Ann's Diary 4

After a busy few months, we went off to Kefalonia for two weeks to relax, swim and catch up on some reading. Which of course means … Ann’s Diary! Back by popular demand! Without further ado, over to her …

28^th August – Away day! The dogs got three walks, walk two after lunch and just before the rain really set in. Walk three at 7pm after I got back from South Molton. Scout came with me to put a Magnesium bucket in Edwin’s. All three then kept me warm in front of the TV.

29^th August – Amazing autumnal view from the window, with Whitcott Woods swathed in mist. All good outside. Buddy seemed to be happier with what I gave them this morning, and tucked in – no more drooling. Ned had the first ride around, Harry helped with Edwin’s, Richard’s and Little Field, while Scout enjoyed a trip up to Common and Raceground.

30^th August – Recycling day. Still only T-shirt weather! I fed everything quickly and headed home to go shopping with Alan. A361 packed and full of accidents, so we went via Swimbridge and Landkey on the old road. We had grayling for lunch at Instow. Went home via Farmer Rob to collect the Land Rover. Ned came to see the cows with me. Harry and Scout came to Raceground and Common in the Land Rover, and I made the mistake of taking them blackberry picking. Scout was straight under 5-Acres gate, followed by Harry, and then pretended that she couldn’t get back again. Fun over, they spent the next half an hour in the car.

31^st August – I had got everything ready yesterday, so after walking the dogs I fed the lambs quickly, beat the rain, and went to town for Saturday Market and coffee with Alan. I moved the lambs when the rain had cleared. Now, how do you sneak up on a blind lamb who has ultra-sensitive hearing??? First attempt saw it slip through my legs and left me end up on my bum! I hope no-one saw. This afternoon the dogs had a run around the front fields, exercising the pheasants. As with every other day, the cow was busy grazing but her tail was up so I kept looking out. End result, calf stuck half out by the hips. Tony was away playing skittles, Andrew no answer, Matt no answer. Finally, phoned Lin who found Matt who came over and we managed to use the quad-bike to pull the calf out gently. The cow was on her back after that, so Matt tipped her over and pulled the calf away to encourage her to get up. I stayed on the quad ready to get both of us away if she went mean (she has that look). All good, and left her in peace. Having a glass of rosé to celebrate!

1^st September – Brrr, a bit fresher this morning! Cow and calf all good. Thank goodness she had an easy udder, and it was a heifer calf. Scouring the grass to find the calving winch leg strap – no joy yet, sorry! Ned fed the lambs with me, Harry helped around the lower fields, and Scout enjoyed a trip up the hill. Water still running fine in Raceground. We followed a red kite from Quarryfield to just above Kensall Cross. No sign of Pusskin over the last week – I hope Flossie didn’t scare him off. I have been back home this afternoon taking 5lb of blackberries with me. I have also realised that Scout is a right trollope parading around the sofa, occasionally checking that Harry is in pursuit. All comes to an amusing end when Harry hides and then meets her on the corner.

2^nd September – The sounds coming from the Link Road suggested it would rain soon. After breakfast I got wet! Not a good morning really. One barren ewe with maggots and at four of the bigger lambs with the wriggles – warm and damp, ideal for flies. Another with its head stuck in the wire – with all that grass, it wanted hedgerow herbs!! It took a bit of removing as I have hardly enough strength to pull the skin off a rice pudding now. I did phone Farmer Rob to ask what to do. After meeting Neil and the girls for brunch, I went to fetch him and between us we sorted everything. Hopefully it will get a bit cooler and the maggots will not be a problem for much longer. We drove around everything else on the way home. Alan came to fetch me as Bun and Scott were having vehicle problems, so leaving the Land Rover there helped.

3^rd September – You have a mole in the lawn – cheeky! All good outside, no sign of any more maggots. Ned helped feed the lambs, Scout did lower fields and pheasant training, and Harry helped move the rams from the orchard to Little Field – he did well, even thought they knew where they were going. They had a lovely afternoon watching the stock out of the window while I prepared apples for Luncheon Club tomorrow. They also helped pick blackberries to go with those apples.

4^th September – Quite a bit of rain overnight and the wind picked up from the north-west. Ned helped me with the lambs and I then headed to North Molton for Luncheon Club. Scout did lower, Harry came to Common and Raceground … where we got caught in a passing storm! Had to nip into South Molton to get some coarse mix for the calves. Did some baking for Harvest Festival, with the dogs running around the garden. Very tired tonight.

