The English Paysanne

A moment from the week at La Singlarie With Farmer J away we managed to keep the cows happy.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Between April showers there's been a major weeding of the veggie patch this week.

Dodgy fencing Man making hole Shame only one person at a time can use it - it has safety warnings as well You just go along the line bashing (with a bit of lining up here and there) Since the huge conifers came down last Autumn the state of Gorgon's fence has become one of the jobs that is in desperate need of replacing. It has so many patch up jobs from trying to keep the ducks and chickens in over many years that a metal merchant would be happy to come a calling to ours I'm sure. Finally the replacement fencing could not be put off any longer. With avian flu here in the south west of France all commercial breeders and productors having to cull all their birds, clean their buildings and keep them empty from 16th April to 16th May and domestic fowl needing to be kept enclosed.  As our Khaki Campbell's can't read they don't know this and are free ranging at the moment (the large white ducks cant fit through the many escape routes so stay put).

Farmer J drove to Rodez today to pick up his new bit of kit, a hay turner (it probably has a technical name but I'm not technically minded) ready for this summers hay harvest. Apparently it was needed. He kindly brought me a present, a shiny wheelbarrow, for my use only. I'm not sure how to take this gift, I guess it will last longer than chocolates or flowers.

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