Smallholding
The July madness
Thursday 26 June, 2014
Most of you with smallholdings will appreciate the need for an eight day week / 30 hour day. Even with me here all the time, there's always a long list of non-routine jobs to be done (although, to be fair, it's shorter than it was four years ago). However, Dan's real business is quite quiet mid-summer, so he's decided to work from home from tomorrow until 4th August!!!
I know he's hoping to do some cycling and to make some improvements to the TAS site, but mainly we'll be working together on the smallholding. Bliss (for me anyway :-)).
Our anniversary
Thursday 15 May, 2014
It was four years ago yesterday that we got the keys for Dalmore.
It's been a lot of work but we now feel we're at the end of the beginning and here's to the next forty.
If we get a chance this weekend, we'll try and do a "before and after" photo shoot :-)
As one job gets done, so does another
Sunday 7 July, 2013
Steve has been here this week building a dry stone wall between the fruit garden and the barn, thus replacing the scabby chicken wire that was there to keep any wandering livestock off the strawberries.
Early stage dry stone wall, Meg inspecting
Dan has been sorting out stone for Steve, from the large mound that was… - actually, I can’t remember where it came from but it was large, stony and weedy and a bit of an eyesore.
Revisiting the feed store
Sunday 16 December, 2012
Converting part of the West range into a feed store and tack room was one of the first jobs we did after we moved to Dalmore in May 2010.
The former cart shed had a new door and window installed to replace the old sliding door; the connecting door into the byre was replaced and locked off and the store was cleaned and repainted. The good old IKEA shelves were rebuilt and augmented with some new, additional ones and lots of hooks put up – you can never have too many hooks :-).
Boys' toys
Friday 30 March, 2012
Dan's on "holiday" next week, we we've hired a mini-digger to do a few jobs about the place.
This morning, Roy bought Scott's big JCB along to clear all the stone and rubble from around John and LInda's house. The roughcasters have been here yesterday and today, but they're not finished yet and are on holiday next week - it's looking good though. The area Roy cleared today will be lawn and parking for the caravan, so we'll use the mini-digger to move soil on to the area, ready for turf. Linda's been doing loads of work on the garden and it's looking much better. She cut the grass this morning - even though it wasn't very long, it made such a difference.
Another lovely day
Sunday 8 January, 2012
If it wasn't dark at 4.30pm, you'd have thought it was May here today. I was working in a T-shirt and fleece gilet (and jeans, of course). It wasn't sunny but it was so mild.
Dan and John have been cracking on with the January jobs list 
. Yesterday, they put up the new pedestrian gate at the North entrance to Dalmore, replacing the old pallet. When we moved here, there was no gate, just a metal barrier - fine for horses and stopping your tractor being stolen but no good for stopping dogs or sheep. Or probably Bugsy.
Hurricane Bawbag
Thursday 8 December, 2011
We are in the grip of Hurricane Bawbag. However, we seem to be less affected here than other parts of Scotland, so we're grateful for that.
The animals seem fine. The ponies have been a wee bit spooky about stuff blowing around, but not at all bad. The cattle were cosied up in the field shelter earlier - I opened the gate yesterday for them. The sheep are grazing and pulling at the hay - I think a combination of wool and a low centre of gravity makes them pretty impervious.
I was most worried about the chooks but they have food and water in their houses, plus grit and oystershell feeders, so they can stay indoors if they want to. In fact, most were outside but looking a tad ruffled. Bet we don't have many eggs tomorrow.
All done
Saturday 12 November, 2011
It's been an unseasonably warm week - but I'm not complaining. The grass is still growing and it hasn't been too wet, and that suits me just fine.
Leo has now served his nine ewes. We changed the raddle from yellow to green today and we'll be looking for green bums for the next couple of weeks - hopefully, there won't be any and he can go back into the orchard with Dickie at the end of the month. Leo's such a docile big boy - I just slapped the raddle on in the field, while Dan held his head (I'm not sure that was really needed though).
First frost
Saturday 5 November, 2011
We've had our first frost this morning. It's a beautiful day - clear blue sky and bright sunshine, but cold, so I had to root out the wooly hats and gloves.
I've given the ewe lambs some hay this morning. The paddock they are on resembles a bowling green, since the ponies have been on it all summer. The hay rack has a lid so the hay won't spoil and they can pick away at it if they want to. They also have a molassed lick and they're getting a handful of sheep nuts late afternoon. The feed is really to get them used to coming to a bucket.
