tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16463058572782011532024-03-13T04:28:36.291+00:00crofting lifeA small window into the lives of crofters in the Scottish Highlands, Not a day to day, blow by blow account, just something to while away the hours when you have nothing better to do!!!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-65983735561988472932013-03-03T22:47:00.001+00:002013-03-03T22:47:56.041+00:00It's been a while<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well it's been a while. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As someone once said to me a while ago when enquiring about their health, their reply was "I'm above the ground". Well that's true, I am above the ground but time has slipped by so fast that I have hardly had any time to breath. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We had a hard year last year with the weather and animals etc. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I lost an uncle which hit me rather hard. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But I thought I would let you know I am still here especially my followers who have been asking after me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I will have to clean up the picture gallery and add new photos instead. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">I enjoyed reading the comments from you all and thank you for taking the time to read my pages.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">I have news to post but will do this soon.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">We are getting ready for our lambing, the sheep are heavily in lamb, I have nine Aberdeen Angus calves about 3 - 4 months old which I will also post pictures of.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">There are new calves about to be born soon too.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">But that is for next time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fce5cd; color: #e69138; font-family: Georgia;">Wishing you all kindest regards</span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-88551908979335524542011-09-01T19:34:00.007+00:002011-09-01T21:40:16.153+00:00The nights are drawing in now<span style="color:#ff9900;">The nights are drawing in now.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It's been a while since my last visit, I have been busy for what seems like an eternity, I cannot believe it is September already.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Work commitments have kept my busier than usual, the company I work for is building a brand new Sawmill, so I am working longer hours away from home, as it takes an hour to get to work and an hour home again my time is limited on the croft, but that should soon change I hope.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Our summer seems to have been short this year, we had terrible rain in June it never seemed to end, the trouble with the rain is once it starts it forgets to stop.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">There have been a lot of tourists in the area this year, we cannot capitalise on this industry as we live down a dirt track and people cannot get of the beaten track with some of the low profile cars that are on the market today.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Although the people we do meet on walks etc always say they love it down here for the peace and quite, not to mention the views that are so spectacular in the summer time especially.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We had cut a lot of peat for the winter fuel earlier in the year, and thought we were going to lose it because of the rain, but the sun came out for a couple of weeks so we managed to get it all home and stored.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We took the dogs down to the peat fields, but after an hour they got bored, they never went down again, they lay on the road and watched from a distance.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It is hard work cutting peat as you have to lay it all out flat on the ground to dry, it is a spectacular thing to see the peat field mounds covered in a blanket of drying peat.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">When he peat gets a crust on it we then have to stand it up into little pyramid shaped mounds, so that it drys on the outside.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Once the peat is completely dry we either build it into a large peat stack for storage or bag it up and carry it home.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Because the weather has been unreliable we decided to carry it all home.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We do not have all the modern conveniences of quad bikes and the likes, everything is carried out of the peat field on our back.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">My husband carried the majority of the peat out, I helped as much as I could, I am not weak by any means but it is back breaking work, so I did my fair share.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">The feeling you get when it is all stored in the shed is quite exhilarating knowing you will have plenty of winter fuel to keep you warm through the winter months.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">The little things are sometimes more pleasing and important than the big things that we all take for granted.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We have had 4 of calves since my last entry, there is one due immanently, so I have been on maternity watch.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">The expectant mother is a first time calving Heifer named Helen, so we have to bring her in this week just to make sure she does not have any problems during calving.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We had to say good-bye to her mother Angela this year, it was heartbreaking sending her to market.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">She was blind in her udder so even though she could have more calves she would not be able to feed them herself, that would be down to human intervention, which is what we did last year with her last calf Hope, who is doing well and will be kept to be the next generation.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It was a shame she had to go but sometimes we have to be hard even though it hurts to let them go, it was hard enough looking after Hope last year as her mother used to chase me when I went to feed her, because Angela thought I was stealing her baby away from her.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">That's why she ended up with the nickname pshyco, because she had funny ideas about things.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">I miss her in the field with the others, she was always on look out duty, any sign of something she considered to be out of the ordinary and she would take off for the hills with the rest of the heard, in particular when the vet came to visit she knew his vehicle when she saw it and would take off like a bat out of hell, that is unless you got her in before hand.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">But she always knew there was something in the wind because you had interrupted her routine, so even when she was tied in the byre she would watch the door and skitter everywhere until you let her back out.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">When we sold her at the market my heart sank as I knew she would not be long on this earth, something I never do is check the electronic movement data once the cattle have been sold, but on this occasion I did just to see if she had been kept, but Angela got three days after we sold her and was taken to the abattoir, I will not look at the electronic movement data again.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">My babies will all be kept in my heart forever as I remember them.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">She has left good breeding stock behind her so she will live on in them and I can see her in some of them in particular Hope, who would not have been here if it had not been for our perseverance and intervention.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">She has turned out to be a credit to her mother.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">I have only showed the sheep once this year due to a persistent back problem, I took them out to the last show of the season in Fort William last Saturday, they all behaved perfectly on the day.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">I won overall North Country Cheviot with a 4 year old Ewe in milk, called Teeny.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">She was sired by Balnakiel Snowman and her mother is Sharon, one of my founder Sheep.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It was the first time I have ever shown her, I spent two days dressing her and clipping her up and she turned out really well I was not expecting her to win, in fact I was not going to take her at first but I am glad I did now.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Anyway what do you think?</span>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziPNgJGYUzzZ2X_L0CQTRrBpK-Q9VRYF823Z-PH8KuJxi2C7_KzSiu92vwfFSi42aMc08TRuJXarzN6Ci1knQ40VCY4NVKUfec33AgMLbkuQ44ThQMi6ZcQEnC7rVA7tR2EbstKOYzrdX/s1600/20_f35show10.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647491957273503826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhziPNgJGYUzzZ2X_L0CQTRrBpK-Q9VRYF823Z-PH8KuJxi2C7_KzSiu92vwfFSi42aMc08TRuJXarzN6Ci1knQ40VCY4NVKUfec33AgMLbkuQ44ThQMi6ZcQEnC7rVA7tR2EbstKOYzrdX/s200/20_f35show10.jpg" /></a>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">My rams have summered well in Morar, not far away from here.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Every time they see the car drive down the track they come running down to the gate to greet us.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Creag Mhor my first ever ram who is now 4 years old is over there along with Sandy and three of Sandy's offspring, Monty, Charlie & Rory.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Sandy's three sons will be sold in November for breeding rams.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">They are so friendly and greet you like old friends, I will miss them when they go.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Monty is the bossy one, he pushes the others about when he wants your attention, he likes to be clapped.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We took him and Sandy to the show and Monty beat his father, he shows great potential already for a year and a half old.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">We are starting to get ready for the winter coming in, sheds cleaned out bedding being stored and repairs being carried out ready for the animals coming in when the nights start to close in.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">At the moment the cattle are enjoying the dry weather and are spending a lot of time out on the common grazing.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Something I thought was quite funny is they way people think about things, that happen on farms and crofts.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">My husband was in the shed one evening and the midges were really biting bad, he had a Midge net on his head to protect him from the biting bugs.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">A visitor came down past the shed, where some of the calves were standing outside the gate waiting to come in and get fed.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">The visitor started to panic and tried to drive past the calves rather rapidly when she saw my husband come out of the shed.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">He asked her to take care and slow down when she was going past.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">The next day the visitor came back and stopped to speak to my husband, she apologised for her bad driving and explained that when she saw the man (my husband) with the Midge net on she thought he was from the abattoir or something and was there to slaughter the calves????</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Why would people think that something like that would be carried out in the middle of nowhere and especially in front of an unsuspecting visitor.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It makes you wonder what people really think what happens on farms and crofts.</span>
<br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Maybe my little bits of information will educate some people how things really work, then again maybe not.</span>
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-51878614157349393592011-04-03T13:02:00.014+00:002011-04-05T07:32:51.756+00:00Well it's that time of year again!!!<div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">Well it's is that time of year again. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">Lambs have been popping out everywhere. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">We put Sandy the dad out a couple of weeks early this year to catch Myran the matriarch first, <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">We have had 14 little packages so far 5 girls and 9 boys, 1 set of Triplets to Sharon one of our founder sheep she had two big boys and a dot of a girl who I called Dotty, what she lacks in size she makes up for in noise as she is the loudest of the lot. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">We have had 4 sets of twins 6 boys and 2 girls, the rest have singles. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">Myran going on past births usually has 1, but I think looking at the size of her she may have 2 this year. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">She is lying in the sun in front of the house this afternoon, like lady muck. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">I say sun what there is of it between showers that is. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">Hopefully the rain will stay off for a while, as it is great entertainment watching the lambs gadding about the field racing back and forward to see who is the fastest. <br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">They are such inquisitive little souls, I love watching them out of the kitchen window, I could stand there for hours watching them play, you know they are healthy when they are running about and playing. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">It makes your heart burst with pride when I see new life come into the world, I love them all to pieces. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">They are all showing off and have their own personalities. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">I go into the shed in the evening and watch them all settle down, the Triplets snuggle up together in the corner whilst mum stands guard. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Some of the Twins sleep on mums back when she lies down, I found one in a pen that belonged to the next door pen, she must have been laid on her mums back and mum must have stood up and coped her over the gates into the next pen, boy her mum was mad and making such a racket because she was not with her. <br /><div align="left"><span style="colour: #ff9900">The 3 Tup rams I kept back from last years crop are making a nuisance of themselves at the moment, everywhere you turn one of them is following you about, I think there dad encourages them as he is not much better himself. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">They will be going away soon until later in the summer when they will leave to be sold for breeding. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Cheviot's are such beautiful faced sheep, they look at you with doleful eyes as though they are reading your mind. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Nelly is one of the smartest, if I shout her name she comes running to the fence for tit-bits, I <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">usually give her the carrot and turnip peels, she loves it, but a couple of the younger ones have twigged on to this also and they come running to the fence to try and get there before Nelly, they have no chance as she is fast on her feet and most of it is gone before they get there, she is like a hoover to watch. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">The cows have been busy too, we have had another two calve since the new year, Miss prissy and Eddy. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Miss Prissy got her name because she walks on her tip toes like a lady la-de-da so hoity. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Eddy got his name because he is like Eddy the eagle he thinks he can jump the cattle grid, which he has tried to do on numerous occasions instead of using the gate like the rest of the heard. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Luckily the grid is more of a deterrent as it is not really deep so any animal that goes in it can scuttle out of it. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">It is only there so people can go over it instead of getting out of the car to open the gate and drive through, it also stops people leaving the gate open and letting the cattle back in the park, which is what used to happen a lot in the past. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Then you would find cattle in the shed if a door was left open, or worst still in my garden eating every bit of greenery they can find. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">The weather has been hit and miss so far, we have had a lot of rain over the past couple of weeks, but when it is dry it is beautiful, you can see things starting to bud, our crocus and daffodils have popped out and the blue bells are coming up now. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">In March last year the heaths were burning in the night sky all around us, this year I have not seen one at all as yet as it has been to wet to burn anything. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">I found a couple of ticks already on the Cullan our collie, horrid things, Freachan the Jack Russell loves to be in amongst it when you are trying to find ticks on the collie he is so nosey. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">The cows have started to stay out on the odd night it has been mild, but they are still coming home in the morning, it has been a long hard winter I cannot believe it is April already, where is time going, one minute it is Christmas when you next blink Easter is nearly upon us. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Some times I wish I could stop the planet and get of the merry -go -round for a while, to sit back and smell the Roses. