Rugby / Beef / Green raddle / Sycamore
Posted: Tuesday 5 December, 2017
Monday 20th November
Very wet this morning – must have been a lot of rain overnight – and it’s been pretty persistent all day, although it’s not hugely cold. So glad that we managed to get the cattle in over the weekend.
Lucy bagged the best spot in the field shelter.
Lucy, boss equine.
Spent most of the day doing paperwork and getting ready to collect the beef tomorrow and make up the beef boxes. Always worried that we don’t have enough to meet our orders and that we have too much for our freezer capacity. Both scenarios are possible.
Looked out the green raddle for tomorrow.
Sore throat has morphed into a runny nose and a sore throat. Still, could be worse.
Tuesday 21st November
Still pretty dreich today.
Picked up the beef from the butcher, made up the beef boxes and froze the rest of the beef. Most folk who bought beef boxes picked them up today, which was great, since freezer space is always at a premium at this time of year.
Making up beef boxes.
This is our only big (comparatively) influx of income so I’m setting aside pots for ewe nuts at lambing, lime for the fields next spring and so on. Otherwise the temptation is to indulge in smallholder retail therapy!!!
Changed the raddle on the tup to green – fully expecting at least one green bum from the two he “surprised” on turn out.
Green Urquhart.
Hopefully no more than that though.
Started feeding the cows a wee bit sugar beet, mainly for the discipline of haltering and tying up.
Haltering calves made easy with sugar beet.
Wednesday 22nd November
Wet and miserable again.
One green bum this morning – No 12 as expected. Still a 17 day lambing period will do fine.
Thursday 23rd November
Yay! Dry and sunny and I’m floored with a terrible cold. First one I’ve had for ages.
I was supposed to be in Edinburgh for an event called “Scotland’s Food in Scotland’s Hands” but I just couldn’t drag myself out for the 6.45am train.
Did the chores then back to bed with honey & lemon and paracetamol and hoping to feel better tomorrow.
Friday 24th November
Glorious day here, but very cold.
Baked mini Victoria sponges, mini Coffee and Walnut loves and fruit scones (normal size) for the SWI coffee morning tomorrow.
I won’t be there as we’ve been given tickets to the Scotland v Australia rugby match at Murrayfield. I haven’t been there since about 1980.
Made lentil soup for lunch and the freezer and cooked some more apples.
Had a meeting this morning about changes to the “Smallholding Scotland” constitution – we put way too much detail in at the beginning so we’re planning to simplify things.
Paul and Gemma have started to fell the old sycamore in the front garden.
Paul working up the sycamore tree, Gemma below.
Saturday 25th November
At the rugby today.
We had great seats for Scotland beating Australia - thanks Martin!
Great result for Scotland!
Sunday 26th November
Nice day again – well, dry at least.
Had a fox attack yesterday on the old hens in the caravan – I think we lost seven including the four White Leghorns, the one with the damaged leg and one of the old meat hens. We were planning to cull them this month but still, it’s annoying.
Spent the day on wee jobs, like unloading the cattle gates from the trailer, spreading new gravel on the fruit garden path and the path at the classroom.
Measured up for the gate between our fields and DJ Laing’s field – and the one that we bought for the barn but didn’t use will do fine. We’ll hang it when we do the routine fencing repairs in January.
After lunch, we walked the dogs, then lit the fire and had the afternoon off.
