Tuesday 19 November 2013

On the farm today.

The last of the Summer eatage beasts have gone.   They went to our local market to a store beast sale.   This means that a farmer who has a plentiful supply of barley which he has grown himself and therefore does not have to buy in, will have bought them to keep indoors and fatten up to go to a fatstock market in about six months time.   Buying in Winter feed is a very expensive business so that those farmers who have to buy it all in tend to sell their stock off at this time of year.

We are having our milking parlour re-roofed this week.   We no longer use it as we went out of milk production when we had foot and mouth disease, but we must not let the milking parlour deteriorate.   For the sake of whoever comes after us it is our duty to keep the building in good shape - hence the builder is here and the farmer is acting as builder's labourer.

When I came back that way from my after-lunch walk with Tess I took a photograph - "for posterity" I told the farmer, and also to remind him of how to do it the next time it needed re-roofing.   He replied that he would be "pushing up the daisies" long before that as the last time it was done was apparently around 1930!!

It is the most beautiful day here today.   We awoke to an apricot sky of such clarity with an almost full moon still shining and the sky has stayed a clear blue all day.   It is cold and there is a slight breeze but the builder and his labourer say it is reasonably warm with the sun on their backs.

I am off now to choose my poems for tomorrow's Poetry meeting - one of my favourite afternoons in the month.


19 comments:

Edwina said...

The beautiful sky this morning seems to have stretched a long way as that is just how I would describe it down here in Norfolk. We had a crisp frost too, did you? Sadly the lovely blue sky and sunshine have been replaced a lot of the time with clouds, which look heavy and snowfull, but they pass. Let's hope they don't empty on you!

Esther Montgomery said...

Sad the milking parlour isn't needed. Impressive that the roof has lasted that long.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

An eighty-three year old roof is a good one!
Enjoy that apricot sky!
xo

Heather said...

Whoever roofed the milking parlour last time certainly did a grand job. Let's hope this one lasts as long. Enjoy your poetry afternoon tomorrow.

Terra said...

That is good you are keeping the milking parlour in good repair, good for another 83 years.

angryparsnip said...

I just love reading about what is going on around your farm. So different from my home in the wild wild west.
How are the chickens ?

cheers, parsnip

mrsnesbitt said...

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr made me shiver seeing him on the roof Pat. Very cold here today.

Anonymous said...

What the English call 'reasonably warm' is a bit curious to some Australians. When we shivered over there, we came across comments of 'lovely day today isn't it!'.
It looks cold on that roof!

Cloudia said...

Something healing and real pulsates through farming, and you put us in touch with it. Much appreciated, P.



ALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
=^..^=




Twiggy said...

It really has been a lovely crisp day today.
Twiggy

MorningAJ said...

Choosing poems.. One of my fun things to do too. Are you having a theme? Or can you just pick things you like?

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Hope you enjoyed your afternoon.

Em Parkinson said...

Impressive roofing, past and present!

Elizabeth said...

Splendid roof!
Yes, we have that clear morning moon here too this time of year.
Let us know how the poetry afternoon went.

Bovey Belle said...

I am so pleased to see that the roof is being done properly, and the tiles put back on. Our farmer Next Door lets his old buildings fall into disrepair, and if he DOES decide to reroof one, then it is big sheets of wriggly tin . . .

Keep warm.

The Weaver of Grass said...

It is just as cold today and the farmer and the builder are still up on the roof. I cooked a large stew with shin of beef and put it into two large Yorkshire Puddings - followed by a raspberry and apple crumble - thought they needed something to keep them warm!

The Weaver of Grass said...

It is just as cold today and the farmer and the builder are still up on the roof. I cooked a large stew with shin of beef and put it into two large Yorkshire Puddings - followed by a raspberry and apple crumble - thought they needed something to keep them warm!

Crafty Green Poet said...

we're having beaitiful skies here too,

hope your milking parlour roof lasts well

rallentanda said...

If that guy ever wants a working holiday down under..you know where to find me:)