Meet Tom / Scotland the Bread / Cold snap
Posted: Monday 11 December, 2017
Monday 4th December
Not a bad day – mild but a bit raw by nightfall. Received some photos of Winnie and Paddy looking quite content.
Did the routine paperwork in front of the woodburner.
Started a mix for Christmas cake – this is going to be mini cakes for the Solstice gathering.
Made cottage pie for dinner- so good to have mince again.
Dan’s made fab bread with the new flour.
Scotland the Bread Hunter's Flour boules.
So good he’s bought shares in the Community Benefit Society. More info and the recipe he used can be found on our Facebook page.
Did some work on the Smallholding Scotland conference – programme almost complete.
And one green bum this morning.
Tuesday 5th December
Dry and cloudy with a real raw feel.
Picked up two bales of straw for the steers at East Pitkerro. They’re looking well – and the feeder is still intact.
Wednesday 6th December
Very windy but not cold. Went to pick up two bales of hay.
Checked the sheep – one green bum and the tup is lame again in the same leg as before. This is the last green bum before Sunday, when the tup is due to come out so I might bring him home tomorrow.
Planted 100 crocus bulbs in the fruit garden – early pollen for the bees.
Made the mini Christmas cakes – two dozen out of the mixture – and a batch of almond biscuits.
Thursday 7th December
Bit blowy as Storm Caroline passes but we’re missing the worst of it. It’s not cold and it’s lovely and dry.
Started mulching the apple trees with the daily muckings out form the cow shed.
Brought the tup and the wether home and put them in a wee paddock beside the cow shed. Texted the scanner with the date in and date out – so she can schedule us in at the right time.
We’re getting a new cat. He’s called Tom and is from Cat Protection Arbroath.
Visiting Tom at the shelter, he comes home on Sunday 16th.
He only has one eye, bless him.
Friday 8th December
Jane was out to do Bug’s feet. He’s a bit sore so I’ve given him some bute and he looks better already.
It’s bitterly cold with a breeze, but dry and sunny. I can stand a lot of this weather.
Saturday 9th December
Very cold but dry.
At Forfar Farmers Market today, but very poor sales.
At Forfar Farmers Market.
We’ll do the Christmas one because we’ve booked it but I think that will be our last. Will need to have a serious think about marketing the yarn – we've sold a good amount via online sales and the cost of sales is so much lower that way.
Dan picked up a tonne of beet pulp pellets, so that should last the winter and beyond.
Sunday 10th December
Minus 6°C this morning and an inch of ice on the chooks’ water this morning.
Put a bale for hay in for the cows; they’re not happy on the straw and stroppy cows are a recipe for disaster.
Dan made mini-loaves with the Wessex Mill Tomato and Garlic Flour we got as a gift.
Tomato & Garlic mini-loaves.
They taste fab, will definitely be using this flour again.
Took the dogs for a walk over the golf course. They ran and ran. Roast chicken for dinner.
