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21/01/12
l finished my previous update asking the question "what
next".Having spent so long on the Hebrides,you could be forgiven
for wondering why l felt the need too!!.With seventy mile an
hour winds ripping through,with heavy wet sleet intermingled,any
belted galloway that pokes its nose out of the sheltered,straw
bedded shed,gets a full body makeover of wash and blow dry,coupled
to tingling skin massage.Put in those terms,it would seem quite
appealing,but add in the fact that the only thing keeping them
there is a half ton plus bodyweight,then some of the lustre wears
off.Locally, reports of high numbers of icelandic gulls
arriving,and the fact we have a glaucous gull flying our
fields,suggested bad weather was driving them here.l am also
fairly certain of being overflown by a snowy owl,two days
since.Having repaired missing roof slates,in the past week,how
pleasing to find yet another one on the floor this morning,but not
l hasten to add,one of those previously repaired.Huge seas
again,pounding the coast,but the temperature is still quite
mild.Just been passed on the road by "flying sheep" being chased
by a following wind,and whilst barely maintaining contact with
terra firma,their top groundspeed had risen by at least
30%!!
13/1/12 The mythical parrot that has been perched on my shoulder
for the past 8 weeks,fell off and passed away today.Although not a
great conversationalist,his favoured phrase of "raining today"
stood him in great stead.Cause of death is probably due to the
fact,he was forced to prefix his daily utterance with the
words,"its not"---rest in peace,polly!!!.Sunshine,gentle
breeze,and warmth,has seen a flurry of happy activity involving
roof repairs ect.After struggling with high winds and lashing
rain,how pleasant to see rapid progress.With the next 5 days set
fair,it will come as a welcome relief to our woolly charges,to
have dry backs at last----what next?,sunbathing belties as they
overheat in their thick winter coats.
8/1/12
Only a gentle breeze at first light this morning,a rare event of
late,gave Hazel the chance of a magical 90 minutes,watching a pair
of otters hunting/exploring /playing in the rockpools on our
beach.An onshore breeze,coupled to a light mist aided her presence
to go undetected.The beach was deserted of birdlife,presumably
they were all out to sea taking advantage of a quiet spell to
feed,so there were no sentinels to raise an alarm.We have seen
this pair on a regular basis over the years,and no doubt they will
choose to stay and rear more cubs this summer.As l write this,the
rain is on and the wind is picking up
31/12/11 On the last day of this month,the decision has been made to
measure the previous 30 days offerings in feet rather than
inches!!!!
26/12/11 Looking at my previous posting,you could be forgiven for
thinking it is always windy here,but christmas has come and the
wind and rain have come to join in the celebrations.Looking at
water at the top of a one in six fall,being held there by the
wind,gives you some idea as to the strength!!!.It is
however,thankfully,sheltered,snug and fresh in the animal
barn,where some very content belties now reside.All is bliss
,since all the girls are in-calf,which means our very large herd
bull,Fraser,is able to join them in their pen,and instead we have
two of the leaner cows and calf Teagan,separated out in his pen
enjoying the benefit of additional feed,yum-yum,or moooouw as they
greet me in their own voice Today they were joined by a flock
of snow buntings,who announced their presence,by their tinkling
song.Sounding very much like goldfinch,their white flashed plumage
brightened up my day.Sea was huge,with the tops of the waves being
scoured off and deposited some quarter of a mile distant towards
the butt,in a powerful display of foam and mist,and definately a
day to be a bottom dweller.May We wish all our previous guests a
really good happy,healthy, New Year
09/12/11 High winds have been beating up the northwest coast of
Lewis this week,with the winds hitting a recorded 101 mph.Roofs
damaged all over,along with anything else that took the breezes
fancy.Here we have light damage with slates missing from the
roof,but giving that most of them were flapping for 18 hours,it
could have been a whole lot worse.Cattle are still out,and are
growing coats to rival those of yaks,which again bodes for a long
cold winter.The good news is that due to events,the "refurbished
owner" has been allowed out for limited play on the tractor to put
large bales out into ring feeders for stock,which are in need of
supplementary feeding
28/11/11
Following tractor refurbishment,its owner has been for a major
overhaul,with replacement parts fitted.A new hip is now quietly
bedding in,with full production testing due in a few weeks
time,providing ok is given from the specialists.Having counted
finger and toes inummerable times,this cannot come quickly
enough.On the plus side,it feels brilliant,and for the first time
in ages,my feet both point forward.Weather here has returned to
gales and driving rain following a really good,two week sunny,warm
spell.Stock have benefitted from the warmth,and are still out at
present.Hopefully they can manage for a few more weeks,before
being housed,since refurbished owner and tractor are not allowed
to go out and play to feed them until mid december.
14/10/11 Tractor now resplendent in new livery.Tups
are busy introducing themselves to their admiring ladyfriends.Cows
have moo-ved to new grazings and our
three,young heifers,reegan,siobhan,and sinead, have
found themselves a nice new home on SKYE.Introduced to the
prospective new owners,they were very taken with them,and a big
fuss was made of,and by, one and all.We are especially pleased
that they are not being broken up,having grown up together,and
look forward to hearing of a long successful future for
them across the water.Small flock of goldfinches
on our lawn today,we do not
see these
very often,so it was a real treat.The collective noun is
aptly called "charm",whereas for starlings it is a "murmeration".This term
must relate to a nightly roost,since during the day when a flock
arrives,the terms "excitement","exercise","dynamo"or indeed "action"would seem to be a better
reflection of the wholesale noise and movement of these non stop
hooligans.The nicest one l have just come across is a
"peep" of chickens,but wonder should it not be day old chicks?
