Smallholding
Fairy doors / Birthday Smokey / Peas
Monday 13 May, 2024
Monday 6th May
Jings, we had a lot of rain overnight. I thought Dan was home this evening but it turns out it’s tomorrow evening. How did I miss that?
Baked a cake and made Tiramisu
Tuesday 7th May
Dan’s home! Yippee!
Cooper and Diesel have a new box
A new box.
Calves / Catmint / Tree rescues
Monday 6 May, 2024
Monday 29th April
It’s Sheriff Bryn’s ninth birthday. Can’t believe it. He had Ace Sirloin steak – Gwenna doesn’t like raw beef, but Bryn (and Cooper and Bertie) loves it. It’s a bit tough for us but Bryn tucked in.
Tuesday 30th April
Rosedean Aurora has a wee bull calf, born sometime between 1am and 5am. They're both a bit grubby because he was born in the shed but they'll soon clean up now they're out. Our 33rd calf.
Planting plants and tatties / Kittens / Pizza
Sunday 28 April, 2024
Monday 22nd April
It’s Bertie Bobcat’s 15th birthday. I woke at 5am, suddenly conscious of the fact that I hadn’t seen him yesterday evening. Popped out in my jammies and heard him complaining loud and long in the workshop – I had shouted on him last night before I locked up, because he does like to sleep up in the roof space, but maybe he’s a bit mutton jeff. Anyway, not the most auspicious start to his big day but he managed to scarf down a packet of prawns with a side of milk and then come for a snuffle at bedtime. I couldn’t get him to pose for a photo.
Petunias / Paths / Supercorgis
Sunday 21 April, 2024
Monday 15th April
Sunny but cold breeze this morning. Gary here just after 8am so hoping for good progress today.
Work progressing.
Starting to get a bit antsy about calving. The cows were jagged on 24th July last year, if they were served on 25th (which they weren’t) they’d be due on 3rd May, based on 283 day gestation period. I noted Bronte with Grey on 27th July and Rora on the 29th then we were in Orkney from 30th July, so couldn’t watch them. Both Blizzard and Rora calved earlier than 283 days last year. The reason I’m so antsy is that Dan is going off to Portugal for six days from 1st May. Although he’s never really been involved with calving, he’s my support and I’m a bit anxious that he won’t be here. I’m kind of hoping they get a shift on and calve before he goes, but I doubt I’ll be that lucky.
Paths / Boxes / Peas
Sunday 14 April, 2024
Monday 8th April
Unsurprisingly, more rain. That said, I’ve made the returns to our accountant for our personal tax and the business year end – never happened this quickly before.
I’d ordered 120 tiny petunia plants; they were delivered today. I unwrapped them and left the tissue paper on the bunker in the kitchen. It’s been Dot’s spot all afternoon.
Dot's tissue nest.
Paths / Mickey / Shallots and leeks
Monday 8 April, 2024
Monday 1st April
April Fool - joke’s on us. Spring has once again retreated and it’s pretty cold outside with a brisk wind and the threat of precipitation – not sure if it’s rain or snow this morning.
The antibiotics have made no difference to Riley’s problem, so I’ve made a vet appointment for next Monday. I specifically want to see Fiona, but she’s on holiday this week – I don’t think a week is going to make any odds. Riley’s not unwell. In fact, she’s bouncing. They had their first routine spot-on for worms and external parasites today – well, first for Cooper; Riley’s been done before.
Pot Tetris / First paths / Rhubarb
Monday 1 April, 2024
Monday 25th March
Spring seems to be on hold. It’s cool and cloudy – but dry. Riley’s been really scooty overnight; she pooped in a clean litter tray and there was blood in it, so I phoned the vet at 9am and she’s to have a week of antibiotics. If you have cats, you will know how relieved I was to find the antibiotic was in liquid, not pill, form. TBH, I don’t think they will make any difference – we think it’s some kind of IBS but the vets want to rule out other possibilities before prescribing steroids longterm.
Henhouse / Pointing / Crow
Monday 25 March, 2024
Monday 18th March
Lovely morning, sunny with a wee breeze. We took our post-breakfast tea outside with Cooper and Riley. They were much braver today. They have a joint vet appointment tomorrow – him, to be weighed and registered, her, maybe bloods.
The stirks aren’t going away until Wednesday now.
Single Application Form completed; this may be our last year as by next year, we won’t have any livestock. I need to check if having other folk’s livestock on the grass allows us to claim.
More willow, seeds and kittens
Sunday 17 March, 2024
Monday 11th March
Office day.
Test results coming back for Riley are all negative – no campylobacter, salmonella – nothing. Which is good, but she’s still scooty. Blood tests next – and I’m extending her insurance. She’s put on half a kilo in weight though.
Tuesday 12th March
Dan and Murdo finished cutting down the willow, trimmed it and planted a load along the ditch to stabilise the back. And signs of Spring are around.
Willow, seeds and kittens
Monday 11 March, 2024
It’s been a variable week, weatherwise. We had a couple of nice days at the start but it’s been bitterly cold, with a breath-taking easterly wind, at the end. Damp, dreich. Only the snowdrops and daffodils show that it’s spring.
However, I started sowing some seeds on heat – tomatoes, sweet peppers, - and some in the greenhouse - some herbs, sweet peas, calendula and candytuft.
First 2024 seeds.
