Wet / Plants / Aurora's birthday - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Saturday 28 October, 2023

by Rosemary at 5:22am in Smallholding 9 comments Add your own

Monday 23^rd October

Frosty this morning, but lovely and sunny. Cows boycotting the shed again – huffy girls.

Put the Christmas puddings on to steam first thing. Set fruit to soak for a Classic Christmas cake.

A huge box of plants delivered; these are wee plug plants to be grown on for the front garden. I’ve opened them up and watered them. Potting up tomorrow. There was a free gift of 40 daffodil bulbs. No idea where these are going to go.

Plants.

Tuesday 24^th October

Damp, chilly, overcast. The cows have relented a bit and came to the Triangle this morning; the calves came in. Finally, Socks has realised that what’s in the trug is tasty. Actually, it was slightly alcoholic this morning.

Socks finds the bucket.

Potted up the plants; they’re in the greenhouse for now. They look OK. I have a feeling there might be more to come. Hopefully it’s not a repeat of the “brassica incident” when I went hogwild a couple of years ago and ordered brassica plants; and more, and more.

Didn’t quite get the cake made, so splashed more brandy on the fruit.

Wednesday 25^th October

Cows have forgiven me – or maybe it’s because it’s dismal. They’ve been in twice today.

Baked the cake and lifted the last of the beetroot; some decent sized ones but mostly “mini-beets”. Cooked the beetroot and they simply would not peel. I’ve used this method dozens of times but this time, and earlier in the year, this has happened. Maybe try a different variety next year.

The cake is the best looking I’ve ever baked.

Dan finished work at 4pm; that’s him on holiday now, apart from urgent stuff.

Thursday 26^th October

The cake may be the best looking but I didn’t get a clean removal from the base of the tin, so it has a wonky bottom. I’ve tried to stick it down with cherry brandy, but if it doesn’t work, no-ne will see it anyway. Hey ho, pride comes before a fall, right enough.

Miserable here today; warm and rainy. Like a cut price monsoon. Had my eyes tested and ran a few errands. Full on holiday preparation tomorrow. After I pot up the plants that arrived today. I hope that’s them all.

More plants.

Friday 27^th October

Still wet and dismal. If we weren’t going on holiday tomorrow, the cows and calves would be in now for the winter. They have access to the shed and hay so they’ll be fine but if they’re going out, it’s less work for Tara. They will certainly be in as soon as we come back.

Facebook tells me it’s Rora’s birthday today. Three years old and with her own heifer calf, Socks.

Rosedean Aurora and Rosedean Dorcha.

Saturday 28th October

Early post. Cows in. Ponies have all paddocks apart from Sheepfold, so including the field shelter (although I never see any evidence of them using it), until we come back.

It’s awfy wet.