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">But we all seem to have no time for anything that is important and held up by inconsequential bitty things that hold us back from doing what we desire, things that make the heart and soul feel good about, like enjoying the smells and sounds of nature, standing in the sun and watching the animals grazing and relaxing in the warm heat, and as I have been doing this morning watching the lambs run around the fields and playing. <br /><div align="left"><span style="color:#ff9900;">Well nature moves on and the grass will soon burst into life, the heather will fill the air with it scent in the Scottish Highlands, and I have to go and clean the byre, I will leave you with some pictures I took this week. <br /><div align="left"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXodihO-y7KWHh_cjbxwtXaOiz_g8n1uV6uv6-R68S1ry3r-9xlVzjLStshH9mSz7elAtyR5rhMAu7XvbjAMSvXb7OofdYxuccZvMQQfor7bvqkTcIjk15HScpgjkdOmAtsOXy0R2-cIc/s1600/SN852579.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591361103534620546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXodihO-y7KWHh_cjbxwtXaOiz_g8n1uV6uv6-R68S1ry3r-9xlVzjLStshH9mSz7elAtyR5rhMAu7XvbjAMSvXb7OofdYxuccZvMQQfor7bvqkTcIjk15HScpgjkdOmAtsOXy0R2-cIc/s200/SN852579.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPHdsRCaWAQV98PBjViQepDE79OCeCUA1Ghd7ba07PD95GbFGj-Qz8fiOK9JLUbHf097_uUQ92FjLsV4DkCP5kbMGXurYb43vPESZBPF4lL3uHXf1n5nlzNLCVoLpcuWCYk1B89kqzQCE/s1600/SN852570.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591361089268075394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPHdsRCaWAQV98PBjViQepDE79OCeCUA1Ghd7ba07PD95GbFGj-Qz8fiOK9JLUbHf097_uUQ92FjLsV4DkCP5kbMGXurYb43vPESZBPF4lL3uHXf1n5nlzNLCVoLpcuWCYk1B89kqzQCE/s200/SN852570.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wQ-WwZpHqHsWoqDNz8GJ2R63Fe0-l7sqUdKLKFvqrmhWOhEY1E8EAkvmGwkuWqA14saH5XwJjSifIwaeNIyc3DOPFbSORrLT3180d739pDBGvfoL4OWVpORXDl2x63d6iWRiIVM7OYqu/s1600/SN852578.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591361096775781218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wQ-WwZpHqHsWoqDNz8GJ2R63Fe0-l7sqUdKLKFvqrmhWOhEY1E8EAkvmGwkuWqA14saH5XwJjSifIwaeNIyc3DOPFbSORrLT3180d739pDBGvfoL4OWVpORXDl2x63d6iWRiIVM7OYqu/s200/SN852578.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s4zCzTubphV3kRSoJxDQwNSCeIfpqU7wo4DS-LgX71i_q8bPQH3rBwtQMKOdQhbQs1KBqOTtJPiyQExAZ3MGLDTbVseHL-lol7C4SbJ0kG6X1XhcftZiIZplKGsK2Sau5Ypt-yWqLiUC/s1600/SN852581.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591361095883930978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s4zCzTubphV3kRSoJxDQwNSCeIfpqU7wo4DS-LgX71i_q8bPQH3rBwtQMKOdQhbQs1KBqOTtJPiyQExAZ3MGLDTbVseHL-lol7C4SbJ0kG6X1XhcftZiIZplKGsK2Sau5Ypt-yWqLiUC/s200/SN852581.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96dqKF1Wc3aaShQlCAhYip1C3389ye0dNFAzr7PYnmLFMvP0O_5PvzAFMbDdZ6SUC7ojAEWNMCF6cM1zbyzz4tE4hdaz0CSCi0rg_-q6ZlnJgmSbfV9fSn0dZBQKtZy557CAm7wQr99R_/s1600/SN852575.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591361100073993346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96dqKF1Wc3aaShQlCAhYip1C3389ye0dNFAzr7PYnmLFMvP0O_5PvzAFMbDdZ6SUC7ojAEWNMCF6cM1zbyzz4tE4hdaz0CSCi0rg_-q6ZlnJgmSbfV9fSn0dZBQKtZy557CAm7wQr99R_/s200/SN852575.JPG" /></a> <span style="color:#ff9900;">Just as I finished inserting the pictures a hugh wind came up and the heavens opened, the mum's came running over to the shed with the babies for shelter, how's that for smart!! </span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-14948755091202950482011-01-22T16:41:00.003+00:002011-01-22T17:41:08.775+00:00Alive & Kicking<span style="color:#ff6600;">Well I did not realise it has been so long since I last posted anything on my blog!!. <div><div><div><div><div></span></div></div></div></div></div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I had a computer problem for a while & with being busy all of the time it has made it a little difficult to juggle everything.</span><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Firstly I would like to wish you all a belated Happy and Prosperous New Year, may all your hopes and dreams come true.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Secondly, I would like to thank all of you for being so patient, and thank those of you who have asked after me.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I am still alive and kicking or as someone once said, I'm still above the ground.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Since my last visit we have had a few new arrivals on the croft, the twins are both fine.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">It was hard in the beginning as the youngest who we named Doddit had to be bottle fed to kick start him until he was strong enough to feed himself, we were also still bottle feeding Hope as her mother was unable to feed her because she had lost her milk.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">So every feed time was a frenzy in the shed, impatient calves who are hungry don't understand wait, they charge at you and knock you flying in a mad rush to get the bottle first.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">But now they are both fending for themselves.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Doddit is just as good as his brother Hoddit, it is hard to tell the difference between them, but they are both gentle calves.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We had two more heifers in October, Skye had her first calf which was a little girl we called her Kyle, she has a really bad temper like granny which is Effy the cow that put my husband in the river.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Bunnacaimbe had a little girl too, we called her Duchess, she is the spitting image of her mother, she also has a soft nature like her mother.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">They all pal about together.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Pal our heifer had a little girl two weeks ago, we called her Pollyanna, she is a beautiful red colour, and so nosey.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Skye had her calf out on the common grazing's, she came in one day with the heard and my husband said she had had her calf and not brought it in with her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We went out to look for it and chased Skye out to bring it back, we spent all day wandering about looking for it.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">As dusk started to come in we found it, she jumped up from her hiding place and ran literally for the hills.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband chased after her, I brought the cows down to the bottom of the hill, so the calf would hopefully see them and join up with them.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Just before the calf came around the back of the hill where the cows were now grazing, she decided to make a run for it over the top of the hill and missed the heard altogether, by the time we got to the top of the hill she had vanished into thin air.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">She must have laid down in the long undergrowth to hide herself.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">By this time it was starting to get dark so we had to give up the search until the early hours of the morning.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Skye was standing out on the common grazing's where she left her calf the day before, we spent another two hours looking for the wee so and so.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband spotted her in amongst our neighbours cattle, we went to catch her, as the heard started to move off home over the bridge, she ran towards my husband who was waiting at the pass so to speak, she tried to make a jump for it and jumped clean into his arms.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">After a bit of a fumble and rugby style tackle we managed to get her into the back of the landy.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We got her into the shed, whilst my husband went to get her mum, as she must have been hungry by now, I started to make the pen comfortable for them both, the little bisum charged clean at me pushing her head into my legs and grunting wildly like a grizzly bear.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have never in my life ever had a calf do that, my husband said she is like her granny as two peas, mad as a hatter.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">She has calmed down now, I suppose it must have been as much of a shock to her as it was to us.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">After all she had not seen a human until we rolled up and tried to catch her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I am waiting for my sheep to lamb, Sandy did well last year, I hope he has a repeat performance this year, he has been busy.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Craigy my other ram was on his holidays again in Newtonmore, he came back today, I missed him, he is a big softy really, he has made himself at home already, letting the young tup rams know he is back by bawling at them from the shed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I just hope everything goes well and the lambs are all healthy, I hate to lose any of my babies, be it cow or sheep.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">They all deserve to breath and run around, but nature can be so cruel sometimes, when you least expect it something comes along to pull you up with a sharp shock.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I cannot wait for the spring to come, I love to see the lambs running around and the smell of the flowers that start to bloom early.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Pictures Are </span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">1 Hoddit & Doddit</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">2. Duchess</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">3. Hoddit & Doddit with mum Rosie</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">4. Mima Myrans Lamb taking in the sun last summer</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7NmT5z5BDdiOxE3_aClbwIX-sohBx98kUZba5thecm9kSpJrRe69KrGV6NiSwatGgXZd-hVKahJVK_RZdcMlduw8isrGVbkeEzMjSIDBgrTuwkn9CWLHOILW7e2Pi5ZSZ8Iy7AyrJQSc/s1600/SN851806.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565064256426337474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7NmT5z5BDdiOxE3_aClbwIX-sohBx98kUZba5thecm9kSpJrRe69KrGV6NiSwatGgXZd-hVKahJVK_RZdcMlduw8isrGVbkeEzMjSIDBgrTuwkn9CWLHOILW7e2Pi5ZSZ8Iy7AyrJQSc/s200/SN851806.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC4hM_zTIzcqdX89Efj2Zuq5LCjR6nAPSC3Os-sfi7Tt-PgYZpd1DUedYxk0_vpt3FqPE5aDUHDNwvlWENlCaooAPxBOxDCXwDCav598Yk9Wfjr6Inq1F9u0p7j866ugD-W9YDatBU4xh/s1600/SN852494.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 148px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565064242380764178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC4hM_zTIzcqdX89Efj2Zuq5LCjR6nAPSC3Os-sfi7Tt-PgYZpd1DUedYxk0_vpt3FqPE5aDUHDNwvlWENlCaooAPxBOxDCXwDCav598Yk9Wfjr6Inq1F9u0p7j866ugD-W9YDatBU4xh/s200/SN852494.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpaXVaKsblB6ary5SrcSWgG_H31sLLmHh7L-4SP63T8gfeB5rKuldSBjatbxn2UoHq4esFZxWpmix5msN9ZQy7sP7vfEJ7LrIQNmQ9Nj2ds4ET6T3I9qY7zYlfAQNu-WC4xlHEr6mlZ4T/s1600/SN852427.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565064248760865282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpaXVaKsblB6ary5SrcSWgG_H31sLLmHh7L-4SP63T8gfeB5rKuldSBjatbxn2UoHq4esFZxWpmix5msN9ZQy7sP7vfEJ7LrIQNmQ9Nj2ds4ET6T3I9qY7zYlfAQNu-WC4xlHEr6mlZ4T/s200/SN852427.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ZVtep37FlpWrClN8CYaaJWvmmLnG-7IS7DlMW6PP3kIsz9zVmtUlrIky5kRKgB_e0_llESR0SBmplr3GsAGGG4cz6DHmT5e6GZjcXok5g91HqlnJKWGvgWN9jRcW018SM4gweAwKvIc/s1600/SN852484.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565064247505908834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ZVtep37FlpWrClN8CYaaJWvmmLnG-7IS7DlMW6PP3kIsz9zVmtUlrIky5kRKgB_e0_llESR0SBmplr3GsAGGG4cz6DHmT5e6GZjcXok5g91HqlnJKWGvgWN9jRcW018SM4gweAwKvIc/s200/SN852484.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Thank you for reading look forward to you popping in again.</span><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-7702641999947733232010-07-12T19:56:00.003+00:002010-07-12T20:47:50.385+00:00A first for Creag Mhor Croft<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="color:#cc0000;">I thought I would share something with you all.</span><br /></span><div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">There is a first time for everything, after all the years of breeding cattle from father to son on Creag Mhor Croft never in the past has there ever been TWIN calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">That is until this week, two beautiful Limousin bullocks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We nearly only had one but for fate stepping in at the right time.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Rosie was heavy in calf, but did not look any fatter than usual, I brought her in last Tuesday as she never came in to the park with the others, so we decided to make sure she had the calf in easy reach just in case things went wrong as they sometimes can.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We kept her in for a day and night but let her into the park as she was not going to part with the baby under public scrutiny.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Any way she walked off onto the common grazing's on Wednesday morning, so things were going to progress shortly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Anyway later in morning out popped a soggy Red wee boy, my hubby went to check everything was okay and took some nuts over for her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We thought nothing of it and left her to bond with her new arrival, she licked him furiously cleaning him up.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Later on just before dusk, she decided to move down towards the old house with the rest of the heard.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We thought the little calf was quite hardy to manage down there with her.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We went to bed thinking everything was Rosie, "pardon the pun".</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Next morning we did our usual duties, feeding animals and getting ready for work and so on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Just as we were about to leave the house My hubby noticed the calf up by the fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">But when he put the binoculars on Rosie down with the rest of the heard, he noticed that she had her calf.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">So she must have had the second calf and walked away from it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We gathered it up and took it down to her in the back of the Landrover.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">She knew it was hers but was not keen to let it suck her, so we gathered both the calves up and put them both in the back of the Landrover and took them both back to the shed with mother following behind.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Once we got her into the shed my hubby cinched Rosie up so we could get the second calf on the teat to get a drink of milk.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Once he had a few goes at it he got the hang of it quite quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We have kept them in for a few days to bond with one another but they all appear to be doing well fingers crossed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">We have not got a name for them as yet but that is no problem I'm sure we'll think of something.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#cc0000;">Rosie and her new family.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH085zs_tFcoiyAVLP6izGji0hGuwb_1Gp4eCcWbKvnwAH6Z474Y3EsnSPqVRgXlH9PdcN90JO4mxdX4pKSA-aSaLnsHQ5k57K_VYSO9R77bvSJgzziei_HO3-qwR6eKh9xEAuSiV8KMc-/s1600/Rosie+%26+Babes.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493122602219404994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH085zs_tFcoiyAVLP6izGji0hGuwb_1Gp4eCcWbKvnwAH6Z474Y3EsnSPqVRgXlH9PdcN90JO4mxdX4pKSA-aSaLnsHQ5k57K_VYSO9R77bvSJgzziei_HO3-qwR6eKh9xEAuSiV8KMc-/s200/Rosie+%26+Babes.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmtNjFdUBxURzmu0IyqCgFemf9aUE-ueuMhiMsw2ETbMkpUzCtCXYjddZSZ6h8SYy9oKbQdbwwOrBke1NvXDARkWa43AIIo5bNzFVGRcuCkLNU6BrAk_EzD3yTJ5-qclQA6K3Lkzv8rqL/s1600/Rosie.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493122606493385906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmtNjFdUBxURzmu0IyqCgFemf9aUE-ueuMhiMsw2ETbMkpUzCtCXYjddZSZ6h8SYy9oKbQdbwwOrBke1NvXDARkWa43AIIo5bNzFVGRcuCkLNU6BrAk_EzD3yTJ5-qclQA6K3Lkzv8rqL/s200/Rosie.JPG" /></a></span></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-25020823822195451282010-06-27T13:37:00.004+00:002010-06-27T15:12:07.077+00:00Starting all over again.<span style="color:#ff6600;">Well we are flying through the year and as usual I am playing catch up.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Nearly at the end of another month and already preparing for the Winter.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">For the past three months we have had little or no rain we have five burns that usually run water all of the time but as of today there are only two trickles one of which supplies the house & shed water, if it had not been for my husband installing a dam above the house a couple of months ago we would be totally dry.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The grass is not growing at all, the cows and sheep keep coming in every morning from the common grazing's just to get a drink from the bath we had installed at the back of the sheds with running water.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">As I am typing this someone up above must have heard me because we have just had a humongous down pour for about two minutes, which has now subsided to a drizzle.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It will help the grass along for the animals at least.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">A poor Blue tit just struck the living room window, I took it in and put it in a box with an old woolly hat to let it hopefully recover, he is sitting quiet at the moment, it must have given him one hell of a headache.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We started cutting the peat the first week in May, we moved over to the front of the house this year, in the old peat fields, where my husbands family and the next door neighbours used to cut years ago.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">With the weather being so dry it has been amazing how quick the peat dried out, we built a stack which we did not really have to, we could have taken it in already, but the tourists on the train like to take pictures of the stacks so we did not like to disappoint them ; )</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway the peat will come in soon enough, the amount of peat that has been cut this year will be shared with a friend who gave us a hand to cut it and stack it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There is enough to keep us going through the Winter anyway.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have a few old trees to cut up and stack, funny preparing for Winter already when we are still in summer, but as the old story goes, the busy ants gathered early whilst the grass hopper played.