07/10/11 Our final brood of four
baby swallows finally left on the 26th,their parents
having left some 10 days previously.all our lambs have been sold
for something approaching real money,and one of our older cows for
really real money.Ewes have been vaccinated and wormed,in
preparation to meet our new lead tup,fergal,with our old tup
dennis transferring his attentions to some new girls on a croft in
the neighbouring township.Tractor is nearly finished,haven taken
longer than planned,due to new mudguards having been
fabricated.Given that the price of a new set was fast approaching
the cost of a decent car,£60-00 of sheet metal,some welding
rods,and three days of my time,has seen the strongest set fitted,to the same
dimensions as the previous set.Its all rush/tear
to clear all outstanding jobs as l prepare to
go in for hip replacement surgery towards the end of this
month,since anything outstanding will have a longer wait.In the meantime,the
perverse weather "enjoyed" this year continues.Currently we have
lush green grass growing like billy-oh,on fields cut back in august,that
stood still in that month and just
about the whole of september.Why?,l admit to having not
a clue,just grateful that a little late,is still far better than none at
all.The animals are really enjoying the lush bite,but our lambs
were sold early and light,as their was no feed in
front of them---its just been that kind of a year.First
skein of whooper swans flying in from the north two days ago,and spotted
my first Snow bunting today,This feels earlier than normal,much
earlier!!!!!!!!!
16/09/11 Been playing in the barn with my rapidly disappearing
tractor.No,not magic tricks,more a case of a severely challenging
environment for metal,this close to the sea!!.So its new metal and
paint on everything,including me,which should provide
weatherproofing for a short while at least.A task made much more
pleasant by the comings and goings of our last brood of this years
swallows,and the sound of their incessant twittering.Only flying
for the past two weeks,they have to grow up quick before making
their long journey to africa.Our other broods have already
left,and l shall miss them until next spring.Two breeding pairs
have raised a total of 17 young this year,and for the life of me,l
am mystified how, in such a poor year weatherwise they
acheived this.Arriving late,in very cold weather,with plenty of
cold wind and lack of flying insects to feed on,it remained
challenging throughout the summer.It must however,point towards
the fact that we are doing things right out on the croft,and
conditions suit them.It would hard to be without them,and l hope
they all make it safely back home in early summer and continue to
colonise our surrounding area
21/08/11 All my muck bunkers have been emptied with
the dung being spread across all the hayfields.With the recent rain,some have
already greened up and now play host to a
horde of greylag geese.Not quite what l had in mind,but hopefully they
may leave some for sheep and cows.Spent ten minutes watching a
swallow playing with a pied wagtail.Both were attracted by the
insects attracted by the spread dung,and the swallow was hovering
around the wagtail.Whenever the wagtail moved,the swallow sped after it
and hovered,circling around it within a few inches of
wagtail and the ground.After 30 or so such cycles,l
concluded this was no accident,but behaviour l have never
witnessed before.
9/08/11 Haymaking finished today just in time before the weather
broke with heavy downpours.Not only is this the earliest finish
ever,90% of all l cut has ended as hay,not sileage,which is
another first.It would be nice to reflect that this was due to
really hot weather,but reality meant fine sunny days coupled to a
lot of wind ,produced the perfect conditions,the opposite of
warm,humid,windless and sultry.Another factor was the lack of
moisture in standing grass,and a thinner but superior crop.Quality
is superb,but yield is short,so judicious feeding and a dieting
regime look to be on the cards this winter.Meanwhile a pair of
completely different marked geese are present ,so some detective
work required to investigate further.
23/07/11 Baled our first hay yesterday.Top quality but very thin
compared to previous years.As l worked into the late
evening,wrapping bales,the temperature dived as the suin dipped
with the breeze in from the north east.l mused upon the fact that
although it was unlikely l would be bitten by a midge,it was
becoming increasingly likely l could get a peck from a
penguin.!!!!
14/07/11 In a strange twist of irony,this year we
have carpets of clovers and wildflowers in huge
abundance ,but hardly any bees to take advantage.Such a late
start to summer coupled to an early start to winter,meant their
larder supplies ran out,and those lured out in may and june found
precious little food due to the cold weather.l have noticed a
flush of small young bees in the last few days,so, hopefully
all is not lost,but big bees are a rare sight.Good news is that we
have four young swallows flying with mum and dad.l am as excited
seeing them,as they are discovering the joys of flight---may it
always be so.
07/06/11 Vet inspected cattle yesterday and was condition
scoring them all at 4 out of 5,so that would be on the right side
of good.They are in cattle heaven at moment,with lush grass,warm
nights,gentle showers of rain,and a good sea breeze to keep off
wee bitey things.Blood Tests results have come back for the
cows,with an all clear,so it looks like one of those things--great
news.Sheep on the move to fresh pasture and shearer booked for
next week,weather permitting.Grazed paddocks are now being topped
to encourage a fresh regrowth.Machinery has
been repaired, serviced, greased and ready to go for
haymaking.With only a small section of fence needing renewing,it
feels like the fat,lazy days of high summer,it will not last,but
everything here seems to be luxuriating in them
01/06/11 Grass has finally got the gloves off and is growing like
the clappers.They say you can predict the weather by the
things around you.So for instance,oak before ash,you are in for a
splash.Ash before oak,you are in for a soak.Since the ash tree in
our walled garden is only just now bursting its buds,l dread to
think what this signifies,but l am preparing for anything and
everything,and have my helmet close to hand,not metal l hasten to
add for fear of lightening strikes!!!!
