Baby / Bronte / Rain / Chilli
Posted: Monday 25 September, 2023
Monday 18th September
Bloody cows got me up at 3am with incessant roaring. They have access to three paddocks. Blizz and Rora had got themselves “stuck” in one while the rest of the herd was in another; all they had to do was walk down the fence line to the gate but no, we’ll just stand and bawl. In jammies and Crocs, I showed them where to go and then witnessed a most joyous reunion. Back in bed, I couldn’t get to sleep, before falling deeply asleep about 5am and wakening to biblical rain at 7am. Dan did the morning round to let me sleep for another hour, but still wrecked.
This evening, I shut the cattle in Near Ditch with access to the shed. That’ll stop the nonsense. No corners to get stuck in.
Tuesday 19th September
Bloody hell. They did it again. 2am this time and this time they knocked one of the gates out of the walkway between shed and field off the latch, so Grey and Blizz were “trapped” in the walkway, while the others were in the field.
Even more wrecked now.
Wednesday 20th September
Festival stuff all day, except for sorting out the paperwork for the heifers going away on Saturday The couple who are buying Grey are coming to see him on Saturday afternoon.
Friday 22nd September
Heavy, heavy shower of rain at half past two, when I had finally escaped from my desk.
Rain.
Saturday 23rd September
It’s the Autumn Equinox; the feast of Mabon. It’s been mostly dry, bit of sun but decidedly cooler.
Baby and Bronte and their calves went off to their new home today. Happy sad. They’ve gone to a lovely place with lovely people. Bronte loaded like a dream, Baby, not so much, but they all travelled fine – Bronte and Buddy in the new owner’s trailer and Baby and Legs in ours, in convoy. Their new field is hilly - our fields are flat as pancakes. They're going to be tired girls.
The view from Baby and Bronte's new field.
I told A&D not to expect too much interaction today but they sent me a video tonight of them giving the heifers a wee bit sugar beet in their buckets and they seemed remarkably settled. All looking good.
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Baby, settling in.
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Bronte, likewise.
Grey, Rora and Blizz and the calves here seem quite unperturbed. Grey has passed muster and will be heading up to Sutherland next week, hopefully. His demollition skills are amazing.
Grey's plaything.
I lifted all the trash pulled out by the harrow in Sheepfold. Ready for seed now.
Trash in Sheepfold.
Dan cleaned out the trailer then went off to burn some of the brash in Home. I did hope to get the hen ark painted but time got the better of me. Rain forecast tomorrow, so I don’t know when I’ll get it done.
Sunday 24th September
Warm and cool alternately today, but dry. Dan got on with clearing more of the front garden. I carried on painting the hen ark. Andy split and stacked wood.
Dan and I were heading out into the veg garden to start manuring the beds when the heavens opened, but that’s what polytunnels are for! Pulled out the butternut squash and the spent tomatoes and I did some weeding, trying not to harass the teeny toads. Don’t know what to do with the ground elder round the edges. I’ll keep watering it over winder or it gets so dry, it’s hard to get it wet again in spring – watering it also encourages the weeds to sprout and then they can be dealt with.
Chilli plants are so bonny.
De Cayenne on the left and an ornamental (but useful) chilli on the right.