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We ended up with a pet lamb from someone who could not look after it and a pet calf who's mother could not feed her.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The lamb was abandoned by his mother, we called him Fleck as he has little black fleck marks all over him, he is outside in the garden in a pen through the night because of the foxes, in the day he is in the field unless he sneaks in through the side gate into the garden.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Cheviot's being the snobs they are will not let him mix with them, the wee lambs come down the field when Fleck is out to show him who is boss, as they are a lot bigger then him, but once he gets his horns I am sure he will be showing them who is boss, he is already starting to test his head out on the Jack Russell.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He is quite a smart wee cookie, if he gets in the garden, and the back door is open, especially when the midges are bad, (which they are at the moment I am sure they have flippin teeth,) </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway if he gets in the back door he goes behind it and slams it shut, then promptly plops himself on the floor behind the door I presume to keep the midges out, he is so comical when he does it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I don't mind him lying there when the insects are bad, but he will have to get used to it because he is not taking up residence in the hall even though he does think he is a dog.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">One of his other bad habits was discovered by accident, I could not understand how my washing kept landing up on the floor in the garden, then after I had just put a few items on the line and come back into the kitchen , I looked out of the window after spotting the washing bouncing up and down there was Fleck running the length of the washing line jumping in the air and head butting my washing off the line again.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He greets you in the morning, and he and the dogs greet me when I come home from work, you could not be bad to him, we had to ring his bits not only because I did not want him getting my sheep pregnant later, but it is supposed to make them less violent when they are older, we will see.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The calf was another matter, her mother Angela, had her out on the common grazing's she was very protective of her little girl, so we left her alone but kept going down to check on her, after a couple of days we noticed she was not getting enough milk, we tried to bring her in but she went wild and started to chase us away, we put the dog out to send the cows homeward and left them to make there way back, we went out for a couple of hours to give them time to come in, Angela was more likely to follow the cows in if no one was about, you have to be flyer than her if you want her to do something she does not want to do.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway we came back home and there she was in the park, we shut the gates to keep the cows in and went to look for the calf in the park using the Land rover as she would charge at you if you got anywhere near the calf.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It took us a little time to find out where she had hidden the calf, there she was tucked up nice and tight in a ball in one one of the dry drains.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once we found the calf we put the cows out Angela went along with them not realising we had found her calf she thought it was safely tucked up.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once we got the cows out of the park and shut the gates to keep them out we went to get the calf.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">She was as light as a feather when we lifted her into the back of the Landy, we took her to the shed, I had a colostrum dried milk sachet which I made up for her, but she would not suck the bottle, my husband put the stomach tube in to get something into her, she must have got something from Angela, but not enough to keep her alive if we had not intervened.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Later I got her an effydral tonic to give her a boost, she took it from the bottle hungrily.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The next morning I went into the shed half expecting her not to be up but there she was standing waiting to be fed.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So now she is getting bottle fed, but we are letting Angela in the park with her, just to keep the bond between them.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Angela goes out on an evening, then comes back in through the day to be with her calf.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Although when we were out for the afternoon on one occasion, someone very thoughtlessly left the field gate open and Angela took the calf out, we tried to get her back in but to no avail, it was getting dark and too dangerous to try as Angela was becoming hypertensive.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So we decided to get up earlier in the morning to get the calf back in to give her a feed.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">At about 4.45am the next morning, I was woken by a moaning noise, I looked out of the bedroom window and there the wee calf who we named "Hope" was standing looking at me.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I rushed out to the shed with a bottle and she followed me in to get her feed, tragedy avoided.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway she will not get out of the park again, she is doing well and growing all of the time.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">In between all of this going on we had the Arisaig Road to the Isles Agricultural show.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once again it was a beautiful day, it was just a pity there was not as many competitors in the commercial cattle lines this year as there used to be.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband was the only local competitor taking part, the other two competitors came from a lot further afield, although the Highland cow classes were well attended, as well as the sheep classes.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I managed a Reserve sheep champion, being beaten by a Suffolk this year.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The classes were well entered and the competition was close.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband managed a first in class.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It's a pity that the Agricultural show was not as well attended as in previous years, for some reason there are no locals attending even though there are plenty of cattle and sheep in the area.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">If we do not take care we could lose something that is important to such a small community.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There are not many events through the year that people get to meet and catch up, change hints and tip or even just support something that is for both locals and tourists to enjoy.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well that's me caught up for now, I hope everyone out there who reads my blog is happy and healthy.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">"Don't chase the money chase life, it's for living"</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">PS the poor wee bird did not make it, I buried him in the garden.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-50747880560152503512010-04-10T17:03:00.002+00:002010-04-10T17:16:51.786+00:00Don't Quit<span style="color:#ff6600;">I would like to share something with you all that sums up some of the termoil we all have in our lives, when we think we are at our lowest then sometimes it is good to know someone cares.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">A good friend gave me this on an embroydered card whilst I was ill and after I lost my father.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I do not know who wrote it, but I hope they do not mind me sharing it with you all, as sometimes we all need our spirits lifting at some point in our lives.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">So here goes.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When things go wrong as they sometimes will.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When the road you're trudging seems up hill.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When the funds are low and the debts are high and you want to smile, but you have to sigh.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When care is pressing you down a bit.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Rest, if you must, but don't you ever quit.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Life is queer with it's twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Many a failure turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Don't give up though the pace seems slow you may succeed with another blow.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Success is failure turned inside out.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, </span><span style="color:#990000;">it may be near when it seems so far.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-60417697385309112842010-04-10T16:08:00.004+00:002010-04-10T16:35:35.901+00:00Take a long deep breath and relax<span style="color:#ff6600;">What a beautiful day it has been today.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Lambs are out playing Sandy and Craigy the two rams have made friends and are out in the park at the back of the shed.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The sheep are lying back in the sunshine and relaxing and we are taking a long deep breath and relaxing also today.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It is not often we get time to just take in the air and have great quiet day.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Usually we are running here there and everywhere.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband drove up to the black isle last night to deliver a trailer, he got back late on in the night, I had to drive to Fort William to collect some things from the feed store.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So we could have the rest o f the day to ourselves.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Dolly one of the older cows, had a calf last weekend, not the brightest tool in the box, I do not know what it is but some of these calves seem to be a lot harder work than they used to be, we seem to have to do everything for them.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Dolly's calf was born out on the Mointeach Mhor common grazing, she is a beautiful red Limousin heifer.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But the first night she just would not suck the teat, we had to stomach tube her just so she would get the colostrum from her mother, that was a battle as well.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway Dolly has a large udder as she is half Frisian cow, so there is plenty of milk there.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well the next day my husband had to take milk from Dolly to feed the calf again, this carried on for a couple of days, stomach tubing as she just would not suck, although yesterday she showed signs of having a go her self, even though it was a little suck with a tongue hanging out it make it hard for her to make a seal, if she would learn that the tongue is meant to stay in your head she might get on a bit quicker.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Last night my husband took some more milk of Dolly, I put it in a calf bottle, she struggled and struggled not to have the teat in her mouth.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I remember my father telling me that the best way to teach a calf to suck is to cover it's eyes with a blindfold, because when a calf sucks from mother it is in darkness under her belly.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But also when you put the teat in it's mouth make a seal around it's mouth with your fingers, A. to hold it's tongue inside it's mouth, and B. to make the tongue half moon to cause the calf to suck.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well she started to get the hang of it, slowly but surely she sucked half the calf bottle.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So I let her out of the blindfold and guided her towards Dolly's udder, no she decided she was going to have none of it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I decided to go and feed the sheep and leave her with mum for a while to decide what she wanted to do.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I came back around half an hour later and peeped in the door of the shed, there she was having a go herself.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Even though it was a little go at least she seems to have got the gist of what she is supposed to do to get her fed.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We will have to make sure she gets a good feed from the bottle of expressed milk until she gets the idea.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But as I said hard work when you have a lazy calf.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Molly's calf has come on in leaps and bounds, she is a really smart calf and knows how to get into the shed between the cows when they all come in, she then plonks herself down on a nice bed and that's her for the night.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Myran and Katy are still hanging on to their lambs, they have decided to be awkward and make me wait, they will chose the worst night and the earliest hour to have their lambs, I can garentee that.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Myran is the queen of sheba's granny, as I said before they have an air about them as though they are royalty and as such should be treated as though they are royalty.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Hopefully they should have lambs before the next weekend.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-73718759487800698372010-04-03T15:41:00.005+00:002010-04-10T16:08:07.403+00:00All go way out West<span style="color:#ff6600;">Well it's been all go way out here on the West coast of beautiful but wild Scotland.</span><br /><div><div><div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Thank you Kevan for your concern, which has prompted me to stop neglecting my duties and let you all know what we have been up to during this cold and bitter weather.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have had quite a few additions to our now ever growing family.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Since I last posted we have had three new calves and up to today we have also had eleven lambs, with three sheep still to lamb.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The biggest surprise was Nelly our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gimmer</span> she gave birth to triplets and is managing to feed them all with out any interference from me.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Although in the beginning I was giving them a little extra milk, they were not suited with me meddling.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">You see Nelly has a false teat, but they all dive underneath her and grab what they think are all working milk dispensers, it is really comical watching them play pass the teat, but they seemed to have worked it out for themselves a sort of rota system.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chirstie</span> was the first to lamb, she had a single female a snob if ever there is such a thing in the sheep world, she is just like her granny <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Myran</span>, struts round the pen like she is the queen of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Sheba</span>.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chirstie</span> managed <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">without</span> any help from us and her milk must be really good as the queen of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">sheba</span> has had a couple of wee squeals with constipation.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Nelly was next to go I gave her a little help with the first lamb, she took to it <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">straight</span> away, I went around to the front shed to get the Iodine for the lambs navel, when I came back to the shed there was the second one popped out no bother, both little girls.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">After a while we decided to go for a cup of tea to warm the cockles.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">When we came back to the shed to admire Nelly's new offspring we were leaning over the gate talking back and forward then noticed a third head poking out from under Nelly's tummy.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">How we did not notice in the first place was bewildering as he was as noisy as all of them put <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">together</span>.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">So that was it for a couple of late night shifts, three girls one boy.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Then a couple of nights later Sharon and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Poppit</span> delivered twins in the early hours, Sharon had two girls, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">poppit</span> had one of each.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Claire followed suit the next <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">night</span> with two girls also.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Teeny came around to the lambing shed last night of her own accord to let us know she was going to give birth.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">She had a little girl too, late last night.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">They are all doing well and noisy as anything.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">They are developing their own personalities already.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Nelly's little boy has taken to lying on his mums back when she settles down, the only problem is, when she stands up he is not quick enough to get down and stands there on her back screaming like he is scared of heights.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">After I numbered them all, ( lambs and mum are spray painted with the same number so they do not get mixed up whilst out in the field) some of them were allowed out yesterday </span><span style="color:#ff6600;">for the first time.