27/06/11 We are still living with a cool breeze holding back
our sunny days,so summer here is similar to driving a car with the
handbrake on--it still moves,but not quite as fast as you would
like.The upside of slow grass growth is an abundance of wild white
clover and orchids galore---they are everywhere.Calves and lambs
are growing like weeds,and bouncing about everywhere,is summer not
just great?
12/06/11 With the past two days being warm and
sunny,the grass is now in a sweatshirt,as the breeze still has an
edge to it.Our guests last night were treated to a play display by a family of what they described as
young polecats gambolling on the lawn,as they sat in the conservatory.Not sure
that they might not have been looking at mink,although l would prefer option
one.Mink certainly give birth a month earlier than polecats,but will hope
to get a sighting to confirm.The other option might be an
escapee ferret,or polecat ferret.Always interesting that you would need two escapees,or have
crossbreeding between different mustelids.Meanwhile our latest born heifer calf has been named
Teagan,which in irish gaelic means "beautiful" and indeed she is in many more
ways than looks,given our recent disappointments----so altogether a very suitable
name
10/06/11 We are 11 days away from the longest day and whilst the
grass may have finally removed its overcoat in the last day,it has
yet to wear a tee-shirt.We have damp soil but it is still too
cold to get growing,and cold nights are doing little to help.Two
more calves born,unfortunately another one had deformed legs.Vet
is to take blood tests to rule out one particular virus,but it
would appear some toxin has crossed the placental barrier in the
first trimester of pregnancy.Counting back shows this coincided
with the onset of the nasty cold snow blizzards in november,and
although we were quick to supplementary feed and subsequently
house,this may have been a trigger to allow a lapse in
defences.This year is proving a trial to all farmers throughout
the UK,with some too hot and dry,and we count our blessings with
the latest arrival of a very healthy and bonny heifer calf.Cattle
and sheep shed was cleaned out today and will be washed and
disinfected shortly.Second dressing of fertiliser spread and next
job is to go through and service machinery in preparation to make
winter forage,allowing that the grass will manage to eventually
grow.
30/05/11 Sunshine has returned--yippee!!
29/05/11 All cows have finally been turned out to grass,after what has been a six month
housing period.Although still raining,it has warmed up with the promise
of dry,sunny weather arriving here in the next week.With the rain,wind
and cold during May,it felt like a waste of effort and
money trying to spread fertiliser,so we are well behind ,with little spread
and our hayfields needing a boost quickly,if we are to get
anything resembling a crop and feed the animals through the winter.So the
dry days will be used to crack on with this.Animal sheds will
need top be cleaned out and washed/disinfected asap.Sheep have been dosed for
worm and fluke,since the wet period must
have producede a strong challenge,and are now residing on
fresh pasture.We unfortunately have had to put our
premature calf to sleep,as after 12 days it became obvious that he was
unable to improve any more than he had,and the issues remaining would
prevent him from ever walking.His short presence amongst us,reminded
us of how lucky we are,and never to take healthy
life for granted,and l remain humbled by his mothers devotion and understanding
of her new sons difficulties.Next door was a new calf,named
blair,who judging by the speed he is rushing around
at,is determined to do just that.Mother,piegi,will now have a break after
producing four healthy calves previously,and will spend the
early summer with our youngsters,previous daughters included,before returning to the
bull.Known as auntie,she looks after all
the youngsters and teaches them manners to ensure they grow
up as sensible nice belties,so hopefully her loss will not
bear too hard on her,since she really is such a
sweetie.
23/05/11 Like the title of a Clint Eastwood movie,our weather this
spring has been ,The Good,The Bad ,and right now we are
into the Ugly,with storm force winds.Calving has started with the
first arriving prematurely.Bottle feeding from mothers milk,who
thankfully is our easiest going cow,will help,but time will tell
if we get to a successful conclusion.No obvious reason why this
should have happened,but the really bad weather in
November/December coming at the wrong stage of
pregnancy might have a bearing,even though we were quick out
to supplementary feed.The only other thing would be contact with a
plant toxin,but again could only see this being available in some
sileage we purchased in.Six swallows now flying in the barn,so our
numbers are increasing,but looks to be four males and two
females,so guess it will be some of last years brood returning
home before moving off to seek female company.Lambs are growing
well,with the rain producing a flush of grass growth,and will
hopefully move to new pasture this week after being
dosed.Meanwhile a close neighbour has broken an ankle whilst
chasing an escapee cow back onto his croft,shows that
crofting is not always the idyllic lifestyle that some
perceive,since it looks like it will be next spring before
normality returns for him.With his female neighbour falling and
twisting her ankle last night ,and myself doing the same,8 months
ago,all episodes within a few feet of each other,l am now rather
more measured around this ankle blackspot,and will firmly resist
anything other than a slow deliberate march,and extra caution when
stepping down from my tractor
7/05/11 Some years ago we fenced an area of ground off by the river to
create a watermeadow,which is used sparingly.As a result we
have seen an increase in wildfowl and waders using this.Three
years ago we were visited by an incoming migrating
male whooper,who spent a while recovering before moving on.He
returned in spring on his return leg.This was the sequence until
this autumn when he failed to show.However he reappeared some four
weeks since and shows no sign of an onward journey.Named ERIC,he
must be the largest l have ever seen,and he is in the best
condition ever at arrival.He is very much at his ease and is
always ready to extend his huge neck to get a better view if we
are in neighbouring fields working.Two pairs of nesting swallows
back as of last night,and a pod of six killer whales spotted off
the shore.Previously seen earlier off the lighthouse by some of
our guests,there is obviously good feeding in this area
Currently.we have finally seen rain for the first time in a good
few weeks,and have got sunshine and showers with most rain falling
during the hours of darkness.This also means the nightime
temperatures are improving and hopefully should stop holding grass
growth back.First of the cows are back outside in the small walled
paddock,Piegi and Kelsa who are due to calve shortly,and the older
cows and bull will come out in the next day to the top croft they
like so much.Meanwhile the youngsters will be held back for a few
days to calm down and get used to not having the oldies
around,before being turned out to summer pasture in another croft
we have the use of.
