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Posted: Monday 29 October, 2018

by Rosemary at 1:25pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 22 October

Sunny, warm but with a rising wind. Time taken with Festival work. It’ll be like this for most of the week.

Tuesday 23 October

Sunny, mild and windy. More Festival stuff.

Wednesday 24 October

Sunny and the wind has dropped a bit. Sadly we had to have Bug put to sleep today. He was awful sore this morning and was reluctant to walk. Lucy, our vet, was terrific. We had discussed this a couple of weeks ago and I guess she wasn’t surprised to get the call. It was very peaceful. We will miss him hugely – he was such a character. Lucy thought that perhaps his kidneys were failing as his blood pressure was very low, so I think we made a timely decision. She was saying how having limited or painful mobility is psychologically very stressful for horses, being flight animals. Anyway, he’s at peace now.

Not quite sure what I’m going to do about Smokey; he seems fine, but I don’t really want to keep him without another horse. On the other hand, I don’t really want to own another horse. Might try the rescues for a loan pony. Meanwhile, Smokey will just have to be a sheep.

Dan pressed some apples for our stand at the Festival and I did more Festival preparation.

Thursday 25 October

Dan was in Dundee today for a meeting so was sent to buy some storage boxes for Festival stuff - to avoid a repeat of the “mouse in fleece” incident - and various sundries, like rubber bands and Blutac.

Friday 26 October

Dan spent the day processing and pasteurizing apple juice for Sunday. I’m going to bake tomorrow but took time off to go swimming with my daughter.

Saturday 27 October

We have a two-day willow weaving course running this weekend with the wonderful Jane Wilkinson (Special Branch Baskets). They’re self-catering tomorrow but Dan made delicious lentil soup and bread for today and, of course, there was cakes, scones and biscuits. He’s going to do a Shetland beef casserole for tomorrow – they can just help themselves.

Our friend Andrew (who’s also the Steward of the Poultry and Waterfowl Show) arrived; he’s staying overnight to get a quick start in the morning. We took a trailer load and car load up to the venue and spent four hours setting up. We could have done with another hour.

Came home and put toppings on the muffins and cakes I made earlier. Bed at 11pm.

Sunday 28 October

Up at 4.30am; Blizzard milked and loaded, car packed and off to Forfar at 6.30am. Full on day at the Festival but it seems to have gone well and feedback is very positive.

Our own stand, manned by Dan’s mum and her chum, Shirley, did really well. Blizzard was completely chilled.

Dan brought us home about 6pm, so that I could milk then he unloaded the car and went back for a second load. Dead tired now but happy.

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