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The lambs were running around the field racing each other, jumping in the air and playing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">tig</span>.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">It was a beautiful day <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">yesterday</span> and today was dry but not as warm.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The weather has been really cold and hard on the animals, it has snowed and the ground has frozen. The animals have had to be fed a lot more to keep their energy levels up through the cold weather.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband has a lot of work, but cannot up until this past couple of weeks put a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">stob</span> in the ground because it has been so hard, if he did put <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">stobs</span> in the ground whilst it is freezing, they would just slacken off when it thawed out which would make the fences very slack.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">A couple of weeks ago we had a really dry spell which was good for a heath burning, there was plenty of them going on too whilst the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">opportunity</span> was there, sometimes you cannot afford to hang around these things have to be done as soon as a window comes around, if you hesitate it could be weeks before the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">opportunity</span> comes back around and then it might be to late.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The weather is so <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unpredictable</span>, but this year there will be a lot of fresh grass on the common <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">grazing's</span> after the burning, hopefully.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The poor Deer are finding it hard too, they have come down from the hill looking for food.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Some of them look weak, I have noticed that they are fighting amongst themselves also, as they</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">are in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">competition</span> for the same blade of grass.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">There has been a lot of Deer strikes too on the main road as they search for food.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We had 28 of them cross over our field a few days ago to get to the common grazing.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The cows have been wondering about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">a lot</span> looking for grass to, the harsh weather has slowed everything down, the grass is not coming yet.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The calves are all doing well, Molly had a beautiful calf she is the spitting double of her great granny, who was a rusty red and white <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Simmental</span> called Marie Claire.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have named her after her great granny, her father was a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Simmental</span> called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Dernean</span> Jacob, he has always, produced beautiful <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">coloured</span> and quick learning calves.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Molly being a first time mother was a little slow on the up take as to how to feed the calf.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We had to sinch her, which entails tying a rope around her middle just above the udder, to stop them kicking either you or the calf, but Molly decided to act like a bucking bronco, she soon settled down.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Nature is a wonderful thing sometimes, Molly's udder was so full it must have hurt, she would have been tender when the calf first sucked, but once the calf relieved her of some milk she calmed down and let her take her fill.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">But she was not pleased in the beginning, once the calf had the idea the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">sinch</span> was released, and away they went mother and baby bonded.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">There has been lots of other things going on, but they are stories for later.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I will leave you with some pictures of Nelly and her triplets for you to see what I mean about your own bed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The queen of Sheba, The proud dad Sandy and one of the heath burnings.</span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_jBD6yxnpwt66sRH72WfsuuL0Sr_N9Dm7IVQaDRQE7OZK4gCXRJQ7UjmvM8eJDR6CE9D0m6ep-AIDollhxrCOovjAgbm0Je9DO7wNo7RVsPKSDSa3aSkkMrY1bU3xf1O24xZN9f61lsh/s1600/SN852241.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455953678624221698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_jBD6yxnpwt66sRH72WfsuuL0Sr_N9Dm7IVQaDRQE7OZK4gCXRJQ7UjmvM8eJDR6CE9D0m6ep-AIDollhxrCOovjAgbm0Je9DO7wNo7RVsPKSDSa3aSkkMrY1bU3xf1O24xZN9f61lsh/s200/SN852241.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_Z99aMcQEERnhqyxq-ImonoMrmqI9DL5VZksqwYL35Q4CpVTZPiJ_2WBj5Aq1OTxOd5_PJwAVa8M8FwQrOKKHg5mvbpt_TwNXDyF1F2W3TMQAKDqbVVyIt0HVdTNyh_lgEexibvZwvKU/s1600/SN852237.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455953702393595234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_Z99aMcQEERnhqyxq-ImonoMrmqI9DL5VZksqwYL35Q4CpVTZPiJ_2WBj5Aq1OTxOd5_PJwAVa8M8FwQrOKKHg5mvbpt_TwNXDyF1F2W3TMQAKDqbVVyIt0HVdTNyh_lgEexibvZwvKU/s200/SN852237.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKmsLhKJpu88Hk77rp04vvYwnWRgtz9sMZCaTmIPdwFbVgI9erDA90b_ilA3HXW3BAOMJgfHwCNiJ_BYJ8RxMtN4R5wpEo_u3eNdbAVf6aNzm6EBcEjWs1KSkQWG5mlscQXYB4rNum2Qc/s1600/SN852236.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455953713073628914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKmsLhKJpu88Hk77rp04vvYwnWRgtz9sMZCaTmIPdwFbVgI9erDA90b_ilA3HXW3BAOMJgfHwCNiJ_BYJ8RxMtN4R5wpEo_u3eNdbAVf6aNzm6EBcEjWs1KSkQWG5mlscQXYB4rNum2Qc/s200/SN852236.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIW6MGNeKD7WElTH8gvJCDsbhRSBR_-8jUrfK8Q6qcYXVVNGvD-n2wxZjq0stcwLnxBqehXafTFVWge1ZV7is4LXlMhcQ0EcYwKEf8x7N2TU2kiK2zWWF03u_nEySuohg3B0JzB-MPupT/s1600/SN852227.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455958028357920946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIW6MGNeKD7WElTH8gvJCDsbhRSBR_-8jUrfK8Q6qcYXVVNGvD-n2wxZjq0stcwLnxBqehXafTFVWge1ZV7is4LXlMhcQ0EcYwKEf8x7N2TU2kiK2zWWF03u_nEySuohg3B0JzB-MPupT/s200/SN852227.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-65768669591045356042010-01-31T20:53:00.005+00:002010-01-31T21:38:54.076+00:00BBBRRRrrrrrrr it's cold out here<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCubSqZu_cibYbRHpksMSGq30JNRyGOgZtyXSor98cZunncLPMvEnJisD0-sKlIeDUe5sBGJ-S_Y_JeBNlAOFhMTVMerI87roOV5QvR1yBPauyRLtqeGgL0auqxOTxAxHriGoDiQwnIlKf/s1600-h/SN852167.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433020202908634338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCubSqZu_cibYbRHpksMSGq30JNRyGOgZtyXSor98cZunncLPMvEnJisD0-sKlIeDUe5sBGJ-S_Y_JeBNlAOFhMTVMerI87roOV5QvR1yBPauyRLtqeGgL0auqxOTxAxHriGoDiQwnIlKf/s200/SN852167.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF7BqLpxQbCRtVn5DxzJBT3emOfBAHRv9-_duYo4S8nVwjF3-Mfrg5xK6X_uPnU7uqciAMBO1JA_XQyLu1WKNNHqMdhb-jIMEi0lsbc7wg4musIMUTNY2i-76vqv-OerWafsucIHyoC_S/s1600-h/SN852165.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018792759040274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCF7BqLpxQbCRtVn5DxzJBT3emOfBAHRv9-_duYo4S8nVwjF3-Mfrg5xK6X_uPnU7uqciAMBO1JA_XQyLu1WKNNHqMdhb-jIMEi0lsbc7wg4musIMUTNY2i-76vqv-OerWafsucIHyoC_S/s200/SN852165.JPG" /></a><br /><div> <span style="color:#990000;">Freachan & Cullan above Creag Mhor</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjI66Wkf5323visdA1xtCAasVZv-i-wFmv2QzERgvuTzH_ALbaZ8N07fQmpy7m6A7NgDt5H-V6HmZsD_OgBv6e1reFK2vcdoHhEqnHpZfu8iDyRepXiuXuJxOnT5at-dR_F3VlJG2Y_hBX/s1600-h/Wee+Wendy.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018789074990146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjI66Wkf5323visdA1xtCAasVZv-i-wFmv2QzERgvuTzH_ALbaZ8N07fQmpy7m6A7NgDt5H-V6HmZsD_OgBv6e1reFK2vcdoHhEqnHpZfu8iDyRepXiuXuJxOnT5at-dR_F3VlJG2Y_hBX/s200/Wee+Wendy.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriAsJslbKZB3GZdqNUAyg6BL8tkPA2a-84XKHaTIcxYxpPo4YtCxrK-f07H-RD4s7R7NBFu8epRIe7iTKkG2wqIViu7r7TX-tMf9wa1Q_taoaOoi2QetxV_cnJVKqp0xz8OLfov9p5YCk/s1600-h/Tougs.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018457877212434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriAsJslbKZB3GZdqNUAyg6BL8tkPA2a-84XKHaTIcxYxpPo4YtCxrK-f07H-RD4s7R7NBFu8epRIe7iTKkG2wqIViu7r7TX-tMf9wa1Q_taoaOoi2QetxV_cnJVKqp0xz8OLfov9p5YCk/s200/Tougs.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Wee Wendy & Tougs</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz8AEhkUVwjx_pkRJygclGiXL3mtvQUEPoGjJyo2T4UDOQFu01qdQCk5W5iriyzwpSgQ1eMDtRu_jZj2L39zU3UG686I_Jim-hbI9NhVf9IFUdqxAT99rGoyQl0oStzcHp96DA4zMiVN9/s1600-h/Cullan.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018468425324898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz8AEhkUVwjx_pkRJygclGiXL3mtvQUEPoGjJyo2T4UDOQFu01qdQCk5W5iriyzwpSgQ1eMDtRu_jZj2L39zU3UG686I_Jim-hbI9NhVf9IFUdqxAT99rGoyQl0oStzcHp96DA4zMiVN9/s200/Cullan.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldkaEQLyrXMORIfcEC_AlHqNlUmTfG4pMks3ebRpYf9wTdtiQ019BsnDrBLZS-VdB4XpDKxI8qoQLdPGjDkH64iScnb234J1aFzITVBNccqtlUgkEZCtFKFJwlfVuNdLNqTsq3nddzg4m/s1600-h/Creag+Mhor+Croft.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018463429416546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldkaEQLyrXMORIfcEC_AlHqNlUmTfG4pMks3ebRpYf9wTdtiQ019BsnDrBLZS-VdB4XpDKxI8qoQLdPGjDkH64iScnb234J1aFzITVBNccqtlUgkEZCtFKFJwlfVuNdLNqTsq3nddzg4m/s200/Creag+Mhor+Croft.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Cullan & Creag Mhor in the snow</span><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVAg7fac6EgGpLeLBeqL5FvbA07LLos7o9oDKWZ91qQN6ncSxvfxKFXDT7rA6BV1Q29aIDUfcq62Vm8eauaPjvLOJqN4oj9eOzEUL5U_QAlf524gCwLGiBXyVQ9I91mnjAwBwHrC4uLdJ/s1600-h/Sandy+%26+Freachan.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018457862018978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVAg7fac6EgGpLeLBeqL5FvbA07LLos7o9oDKWZ91qQN6ncSxvfxKFXDT7rA6BV1Q29aIDUfcq62Vm8eauaPjvLOJqN4oj9eOzEUL5U_QAlf524gCwLGiBXyVQ9I91mnjAwBwHrC4uLdJ/s200/Sandy+%26+Freachan.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68B20ER7tsMs2EY2lvdE2ttWXgnLdrGI-5gSc76r2hMBkr-Bv5Ixa08n0sk1FUI24yuRIIEjgFcqLZ_RN9VIfPwrUNg0mwR97J061xpZtmaHND-UkAYjvRcS3XiODfQXBNnG3XP2cpb7e/s1600-h/Craigy+%26+Freachan.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018454312601634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68B20ER7tsMs2EY2lvdE2ttWXgnLdrGI-5gSc76r2hMBkr-Bv5Ixa08n0sk1FUI24yuRIIEjgFcqLZ_RN9VIfPwrUNg0mwR97J061xpZtmaHND-UkAYjvRcS3XiODfQXBNnG3XP2cpb7e/s200/Craigy+%26+Freachan.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Freachan washing Sandy & Craigy</span><br /><div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">BBBRRRrrrrrrrr it is cold out here, I don't know about you lot but my thermals have had some use this month, I know they are passion killers, but i would rather that than be vain and freeze to death.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well we have had snow at last here, it had to come at some point as we have had very little up to now.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Freachan thinks it's great he loves it so much out doors, to him it is just a big playground of fun.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Cullan being older and wiser looks at him like he should grow up but more that he is cracked, alas poor Cullan he forgets he was exactly the same when he was little too.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well we have been waiting for Beauty to have her baby she was due on the 28th Jan.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We sorted the cattle out this morning fed them and put them out for a drink, we kept Beauty in because we did not want her going away and having the calf on the sly, then decide not come back home with it, they do that hide them from you so you spend hours looking for them, it was to cold to be having a calf outside anyway.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">My hubby checked her bones this morning and said they had moved her udder was solid too, so in she stayed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Pal and Wee Wendy are still in, as Wee Wendy is a bit small to be out in the cold snow, we don't want her to go down with pneumonia.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">So we cleaned the byres ready for the cattle coming back in later.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I was filling the feed buckets ready to go in the stalls for the evening, I went into the shed where Beauty was tied in the stall, with two buckets in my hands, I looked down and there was a head and two feet sticking out, by the time I put the two buckets in the adjacent stalls and turned around the calf had popped out behind mum.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">It is a little girl jet black like her full sister Gemma, a quick learner too just like her sister, straight to the teat no messing.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We put them in the calving pen together so mum could give her a good lick to dry her off and bond properly.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">They will stay in there until the calf is steady on her feet and knows who her mother is.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Calves sometimes can be a little fly too, they go down the line behind the cows and check to see if they can steal milk from someone else, they usually get a firm kick from the none to keen cow.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">But new Born's have a stupid sense when they are born, and will go in to any stall to get a drink from an unsuspecting cow, it's not the calves fault it's just one teat look much like another, but they learn quickly after a few short sharp kicks.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Tougs our other calf is doing well too, he has started demanding his food, and will push you about if you do not give him anything before you feed everyone else, as you go in and out of the shed with hay he tries to catch you with his head.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Freachen our Jack Russell has opened a beauty salon of his own in the ram shed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He has taken to sitting in between the two Ram pens on the hay, the Rams have learned that if they put their head up to the pen gates Freachen will give them a wash every morning, ears, nose and eyes, boy don't they look clean when he has finished.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Know there is a race for the first wash, Sandy demands he gets washed first by charging at the pen and just stopping short so Freachan pays attention to him, Craigy just stands up on the pen wall to dominate the space, so poor Freachan is stuck in between the two Rams not knowing who to do first.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">It usually works out without to much of a to-do.</span></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-1858931922200092832010-01-19T13:46:00.002+00:002010-01-19T14:14:38.730+00:00Water, Water, give me water<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;">We have been in the grips of a really cold snap, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">fortunately</span> we have not had the snow others have had, but it is still cold enough to freeze the do-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">da's</span> off a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">proverbial</span> brass monkey.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We lost our water about 10 days ago due to the cold weather, as some of you might know we are not on the water mains like many of our fellow human beings, we get our water from the mountain behind the house, l</span><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ess</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">fluoride</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">additives</span> that way ; )</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have a very large water vat half way up the hill, which is a beggar to keep climbing up to when the water goes of for something stupid like a bit of bracken stuck down the main infill pipe to the vat from the burn.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But it keeps you fit.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway with it being so cold the ground has been frozen solid, and I could <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">actually</span> walk on the ice all the way up our burn outside the house, never been able to do this for years, </span><span style="color:#ff6600;">the ice was about 3" thick in places.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Every time I burst a hole through it to get water for the animals because the byre water supply was off to, I had to burst the ice again in the afternoon because it froze over so quickly.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway we have a 62mm plastic hose that runs from the vat on the hillside under the train track underpass, then it is dug under ground about 3 feet down to the house.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">About 20 feet from the house the hose changes to a 3/4" bore, at a Y piece that supplies water to the byre and the house, this is where it appeared to freeze and cut off our supply.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well the byre water came back on after about 6 days the house water supply was a different matter.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">In the end my husband had to go out on Saturday with a punch bar that he uses for fencing and try to break the ground up around the smaller hose.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">After much huffing and puffing he managed to get daylight to the hose, another hour later and banging of the pipe, also pouring hot water and salt solution down the pipe, a low groan and gurgling noise was heard to come from way down the pipe, all of a sudden the water came blasting out with shards of ice being pushed out from the pressure of the water.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once the air was out of the pipe he reconnected it and hey presto we had water again.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The tank in the attic void was filling nicely, once it was full the hot water was put on, I for one was sick of having what they call a sink wash, I needed a long soak in a hot tub <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ahhh</span>.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">One thing to remember hubby dear, don't turn off the cold water tap over night again when it's freezing outside if you want to keep the water to the house ; )</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-9684953026290511592010-01-12T14:48:00.005+00:002010-01-12T15:19:34.244+00:00Pictures as Promised<span style="color:#ff6600;">A few pictures as promised earlier.