Kit / Ponies / Cake - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 4 May, 2020

by Rosemary at 6:21pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 27^th April

Euro was a bit lame this morning, but it was just a stone in his hoof. It’s one of the downsides of having the track resurfaced with type 1. The farrier was out to Smokey, so he had a quick look at Ave and Euro, but said they were fine. Smokey’s feet needed a good trim – never realised he had such tiny feet until I started picking out Euro’s dinner plates.

We had rain! This is good. Dan did his comfrey orders and I sorted out the tags and registration information for the ewe lambs. It needs to be done while we still know who belongs to whom. There’s only seven to register this year.

Tuesday 28^th April

Sharp frost this morning at 5am, then the sun came up for a lovely day.  I thought one of the white Ryeland gimmers might be fly struck as she was behaving oddly but a thorough check and trim revealed nothing amiss. I’ll keep an eye on her though.

Tara, Rebecca and I took the ponies for a walk along the old railway. They’re allowed a five minute “grass picnic” when we turn for home.

Smokey's picnic.

Gwenna is still lame so we had a video consultation with the vet, and he wants to see her tomorrow.

Kit lambed this evening – she was very secretive; the Ryelands chunter about talking to the lamb for ages before they actually start pushing. Kit just shoves the lamb out – bang! It’s a tup, which is great because it means that we have two for the freezer, and Niamh’s tup doesn’t have to make the final journey on his own. I can understand why folk like Shetlands, if Kit is typical. Kit’s lamb is marked like her but has a long tail – from his daddy.

Scoot is quite interested;

Scoot with her wee brother and her mammy.

Auntie Bambi is not.

Auntie Bambi.

I have been pressing on with creating the craft room in the front bedroom. Dan’s helping move the furniture but I get to sort through the old paper files and bin the out of date stuff – of which there is A LOT! Very therapeutic though.

I cleared a space in the craft room and made a card using pressed flowers this afternoon, then pressed more flowers and ordered a bigger flower press.

Wednesday 29^th April

Took Gwenna to the vet – no sign of any fracture. It’s the first “toe” that hurts and it seems as if she’s staved it. So no soft tissue injury! More Metacam and rest. Or at least controlled exercise.

Tailed Kit’s lamb, dosed all three ewes and put the Shetlands out. Just in time for heavy rain!  All the lambs were in the field shelter, mums outside.

Annie tried to give me a heart attack.

Annie, flat oot.

Thursday 30^th April

Overcast and cool. Almost finished the room move – but you know how it is, you find “stuff” you didn’t know you had and THAT has to be relocated, so the muddle in two rooms penetrates the whole house and beyond.

Tara, Rebecca and I took the horses for a walk.

Ave and Smokey.

Friday 1^st May Beltane

At the start of the year, Dan and I decided we’d take the eight pagan festival days as holidays – and today is Beltane, so we’re having a day off.  That means, for us, that apart from doing the essential stock chores, you can ignore the “To Do” list and do what you want. The room move is to all intents and purposes complete. Now I can sort out my card making supplies – and maybe top them up.

Saturday 2^nd May

Mild, sunny intervals. Dan had a fire in the orchard – it was a lot of work with much to cut and burn, but a job well done.

Dan's fire - not actually in the dark.

Then he planted more potatoes in the old fruit garden. He has a border of comfrey surrounding rows of spuds - next year it wil be all comfrey.

Tara, Rebecca and I took the ponies out for walk then I cleaned out the field shelter. For relaxation, I addressed dozens of envelopes for comfrey orders. It’ll save Dan some time on Monday.

Sunday 3^rd May

Cool and cloudy then warm and sunny; rain forecast for tonight so fingers crossed. Jagged all the lambs apart from Kit’s with Heptavac and and tagged the ewe lambs, then registered the ewe lambs. Last time I have to do this – I bet the Society Secretary is relieved!!! Then cancelled my RFBS subscription. Weird.

Out with the ponies for an hour - loads of folk walking and cycling, but all being careful to keep a distance. Lots of cheery comments, which was nice. Smokey had a wee browse of the hedges.

Smokey enjoying the new beech leaves.

Dan got the strimmer out and had a general tidy up of places the mower doesn't reach then went off to do fence repairs – in preparation for the cattle going out tomorrow. He did bang in some new posts but it was mainly staples, tightening wires and adding hog rings. Then he potted more peas (the man's a marvel) – sprouting on kitchen roll is definitely the way forward.

I did some baking – ginger nuts, coconut mounds (with choc chips) and bread pudding (to use up the less than perfect hot cross buns Dan made on Friday). Started a Dundee cake and will bake that tomorrow but the fruit soaks overnight in whisky first.

Whisky soaked fruit for Dundee cake..