Hogmanay / Feed Store / Aurora
Posted: Monday 4 January, 2021
Monday 28th December
Well, back to work today – sort of. Dan’s planning to be in the office just a couple of hours a day for the next week, so rather than light the stove over there, we brought the computers over to the house. He’s in the spare room and I’m in the dining room. Not ideal but it’s better than freezing.
Dan made a few alterations to the hens’ caravan, which make it easier to use. We have a wire mesh panel that goes in the doorway to help ventilation through the day, but it was free standing, so had to be propped behind the bale of bedding. Now it has hinges and a proper catch. Bliss. I cleaned out the caravan this morning – it was pretty disgusting. I won’t be leaving it so long next time. Since it was a nice morning and I was in the mood, I did the two empty houses too.
Blizzard and Ace are still courting. They were all out in the field this morning but came in to be fed and loaf around. If she holds, she’ll be due 8th October, which is moving in the right direction.
Dan planned to start painting the feed store but the plaster’s not dry, so he scraped the floor, wiped down the panel and door and gave them another coat of wood stain.
Since my “home office” was warm, I caught up on paperwork. Hoping to ride tomorrow.
Tuesday 29th December
Ooft, we had heavy rain overnight but it’s been another lovely day. Graham the Joiner and Dave the Spark have been here today so the sink is in and we have lights in the feed store. Apart from the painting, I think / hope, it will be finished by Hogmanay.
Posh tiled splashback.
Window hole and door.
Didn’t ride – bone tired after a poor night’s sleep. Did manage to get a few wee jobs done though – including a few that have been hanging around for some time, so that made me feel better.
Wednesday 30th December
Weather started sunny and dry, but we had a few flakes of snow about teatime and it seemed to be set to snow.
Graham the Joiner and Dave the Spark were here; Dave put a couple of new lights in the barn to replace the old fluorescent ones – OMG, what a difference. Graham has almost finished; back tomorrow for an hour or so.
Ace and Blizzard seem to be finished whatever they were up to – just need to wait three weeks or so and see if they have been successful. Aurorais doing well. She's a right bonny calf.
Aurora and Blizzard.
Thursday 31st December
So, Hogmanay. Last day of the calendar year – a time for reflection and also for looking ahead. 2020’s been a weird old year; in many ways, we’ve missed the worst of it and for that we’re grateful. Need to have a think now about what we might want to do in 2021.
First thing will be painting the feed store! We woke this morning to quite heavy sleet and very slippery underfoot. We took the two bales of hay off the trailer and Dan went for a refill – he said the roads weren’t good and the farmyard was like a skating rink. Glad I didn’t go!!
Graham was here, as expected, for an hour, putting mastic round joints, grouting the tiles and tidying up. The window’s still to go in but that’ll be next week; Dan plans to have it painted by then, so we can get the saddle racks and rug rack up. I’m so looking forward to getting everything moved back in there that’s going back in; then we’ll be able to get the byre store properly sorted out and then the barn. Doing a project like this is like chucking a pebble in a pond – the ripples spread out over the whole property. But the benefits will be long-term.
Untidy barn.
Tidied up the potting shed and swept it out, ready for the new season. Dan took Bryn to the beach – Gwenna’s limping so not allowed to go.
Beachcomber Bryn.
Friday 1st January
Happy New Year – let 2021 begin! After a hectic night here at Party Central (in bed by 10pm. Hogmanay was just as normal here), Dan got out his painting gear and made a start on the feed store.
First coat on the feed store walls.
The water heater has a leak, so Graham can have a look at that next week when he comes to put the window in. It’s not too bad but can’t remain unrepaired. Anyway, Dan got the first “mist coat” on, despite the handle on the paint kettle breaking while he was up the ladder (I guess that’s why you do the walls before the floor!!!). He’s hoping to get the second coat on tomorrow and the last on Sunday.
I cleaned out the greenhouse. I haven’t washed the glass but I probably will do.
Gwenna’s still limping. Lead exercise only.
Saturday 2nd January
Second coat on the feed store walls.
And the second coat.
Gwenna still lame, but improved. Took her and Bryn across Laing’s Field (Gwenna on her lead); still a lot of water, albeit frozen.
Frozen water in Laing's Field.
Still wet.
Took the Christmas decorations down.
Sunday 3rd January
Trip to EP today then for two bales of hay. The one at EP was a bit stoorie. We gave them a fresh bed too and lifted the poop out of their licky bucket. Complete home makeover.
Dan and I had a good look at the feed store and decided it didn’t need another coat. Yay! So he started on the floor. It has to get a sealer before the paint and the sealer froths and spits a bit, so there WILL have to be a third coat but not until the floor’s done.
We roasted our three ribs of Shetland beef. It was just amazing. I think I’m having meat sweats.
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