The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Cosmore on July 22, 2015, 11:20:14 am
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Courting is perhaps an old fashioned (as perhaps I am :-J ) word these days but still means to me 'going together' as a prelude to marriage or partnership.
Ahem, I was wondering what you people 'got up to' (regarding smallholding/farming activities only please! ;D ) when you 'went out' with your OH?
At the time I was courting my wife, I sometimes used to take her out collecting swarms, she was very understanding and forbearing, and didn't show any nervousness at the (secure) skep sitting on the back seat of the car emitting a constant loud buzzing :innocent: . I also had a herd of pedigree show and milking goats and took her to some shows with me, as I was in the milking competitions we had to stay overnight, in vacant stalls next to the goats who noisily chewed the cud and delighted in reaching over to tug our hair. Bless her heart she took all this in good part. I introduced her to the flock of sheep and got her to give me a hand at dipping time (compulsory then) and shearing (by hand), she made good friends with my suffolk ram.
Just in case you think I didn't treat the poor lady to 'wining and dining' and pleasure excursions, I did that too! ;) .
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When I met Mr F, I was still living on the family farm. He particularly loved the pigs, and was fascinated at farrowing time, seeing all the silky pink piglets emerge. This was in the vacations, as we met in Freshers' Week at Uni - no farming activities there.
He's never been one for wining and dining - just as well I'm not either :D
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When I got together with my OH we were both in computer science grad school. But I did bring my cat over to his to visit, and I planted big pots of nasturtiums and morning glories in his bedroom windows, which should have been a warning to him of things to come ;D
My young farmer neighbour gave his gorgeous girlfriend four sheep for her birthday. Sadly I have just heard she has broken it off with him. Not sure who kept custody of the sheep!
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This is what I found in my sheep bus stop (it was supposed to be a shelter but got out of hand) on Valentines Day. But before anyone thinks my OH is a romantic - this is the best I get. In his mind any help he gives with the sheep is considered a 'courting activity' and a trip to the local agri show is 'time away together'. Any time I ask when was the last time we went out together, I usually get the response - we moved/fenced/treated your sheep last week. :eyelashes:
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I think that's truly romantic Katrina :thumbsup:
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During our courting my husband diligently learned how to muck out 3 horses while I rode. It was just like having my own groom....... Aah happy days!
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I sometimes wonder how my poor OH ever married me. He never even had a pet until he met me. He has had to learn fencing, lambing, foaling helping with pigs and chickens. We have 3 dogs, he has put up our pollytunnel. Not to mention putting a whole new roof on the hayshed. Built a sprayer for our old Fergie so he can do the paddocks. Must be love !
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BH used to visit with wood for the fire, a wooden barrel for a dog kennel, never empty-handed and always practical.
He helped us make hay, and got me to do some topping for him in return. I only learned later that being fetched from the field for lunch in the farmhouse wasn't a courtesy he extended to other contractors ;)
'Dates' were mostly exploring the farm (one or the other) and helping each other with jobs on the farms; seeing the orchids and other wild flowers, exercising the dogs, doing things with the ponies, stooking, carting and mewing hay. If we went out it was mainly hound shows, pony shows, drives around the countryside with a nice lunch somewhere.
We never have been to the cinema together, though we've been to a few sing-songs :)
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I met my husband on a horticultural course, he proceeded to manure and double dig my student veg plot for me :love: but in return I helped with the first of the fencing around what is now our market garden. Those were the days...!
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My husband had never seen anything bigger than a dog I don't think before he met me!! I introduced him to the ponies, then the goats and hens. He never really had much to do with them, but would reluctantly come to farm sales, and agricultural shows, although not really enthralled by it. He still isn't!!
My ex partner was a sheep farmer, so that was a bit better. He was very useful at things like foot trimming and worming etc. I would trek round the fields with him at lambing time, otherwise I would not see him for days, as he was out all hours. We would go to farm sales, sheep sales, agricultural shows, and at least we were both interested in such!!
His parents were farming people, but rather old fashioned, and although I knew them from the village, and they me, I had not been formally introduced as the girlfriend. At one show, we saw them coming the other way, and their son let go of my hand and put some distance between us - almost as if he was embarrassed for his parents to see him with a woman. He was 28!!