5^th September – The day didn’t start well as the phone rang at 5:03. Thinking it was Alan, I got up quickly to find it…turned out to be a friend who had accidentally pressed the wrong button on her phone! The dogs got a daybreak walk and I was in town at the market before the bread had arrived. I joined Ann and Janet at the Corn Dolly for coffee, and them came home to feed the lambs. The dogs helped me see everything as rain is forecast for tomorrow. I went home to have tea with Alan and to pick up flowers for the Harvest Festival. I had to let the cows out of Edwin’s as they were queuing at the gate. They seemed desperate for a drink, despite having water. Had a visitor tonight as Neil came to say hello.

6^th September – If I hadn’t overslept I would have beaten the rain, but I didn’t get too wet. I think you need to repair the fence by the gate into the lane behind the orchard. I have put some bits and pieces in the escape hole (or potential escape hole) but it won’t stand a concerted effort to get out when the grass falls back. Rain set in mid-morning and I did my flowers for Twitchen church, then took them over. I then made sandwiches and had a restful afternoon. Janet came with me to the Harvest Festival - there were not many there, but lots on elsewhere such as a charity auction at the pub in North Molton.

7^th September – Early walk for the gang again so that I could get to the market with Alan. The dogs helped with everything for the last time! One white calf out the front has a droopy ear, which I noticed a while ago. It may be my imagination, but it seems to be drooping a bit more this morning, but it’s sucking ok. Today has been lovely. Neil and the girls came out to have a bonfire in the orchard. Very therapeutic. Sorry I didn’t get around to unloading the straw, but we really haven’t had too much rain to soak in. The hydraulic pipes are not connected to the grab – I used the tractor and bucket to finish off the bonfire. I also opened a bottle of maple syrup from the pantry, only to find one in the fridge. I have enjoyed the rosé … last drop tonight!

Summer time and big tongue days

I started writing this post almost exactly a month ago, the day before Farmer Rob took an unexpected sabbatical from work.  In the interim, things have been pretty busy, with shearing, hay-making and other stock-related activities taking up much of our time. Our mornings now include Flossie, who is staying with us from the other farm, and a racing pigeon who has adopted us (along with the cat). I've told Farmer Ian that feeding said pigeon will only encourage it to stay, but he clearly has a thing for beady unblinking eyes.  

Flossie

Anyway, back to the original update and a load of pictures as an excuse for not typing more. [From early June] The rain teeming down outside rather dents my credibility when waxing lyrical about the beautiful weather we had recently. With clematis and roses ripped from the side of the house and all of us looking like drowned rats after moving sheep and cattle down the hill, those glorious days seem ages ago.  However, there is photographic evidence as Robbie, Pete and I took a day out to go to Braunton Burrows with the collies and Pepper the puglet in tow.

Harry and Scout are excited that we're off on a road-trip.

Ned - once a collie, always a collie.

Of course, rushing around in the heat means another Big Tongue Day...

[Back to the present] After the sun, then the rain and wind, we've now had almost no water at all in July. We're planting more swedes this year (Swede Carol reprise at Christmas!) and rolling with the tractor is dusty work.  At least the dry weather has meant that hay-making was easier.

Farmer Ian before shower.

Farmer Ian during shower!

Harry guards the hay.

Although it's a bit hot for larking about.

Elsewhere, the results of our hedge-laying look good, and in the woods we had an exceptional show of bluebells then foxgloves because of the increased light and air.

In a bit of a quandary about carbon emissions from burning the waste we are not harvesting for winter logs, anything by the woods was dragged in to rot down slowly, while the rest was burnt until charcoal rather than ash.  To cool it, Farmer Ian then had to bring it across the fields with the tractor, douse it, and put on the dung heap to be spread across the fields.

Our log piles continue to grow.

Shearing at both sites came and went, and we were mightily grateful to have help from Liz and Bryan, Ann, David and Oli (who always seems to visit when we have loads of work to give him).

Hard at work.

Perhaps not so hard at work.

