28th September
Cloudy and cool but not frosty. Up at 5am. Wide awake; made scones. Dougie the Plasterer is here to do the byre – should be done tomorrow, then three days to dry before paint.
Bertie helped me in the office.
Bertie, helping.
Tuesday 29th September
Lovely day – better enjoy it because it’s to break later in the week.
Frost / Rats / Byre
Monday 28 September, 2020
Monday 21st September
Cool and damp this morning, but turning sunny and breezy later. Robbie got two rats last night but a big one evaded him. Nightmare stuff.
Most of the stuff I listed yesterday is sold – yay! – so a good part of today was spent arranging collection. In between times, I popped to the Post Office and did my paperwork. It’s also time to start publicising the Scottish Smallholder Festival, so I was working on that too.
We had a delivery for the joiner but the door didn’t arrive, which is annoying because it needs to be painted before the door furniture goes on. Oops, Dan checked his emails and the door’s being delivered tomorrow.