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">1. Pal first time mum and baby Wee Wendy.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">2. Wee Wendy one day old.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">3. Little Cracker Freachan pinching a present from under the Christmas tree.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">4. Freachan waiting for his treat.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">5. Cullan wanting his dinner.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXx12FZwWDkvM8fUNmEBTXMrhiWnKcW8x_a0kWgx4gSulTs1kn4kq00orn3UL9mZuNGMpJEgT2PLqMGVYGBBxePyhqZ_b5-NVHes_OEjiV04E8sD8GyKAl7iWuX8xHDlLC4_LIXYqHmzw/s1600-h/SN852120.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425871481680388226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXx12FZwWDkvM8fUNmEBTXMrhiWnKcW8x_a0kWgx4gSulTs1kn4kq00orn3UL9mZuNGMpJEgT2PLqMGVYGBBxePyhqZ_b5-NVHes_OEjiV04E8sD8GyKAl7iWuX8xHDlLC4_LIXYqHmzw/s200/SN852120.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq68-1grJk9sSjrMb0jy6qoNOcrCFMm7Mr2eYmyyExvJj2_304Zs5p3D_Rww_LEIT7hRISRPLxz-IpSonNadhsiFZQEr9oJc7r_mm7oaKvXIPUtkA0c-JG8zxRtpcVO6pPtdCpww1a_1V7/s1600-h/SN852133.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425871471452013266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq68-1grJk9sSjrMb0jy6qoNOcrCFMm7Mr2eYmyyExvJj2_304Zs5p3D_Rww_LEIT7hRISRPLxz-IpSonNadhsiFZQEr9oJc7r_mm7oaKvXIPUtkA0c-JG8zxRtpcVO6pPtdCpww1a_1V7/s200/SN852133.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NF0PGBXYzeN4VcLTClL0vBLvmr8UgyxuCG0lba0V6P0EvljVq6yfdtpWbWoXkicSkk_P5LNwCGqnQJkzG2s8C22Hft3FvzDHb8vwsvXbZCISITk4mQwgZ9srJzw3tOkfJrrnxL0tTsP4/s1600-h/SN852099.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425871466858290386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0NF0PGBXYzeN4VcLTClL0vBLvmr8UgyxuCG0lba0V6P0EvljVq6yfdtpWbWoXkicSkk_P5LNwCGqnQJkzG2s8C22Hft3FvzDHb8vwsvXbZCISITk4mQwgZ9srJzw3tOkfJrrnxL0tTsP4/s200/SN852099.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4alpn7HasUGJgoGeCJ7UMSwL_1QXXy5hRwgyzeYlLj0h8f7-4gZ4Dkji5DxsaFtWdKg8imgPT34D5OFURYhFL67qDpGziz1AqqIrAw2usY0wAfifI8j0C_gnjTDNuvbrgMT7A15N_ofn/s1600-h/SN852084.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425871465560222914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4alpn7HasUGJgoGeCJ7UMSwL_1QXXy5hRwgyzeYlLj0h8f7-4gZ4Dkji5DxsaFtWdKg8imgPT34D5OFURYhFL67qDpGziz1AqqIrAw2usY0wAfifI8j0C_gnjTDNuvbrgMT7A15N_ofn/s200/SN852084.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgSKHbsk_Huv3McITONvdKUgnNe3GMANWxdcgsA493F7iD8i6v_KDQD1J361Ub4ydLqixvX2nMiNfYHlOS2F9p5mSw8PJg30Zyxvxe6GY22mSi4SxmpOL_O6VohfiktHvEMDBo1-DadPR/s1600-h/SN852085.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425871460487673586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgSKHbsk_Huv3McITONvdKUgnNe3GMANWxdcgsA493F7iD8i6v_KDQD1J361Ub4ydLqixvX2nMiNfYHlOS2F9p5mSw8PJg30Zyxvxe6GY22mSi4SxmpOL_O6VohfiktHvEMDBo1-DadPR/s200/SN852085.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-41740868882864960142010-01-10T17:44:00.003+00:002010-01-12T14:41:23.464+00:00Walking on Thin Ice<span style="color:#ff6600;">I am beginning to think that I am being tested by someone above.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My life is like an adventure or thriller novel which ever way you want to look at it, I seem to have more than my fare share of near misses and catastrophes, I think someone else should take the lead for a short while and give me a rest.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Why I hear you ask?</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">As some of you may know we are in the grip of a cold Winter, luckily we have not had as much snow as the rest of the country, perhaps that's because we are sheltered by Creag Mhor or because we are at sea level, what ever the reason we seem to have had more Black Ice and flash freezing than anything else.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well to start this from the beginning, yesterday my husband was away for the day, collecting cattle feed, it was quite a cold day but not as cold as today, I started to fill the buckets for the cattle coming in in the afternoon, I thought I would bring them in a little earlier as the clouds looked rather threatening in the sky.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So away I went across the Mointeach Mhor to bring them in, it was easy to walk down as everything is frozen solid including the peat bogs which you usually have to walk around.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">As I got closer to the heard, one of the cows Rosie was on the other side of the river hooting and mo-owing, I looked around the heard and realised Rosie's calf was not amongst the calves, I ran towards the river which is frozen solid, about 3" of ice thick in places.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There was Rosie's calf Ruby, on the other side of the iced over river bank, she must have crossed over to be with mum and broke through the ice, but the bank was to high for her to climb out.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">She was trying to get up the ever higher bank which was covered in gorse and heather making it very difficult for her to get a grip.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">When she came to rest her head was perched on the ice that's all I could see, if she slipped off the ice she might have gone under and not been able to get back out.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I thought the best thing to do was to try and guide her back down a little way to a lower side of the bank, I knew I might be in for a wetting crossing the ice to help her, so I took of my big jacket, for two reasons, one to stop me sinking with the weight of it wet and two to have something dry to come home in just in case.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well the just in case was right, as I crossed the iced over river, Ruby began to dance about, she caused the ice to fracture, then all of a sudden a four foot square piece gave away and tipped up in the air, I slipped off and into the water, what was worse was I did not realise it was so deep, I went up to my neck in the freezing water, I could only just touch the bottom, the gasp that I let out must have been heard in Glasgow.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Now in a way I know this might sound strange, but I expected it to be really cold, as years ago I used to do a lot of coastal Scuba Diving so I knew how cold it could be, but it was the shock of it and not being able to get a proper footing that worried me.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway I give myself a second to collect my thoughts and decided what to do, I waded up to Ruby who was now calm she must have sensed I was in to help her, I grabbed her tail and pulled her around in a half circle to face her towards the lower bank, she was only being held up by the ice, as she could not touch the bottom at all, she was now wading in the water, and everything depended on her having the strength to pull herself up, the dogs were barking and whining, Rosie was really agitated be now, and I was absolutely freezing.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well Ruby did it she scrambled her front half up and I shoved her from behind the rest of the way, she got up and ran to mum without a thank you or glance back to see if I was okay, that's gratitude for you.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well I was so cold I had a bit of a time getting back on to the ice where I fell in, I was once told that if you fall into and iced over pond always try to get out where you went in as it carried your weight up until the point of entry so it was 99% guaranteed to hold your weight on the way out.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well I managed to slide up onto the ice and roll over to the bank back where I came from, all the while the dogs were going mad.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I got onto the bank, freezing and shacking with the cold and shock, I stripped of my jumper and shirt and put on my jacket, my wellingtons which were more of a hindrance than a help under water were full, and I had a nightmare trying to get them off with the suction, I tipped out the water and put them back on.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I ran for home my teeth were knocking together so violently I thought they might push them back into my gums.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I managed to get home, and stripped off the wet and freezing clothing, the towel and coal fire where a blessing.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I found it hard to sleep last night with flash backs of the days events, I was also in agony, I have bruising covering the back of both my legs, from my bum to the back of my Knees.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But these will heal, the calf Ruby is well, she got a good rub down too, and a penicillin, just to make sure she does not go down with anything nasty.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">As a result yes I was walking on thin ice and lost one of my nine lives, but all's well that end's well.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-23343118135291646002010-01-09T15:25:00.002+00:002010-01-09T16:01:10.119+00:00Upcoming Agricultural Events<span style="color:#ff6600;">For those of you who may be interested I have listings of some upcoming Agricultural Events.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">These events need your support as more and more of them are disappearing due to one thing or another.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So if you have time on your hands then maybe you would be interested to see how much work and preparation goes into these events, not only by animal handlers and exhibitors like us, but behind the scenes too.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There is something for everyone and it makes a great day out for the family, the kids will get to see animals they never thought they would see close up.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway that's enough of that, the listed shows are events my husband and I have visited ourselves or exhibited our livestock at over the years.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">You never know you may bump into us at one of the Agricultural Shows.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">If you want me to list any you know of in your area, then send me an email and I will see what I can do. I will list Event/Date and contact number.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Northumberland County Tynedale Park Corbridge 31 May 2010 Tel 01434 604216</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Road To The Isles Show Camasdarach Arisaig 12 June 2010 Tel 01687 450655</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Royal Highland Show Ingleston Edinburgh 24-27 June 2010 Tel 0131 3356212</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">The Great Yorkshire Show Harrogate 13-15 July 2010 Tel 01423 546231</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Cumberland County Show Carlisle Racecourse 17 July 2010 Tel 01697 747397</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Tiree Agricultural Society Show Rural Centre Isle of Tiree 23 July 2010 Tel 01879 220321</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Sutherland Show The Links Dornoch Sutherland 24 July 2010 Tel 01862 810162</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Biggar Show The Showfield Biggar 24 July 2010 Tel 01899 810262</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Nairn Show Kinnude Farm Auldearn 31 July 2010 Tel 01309 641121</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Turriff Show The Showfield The Haughs Turriff 1-2 August 2010 Tel 01888 568830</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Black Isle Show Mannsfield Showground Muir of Ord 4-5 August 2010 Tel 01463 870870</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Lorn Show Near Oban 7 August 2010 Tel 01631 770228</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Grantown Show Heathfield Park Grantown on Spey 12 August 2010 Tel 01343 555113</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Orkney Show Bignold Park Kirkwall Orkney 14 August 2010 Tel 01856 771441</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Appin Show Stalker Croft Appin Date TBC Tel 01631 730365</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Lochaber Show Torlund Home Farm Near Fort William Date TBC Tel 01397 708508</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Christmas Classic Thainstone Centre Inverurie 29-30 November 2010 Tel 01467 623786</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I look forward to seeing you there.</span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-73971815524510871092010-01-02T17:18:00.003+00:002010-01-02T18:21:51.855+00:00Catch up and a Happy New Year<span style="color:#ff6600;">Firstly I would like to wish my faithful followers a Peaceful and Prosperous 2010.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have not published for a little while as those of you who follow will know, I have had a rubbish 2009.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My father is still very much in my everyday thoughts, not just because of this time of year but also because he would have been 70 years old on the 4<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> of January.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My illness is still hanging on and is getting to me, my fuse is a little shorter than it was before, because the specialists cannot seem to ease my problem.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But this year I have to move on one step at a time to get on top of all these soul destroying problems.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We had a quiet Christmas, not through choice I might add.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The snow started on Friday 18<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> December, we had a flurry of snow which persisted through the night.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Then after that we had snow on and off but not huge amounts like they had down south or in the North of Scotland.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But the problem became worse when we had low temperatures, this caused the dirt track to become an ice rink.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So luckily we did the Christmas food shopping in Fort William.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Because the weather was so unpredictable we decided to stay at home, there was nothing needed that was so important to risk life and limb for on the road.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We are having to let the cows out of the byre one at a time because it is so slippery under foot, once they get out on to the common grazing's they wander off for the day, the sun in the afternoon is melting the snow out there so they are finding something to pick at.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once they come back in they get a good feed and a warm bed.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The young calves were fluke and mite dosed today, I must say they were really mild tempered, what a difference there is between calves weened in the winter and calves weened in the summer.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Winter calves are in the shed through the night so they get used to you being around them and will let you stroke them.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Summer calves are out on the common grazing's all of the time and do not have the human interaction so are a bit more fiery when you try to do anything with them.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So that is the calves in for the duration now once they are weened from mother.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The mothers are all in calve and some of them are due <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">imminently</span>.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">One of the heifers "Pal" is due right now so we are up through the night checking her to make sure all is well.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The old crofters used to say that the cow will sometimes go into labour when the moon is at it's fullest, but Pal is still hanging in there.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Our sheep now nine of them are all in lamb, Sandy the Cheviot ram went out at the beginning of November and has worked well, lots of Green markings on rumps that's the main thing, so we should be expecting babies around about 1st April, (no it's not an April fool).</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We lost poor old Snowy the big White Charolais this year, she went out on the common <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">grazing's</span> with the others in the morning and never came back in the evening, we went out to look for her and there she was, at first we thought she was a sleep, but she was not old age comes to us all we can never escape it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">She was one of my husbands father's last original cows, we both had a soft spot for her, she is missed even now, her great grand daughter "Pal" inherited her stall and she fills it just as much as Snowy did.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Lets hope she follows in her great grandmothers footsteps.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Penny one of our other heifers gave birth to a little boy a couple of months ago, not that he is so little, he is also <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Snowy's</span> great grandson, he is a beautiful fawn coloured Charolais and we named him <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tougs</span>.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He is soft natured like granny, and full of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">mischief</span>, nosey too.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">When I get the camera down-loaded I will post pictures.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It will soon be time to take the tree down, it is beautiful, a traditional fat six footer</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I will miss it this year, as it is one of the nicest trees I have had for a long time.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We are all snug this evening in front of a Peat burning open fire, as we have been through the Christmas holidays.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">All that hard work in the spring has come to some use, Peat has a beautiful aroma when you go out into the night air, it reminds you of so many things from your child hood.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My New Year <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">resolution</span> is to keep blogging more frequently than I did last year.