30/04/11 Second swallow appeared to great exitement from first
arrival,three mornings since.The weather has been excellent,and
for the first time we have had a really good spring.Dry,sunny and
breezy,but still with a cold feel at night.Lambing finished ,with
a good result slightly behind last seasons tremendous result,but
given the severity of the winter,extremely pleasing.Have sold our
first live cows, two Blobby Galloway bulling heifers,Rhiannon
and Rania,to a local croft at bragar,where they will start up a
new herd,so this is very good news.Born within a month of each
other,they are a matching pair,and have grown up together and
got on well.l am told they are to run with an Aberdeen Angus
Bull,so they should produce some fine offspring.Fieldwork has
kicked off,with fertiliser spread on grazing fields,fencing work
on two fields to be done.Cows will go out to grass shortly as
growth will hopefully find a higher gear and provide the length
for cattle.
20/04/11 Our first swallow has arrived home today and is flying into
the stable of his birth.It is a young male and its fingers crossed
that its parents and other siblings arrive shortly.Ewes and
lambed are out to grass and we have a gimmer left to
lamb.
18/04/11 saw the first swallow of the year today,but is was flying
south at a rate of knots,so maybe having second thoughts.Although
we have sunny days,the temperature is not exactly looking to get
to the front of the queue here.Sheep visited the podiatarist,that
would be me with a pair of trimming shears.In this eagerly awaited
event?*!*!?,the match score on this occaission was David=27
falls,and absolutely no submissions,Sheep=3 falls,lots of
submissions and a completely knocked out to finish!!!!!!Thank
goodness l do not have to wrestle cows to the ground to trim
feet---l leave it to the vet--fantriffic!!
4/04/11 The rainfall for the month of march arrived late
and has fallen in the first four days of April.A guide to how wet our
ground is,relys on observation of probing wader birds.Damp
and moist will see snipe.Fairly wet and golden plover are in .Very wet will see lapwing in
large numbers,Very,very wet and curlew and whimbrel appear.Extremely wet and the oystercatchers
come up off the shore.We know it has gone off
the scale when greylag geese do passable imitations of feeding oystercatchers!!!Meanwhile
in the dry interludes next doors lambs go
scudding up and down the slope to the shore
wearing their bright red waterproof jackets.Great to watch and their mums are so
proud of the fashionista offspring
31/03/11 After a steady plod,the girls have fired up and the pace of
lambing has been motoring for the past three days,with not many
left now.With all our neighbours flocks lambing outside just
beginning,it does not take a crash course in law from a chap
called SOD to realise the timing of this event would coincide with
high winds and rain diverted from Noah.Lashed down so hard last
night,l was half expecting to be run down by chariots as l made my
way to the lambing shed in the dark.Meanwhile my better half has
taken to calling the new arrivals "sausage"in endearing tones.So l
could not resist asking the question,if they are triplets,would
that make them tripolatas??.We had have had five sets of three
already,and have some very proud mothers.Saw my first Redwing
today,so spring is definitely on the move,as they prepare to head
north to their breeding grounds
18/03/11 A week with stong north/north easterlie winds
so sharp, it meant you could slice cucumber thinly without
resorting to the use of a knife,has seen
lambing going slowly at the rate of one a day,with our first
set of triplets born yesterday.This year we have split the flock,only bringing
the heaviest pregnant ewes inside.Apart from saving on bedding,it has
meant we can avoid the effects
of them going stir crazy from overlong close confinement.With any grass growth
well killed off ,spring does not look to be
anytime soon,with turnout to new grass still a distant
dream
10/03/11 Gales,driving snow,sleet and our first lambs of the year
born today.Hattie,our little hebridean cross
suffolk ewe,should have been named twinkle because she is a
little star.Never had less than twins,always has big strong lambs
born,which grow to be the biggest of all,without fail.As her lambs
grow and charge in and bunt her udder to feed they lift her off
the ground and hold her there whilst feeding.Never complaining,she
takes this all in her stride ,and is a sweetie.Even more
remarkable when you learn she was born so small she could fit in
Hazels hand,and was given to her,as she was about to be
euthanased.by a neighbour.Bottle fed,and given love ,encouragement
and kindness,she is a constant daily reminder to be careful
in ones judgement,and treat all equally with care and sympathy.Oh
yes her new family,a male and female,yet to be named but the
female almost certain to stay in the flock.Off now to nightcheck
the heavily pregnant ladies,who are tucked up in a nicely straw
bedded shed.
