Thursday 5 December 2013

Just in time.

Just in time before the big storm the milking parlour roof is back on and the first batch of cows are warm in the straw of the Loose Housing.

The builder finished yesterday and spent most of the day doing odd jobs which will save the farmer a lot of time.   Also I do object to the farmer going up a ladder at his age so the builder cleaned out the guttering all the way round the house.  As we have a stand of Scots Pines close by, the guttering gets absolutely full of pine needles.   Then when the winter rains and snows come the guttering overflows.

There is a lovely story in the farmer's paper this morning about a family who had a West Highland White dog.  A while ago they bought a Rottweiller bitch and a couple of weeks ago she presented them with a litter of eleven Wotties!!!  Two died but the other nine are thriving.   Apparently Dad is playing an equal part in their rearing.   They look like rather large Border Terriers (like Tess) and are absolutely adorable.  There are two outcomes - one is that all the puppies have already been found new homes when they are old enough to leave their mother; the other is that the West Highland dog is off to the vets next week.  All I wonder is how he managed it.   Did he have a ladder?

Photographs of the new roof and of the contented cows will be posted later today hopefully.   At present there is a terrible storm raging outside - high winds and pouring rain.   Later I am going out to lunch with friends (am already dreaming of the crab cakes, which are always on the menu) But the farmer has said that he will take the photographs once the rain has stopped.

16 comments:

Em Parkinson said...

Thanks for the reminder.....Jack REALLY needs to have the snip before he gets to the Border Collie bitches at the farm next door! I kind of assumed he wouldn't be able to reach, but it seems anything is possible.

MorningAJ said...

It always amazes me that small dogs and tall bitches can be so productive. Maybe the little guys see it as a challenge.

Winds are getting up here now, though I don't think we're expecting anything as bad as they've predicted for you. Enjoy the crab cakes!

Elizabeth said...

Good luck weathering the storm.
Yes, keep the Farmer off ladders.

Old American joke

"Howd'ya come to break yer leg?"
"I didn't come to break m'leg: I came to fix the roof"…..

Would love to see a picture of the pups!

Gwil W said...

In central europe we are in the calm before the storm.

Willow said...

Be safe in the storm my friend.
Oh wouldn't I love to see a picture of the Wotties , ha ha !

Heather said...

You must both be relieved to have that roof finished along with the other winter jobs. As for the litter of Wotties - where there's a will, there's a way! Enjoy your lunch.

angryparsnip said...

Great post today... If you can I would love to see the puppies. I read once were a Dachshund and a Rottweiler got together and produced one puppy. The owners were very surprised and assumed a ladder was involved somehow. The photo showed one super proud Dachshund Daddy and I swear he was smiling !

cheers, parsnip

Acornmoon said...

Yes, you must post some pictures of the puppies!
When my dad was 96 his doctor told me that I had to confiscate his step ladders.

Dartford Warbler said...

Someone sent me a link about the Wotties on the Daily Mail website, in case anyone wants to see them. Gorgeous puppies. I suppose a little dog from the West Highlands WOULD be good at climbing !!

I hope you and the Farmer are safe and warm tonight Pat. I fear that the low lying Lincolnshire villages are going to be in trouble with tonight`s storm surge.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

You could do with an inventive and intrepid dog like that to fix the guttering!

Pondside said...

I'd like to see a photo of those puppies! Our Rory (a Cairn) had the snip, but I often think that his wonderful character should have been passed down. I hope you have a grand lunch!

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

So glad the roof is back on, just in time! And I hope you had a great lunch. I keep wanting to climb up, at least to the edge of the roof, to fix the solar panels, but at 68 with artificial knees and occasional vertigo I think I'll give it a pass! Every time the thought comes into my mind I hear, "no,no,no" in my head.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Wotties, what an interesting cross!

Glad the builder cleaned the guttering for you

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for visiting.

thousandflower said...

We were thinking of you while watching the news about the storm in your area.

Bovey Belle said...

Where there's a will, there's a way (one of my old childhood sayings!!) When I instructed at Pony Club, we used to have a little fat chappy of a pony came along, who could sprint for Wales. He was the produce of a Thoroughbred mare (tall . . .) and a Shetland stallion with aspirations! We think there must have been a steep hill involved somewhere . . .