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway I will close for now, wishing you all a Happy New Year and pop in anytime to find out what we are up to.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-84374422709811925082009-09-10T08:22:00.004+00:002009-09-10T09:19:23.972+00:00Blue Tongue Information<span style="color:#ff9900;">Yesterday I read an article in The Crofters a journal of the Scottish Crofting Foundation printed in Skye.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">It was in connection with the Blue Tongue vaccination.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Alasdair MacMhaoirn is seeking information with regards to strange phenomenon's that have occurred in you animals that you believe may be as a result of the Blue Tongue vaccination.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">With his kind permission I have copied his article below.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Heading effects of Blue Tongue vaccination.</strong></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Alasdair MacMhaoirn seeks more information.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">From time to time there are reports in the news about alleged side effects related to the Blue Tongue vaccine.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">In all cases these have been discounted by authorities, but still the stories persist.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Any perusal of the Internet will lead to numerous examples and one site in particular, <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/">http://www.campaignforliberty.com/</a>, has some very interesting points; among them that our own midges may be different from foreign ones and our native breeds may have a resistance. Apparently all cases so far have involved imported animals.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">My own interest began when I was speaking to a fellow Highland breeder who, for the first time, experienced unusual problems.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">As he told me, he has been raising cattle for years in the same area, Easter Ross, and this past calving was the first time he encountered two unusual problems.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">The first problem was that one of his calves had a malformation in the jaw.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">The breeder said that he had never seen this before in his stock, so it is natural that he wondered why.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">The other problem is called "brittle hoofs".</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">It was as if the calf's hoofs were to delicate to walk on.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Again, he had never encountered this problem before and wondered why it should suddenly arise.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">In both cases, the only new factor was the administration of the Blue Tongue vaccination.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">I mentioned the problems to a local vet who discounted them immediately.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">However it occurred to me if possible indications of problems are ignored in the first instance, then there will never be an accurate record of possible side effects which may then be investigated.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">For example, I believe that it is acknowledged that GP's under-report drug reactions within the yellow card system.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Consequently, I thought it might be interesting to invite readers to contact me if they suspect that the vaccine may be causing problems.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">I'll collate what ever responses I get and see what can be made of the.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Names need not be mentioned if preferred.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Please let me know if you suspect any problems at: <a href="mailto:alternatives.clinic@toucansurf.com">alternatives.clinic@toucansurf.com</a></span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">or post to Alternatives 39 High Street, Tain, IV19 1AE.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have reported a couple of instances myself, with in a month of the vaccine administration we lost a cow in calf, for no apparent reason, she dropped where she stood, no warning what so ever.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">To this day it cannot be explained.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Smaller more insignificant but unusual, one of our calves who's parents were both black ended up with an unusual colour splash on her hind quarters, like a grey bleach splash on a totally black background.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">A pure breed Cheviot also had the same thing across her rib cage but it was a dirty brown splash mark, like a negative of the calf's marking.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I know for a fact there are others out there that have had unusual problems also.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I think this is a worth while exercise of an independent kind, after all the ministry pooh pooh that their vaccine may be the reason for some of these problems, but until the information is gathered then how will you know that you may not be alone, there could be others that have suffered the same unusual occurrences for no apparent reason.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So no matter how small the phenomenon give Alasdair the information for him to collate.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Hopefully he will publish his findings in The Crofter.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Thank you for reading.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-3347463597831152802009-07-23T09:50:00.004+00:002009-08-15T10:19:36.539+00:00I had to let go<span style="color:#ff6600;">I have not posted anything on here for a little while, as we had a tragedy in our family a short while ago and it is taking me a while to come to terms with it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My illness has also hindered me from doing certain things as well, but grief is a hard thing to live with.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">This is a personal tribute to my father.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He died on 12 July aged 69 after a short illness and we said good bye to him on 21st July when he was laid to rest.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My father had a hard working life, he started in the coal mining industry at the age of 15.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">From there he moved into farming.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He loved the label Countryman because that's what he was, he liked nothing better than rolling his sleeves up and mucking in.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He always had his shirt sleeves up, that was a habit he never got out of even at the end.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He was brought up on the fells in a place called Tindale Tarn.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;"> (See attached link)</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">From there he moved around and settled in Calthwaite near Penrith.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He worked on a farm which had a large Frisian dairy heard, Black face sheep and as I recall from childhood memory a large selection on bulls which were chained to the ground in the fields.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I believe they could have been Charolais which were part of an AI centre.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Growing up there as a young child held a lot of fond memories for me.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">One of which was crossing the fields from our home which was Rose Cottage in Low Plains, to our soon to be new home which was Lott Cottage, as our family was about to receive a new arrival imminently.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Dad said he would take me to help or hinder tidying up the new home for the flit.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">At the time I would have been just over 4 years old, it was cold and wintry, late November early December time, the snow against me was quite deep, over my wellingtons anyway, my knees were chapped with the cold snow wetting through my dungarees.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My father had a firm and yet comforting warm grip of my small hand.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I felt at the time that I was doing a marathon, "why do parents insist on walking so fast when you have to do three paces to their every one"?</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I remember starting to sob under my breath, (big girls don't cry at least not in public anyway), because I was so cold and tired with the trek over the snow covered fields.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My father looked down and I felt a tug on my hand as he swung me into the air and lifted me onto his shoulders, "there" he said "is that better now you can see what I see".</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He said something that always stuck in my head, which comes to mind now and again, it was something like, </span><span style="color:#ff6600;">Mums and Dads are learners too."We don't get a manual when we arrive on the planet on how to do things in our lives, but we have a journal at the end of our lives when we leave".</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I took it to mean sorry for dragging you through the snow I forgot I was bigger than you ; )</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But what ever his meaning it stuck with me.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We arrived at our destination, at was a large cottage with two bedrooms an outside privy, and a shed for animals which was situated under the back bedroom.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">When he opened the door about five sheep came scampering out and nearly flattened my dad.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I asked if they were living there too, dad said they were about to be chucked out.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The floor in the house was flagstones covered in sheep droppings.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There was a pot sink in the vestibule as you walked through the front door a fireplace in the living room and that was all.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It was dark and damp, but soon to be our new home.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">This was the start of many happy memories for me, I loved Lott Cottage and hated it when we eventually left years later.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My father was a great personality he filled a room with his stories and reminiscences from old.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He believed in telling the truth as no good ever came of telling lies, however hurtful the truth could be, lies they always come back to haunt you.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He brought us up to speak our minds, never to be afraid of doing so.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He was a strong character, but towards the end he became agitated because people were doing things for him when his mind said you do it has body would not let him, it broke our hearts to see him suffering in such a cruel way, a strong willed man reduced to a broken spirited shell.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">He was always there for all of his little girls when ever we had a problem or we just needed to talk to him he was there to listen and offer what advise he could.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It's been a short time since I said good bye and I still have to stop myself from picking up the telephone to speak to him.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Life still goes on sometimes it sweeps you along like a raging river whether you like it or not.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The grief will always be there sometimes like a dense cloud cover sometimes like a small cloud. </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">But never far away.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I had to say good bye to Dad which was heart breaking to do I had to let go of his warm comforting hand for what seemed like the first time in my life.</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-27636262766270687782009-07-18T14:46:00.003+00:002009-07-18T15:14:18.050+00:00My Spoilt Brat<div><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359812993970363250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMxuktGd3dpaVfckZDgAbBfUO9RTW2TcORz_XbnXJakzhPvEq27lC8vOg9UCBpPfeNLxBzSMhlgmfHd99VmqrffXufXeYo-18ptKm32F2fXH1FGxSNuvdXALCa4SysFnMIRTOttwUrxWR/s200/SN851658.JPG" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmNAaAXNN15chCBLYCvvgcLQ8QVd2l-7-Du7AlPoYUP2rIdHYXbiVcZEjLGsXRsJUklWLspht5W8L6kVVgoiVre_ZrDFnLnRLVoS-U8_f-dIGWlmGx-NaARBz7WbRDGS6shURiXL2epUJ/s1600-h/SN851686.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359812992820502114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmNAaAXNN15chCBLYCvvgcLQ8QVd2l-7-Du7AlPoYUP2rIdHYXbiVcZEjLGsXRsJUklWLspht5W8L6kVVgoiVre_ZrDFnLnRLVoS-U8_f-dIGWlmGx-NaARBz7WbRDGS6shURiXL2epUJ/s200/SN851686.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Well you better believe it Fraochan has turned in to a little brat ; )</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He has taken over everything, even bossing cullan our collie dog about.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Even though he has been a great addition to our little family, he makes you smile even when you just look at him.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Fraochan has taken to sleeping between us in bed and if you do not make room for him he scratches your head until you do move to let him in.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He will not eat normal dog food he has decided that he will sit beneath the dinner table and bark until you give him something of yours from the plate.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He will dive into the dog dish when Cullen has finished eating everything and avidly scrape the sides of the bowl like he is starving, when you put something in the bowl for him he sniffs his nose at it and walks away. : (</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He loves Malteser's and gets huffy if you come out of the shop without any in your pocket.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We found out he will attack you for an ice cream, the minute you get into the car with a cone in your hand he is on your knee trying to take a chunk out of the ice cream before you even get a taste of it.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He loves the bath but is not keen of the sea, I think he deliberately goes and gets dirty just so you can put him in the bath.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">If he hears one of the Tornado planes shoot past over head he will come running in and jump on your knee for protection : 0</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Mischief is his middle name, I can put something down and he will pick it up and run out into the garden with it, he has been caught burying his food in the garden as well as my socks.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Cullan has grown attached to him and very protective of the wee man.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He also runs along behind you and taps at the back of you ankles with his feet to pick him up, he likes to get a birds eye view of things rather than a view of tall grass only.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He makes us laugh out load sometimes, and it's hard to tell him off when he is naughty because he looks at you with those big brown eyes which would melt the hardest heart.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have a screen saver with wee whiskey playing in the sea with cullan, I still miss him terribly and Fraochan will never replace him but he has filled a hurting heart.</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span> </div><div> </div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-40295573251176603392009-07-18T10:15:00.004+00:002009-07-18T11:00:48.323+00:00Creag Mhor Caravan<span style="color:#cc0000;">I have added a link on the right hand side of this blog for our caravan. (See <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Creag</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mhor</span> Caravan)</span> <span style="color:#cc0000;">It gives an idea of the area that the van is situated.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">I get many people ringing up and sending emails asking where we are and what it is like.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">I do not mind explaining and going to the effort of letting them know we are not on the beach front.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">They all appear to be exited and do not mind that we are not on the beach front <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">in fact</span> as they say it is just what they are looking for?</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">Well that is until I mention the fact that we live down what I call a dirt track, yes it is not a tarred road, but you do not need a pony and cart to get down the track either as someone once asked? a car is quite <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">adequate</span> I think ; )</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">So I decided to post a video of the caravan and part of the track it is not a great quality video but you should get the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">gist</span> of it.</span> <div><div><div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;">I have also posted a couple of pictures of the "dirt track" just for information below.</span><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;">It is secluded and private, ideal for couples (although it will sleep six) who like peace and quiet away from the madding crowd.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;">The track goes all the way up to a place called <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Scammadale</span> by Loch <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Morar</span>.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;">It is a beautiful walk or maybe if you are energetic a bike ride.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;">There is great fishing in the area, and I have had many parties of anglers staying in the van, it is ideal for them to leave their fishing rods fully extended and left under the van without worrying about them getting damaged, lost or stolen.