Smallholding
Courgettes / Cordial / Afton
Monday 13 July, 2020
Monday 6th July
Lovely sunny day, bit of a breeze – perfect drying weather. Mucked out the barn this morning, then poo picked. Office work after that, then post office with the comfrey orders.
Hung out a washing in the brisk breeze – and the clothes pole snapped. We put in four round wooden poles when we moved here and one has obviously rotted. My clothes line is now reduced by 50%. Dan thinks we have a spare one somewhere. I need a new line anyway, so the drying green will be refurbished.
Toscana / Albie / Bunnybelly
Monday 6 July, 2020
Monday 29th June
Pretty changeable today – some heavy showers, some light ones and some sun. And thunderstorms!
Last night there were two wee cucumber plants from the seeds I sowed last week; this morning there was one wee cucumber and a big snail on the second one. More sown and in the propagator.
Dan dried and wrapped the Toscana and started some Lancashire. The five camembert are drying now.
Toscana / Camembarry / Strawberries
Monday 29 June, 2020
Monday 22nd June
The forecast said, “light cloud”, which I guess, on average, was what we had although it panned out as heavy showers and full sun.
Dan’s wine soaked Toscana is now wine soaked.
Toscana cheese, soaking in wine,
The cattle came in fine at milking, so he’ll be able to make more on Wednesday. Afton has terrible scoots; she seems fine in herself so I’m hoping it’s just the effect of the new grass both directly and indirectly through her mother’s milk. Jings, hope it doesn’t have the same effect on us!
Lavender / Plums / Swiss Roll
Monday 22 June, 2020
Monday 15th June
Mild, still and misty. Good start to the morning; early round done by 6.30am then off for hay at 8am. Took the ponies round Barry – buses, lorries and bus stops (it’s scary when you can see yourself apparently)
My new bake ware arrived; fair braw. And a rack to store the trays in, so a happy half hour was spent reorganising the cupboard. Not quite finished yet.
New baking tins. And a storage rack.
Cheeps / Electric fence / Calves
Monday 15 June, 2020
Monday 8th June
Dry, intermittent sun but cold and windy. I’m not a fan of housework but neither do I like to see the house too dirty – or untidy. I tend to be pretty tidy generally – a place for everything etc. etc. Normally, after lambing, I do my spring cleaning. With the coronavirus outbreak, that’s been somewhat curtailed – because a good bit of the task is taking stuff to the laundry. Including the settee covers. To protect the settee – or Tom and Diesel’s bed, as it’s also known – I put some vet bed down – and on the IKEA chair that is Bertie’s preferred sleeping place. So this morning, I thought I’d wash the covers on the dogs’ beds and the vet bed. I might have put it on to protect the settee, but I should have vacuumed first – SO MUCH cat hair! Oh well, at least I could see where I’d been with the vacuum cleaner. All lovely now – I’m sure the cats don’t recognise it. Windows next.
Buttons / Beans / Apples
Monday 8 June, 2020
Monday 1st June
Nice and cool at 5.30 am then hot and sunny – rain forecast for tomorrow though. Spent most of the day in the vegetable garden, planting out replacement peas and weeding. I’ve ordered more seeds – not a single carrot germinated from the ones I sowed. That’s poor, even for me.
Moved the cattle to Near Top and Home – plenty long stuff for them to graze off. I didn’t intend to let them into Home, which is where the sheep are supposed to be, but a rail was down on the dividing fence and somehow a lamb always ends up on the wrong side form its mammy. So it was easier (and quieter) to open the gate. Dan’s fixed the rail now.
Milk / Cheese / Sweetpeas
Wednesday 3 June, 2020
Monday 25th May
No rats in the trap this morning. Not sure if I’m disappointed or relieved – bit of both. Took the ponies across the golf course. Dan made a soft cheese and added garlic and herbs to half. The other half is for a cheesecake.
Ace and Blizzard shared the hay today.
Blizzard and Ace, sharing.
Rats / Waistcoat / Peas
Tuesday 26 May, 2020
Monday 18th May
We’ve had very welcome rain overnight and it’s a bit cooler. Dan carried on topping Laing’s Field. I started to plant out tomatoes in the polytunnel but didn’t get it finished. Then we sat in the sun and drank wine. Because it's Monday.
Tuesday 19th May
I have become “Envelope writer in chief”. Dan sells comfrey root and crowns via Dalmore Coft and my job is to address the envelopes, using my best handwriting. One customer, who phoned with a query, said how neat it was. I felt very pleased; it was like being six years old again.
Flies / Shearing / Decade
Tuesday 19 May, 2020
Monday 11th May
Sunny, cool in the wind. The cows have decided that Ace is part of the herd again – they brought the calves round to the field shelter, so I decided they were telling me something and let him out. He was far more interested in grass than girls.
Milked Rosie and Annie then tagged the calves. We planned to ring Albie but failed to find any balls so we’ll get the vet to do the job sometime, but before he gets too big. Bringing them in was a pantomime – the cows aren’t liking the surface of the Triangle and raceway to the barn so that’s a bit of coaxing – then the calves took off across two paddocks – tails in the air like warthogs. After their run, they trotted into the barn no bother – not so sure they’ll be as happy to come in tomorrow.
Calves / Potatoes / Milk
Monday 11 May, 2020
Monday 4th May
So, the cattle are out and very happy they are too. Blizzard is lame again but I can't do anything about it now: once Rosie and Annie have calved, I'll get the trimmer along to do their feet and hopefully the vet to see Blizzard's at the same time.
Dan made up his comfrey orders - it's quite a considerable task every week, but we're not complaining. He's also been germinating peas on damp kitchen roll - definitley the way to do it. I sowed some in pots and had rubbish germination - this way, you know before you plant. He's going to do the runners the same way, for the same reason.