27/02/11 Once
again we are at the start of the annual grass growing pantomime on
the north west coast of Lewis.Three days of warm moist
weather,sees green tufts sprouting everywhere,(oh yes it
is),followed by 4 hours of the wind swinging to the north off the
sea(oh no its not),followed by a warm sunny day today(oh yes it
is).You go through this process all the way to May,patience is
required,as is restraint.You are advised (by the
"Professionals")to use the T-sum index to provide a guide as when
to apply fertiliser,when the ground has warmed sufficiently for
plant uptake.It works by adding the daily high temperature
until you hit 200.Using it here could see you spreading by
mid to late February.Of course you would be very poor,very
quickly,grassless and extremely bald much like your barren
fields,since the weather/temperatures are so changeable in a very
short timespan.So its back to the traditional methods employed by
our forbears,and honed over many years experience,namely,think
about digging the spreader out and servicing when you cast off
your first coat.Upon removal of the second,layer,remember to buy
some fertiliser.When you have the waterproofs off more than
on,tell the other half you are in the consideration
mode.Finally,when no jacket is required on most days of the
week,"kick the dog",fire the tractor up and get on with it.Oh,l
forgot to mention you need to wet your finger and stick it up in
the air before engaging drive.Assuming you get all of this
correct,the final and most important thing to remember is that you
need to wait until your neighbours rush to do their
crofts,because if you do not,you WILL feed half of this islands
3000 resident greylag goose population until the rest catch you
up,and if you are really lucky, word spreads quickly and they are
joined by their cousins up from the Uist,s!!! (counted 90
today on a two acre patch with no fertiliser,six geese= one sheep
l am told)
14/02/11 A week of benign weather with huge atlantic
swells giving a glorious display of tremendous power.Thursday in particular was a jewel of a day.My
thoughts are always engaged on ways of farm diversification,more
so given the huge rise in costs this year.Recently it occured to
me that there might be an opportunity in a
benign method of close protection personal security.We currently have all thats
needed to hand,a sheep flock and bagged concentrate food.All
that is required is for myself to position myself next to
any potential client holding a foodsack,and l defy anyone to
get close enough to inflict physical harm.Of course more sheep are
required for a greater exclusion zone.For those reading this and thinking
this is a bit woolley,come and try to feed our
sheep in their troughs and see how far you get!!!.Moving on ,of course
for crowd control or riot situations,a stronger solution requirement would be an
ideal opportunity for the cow herd to show their
paces,although l personally feel that holding the foodsack might carry certain dangers
as they cannot always be relied upon to be
discriminating enough with regard to potential targets.A more realistic idea is
to sell their large amount of manure created,after all
if politicians can get well rewarded for bulls**t,and certain traders can
sell absolute c**p,this must be a runner with gardeners
in the area being an obvious choice.On a less than
farcical note,the above shows the desperate contortions of a troubled livestock
keepers mind in what are difficult times,in an exceptionally expensive
year.With grain price at an all time high,fuel prices rocketing,and with little
respite from poor prices over
the past years,the livestock sector is on its
knees.As if to confirm my earlier statement about
politicians,l read this week that the farming minister,Jim Paice quotes that that farmers
will be better placed in the future to
do without subsidies given the high price they
are recieving for their cereals.Try telling that to the sugarbeet farmers with
their entire crop lost to bad weather,or more importantly to
the pig and poultry sector who have never had the
benefit of subsidy payments,and who are currently operating at a 20 pound loss
per pig.Still at the average size of herd,producing some 10,000
lives a year,and the average finishing pig requiring 70-75% of rearing
costs on cereal based feeds,they can at least compete with
him, in the S**T stakes for a little while longer,before his
enlightened foresight comes to fruition,with no viable livestock
production left in this country,other than low density
grass/forage crop systems on the poorest land.Unfortunately most
of this lies a considerable distance from consumers,with
longer,harsher winters,and transport costs should disadvantage
these sufficiently to ensure a limited future
5/02/11 Tuesday--warm,moist,humid day,emerald green shoots of grass
in patches bursting forth,geese returning to graze new
growth.Wednesday---warm,humid ,calm sea,daisies out in
flower!!!.Geese fighting sheep for the new shoots.Thursday---huge
swell,rain beating down,by afternoon heavy offshore wind taking
surfspray up to 50 feet high and horizon not visible,sleet
followed by snow.By evening storm force winds,reaching a constant
80mph with 100mph gusts for 10 hours.Geese taken involuntory
migration to Nordic region.Friday--carnage!!!--60 mph winds all
day,and gusting to 80mph during night,hailstones.No geese,no green
shoots,fields stripped.Non stop driving
rain.Saturday---calmer,stiff breeze,temperature dived towards
freezing,waders on fields probing in very soft ground.Springtime
in the Hebrides is never ever dull,or predictable!!!!
31/01/11 After a welcome four day dry spell,an afternoon of heavy
downpours means we are back to walking IN the fields,as
opposed to on top of them.With lambing approaching fast,the ewes
were in for vaccinations and final treatments,thankfully on the
last dry day.The feed troughs are out and concentrate feeding
begins as the lambs really grow in the final quarter of
gestation.The ewes do not look overly heavy in lamb,but that could
change in the next few weeks,but they look well in themselves.They
are now some 5-6 weeks away from being housed as we will try to
keep them out until the very last moment.With january over,it is
noticeable that daylength is drawing out,and from here on it will
pick up pace and rush towards those long,long summer days.However
back to reality,with gales and ferry disruption forecast for the
coming week,we will need to be patient for a while longer
yet.
08/01/10 With the New Year upon us nothing much has changed with the
snow returning.Here at Galson we have seen more of the white stuff
in November/December than in all of the previous eight winters,so
it is no wonder that that new records are being set.The daily
routine of carrying feed and bedding to the animals is made easier
by the addition of the loader tractor,and means that all is now
possible,whatever the weather throws at us,but only just in the
sheet ice of a few weeks ago.Even the four wheel drive was tested
to its limit,and our previous two wheel drive would not have made
it.Animals are all looking well with the cows very relaxed inside
in their winter quarters.Ewes are on ring feeders and energy
blocks outside,and look well,but it remains to be seen how much
impact the weather will have on this years lambing.Due to start
around the 20th of March,they will be housed at night from the
12th ,but expectation would be for a slightly longer gestation
should the weather remain challenging.It has been a very quiet
time for visitors,with the bulk of the remoter parts of Scotland
being the same,affected very much by weather disruption.An early
spring with good grass growth would be nice,and l hold onto this
thought as l dispense my fast disappearing haylage,against such a
beautiful wintery landscape.