We had baby bird week when everything fledged at once - sparrows, blue tits, blackbirds, dunnocks, wrens, swallows, goldcrests, and the great-spotted woodpeckers.  Magpies and crows were gently encouraged not to attend the party (by me banging on the window). Our swallows have had a brood of 4, one of which decided to throw itself out of the nest a few days early and skulk around on the floor.  Concerned for its safety, I caught it and put it back on our drying rack where they like to roost ... he promptly flew off, around the shed, past Farmer Ian's head and into the pile of pallets ... where the cat lives. After much faffing and cursing, we retrieved him and reinstalled him.

Goldcrests feeding on my sorrel.

Dad keeping an eye on Junior.

Finally, young Neddy was a bit of a noodle and ran into a sharp spike on the tractor that was sitting quietly in the yard minding its own business.  The unfortunate outcome was a foot long gash down his side and a lot of stitches (a picture of which I will spare you).  He's pretty bonny about it all, but hates the Cone of Shame.

Hopefully things will calm down a bit soon and we'll get a few more beach days.

Get a hankie ready

Last week, Farmer Ian was moving sheep from 8 Acres into Gratton. All of the ewes are doubles, and one has a blind lamb. As usual, the moment Neddy appeared they all shot off, lambs in tow, charging through the open gate...leaving the blind one behind, with no-one to follow.

Suddenly his brother appeared at the gate and called for him, leading him to the promised land (of milk and...erm...grass). How gosh darned cute is that?!

Caught in the act ...

… but not quite sure what she was up to?

Lambing is coming to an end

A mere handful of recalcitrant ewes remain in the sheds, holding on until the last moment ... most likely to make the most of the cake! We seem to have been at it for all living memory, and we now emerge blinking into the light. Without further ado, some photos.

Stockman Mack and a very Easter lamb.

Sporting the latest in ovine hairdos ... or don'ts ... the comb-over.

Irene and a very fuzzy lamb.

Kate, with Goliath. Mum was somewhat unimpressed with having to give birth to such a monster.

It may be lambing, but Buddy still needs his milk.

A lovely warm place to sleep in the sun. (Don't worry, the red is the paint brand...not anything more sinister.)

A first foray into the fields.

The team goes off to work ...

First batch moving on up the hill to summer pastures.

Beautiful misty morning across the valley.

The yellowhammers have been with us all spring.

After hedge-laying, an explosion of foxgloves in the now-open areas.

This rowan is already blooming, laid in the autumn.

What happened to February?

Seemingly in a blink of an eye, February was over.  We went from cold winds and snow (and a minor argument with a hedge in the car), to rain, to a couple of glorious weeks of sun, and now back to grey and good old Devon mizzle. The view from our hillside has been ever-changing, and I would be hard pressed to name many of the incredible sky colours we have seen.

The sheep are getting ready to lamb (two weeks to go) and the cattle are roaming outside again, over a month sooner than last year, but with the option to retreat into the sheds when the rains batter down. The early sheep are also inside, and toasty in their straw, while the later girls are mostly in the swede field, occasionally breaking through the electric fence to roam.  Only a few more swede-weeks left, much to our chagrin as they are sweet, cook quickly and put boughten roots from the supermarket to real shame.

Much of our time has been spent managing stock (including some incredibly fussy cattle in the top shed who turn their snoots up at even the best silage), laying hedges before the March deadline, and catching up on house/garden chores, such as finishing the veg bed and building a deck (now christened The Prosecco Deck).

Farmer Ian went to look after the other site when Farmer Rob and Sally went on honeymoon, taking Harry with him.  Contrary to expectations, he settled in very well and set up camp in front of the Aga, occasionally on Sally's armchair (which is not generally an acceptable place for dogs to park their behinds). T'other Rob came to visit and we put him to work then sent him home exhausted but happy. And of course, Shackleton is missed immensely, but is all healed and back to full steam ahead.

Whether we'll have time to report during lambing depends on the likelihood of us still talking to each other, or anyone else for that matter...so in the meantime, photos from the last few weeks.

Mini-daffs looking good - spring has sprung.

Liberties being taken on the new deck.

Scout waiting for her Prosecco.

Harry doesn't quite understand what the kennel is for.

Dirty Harry!

It's been a busy day.

Hedge ... laid.

The girls in the swedes.

Rob helps with the new veg bed...

...while the dogs "help" Farmer Ian prepare the ground for the decking.

The adorable Mr Shackleton, home, healthy and happy.

Incarcerated, for being a nuisance.

Please let me come and harass the sheep ... I promise I'll be good (at it).