Covid / Cucumbers / Tatties
Posted: Monday 3 October, 2022
Saturday 24th September
So here we are, past Mabon, the autumn equinox. Still plenty grass in the fields to do the cattle until early November. I’m on the usual changing seasons tidy up, leading to an autumn clean. Started in the feed store – found six quiet wean things and three thermometers. When I want them, they will be invisible.
Spent most of the day in the veg garden, weeding and getting ready for manuring, REMIN-ing and covering with black plastic. Loads of raspberries coming ready and dozens of bees on the raspberry plants.
Dan emptied the muck trailer and picked up hay first thing then pressed more apples – Katy, this time. Lovely juice. Cattle will be happy with the pomace. He finished the day cutting the back grass.
I have a cough and a sore throat – tested for Covid and I have it.
Sunday 25th September
Dan said the pigs didn’t eat their breakfast this morning. I gave them some French beans yesterday. Oops.
Dan’s been strimming – the apiary (as was!), the edges of Sheepfold and round the garden and drive. Really tidies it up. Just one hive to be cleaned down now. We may have bees again. We'll see.
Apiary.
We run the ponies on a track in Sheepfold. The hayrack and the water trough are next to each other, which doesn’t encourage movement. Ashley had the bright idea of putting a string of electric tape across the track between the two, so to get from one to the other, they have to walk 400m. Not much but better than 2m. The simple ideas are the best.
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Take the long way round.
Wire failure in the polytunnel. Loads of tomatoes still, but I'm looking froward to getting it cleared, cleaned and repaired for next year. With no chickens!
Broken wire in the polytunnel.
Feeling worse today so catching up on paperwork.
Monday 26th September
Feeling better but no physio for Gwenna as I'm still isolating.
Dan reckons we have harvested abou 150kg potatoes. Should keep us going.
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Tatties - Caledonian Rose.
Cold and windy but sunny, although we had a couple of torrential showers about teatime.
Let the cattle into Home for the last time this year. They’ll be in for the winter in about six weeks. Finally ordered replacement tags for Bronte and Baby. I thought I had ordered them weeks ago, but I don't knwo about you, but once the monkey has been moved, I tend to forget about it. There must have been something wrong with the payment system - the order was showing as pending. Anyway, sorted now. Over the phone. With a real person.
Tuesday 27th September
Like yesterday, cold, sunny but not as windy.
Wednesday 28th September
Took out the cucumber plant, as it was dying. Took 33 cucumbers off it. Some weren’t very braw but the pigs will eat them.
Last of the Mini Munch cucumbers.
Thursday 29th September
Put in a call to get the vet out to Bronte, our red heifer, tomorrow. She came into season a few days after all the cows were jagged on 18th July, as expected, but I’ve seen Grey hanging around her since then; not in any regular pattern and I’ve never seen her stand for him (but I wtachb fro 40 minutes out of 24 hours). Yesterday, I saw her walking about with her tail up; she seemed to push a bit and had a wee pee. Now, when cows pee, it’s usually a flood. So that was unusual. She's fine in herself though.
Today, I saw the “tail-up” thing again with a clear discharge, so now I'm officially worried. I really don't want to eat her, because she's a wee sweetheart.
Friday 30th September
Dan took Gwenna to the vet. She’s pleased with progress; meds to remain the same so that we can up the work without causing discomfort.
Vet out to see Bronte; she thinks she has a UTI so has given the heifer long acting antibiotics and a painkiller /anti-inflammatory. She also thinks she’s in calf, although she didn’t have the scanner with her to be sure. I’m going to have them all scanned later in the winter, then we'll know for sure..
Saturday 1st October
Yay! Negative for Covid. Just as well really as we were off to see Kevin Bridges in Aberdeen tonight. Fantastic. Haven’t laughed that much in ages. Noticed that the pantomime at P&J Live is “Elf”. Got to go. It's October so it's OK to do some tentative Winterfest planning.
Sunday 2nd October
Beautiful autumn day – warm and with that glorious golden light that you only get at this time of year. Had a lovely walk with the dogs – best bit was that Gwenna didn’t scuff her paws once. Back to the physio tomorrow.