23/12/10 Back to ice,snow,frozen pipes for the past week,has
meant hauling water to the animals.With the whole herd of cows
housed yesterday,this equates to a lot of water.With the ground
frozen and covered in snow,we decided to tip them back out in the
fields to play during the day,saving precious supplies of
bedding.Deciding to put them into the water meadow,meant that they
could drink from the river,saving a lot of work.It all seemed
perfect until l saw several cows flying down the river as if
by magic----we had not figured on the ice being
as thick.Panic set in as visions of broken legs sprang into
mind,but need not have worried since with four legs and one on
each corner,they coped well.As with all things,some liked
it,as some did not,but those who mastered the art were
whizzing to and fro.So from a cold galson,complete with skating
cows,may we wish all a peaceful Christmas and a New Year that
fulfils both dreams and ambitions.Finally,why do l never have a
camera at the right times??
04/12/2010 Knowing not to tempt fate is a skill
l have yet to master.Our mains water supply has indeed thawed
out,but my yippee of yesterday,has turned all yoppee today.It
would appear that the main has fractured in several places over
some twenty miles,and we have been living on borrowed time as the
main storage tank depletes.Since,here at the farm we are the
lowest property over the neighbouring townships,when we run
dry,then it is an official drought.l have been hearing of major
problems throughout the islands,and the good news is,with hard
frost and snow set to make a return,water frugality is a must.This
is strange ,since it is usually power supplies that are
problematical,but as l previousl;y stated,tempting fate
ect!!!
03/12/2010 A thaw has set in today,with some respite before we get
hit with more snow tomorrow.We are most grateful as our mains
water supply has been frozen for the past 48 hours,in the extreme low
temperatures.Freezing cold but with no wind meant it felt
warmer than normal,but with a stiff wind directly off the sea ,means higher
temperature but colder feel.Animals have been destroying feedstocks
at an alarming rate,and with the whole country sharing
the same fate it will mean shortages in spring,and huge prices.Watching
a news programme today,listening to mainland farmers bemoaning
the high price of a bale of straw at 18 pounds,brought home
the cost of island life ,with me having paid 28 pounds a bale at
harvest,some 4 months since..Rationing will come in to play this
year to eke out my stocks,but not at the moment,since stock need
all the food they can consume to get through each day.In these
conditions it makes no sense to create poor condition
animals,who will eat huge amounts later and still fail to put
condition back on.l will now join thousands of livestock farmers
throughout the country concerned that we have a awful lot of
winter before us,and foodstocks barely sufficient.Many will search
for cheaper alternatives,but the brutal truth on the island is
that the only other cheap option is Fresh Air,of which we seem to
have a limitless supply
28/11/10 Winter has arrived in the hebrides with cold northerly
strong winds and a covering of snow.Although here at Galson it is
not very much,just a few miles along the road,mighty battles have
been taking place,with our posties involved with off road
antics.Hay is now going out to the animals,and with concentrates
rising 25% in price,this early start to feeding is just the
opposite l was hoping for.l have been hearing stories from all
areas of nature,with actions of many species demonstrating a
change from normal migration/winter patterns.For our part,l have
never seen such dense,tight fleeces on our ewes,and the density of
coat grown by the belted galloways,is a worrying sign of worse to
come.Of course l,like so many before me, blame global
warming---why??--easy,whatever l wish for l usually end up with
the complete opposite!!!!
15/11/10 Just back from a trip to visit family and friends.New
calve born during our abscence looks bonnie and has been named
Andrew.Housed with a bigger calf and mums he is very forward going
and is quite a character already.All the stock look well,and
dennis the ram must have been diligent,since the woolly jumper he
was wearing when we left ,now hangs off him,and weightwatchers
would be proud.Not much grass left now so we will start housing
more cattle over the coming weeks.Drove back through snow in the
borders,and signs are that we are about to receive a long cold
winter.
15/10/10 We
enjoyed the finest two days of weather for the year so far,at
the beginning of this week.We have also witnessed migrating geese
coming back from the north,with brent geese once again grazing on
our fields.Tractor is once again starting on the key,but switching
on front and rear worklights,managed to lose both within a few
minutes----is it me or is it trying to tell me
something.Certainly,its predecessor never really put a foot wrong in
four years,despite being considerably older.Recently sold some cast
ewes and a young ram,the ewes making the highest prices we have seen
since being on the island.The flock have been dosed with all manner
of wonderful things,had their footsies seen to,and have been put
onto fresh grazings with the rams.Love is most definately in the
air,with both rams enjoying an entourage following their every
move.Cows have been moved to north galson and the croft we have had
the use of this summer has had a dressing of manure spread,emptying
our storage clamps ready for filling this winter.Elsewhere has seen
us getting ready for winter with hardstandings cleaned and
stoned,along with gateways.Buildings readied and bedded for
stock,machinery stacked and stored..
