Only for two days... But the experience was fantastic and the farmeress and her OH could not have been more welcoming.
I shadowed both for two days over a very busy period and being a townie who hasn't ever came up close and personal with livestock, their patience was second to none!
From early mornings through to late evenings the days were busy checking sheep and cows and pigs. The weather was not kind but I felt reasonably prepared.. Alas, in those hills you are never prepared enough... Lesson learned
Despite the business, I was taken everywhere and got a real sense of how a farming life is.
But there were several dozy townie moments I really cannot believe I could think such stupid things
....
A sheep check on quads was to encounter a steep drop so 'stay in low gear'.Well we arrived at The Drop, stopped and
Down there!! 90o of sheer drop. My face was a picture.
And so was hers when she realised I thought we were actually going to ride down it.
The drop framed the beautiful view she had gone out of her way to show me, we had already gone down the little metre of steep drop she had warned me of.
On arrival yesterday morning farmer got a quad and trailer and pointed me in the direction of ewe and two
newborns. 'pop her in the trailer with them and bring them back'.
Who?! ME!
. Well, this dozy townie tried to work out how the hell she was going to lift a ewe almost her height and twice her weight into a trailer as high as her shoulders
After studying my shocked face, farmer showed me the trailer tail drops and if I place her lambs in then ewe will follow.
Glad to say it went exactly as he said it would
There were other unbelievably townie happenings over the two days but I'll not embarrass myself anymore.
Well I thoroughly enjoyed myself, learned lots, oohhed and aahhhhed over the youngsters and made friends with little Dot
got totally in the way, made work take twice as long as normal, and gave them no peace.
I dont know whether its their pity on me for thinking i could possibly consider such a lifestyle or their glutton for punishment but can you believe farmeress and farmer have agreed to have me again next week
Thank you so, so much. You know whom you are