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;">Anyway see for yourselves, I am sure you will be more enlightened.</span></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsojhXtIbZHXJqLhNdbTbxgk85oiGtfRlDVO2mGPXxJozs9WgKDNBJIV7qGPmldVT5X3VJswO0CUJFNFQr7FWUdiM7BnvF5OhXxM-uo8wCyH5ay3e5xNadE9m5PEtw4-s0XdLtQlWGwwz/s1600-h/SN851816.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359750372863524914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqsojhXtIbZHXJqLhNdbTbxgk85oiGtfRlDVO2mGPXxJozs9WgKDNBJIV7qGPmldVT5X3VJswO0CUJFNFQr7FWUdiM7BnvF5OhXxM-uo8wCyH5ay3e5xNadE9m5PEtw4-s0XdLtQlWGwwz/s200/SN851816.JPG" /></a> <img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359750391140814338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KjQylE0AJs0AnDndpz3D-TX5J9NHwTILEBe-k4_xjpbSW1czZooN6llb7Z_6NAkSnsi_rtOM6lOKsrWDmVz5pc5C1o919GUD4sfNpTCvC_RAeXan6WalVsODSeVLri6xYoqddFPY4erf/s200/SN851819.JPG" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCo3AgtqPpMGyqU2OTRKz9hAkOhR2GDxW4vmr83HPx0Jc7RSjnqP_sVgSaiDDwjqoq841BWESZNOGRsbwTvZrMZHQaWzM53RR7Z3xwTji8PLfBrfjkFVDWfVJAcQf_cfSdnnWTJkey64n/s1600-h/SN851815.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359750379530301058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCo3AgtqPpMGyqU2OTRKz9hAkOhR2GDxW4vmr83HPx0Jc7RSjnqP_sVgSaiDDwjqoq841BWESZNOGRsbwTvZrMZHQaWzM53RR7Z3xwTji8PLfBrfjkFVDWfVJAcQf_cfSdnnWTJkey64n/s200/SN851815.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#cc0000;"></span></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-85980850651421717842009-06-22T08:59:00.005+00:002009-06-24T08:38:26.334+00:00Phew<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;">Well I appear to have been a bit remiss again?</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have had an illness I cannot seem to shake off.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">started</span> with a very bad flu in February, and ever since then things have not been altogether right.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Things in my immune system did not go back to how they should, so since then I have been <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">prodded</span> and poked about by the doctors to try and get to the bottom of this cough which sounds like a hippos roar when he is in full charge if you know what I mean.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So I have not had the full lung power I should have, inhalers seem to have become a part of my life at the moment, lets hope not for ever, I feel a lot better that I first did, and hopefully I will be back at work with in the next week or so.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">In the mean time I have had to stay away from animal foods, hay, straw, barley etc, even sprays such as <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">deodorant</span> can set of a chain reaction to misery.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So I have confined myself to outdoor things fresh air is the best cure so they say.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">My husband and a friend have been busy cutting peat again this year whilst the weather is good, they went for it big style this year, we have a very large peat stack and a medium sized one that is still to finish.</span> <div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#990000;">Our Peat Stacks</span> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusoj_hxpBsCHfRdo4ZLnRxHRiLlMRVoXCYv8KecYDgOQmrfVcQWj3ZfIwv0qIQ9lp-yA4hqbiLQgQdNoEwyDRYg4I-CmwUMqbwVLybb0EwT3IHmm5r6fxaAav8-0a7DpuIyZr2L-lOnnp/s1600-h/SN851697.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350808714784349650" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusoj_hxpBsCHfRdo4ZLnRxHRiLlMRVoXCYv8KecYDgOQmrfVcQWj3ZfIwv0qIQ9lp-yA4hqbiLQgQdNoEwyDRYg4I-CmwUMqbwVLybb0EwT3IHmm5r6fxaAav8-0a7DpuIyZr2L-lOnnp/s200/SN851697.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ua5uU2vkUY_yUayvo-nPwgvUW2LhD7cB0q2kUvPXlt1eBitjKOIzORKRyDXkh7ddvh2HJASe38S5GqnLz82yPdTFvOZYYeWZPKbm8o2CAn2640g1J0_kgkHTEWDj9SKFGF3cEjiFHFwY/s1600-h/SN851693.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350808705523295506" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Ua5uU2vkUY_yUayvo-nPwgvUW2LhD7cB0q2kUvPXlt1eBitjKOIzORKRyDXkh7ddvh2HJASe38S5GqnLz82yPdTFvOZYYeWZPKbm8o2CAn2640g1J0_kgkHTEWDj9SKFGF3cEjiFHFwY/s200/SN851693.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN51RNAE3vap10pM9yKJ8GAShPQDjRNajg_DhR2HykDUHBM1mO_IBgDalJCdC6f6jW0qidcJEOx8Y1Y4ginj-wlO8KmNgSvCatNXm-bgQwKE9sQV4PAJeTGCTf_YWn6z6DU0L2i_KBS4sh/s1600-h/SN851692.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350808699530692290" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN51RNAE3vap10pM9yKJ8GAShPQDjRNajg_DhR2HykDUHBM1mO_IBgDalJCdC6f6jW0qidcJEOx8Y1Y4ginj-wlO8KmNgSvCatNXm-bgQwKE9sQV4PAJeTGCTf_YWn6z6DU0L2i_KBS4sh/s200/SN851692.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The steam train crosses right behind our peat field, and every so often you can see a camera flash from the train, they must be taking photographs, as this is something you very rarely see on the mainland these days.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">A couple of weeks ago the steam train went trundling past whilst we were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">beginning</span> to stack the peat, my husband said that it was not going to make the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bough</span> of the hill to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Arisaig</span> Station, he was right, it had to come all the way back down the hill to build up steam to have another go.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">We had a lot of people waving from the train and taking pictures, they <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">probably</span> thought we were nuts, or maybe some of them did not even have a clue what we were actually doing?</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway the train <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">coincidentally</span> driven by a cousin of my husbands, set off at a great pace, leaving behind him a fire on the track hillside, which tends to happen a lot in the hot weather, better for us if it happens on our side of the track as it burns the old bracken <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">and</span> heather away without us having to set the fires ourselves.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway my husband said he was not going to make it again, and sure as anything here he came trundling back down the hill <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">towards</span> us, they stopped where the fire had started and some of the men piled off the train to put out the fire, whilst my hubby's cousin built up the steam on <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">board</span> the Jacobite ready for another go, mean while the natives on board the train were shouting out things like, "can we have a tow"? "do you take bed and breakfast" and such like, all good banter.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Once the fire was extinguished the Jacobite Steam Train was reversed down the track to the level crossing at the bottom of the hill.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Alec Iain my husbands cousin let off a loud whistle and the Jacobite Steam Train thundered into action she flew up the hill at a tremendous pace roaring all the way, she <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">clanked</span> and hissed past us in the peat field with great flutes of steam trailing behind her, there was no stopping her this time, Alec Iain <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">saluted</span> on the way past as she climbed the hill with great majesty, leaving behind her little pockets of fire on the banks of the railway track and a deadly silence after all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">excitement</span>.</span> </div><div> </div><div><span style="color:#990000;">Jacobite Steam Train behind our house.</span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WmK_mxZGEhOnd7NTUGCshgzzkRVehhKjJ1HihsPL2qTzF_YpHLIMSfe6uB7el3GwhxTqexMmN7WqKWq3aMlQewogY-nyZgXsj8RY8mG7A9MJWqX0ZQjO_WAM1nqQAzLRbD1BBPgJV9RZ/s1600-h/SN850939.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350809946469179698" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WmK_mxZGEhOnd7NTUGCshgzzkRVehhKjJ1HihsPL2qTzF_YpHLIMSfe6uB7el3GwhxTqexMmN7WqKWq3aMlQewogY-nyZgXsj8RY8mG7A9MJWqX0ZQjO_WAM1nqQAzLRbD1BBPgJV9RZ/s200/SN850939.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIKKh9iB9wMQa3iNzArQywBY79vq2lXKELuKvYCk9AaJpMF8kxdUb3iaQHDwd2awCGASOwrdsQA-qjTxQJDOcHFvHui_kPnWnwC0ZmePWCx6HTSRJ2ZBbxLSf7Z6YkKlUvE6_58ieNUcC/s1600-h/SN850938.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350809939477886258" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIKKh9iB9wMQa3iNzArQywBY79vq2lXKELuKvYCk9AaJpMF8kxdUb3iaQHDwd2awCGASOwrdsQA-qjTxQJDOcHFvHui_kPnWnwC0ZmePWCx6HTSRJ2ZBbxLSf7Z6YkKlUvE6_58ieNUcC/s200/SN850938.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style="color:#ff6600;">Phew well she made it into the station after all the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">commotion</span>, I bet the people on the train loved every minute of their train ride, it does not happen that often maybe two or three times a season when the weather is just right, the tracks become slippy with the heat and well you know the rest.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"> </span><br /><br /></div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-23525483836160630062009-05-11T09:10:00.004+00:002009-05-11T10:15:11.942+00:00Stock Judging Event Torlundy Fort William<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;">This is for the locals who read</span><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;"> my blog and anyone else who may be in the area.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There will be a stock judging event in the auction mart at Tordundy this Friday 15th May 2009 at 7:00pm.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">All those people who are interested please try to make an effort to go along and support it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">It is not often these events happen and they are getting less and less.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Local support and participation of these events is always needed or else we lose them.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Even if you have not got a clue or you have never clapped eyes on a sheep or cow, come along and have ago it is great fun even the kids would enjoy it.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">A night out for all the family what more could you ask for?</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Meet people old and new for a good old natter.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">There is refreshments in the interval and raffle prizes to be won.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Nearly everyone goes home with something, even a big smile.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">So come along and see what it's all about.</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-6487107795619154902009-05-09T16:36:00.007+00:002009-05-11T15:17:28.726+00:00Look what I got<span style="color:#ff6600;">Awe look what I got.</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5YLfLAKa8i_9MA2hG6FxslDNqLW14Cd_w1e-PnqfaCUs95f5bhmBAVpX7j81kFZ1qnn9ZsyDUimf2xnGS4faUUHCBBMTraAUOqIAFezZfZyOzLcvjFJacEMjfm2uMhTGjYvlKA5qWfvZ/s1600-h/SN851588.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333867636515794050" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5YLfLAKa8i_9MA2hG6FxslDNqLW14Cd_w1e-PnqfaCUs95f5bhmBAVpX7j81kFZ1qnn9ZsyDUimf2xnGS4faUUHCBBMTraAUOqIAFezZfZyOzLcvjFJacEMjfm2uMhTGjYvlKA5qWfvZ/s200/SN851588.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXOke4imHV-BaO9JME2-10I-HI822v50FEZny2yMn1NpfErNikpPpe4pL2hmWOxop1-QO7TB2UCiB4sxk_TBI4cjjqp6E1FVn3ZwGgRPtLC0CtjRybI2PqqTA-jXmLnehcLnZzJXuO3AT/s1600-h/SN851557.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333867628755353938" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXOke4imHV-BaO9JME2-10I-HI822v50FEZny2yMn1NpfErNikpPpe4pL2hmWOxop1-QO7TB2UCiB4sxk_TBI4cjjqp6E1FVn3ZwGgRPtLC0CtjRybI2PqqTA-jXmLnehcLnZzJXuO3AT/s200/SN851557.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnLtF3xqjHzlPsVwrUBf2wCRjV_fnfnksrpfk8V8iK45poUgsXMoZiWp7sVtAbkBkgtCcBP5jNBKM6no4mlAjiIQdckGb4rN-3VwmDS6zTz5lBm3dhnk-58pzqO3iwX06fN86yz0ll4q6/s1600-h/SN851561.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333867626668437986" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnLtF3xqjHzlPsVwrUBf2wCRjV_fnfnksrpfk8V8iK45poUgsXMoZiWp7sVtAbkBkgtCcBP5jNBKM6no4mlAjiIQdckGb4rN-3VwmDS6zTz5lBm3dhnk-58pzqO3iwX06fN86yz0ll4q6/s200/SN851561.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCt6Z3h2bklSMyzF0L0qWOKRhz2XRLCSAhLVu9r5nYWvakIiMxn0kXWFqogB8BrB1c6buDwNBb6YeNbv1nEXFkgsKwkLDHl4Rbgz1QDLpRpoL_wBflfSgwXDmelnRfIPk05ye7rE09tbV/s1600-h/SN851607.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334585544727669698" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCt6Z3h2bklSMyzF0L0qWOKRhz2XRLCSAhLVu9r5nYWvakIiMxn0kXWFqogB8BrB1c6buDwNBb6YeNbv1nEXFkgsKwkLDHl4Rbgz1QDLpRpoL_wBflfSgwXDmelnRfIPk05ye7rE09tbV/s200/SN851607.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsahjv3Bw6csrjUq7WIrjEw0rJD2sg9tTT9TCQKUON5Q5EZ4hyphenhyphenwb8W00eK3_a3U_nuWVJeXtVXt4OwCBF8nZIOPTHeAv1HPXE-ILG1m5h7CANJEbOiZLgmwaMcgZaWgeFVNZ5QkkvGyOh/s1600-h/SN851588.JPG"></a><br /><div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">His name is "fraochan" which is Gaelic for White Heather.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He is a 7 week old Jack Russell.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">His colours are perfect, he has a little kink in his tail, he had his tail jammed in a door when he was a couple of weeks old.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">After losing Whisky it has been a little hard for me to think of having another dog, but we really needed to jump in at the deep end because our collie Cullan was missing another dogs company.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He was looking unhappy when we were out and about with him, he was always looking for his pal.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He still sits by his grave on an evening in the garden, it was becoming heartbreaking watching him moon about.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">So hence Fraoch, they both took to each other like ducks to water, and run around the garden like lunatics, not to mention the house, it is taking a bit of getting used to as Fraoch is small and follows you about everywhere, one minute he is over there next he is behind you feet, he moves like the wind.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We gave him Whisky's bed and he loves it, he dives in and digs around the edges hiding his dog biscuits is something else he has decided to do.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I suppose this comes from being part of a large litter, they are competitive for food.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Anyway we love him and so does Cullan that's the main thing.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He is so curious I introduced him the the sheep, he never batted an eye, that might be a good sign, he eats everything so he has to be watched all of the time.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He likes to lie down at the top of your head and curl up in a small ball.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">He has such a good nature.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I will keep you posted with his exploits ; )</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-83127229444367597972009-04-29T18:49:00.010+00:002009-04-29T20:51:20.059+00:00All go on the West Coast<span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff9900;">Once again I am behind with everything, there is a lot more than meets the eye to keeping this blog up to date, sometimes there is to much to say and other times not a lot at all.</span><br /><div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">So I will fill you all in with the going's on here on our West Coast Croft.</span> </div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Are you sitting comfortably?</span> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Since Gemma was born we have had another two additions to our herd.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Both females one is a Simmental cross we called Helen, the other is an Aberdeen Angus cross she was born on Monday, as yet we have no name for her.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Helen is the rowan cow named Effy's offspring, she is a fiery little red thing with a white face, her father is Dernean Jacob.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Effy as usual popped her out with no help from us mortals what so ever.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">The thing with Effy is she likes to let you know she is the boss, for all the thrashing of her head and snorting she is a bit of a coward really , but she is not to be trusted, once she smells fear in you that's it she's got you and she will chase you down and run over you if you let her.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Anyway she was tied in her stall to give birth, for two reasons our safety and just in case anything went wrong, as we would not be able to help her with the calf if she was loose.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Effy gave birth we checked the calf over, tagged her ears and put Iodine on her umbilical cord, so she did not get any infections.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;">Once she was all done we put her in the birthing pen, then released Effy so she could bond with her baby, once Effy was released we retreated out of the byre and waited for her to make her way in to the pen with the calf, once she was in the pen the we rushed in to secure the gate and that was her locked in, she snorted and took a run at the spars on the pen but other than that she was quite calm, she made such a fuss of Helen how proud she was all the time licking her an moowing at her, poor Helen kept getting knocked off her feet by her mum licking her so hard.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">The next thing was to make sure Helen sucked her mum if she did not suck we were in bother as it would be impossible for us to go in the pen and help her out as Effy would attack you, after all how is she supposed to know you are only trying to help, so we stood for a long while watching and waiting with baited breath for Helen to do the deed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">We were saved little Helen stood up under mummy, after a bit of sucking at Effies leg and around about she managed to get on the teat, sucking furiously that was us both happy shook hands and walked away knowing everything was going to be alright.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">In the middle of all this we have had to do the Blue tongue injections.