6/10/10 After a
rather frustrating period,the technology is once again behaving
itself,and is running faster than before,due to the arrival of a new
computer.The first model was malfunctioning out of the box,and as
usual it takes a while to convince the experts that noggin using
it,is not always to blame.Anyway version two seems to like its
new home and is behaving itself,as l find my way around a new
operating system,and hence this update.Concreting a larger feeding
pad for the cows at the moment,and have struggled to keep going this
week with heavy showers.Today as the summer returns for the next few
days,allowing the opportunity to finish,the tractor has
decided not to start .Since we have a tractor mounted
mixer,you can imagine how pleased this has made me.Coupled to the
fact that the tractors designer must have learnt their trade
designing prisons,means that accessing anything would make running a
logistics empire,a piece of cake by comparison.It always impresses
me how much effort goes into making everything difficult if not
impossible to access,whereas just throwing it together would have
everything bolted on and easy to get too..Anyway the front axle is
repaired and working perfectly,so l suppose l was guilty of thinking
everything was once again ticketyboo.
23/08/10
Tractor is now in pieces awaiting arrival of new parts.The
source of the problem has been identified as the main cast iron
front axle support being bent up out of original shape.A neat trick
given their is no associated breakage of the cast iron.Best guess of
the many people l have spoken too,is that in a previous life it has
undergone a very heavy sudden shock,like falling off a lorry or a
head-on collision.The silence from the dealer whom l purchased it
from is slightly disconcerting,and l hope this is not an indication
of future events on their part.Given that it was sold as a
four wheel drive machine,that broke as soon as four wheel drive was
used under load,due to the defect,it would appear that it was sold
not fit for purpose.Immediate effort is directed at fixing and
bringing it back into service as the workload is falling behind and
the dry field conditions will not be here for
ever
15/08/2010
Still recovering from the shock of discovering that the
cost of sending my tractor for a wee break in dingwall is about the
same as a pair of airplane tickets to Australia,so my previous
comment about holding my breath was momentarily abandoned.So
it would appear that all parties concerned will have to forgo
any trips away,and that l will need to hone my DIY
skills.
13/08/2010
just noticed the the date and the fact that it is a
friday.This would go some way to explain why the front axle on the
tractor made a bid for freedom,with the resulting consequences.Since
l was muckspreading at the time,it would seem to fit the mood of the
moment.My mood is slightly humoured by the knowledge that l have
finished baling the maincrop of hay ,with only a chance of a catch
crop in september.Fingers crossed it is an easy fix,but l prefer not
to hold my breath.
8/08/2010 l have
been finding the feathered remains of rock doves across the mown
grass fields and had my suspicions confirmed as l mowed a fresh
field this saturday.Sure enough a peregrine falcon came
steaming in on an arriving flock of rock doves.They hit the deck
pronto and it went flashing past
5/08/10
Frustatingly l am sitting writing this instead of firing on
baling more hay,but a sharp shower has paid us a fleeting visit here
at galson at mid-day,so its game off until it dries out again.Senior
Cows are on the water meadow up to their knees in grass,along with
the love of their lives,namely fast freddy fraser the stockbull,so
all is peace and harmony for a short while at least.The youngstock
are on a neighbouring croft doing a splendid jop on a little used
croft.Topped croft 37 and should see a nice lush sward regrowth with
the rain of late,but then l am guilty of being a pessimistic
optimist.on that not l am off for a quick lunch and then a day of
unbroken fine weather----hopefully
01/08/10 we have
enjoyed the company of a research vessel for the past week or
more,who is engaged in mapping the seabed and currents along our
stretch of coast .Back and forth ,it appears to have done a very
thorough job,and would suggest the possibilities of marine
renewables here in the years to come if all found
suitable
25/07/10 What
joy--after being told of a dry day to come for the previous 4
days,at last knock the forecast predicted heavy rain for five hours
on monday.This saw me me firing up the tractor at five minutes past
midnight and working through the night.A two hour breakdown did not
help but 4am saw me heading back out to bale 45 large round
bales,duly finished at 7.30,just in time to head back and see to
guests breakfast and customers.Back out at lunchtime saw them
wrapped before the rain came.With two great days promised for
thursday/friday saw me mowing again on wednesday and making the best
hay ever,another 21 bales wrapped and stored in absolutely perfect
conditions.Wished l could have cut more but slow growth has
meant reduced yields,so l have to hold back and allow the grass
to bulk up so as to have enough winter feed..So l elected to cut all
the headlands on my remaining fields,making it quicker and easier to
finish.This also allows the bulk of the meadow to stand for the
benefit of wildlife and wildflowers to seed.Although it has been a
struggle to purchase all the equipment to be able to be self
sufficient,the ability to be able to move at a minutes notice to
save a crop,or make high quality forage makes it seem justifiable in
the long run.With crop shortages this year l am told prices for a
large round bale of hay are currently trading at 38 pounds,which
would equate to in excess of 50 pounds delivered into Lewis.With a
long winter previously our useage was 130 bales,which certainly
helps balance machinery costs.Fingers crossed for good weather
in august,and a heavier crop to
harvest
17/07/10
Haymaking on Lewis is nothing but challenging,and leads
to strange decisions and surreal situations.Friday saw me
mowing my first haymeadow early afternoon,then spreading the grass
in pouring rain.Forecast rain on saturday giving way to very strong
winds late afternoon,followed by rain sunday morning giving way to
overcast breezy finish to the day,have duly taken place.The payback
is a dry, fresh,breezy day with rising barometric pressure on
monday.In what is a unsettled month,this looked the best
opportunity,since rain returns for tuesday onwards.l will hopefully
clear this meadow and fertilise to try for a later cut in
