The English Paysanne

It has been a lovely day at la Singlarie today, the sun shone and as it was the first day of Spring the plastic cover of winter has started to come off the veggie patch. The strawberry patch, as well as the raspberries, need major weeding, my left-hand helper wasn't much good today all got a bit too much for her this weeding lark. With a new bit of fencing to help keep those rabbits out the edges are looking a bit tidier all that is needed know is a major amount of manure to be rotavated in and planting can commence (although it is due to be showers tomorrow, guess that is Spring for you.

Today was the day for our cows to move outside to the grass that they have smelt growing for a few weeks now (with only one mass break through to the hay field last week). Normally it's around the 10th April but as it has been so wet and the grass is only just starting to grow we put it off a few days. Six cattle and two of this years calves left to go on holiday at our rented site at la Contie this morning. With best laid plans no going quiet according to plan as the six that were choosen didn't want to get in the trailer. Trying to move a cow is a lot harder than a chicken or sheep, they weigh a fair bit and can be a tad stubborn if they wish. No one would go in before Mona the chief so they had to have rope around their horns to be pulled in. Portiche, who has no horns but loves her cereal  followed a bucket,she already been in once only to come out (this turned into three buckets by the time the others were in). Emily having never left La Singlarie refused to the point o...

This morning was the last morning of feeding hay to the cows, this evening farmer J doesn't know what to do with himself. It's been five months of morning and evening feeding, the calves had their real taste of grass when the electric fence was taken down and they were called to the gate. The first turn out onto new pasture usually makes for a lovely sight as they get very excited running and kicking their heels and waggling their heads in the grass but today it was very subdued they just walked towards us, once in the field heads were down to start munching away, no running or going bonkers. Each year around the 10th April they are let out to the fields, the tell tell signs of heads pushing through the barbed wire to eat a few blades of grass as they poke through. Yesterday the smell and sight got the better of one as she jumped fence into the hay field and was a real pain to get back in. It was time to let them out as it would only be a matter of days before...

The field ready for a rest The cows ready to move The green grass waiting to be ate After a few weeks the cows will be looking less tatty Through the winter period the cow have been confined to the same now completely muddy patch of  field with a access to the hanger for their hay which has been given morning and night. Now after five months with the grass growing and fields beginning to dry out they were moved over the road to our top field.  Happy cows free to wander and eat grass, happy farmer J for not having to feed them twice a day, happy me for not having to vacuum and sweep up the hay that attaches itself to clothes and hiding in wellies and boots and those pesky seed heads that when washed in a load with 'normal clothes' you find  wedged in your underwear - not very comfortable.

The time has come to get going on the veggie patch. Yes it is a mess I know, forgotten over winter and left uncovered, so behind in getting it ready and seeds to be sown  all day today I dug and weeded, the pigs were grateful at tea time with a supplement of greenery to their diet. The only non weeds growing in the patch are broad beans and garlic, planted back in October. So far they are doing well although there are obvious signs of winter unwanted tenants - rabbits. War may be declared, bring it on bunnies. May just need a few days for my back to recover though.

In between our top driveway and the small road that cuts between us and our top fields and woods we have a stone bank which since we moved in nearly ten years ago has been left to its own devices. Slowly over the years a few changes have been made, daffodils being planted, a large tree falling down, a pampas grass dyeing after a very cold winter two years ago and with brambles taking over a chunk of it it was time for drastic cut and tidy up. Slowly over the years ivy has started to take over enough to hang over the wall and take hold on and in between the stones, a trailer full was cut and pulled off you know when you think a job won't take to long it always takes a lot longer! Finding a photo from the spring of 2006 was a bit of a shock and embarrassment that we have left the wall so long before a trim. Now it the stone has been exposed with the feature in the wall, which we are not sure what purpose it was built for, it has a ledge in part of it...