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">We did the first injection in March what a nightmare, once the cows know you are up to something they start skittering everywhere.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">So we gave them a bucket in the stall and started with injecting big Snowy she was not to bad, once she finished her sweets (cow cobs) she was let out of the byre, we went down the line repeating the same process each time, Angela and Effy were the worst to do, they were kicking and bucking making a load guttural noise once they were done the cows were all put out on the the Mointeach Mhor to calm down, they get so worked up over a tiny little jab, I don't know what I am talking about I get the same way, it's the anticipation of it.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Next the sheep, that was fun, they were all in the next byre, trying to catch them is the hardest part, they run between your legs and take you off your feet, like little moving battering rams, each one was turned out of the byre after they were injected, thank heavens they only have to be done once, the cows on the other hand had to be done again in four weeks.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">I had to take note of missing ear tags on the cows, as this is the time of year that they tend to loose them because of the feed rings, they must pull them out when they put their heads in the ring, some are torn out which I think must be really painful, others like the small round button tags seem to pull right through the ear, on this occasion we had at least twelve tags to replace, this can be quite costly every year but it has to be done or we get penalised by the government inspection agencies people if the cattle are missing any tags, so it is something that must be kept on top of as no excuses will be excepted.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">So when the cattle had the second injection we had to tag the ones that had lost theirs, we also gave them their spot-on to keep the ticks at bay and a liver fluke dose to keep the worms and slug/snail larvae out of the cows liver etc.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">We lost one of our in calf cows after the first blue tongue injection, she was due to calf in three weeks, it was Wendy the Black cow which always looked like she was malnourished.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">She came in on the Saturday with the others and had her feed, there was nothing coming over her, I actually remember commenting to my husband that she looked really well like she was blooming, we were looking forward to seeing her calf as she always gave us a good one, well she never came in on Sunday morning with the others, my husband thought he could see her lying out on the hill on the Mointeach Mhor, he started to shout on her whilst looking through the binoculars but she did not move, I headed out to see what was wrong, just in case she had decided to go in to labour early, all the time I shouted on her but there was no response from her, as I drew closer to her I knew there was something wrong, I started to run up the hill, there she was poor wee Wendy flat out stone dead, no sign of a struggle or calving just laid out like she was asleep.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">My husband could not come down to see her, she was his favorite of all the cows, he was heart broken and inconsolable as was I.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">I sent my husband away and asked a friend to come over and give a hand to bury her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">We spent the best part of the day digging the resting place for poor Wendy and her unborn baby.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Once it was done we started to push and pull her toward the hole the final push was so traumatic for me, we had seemed to struggle for so long to get her into her resting place that the energy was sapped from us, I thought I could not go on anymore then just as she was on the lip of her resting place she seemed to sit up and take a last look around before she rolled over and laid out.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">That was it for me, I broke down it was so emotional watching her sit up, digging and pulling took it out of me.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">We covered her over and I said a prayer for her and the baby, I hope she rests in peace in the land of green fields and plenty.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Then nature took over and Joanna one of the Heifers gave birth the a tiny and I mean tiny Black Aberdeen Angus, I am not sure what happened to her but she has what can only be described as a White lightning strike flash across her bottom and down her back leg.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Joanna is a beautiful red colour and the father is Nightingale Quinton a Black Aberdeen Angus, so where the white came from is any ones guess, maybe it is a side effect from the blue tongue who knows, all I care about is that they are both fine and healthy, as yet we have no name for the tiny wee crater. </span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">As yet we have no lambs, the first ram we hired did not seem to work so we exchanged him for an older ram that knew what it was for, hopefully we will hear the patter of little hooves shortly, we are keeping everything crossed.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Poor Rabbie, got a urinary infection, I had to call a neighbour who had had the same thing happen to one of their rams, they came over to do a minor surgery on poor Rabbie, which entailed snipping a tiny piece of his manhood off called the worm.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">I can tell you he was not the only one that was relieved that night, he is doing well and no side effects, I would like to thank my neighbours for their help that night without which I would have surely lost my wee Rabbie.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">The weather has been a bit hit and miss, over Easter it was really sunny, although there was a lot of high winds from the East, we lost quite a lot of our slates from the roof of the house so that was another job that had to be taken care of sooner rather than later, an expense you could do without but when nature throws a curve ball you have to run with it.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">So at the moment the weather does not know what do do, blow a gale, rain or shine, it's about time it made it's mind up.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Anyway a couple of pictures of the wee pets ; )</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff9900;">Helen and as yet no name.</span></div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-kmc3zM5CRmVrNHbc3pF9KV6WEGIoi2vgz2BibyMo6iPYi4JloH95x_nQwrGcy2loDoldrnbxgVyhnu64GqglESQHJjzlFPDHLcDizsfG4EafM2UGO7OAoOlx7IgbNHORMaRKLTtkeAB/s1600-h/SN851534.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330206322223716802" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-kmc3zM5CRmVrNHbc3pF9KV6WEGIoi2vgz2BibyMo6iPYi4JloH95x_nQwrGcy2loDoldrnbxgVyhnu64GqglESQHJjzlFPDHLcDizsfG4EafM2UGO7OAoOlx7IgbNHORMaRKLTtkeAB/s200/SN851534.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse4IKmL8-hZOG4eTRyAi9ynVFy8SAlk5HJoEZupRdx7JQh7w6B2YjIKF-WqCRl2ZVu3VFKxo85K-dc3oBeF8lwGl19496o6CDvrl4k2s7DKodw_i-xFJp8JMQ1SHuk4hhiZa8iAZX6xqR/s1600-h/SN851552.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330206316350691298" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhse4IKmL8-hZOG4eTRyAi9ynVFy8SAlk5HJoEZupRdx7JQh7w6B2YjIKF-WqCRl2ZVu3VFKxo85K-dc3oBeF8lwGl19496o6CDvrl4k2s7DKodw_i-xFJp8JMQ1SHuk4hhiZa8iAZX6xqR/s200/SN851552.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-9694827815214624062009-03-10T08:03:00.003+00:002009-03-10T08:28:46.466+00:00Introducing Gemma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu77AR4pNhfek2FAeF3ftgVv5T5d5qlfMR-S1Np7PryoMhis2I8YMFcwJAv497CngtmCUq5sei41RXyVsKXv6tX-auo3j7plHiZee7hW4JTkltLmldKdJK068C0SFaoUCo4QTQNeofc892/s1600-h/SN851431.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311468549384101522" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu77AR4pNhfek2FAeF3ftgVv5T5d5qlfMR-S1Np7PryoMhis2I8YMFcwJAv497CngtmCUq5sei41RXyVsKXv6tX-auo3j7plHiZee7hW4JTkltLmldKdJK068C0SFaoUCo4QTQNeofc892/s200/SN851431.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2bzy-rUmbA4Tgfwk8yAZJpsQZ0MfA8hNLkozDWnCDAHGH45Jl2x82BGhbxnZe1ODRrpBeYPWGFtGNWTPpHyUH-TRkwCkyKxVM5TuQICbIvrulLuhllWwL2gG48zA-3Crl8pgaxwz2STM/s1600-h/SN851447.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311468540064949650" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2bzy-rUmbA4Tgfwk8yAZJpsQZ0MfA8hNLkozDWnCDAHGH45Jl2x82BGhbxnZe1ODRrpBeYPWGFtGNWTPpHyUH-TRkwCkyKxVM5TuQICbIvrulLuhllWwL2gG48zA-3Crl8pgaxwz2STM/s200/SN851447.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmm3VUCTnYaTXc_r9feYXWPHLb1341915vPPjNxEvrHt0usEZzXpYrTUafCDpRU9_1UisXp6NcF2u4ShoCDP8JLt2rUz4FDar9qFkWf0Z8beEY3-u0BaFWIhrovuOLa55rsNu1Kive-eTW/s1600-h/SN851429.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311468546416264002" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmm3VUCTnYaTXc_r9feYXWPHLb1341915vPPjNxEvrHt0usEZzXpYrTUafCDpRU9_1UisXp6NcF2u4ShoCDP8JLt2rUz4FDar9qFkWf0Z8beEY3-u0BaFWIhrovuOLa55rsNu1Kive-eTW/s200/SN851429.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBULieX73GgNHX18QPDsVafoIiQXQCtethgdpfozmqNjXMaHYHcYPkiwPatk152kZxl064c0j1LwZYlJXnz-qsZHJM7R_x-MaC1aMIlGUHHH_o18v3Thq-5oXiExrrD4L2zcxLyvQcNyV/s1600-h/SN851450.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311468535022995730" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBULieX73GgNHX18QPDsVafoIiQXQCtethgdpfozmqNjXMaHYHcYPkiwPatk152kZxl064c0j1LwZYlJXnz-qsZHJM7R_x-MaC1aMIlGUHHH_o18v3Thq-5oXiExrrD4L2zcxLyvQcNyV/s200/SN851450.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">This is Gemma she was born a fortnight ago.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Her mother is Beauty a Limousin cross who's father is Ronwick Iceman.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Gemma's father is an Aberdeen Angus called Nightingale Quinton.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Now for some reason she has come out a browny colour rather than black like her parents, but we will not hold that against her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">She is fine, fit and healthy that's the main thing.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Her mother loves her and hates her out of sight, she is Beauties first baby and she cannot get enough of her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Gemma on the other hand loves nothing more than to run around the croft legs flying this way and that prancing up and down annoying the sheep and generally causing havoc.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">She runs around at full pelt never walks, she slams the anchors on just at the last minute.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Now this is entertainment for her, but her poor mother is beside herself chasing about after her trying to keep her in check.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I think we will have our hands full with this one, she is so full of devilment, every time you open the byre door on a morning to feed the others if Gemma sees even a crack in the doorway she pushes her nose through and is out and off running into the other sheds out into the fields back around to the byre, all the while her mother is hooting and hollering for her.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Not a blind bit of notice does she take.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">If she is not annoying the sheep she is chasing the dog, it's like watching a whirlwind or Tasmanian devil, she kicks her legs about like a prize bucking bronco.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">It's good to see new life around the place again, it takes your mind of the sadder things that happen to us all at some point in our lives.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We are expecting another three calves over the next couple of weeks so lets hope they are all as mad as Gemma ; )</span><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1646305857278201153.post-59518595154914228962009-03-10T06:53:00.006+00:002009-04-29T20:25:38.793+00:00Natures awakening<span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLmFO3FkaTY9-BQ0So3EMSQeFHVJn347I8oGCQ1Hniuw_9Sqwg4TuKJs0lDkvm6QU31ajCF8QrHjME79D_7J10AvE1ODSEBqgqTeVB8HoieiK61Clfi7Gpk4GouzQw4uiqNoLbycDA_Ji/s1600-h/SN851479.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311453829741287410" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLmFO3FkaTY9-BQ0So3EMSQeFHVJn347I8oGCQ1Hniuw_9Sqwg4TuKJs0lDkvm6QU31ajCF8QrHjME79D_7J10AvE1ODSEBqgqTeVB8HoieiK61Clfi7Gpk4GouzQw4uiqNoLbycDA_Ji/s200/SN851479.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTTIUcz5RDhG5hLXnA6HGowny8REunKOmIXAxCbZXrqcVMprFXao8U162XnlPpHpDpsdBeDjSpQXxksc_htM8ShR0y7LRROPPveObXlYlmIxhN0EyQdeHL3jL87GOqTZ1iTpp1v0l3Gmc/s1600-h/SN851455.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311453825168747410" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGTTIUcz5RDhG5hLXnA6HGowny8REunKOmIXAxCbZXrqcVMprFXao8U162XnlPpHpDpsdBeDjSpQXxksc_htM8ShR0y7LRROPPveObXlYlmIxhN0EyQdeHL3jL87GOqTZ1iTpp1v0l3Gmc/s200/SN851455.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwynmu7JUKGD7_nBSdZ8EFv5wkLYf38yNiXsMGC5ZcH2LDXJWty3Pw5TGHvUEcdCSbKsbpWIml5MPv21qPHH825XC9FmACf32m9b7U_ToXT4XIOztEhvFFkFoECV3E3kPK49P67rFREv1/s1600-h/SN851412.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311453814800059362" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwynmu7JUKGD7_nBSdZ8EFv5wkLYf38yNiXsMGC5ZcH2LDXJWty3Pw5TGHvUEcdCSbKsbpWIml5MPv21qPHH825XC9FmACf32m9b7U_ToXT4XIOztEhvFFkFoECV3E3kPK49P67rFREv1/s200/SN851412.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfbP4Ze_vIjYsMx65NFSFZGVY1QrK1sE6zfUsv9JP33ZbuV8soZxx6KTxoeyXYSFIQPmaPnVBILpNp7UZal8sIMjby5YNU7Lk7kMhqMR08ZP04RvdGSGZAcMCjrldbViwVm5vW7ZttmH/s1600-h/SN851418.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311453818621160434" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHfbP4Ze_vIjYsMx65NFSFZGVY1QrK1sE6zfUsv9JP33ZbuV8soZxx6KTxoeyXYSFIQPmaPnVBILpNp7UZal8sIMjby5YNU7Lk7kMhqMR08ZP04RvdGSGZAcMCjrldbViwVm5vW7ZttmH/s200/SN851418.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBW2svZ2_BWF5kRiDEvlPOhPBWnsl2O10HxtsIELaiaNr4Ot1b0nwmXnEdGLha5TOHq1qjayC09zgdftto5_E0cEZv6Br1o_JUy5WxfFO7WRlWZs-isBZBSOKYRzl81-sowdVDj3pToJr/s1600-h/SN851248.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311453810978259410" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBW2svZ2_BWF5kRiDEvlPOhPBWnsl2O10HxtsIELaiaNr4Ot1b0nwmXnEdGLha5TOHq1qjayC09zgdftto5_E0cEZv6Br1o_JUy5WxfFO7WRlWZs-isBZBSOKYRzl81-sowdVDj3pToJr/s200/SN851248.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx-grj6mIoI36DB_hdzpqv8aaHsn3Q7RYZRxTpVX4p1nXeIupAdAYOdum-fnVDWMutsrDeLKzxPihJ2cVp1mS_sWlgmyatffo_qGdXz9LxPb0oKT6Vf7eZxnjacNEmKHsJPPaycTFJOh5/s1600-h/3077592483_a73f82c497.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330210455613282066" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx-grj6mIoI36DB_hdzpqv8aaHsn3Q7RYZRxTpVX4p1nXeIupAdAYOdum-fnVDWMutsrDeLKzxPihJ2cVp1mS_sWlgmyatffo_qGdXz9LxPb0oKT6Vf7eZxnjacNEmKHsJPPaycTFJOh5/s200/3077592483_a73f82c497.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#990000;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Shelduck</span> addition</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Well the birds are out in abundance on the croft, and around about.</span></span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The top picture is of a buzzard of some kind, which had just caught a rabbit, I could not get any closer to him as he was a little weary, there are also two herons down on the common grazing's, they are here quiet often now, they are in the burns a lot of the time taking out the small fish that are swimming about.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The oyster catchers were down on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Traigh</span> beach the other morning just sitting enjoying a dry morning for a change.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Red Bull Finch was sitting on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Landy</span> just singing his heart out also enjoying the day.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The bottom picture is of a Buzzard watching for the Rabbits on the croft that seem to have taken over the hill behind our caravan.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I have also spotted a Barn owl in a particular place every other evening about the same time, but as yet I have not managed to get a good photograph of him as the light is not to good yet, maybe later.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have the usual Robins, Wrens, Black birds and the noisy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Chaffies</span>.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">But I am waiting for the Sand Martins to come back, I spotted a place on the common grazing's by the river that a colony of them were nesting in last year, hopefully I can get a few good photographs of them flying in and out of the sand banks this year.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Cuckoo will be with us soon last year he appeared down here about the 18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">th</span> April there have been three in the area on the mountain behind us, I do not think I will ever get a picture of them as they are so illusive.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">The Corn <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Crake</span> appears in the spring and there have been odd birds that as yet I have not been able to identify, one of my friends from school was a great bird watcher he would have known what they were in an instant, I remember when we were younger he memorised a British Bird book for a charity event at school, but he never got out of the habit and carried on learning everything he could about the bird population, each to their own.</span><br /></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I just love to here the dawn chorus in a morning it lets you know you are still alive and spring is about to burst out in glorious technicolour.</span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Shelduck</span> or </span><span style="color:#990000;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tadorna</span> comes from Celtic roots and means "pied waterfowl" he is an addition to the photographs I posted earlier, I manage to get a picture of him after trying for some time.</span></div><div><span style="color:#990000;">There has been three of them around the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Traigh</span> beach for a little while now, they are quite shy, but I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">persevered</span> and waited I think it was worth the wait don't you?</span></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ff6600;"></span></div></div></div></div>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07421551500331607153noreply@blogger.com0