september.The later hayfields were shut up later and can happily run
into august,with the sandy free draining shoreline fields the last
to cut.Shearing was done on a fine sunny and breezy day last
tuesday,finished just before the rain came.This was good,since
shearing wet fleeces does not work.It would seem that the fleece
will just cover the shearing charge this year,a first for the past
five years.And yes no sooner the sheep lost their jackets,the storm
force winds and driving rain reminded them of their loss.Very little
midge activity this year in our part of the island, is a
positive and much enjoyed by man and beast.Animals are all looking
well,with the rain leaving plenty of lush grass.You know you are
well off when a recent guest from kerry on the west coast of ireland
said their pastures were dry and bare,and he would give his right
arm for our growth.The Celtic Music Festival has been on over the
past 3 days and the island,especially stornoway,has been buzzing
with the influx of people.Growing steadily over the past years it
attracts people from all over
01/07/10
Summer has really arrived here with our hay meadows a blaze
of colour,rich scent,and the buzzing sound of a great many bees,with
numbers of great northern bumblebees spotted by a visiting rspb
warden from galloway,so thats a grat improvement.He was also
watching otters from the beach,with signs along our river meadow,so
imporovements continue apace.Just a shame that there is continued
doubt over our ability to attract funding under SDRP..Its a
buttercup year,so yellow everywhere.Baler now repaired along with
mower,ready to go.New calf Hamish born to kelsa,and bre is due
within the next day.Fraser the Bull is very pleased with himself as
his latest calves have arrived with full belts,and he is growing big
and sleek on all the lush grass,and really has a presence about him
now.There is a danger that you always rate your stock higher
than others,but he is good and leaving cracking,in your face,active
calves.We are now reaching the point where we will have to
sell some of our stock
23/06/10
New arrivals at galson farm are making their presence
felt.Our new canine companion goes by the name of jackson,Originally
named jake,but with a neighbouring dog by the same name,a recipe for
disaster--so JJ it is.Full of zip,hazel is playing catch-up,being
used to a more sedate pace of life.Both are very much enjoying this
new friendship.Peigi has had a new daughter by the name Siobhan.A
real sparky individual,she arrived replete with a spanking white
complete belt,so she is a star and she really does know it.Summer
has arrived,complete with a little more warmth.We have two pairs of
nesting swallows,and have heard two calling crakes in thew township
this spring.All the animals are round,plump and happy,but my baler
is in several pieces on the barn floor,awaiting some new bearings to
complete a rebuild All other machinery has been overhauled and ready
to roll.Red clover sown late on sand park on the bare patches left
by hay feeders is now showing,as is the knapweed sown by the wallk
for the bees.Only just up as the late cold spring did not aid
germination,so unsure as we will see much from it this year.Stacks
of white clover through all our fields ,and wildflower now appearing
everywhere..
6/06/10
With deep sadness we have to report the loss of a very
loyal friend,who has been our companion for the past six
years.Dexter Ted was a perfect gentleman and friend to all he met.A
DOG amongst dogs,Full of life and energy,he will be sorely
missed.Our only positive in what is a very sad time,is that as a
rescue dog who was saved from euthinasia,he lived his second life to
the very full.We consider ourselves very lucky to have been his
friend |
Locally,we have been having a purge on the large rabbit
population,with all manner of actions being persued in the name
of control.This got me thinking that there
are two sides to every story,is there not??
Not a Happy
Bunny??
Its not very funny,being a Ness bred bunny,
when everyones out to get you,
your family and friends,all met tragic ends,
your one of a very select few.
Developing a flair,for avoiding a snare
successfully outfoxing a net,
rifle and gun,you easily outrun,
and make no easy target.
You have no control,what is put down a hole,
ferrets,poison,or fumes,
so,no longer you reside,anywhere thats inside,
preferring to do without rooms.
Aye,lifes become tough,sleeping out in the rough,
but what is a rabbit to do?,
when you are at the bottom,and life feels real rotten,
spend some time with a female,or two.
So always remember,in the depths of December,
to gather your resources anew,
take care of the ladies,they will produce lots of babies,
and the Clan of Coney will renew!!!!!
Mr A. Bunnikin,The last wall,Deserted Croft,Ness
Recent problems starting my tractor,which drives a concrete
mixer,caused me to elicit the assistance of our local
mechanic,late at night,due to dry weather forecast for the
following day.Tractor duly behaved,and concrete laid,and the
following came into my head as l worked
A MIGHTY MECHANICAL
MARVEL
Magical Murray,never in a
hurry,
to diagnose your poorly car,
nice calm and quietly,ensuring he has rightly,
figured out the issues sofar.
A man of deep thought,the lessons
self-taught
of experiences down through the past,
problems arise,answers aqquired,
solutions he learned that will last.
No manuals or training,and never
complaining,
his knowledge learnt through the years,
if your car is banging,misfiring or clanging,
his experience will save you from tears.
A mechanic is he,with great ability,
to keep you out on the road,
so do not get bitter,by using an incompetant fitter,
let him just smooth out your load.
Equipped with a ramp,to avoid nasty cramp,
bending can be such a pain,
poking and peering,the problem appearing,
soon have it running again.
You need a new part,he will make a quick start,
and order it straight away,
soon have it in,the broken he will bin,
then you can drive it away.
With rachet and socket,great care not to knock it,
dont want to get it all wrong,
a tap with a hammer,three turns of a spanner,
should tighten it up nice and strong.
Try it just now,are we back on full power?,
or will l give it another tweak,
go drive it away,try it out for a day,
any troubles bring it back here next week.
Arrive at his garage,and witness the marriage,
of knowledge,skill and new part,
so off you zoom,no despondence or gloom,
marvelling at the mechanics dark art.
So,to keep your car running,just keep on coming,
to the magician technician of South Dell,
the price not too steep,it wont make you weep,
he casts such a wonderful spell |
