Paths / Mickey / Shallots and leeks - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 8 April, 2024

by Rosemary at 1:00pm in Smallholding 1 comment Add your own

Monday 1^st 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.

Kittens not impressed by the wet. This is Riley. Cooper sprinted to the potting shed, sprinted back and that was him for the day.

Riley not going out.

We have some purple sprouting broccoli . It’s no very braw but hopefully it will be edible.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Heavy rain overnight. Woke me.

Tuesday 2^nd April

Cold, wet and windy, but the intrepid Dan and Murdo have been very busy; they’ve dug out the second bed at the front of the house and topdressed it with the leaf mould that was dug out of the sunken garden.

Top dresses bed.

They made wooden pens, laid cardboard then the branches where the path is to go, pegged them in place and covered them in woodchip. I think they look fab.

New paths.

Tara and I visited the local stables and brought home (technically, the stable owner delivered him) a new friend for Smokey, since Gracie is off to pastures new. There was a bit of squealing and nonsense, but I opened up the full five acre field and they’re more settled now. New pony is called Mickey, he’s bay and quite old but has been working until a few weeks ago – he deserves a nice retirement and I’ll try and make sure he gets it here.

Meet Mickey.

I had to do some Festival stuff this afternoon.

 

Wednesday 3^rd April

More rain. It’s so dismal. Fields are as bad as I’ve seen them. I’ve been researching land and land reform in Scotland; looked at land types. We’re basically marsh.

Kittens refusing to go out.

Thursday 4^th April

The sun is out and Mickey’s got his coat off. He's been stabled and rugged pretty much 24/7, so this is a chnage for him. He’s not quite part of the herd yet, but it’s all getting better. I think Smokey is exhausted defending his lady. He’s channelling his inner stallion.

Mickey with his coat off.

Kittens out unsupervised, but front door open. We’ve got no heating on so we’re happy to leave the doors open. They’re in and out, in and out.

Tonight we moved the hens back to their winter pen, which isn’t under water.

Friday 5^th April

More rain overnight but dry by lunchtime. The car ice alarm beeped while I was out, so 3C and it feels it.

Dan and Murdo started the day clearing out the workshop. Great job, so I have a trip to the recycling centre tomorrow.

Workshop half done..

Then they did more work on the paths and some repairs to the field shelter.

Paths to the bird feeders.

This is Home paddock on Tuesday and today.

Home, on Tuesday.

Home, today Friday.

The kittens are loving the new freedom but they’re tired by evening. Cooper is channelling his inner Diesel. We’re decided to change Riley’s name to Dot. I didn’t like Riley much anyway, and we tend to call her “a wee dot”, because she is. And it suits her.

Cooper, channeling his inner Diesel, who is equally elegant.

Saturday 6^th April

A nice dry day.  Dan cleared the brassica bed – it now needs manure because it will be the tattie bed this year. I sowed seeds – squash, courgette, outdoor tomatoes, sweet corn. Can’t find the cucumber seeds, Not feeling very chipper – got a bit of a dodgy tummy.

Dan also finished tidying the workshop. Fair braw.

Tidy workshop.

Dot thought the heat pad was a grand thing.

Dot on the heat pad.

Gracie is away tomorrow. I’ll be sad to see her go, but it’s for the best and now the boys can settle down.

Sunday 7^th April

Very windy but dry, sunny and mild. The paths are drying up nicely, but it will be a while before the fields are dry.

Gracie went off this morning. Smokey’s no happy, but nothing I can do about that.

Dan and Andy packed up the first comfrey orders of 2024.

The last of the leeks.

The last of the leeks.

I had a trip to the recycling site and weeded the soft fruit bed.

Fruit bed weeded.

And the hens enjoyed the weeds.

The Jermor shallots are doing well. The Griselle, not so much.

Jermor shallots coming away nicely.