Lightning / Barn / Beans
Posted: Tuesday 2 July, 2019
Monday 24th June
Heavy rain overnight, as forecast. Access to the barn is now restricted, so Ace wasn’t allowed in this morning.
Ace, wanting in.
The duck has gone. I guess the crows took all her ducklings and she left. Sad.
Urquhart tried to make me think he was dead. Wish he wouldn’t do that.
Urquhart, not dead.
Tuesday 25th June
Lovely day. The pigs aren’t making too much mess in the pigpen, so far. Dan’s going to strim it this week – it will be home for the tup and wether later in the year, after the pigs have gone.
Pig pen.
Pig pen.
The black elder is coming into full flower. Must get sugar and lemons for making cordial – the pink flowers make the cordial (and champagne) pale pink too.
Black elder. And honey extractor.
Made strawberry jam.
Wednesday 26th June
Bit cooler today, but dry and sunny. Worked on the report of the Smallholding Scotland survey. Made more strawberry jam – except it didn’t set. I guess we can use it to make milk shakes.
Not quite jam.
Did a bit of tidying out in the freezers.
Smokey and Leo, just because.
Leo and Smokey.
Thursday 27th June
Hosted a school visit this morning then did a load of poo picking in the ponies’ field.
One of the meat chicks has gone off its legs so had to be dispatched. Sad.
Dan did more work in the barn, putting in kerbs to secure the mats and the cattle gates.
Barn improvements continue.
Lame lamb; hopefully a knock, so will give it 24 hours. Trimmed the foot and sprayed with blue spray but I think the problem is higher up the leg.
Friday 28th June
Smallholding Scotland trustees meeting but brought the sheep into Near Ditch to make the catching of the lame lamb easier.
Saturday 29th June
Lamb still no better so got the vet out. Might be joint ill or a cruciate ligament injury. Vet gave him antibiotics and Metacam. I’ll repeat the ABs on Monday.
Lots of thunder and lightning!
Sunday 30th June
Dry, sunny but very windy. Lamb looks a bit easier, but that might just be the Metacam.
Dan strimmed the pigpen, worked in the barn then started thinning apples. I spent some time in the veg garden; cut some flowers for the house, including some beautiful sweet peas. Picked strawberries – terrific crop this year. New potatoes, French beans and Chantenay carrots for dinner, with our own gammon steaks. Braw.
Dwarf French beans.
