Tuesday 20 September 2016

Definitely the last.

The weather forecast for the North East is fairly good for the rest of this week so the farmer has taken the bull by the horns and made his last silage cut today.   Three meadows and the paddock are all down and the grass is lying in the fields.  Today has been sunny so we are just hoping this continues until the end of the week and we can get it baled and led in.

Several other jobs can't be done until after silaging has finished.   First of all - hedge trimming; we wait until the birds have finished nesting and then until the grass is cut (so that the hedge trimming contractor doesn't spoil the grass).

The other big task is to empty the loose housing shed of the deep layer of last year's straw bedding.  It has been rotting down 'in situ' since the cattle went out in late April;  once the bales have been led in it will be led into the field and piled up to rot down further - or sometimes the farmer decides to spread it directly onto the fields.   Much depends upon the weather and on the stock we have on the fields (we over-Winter sheep from up on 'the tops' and when they come depends entirely upon the amount of grass on the high ground (and that, of course, is dependent upon the weather).   Once the grass has gone they need to come down.

And so the farming year goes on.   It is the Autumn Equinox tomorrow (the first day of Autumn in my book too).   There are still a few of the last brood swallows flying around, strengthening their wings ready for their long flight to Africa.   And so far we have not seen a fieldfare or a redwing (our regular winter visitors).

There is a definite nip in the air morning and evening and it is almost dark by half past seven.   It is relentless isn't it?   Whether we like it or not the seasons pass and (as we say up here) 'winter draws on'  (no funny comments please Tom or YP - I shall not get mine out yet.)

21 comments:

Terry and Linda said...

Winter does come whether we wish no or not. Can you imagine a flying all the way to Africa? What a long, long flight.

I saw a group of swallows resting on the electric lines last evening. They are gone today. Winging through, so to speak.

Linda

jinxxxygirl said...

I like the changing of the seasons ... i always have... i have lived places where there is basically little to no Fall or Spring just Summer and Winter and i have to say i enjoy the 4 seasons best... the passage of time... i like to bear witness to it.. embrace it... I think thats part of the reason i like to read your blog Pat.. with all the farming going on it helps me to mark the passing of time...

PS.... has the whale arrived YET?? i did send him... lol

galant said...

Yes, you are right. All this autumn starting on the 1st Sept just to satisfy the Met Office or whoever seems silly. The Autumn equinox is tomorrow. As with jinxxxgirl above, I enjoy the changing seasons. The only thing I don't enjoy about Autumn and Winter are the long dark evenings and nights, and some days when it doesn't get really light at all. But we have a cosy home, we have much to be thankful for. Love your blog, may I call you Pat? You are Mrs Weaver now to me!
Margaret P
www.margaretpowling.com

donna baker said...

Didn't know there was so much going on at the farm this time of year and dependent on the weather - what work to do in a short time. We cooled down but this week is hot again and uncomfortable. Besides the weather, I think the darkening skies is what I dislike about winter. Here it comes though.

Virginia said...

Oh Weaver! This year, for the first time ever, we are in England during summer and autumn, and it's amazing! I never understood "Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness" ... And now I see it! The last few mornings in Cambrige have been misty, and the haze hasn't lifted until well into the day. It's not like that in New Zealsnd. And we don't have your deciduous trees turning all the wonderful colours, or the falling fruit everywhere. I'll be home again before another month is passed, and I admit I'm glad I'll miss your hard winter, but this has been lovely. And you turned on such a cracking September for us too!

I hope it stays fine until the Farmer has completed his hay making.

Barbara said...

Everything is dependent on the weather, isn't it?
Hoping that it cooperates until the work is done!

English Rider said...

We have increasing skeins of migratory Canada Geese overhead, although the temps are still inappropriately hot. It will probably be another month before we've any hope of rain. I'm jealous of your surroundings.

Fairtrader said...

We'll keep our fingers crossed and prayers rolling!! Farmers over here are clearing out the last on the fields . Trees are still green, we could still find our way home around 7.30 but only just! Yes, it all depends on the weather, we have had no rain for weeks and rather warm winds, making the sea pleasant for swimming. It's hard work on a farm, but if nobody wanted to do the work, where would we be??? In some 1984 kind of world? The scenario of eating nutrition pills and being attended to by robots scares me, because it's closer than we think, somebody is not only thinking it but also launching it.
SO we desperately need our farmers to keep a sensible and pleasant world to live in, like it was intended.
Therefore - three cheers and way to go all you brave and hardworking men and women on farms all over the planet!!!! Long may you plough!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I had a funny comment in mind but I shall keep it under my hat as requested. After all, we don't want anybody giggling when reading "The Weaver of Grass" do we?

Wilma said...

Swallows are arriving here; some to pass on through and some to stay for the season. The change of the seasons is more subtle here in Central America, but because we spend more of time outside than we did in the US, we definitely notice the changes. I do envy your long days of summer, but would find the the temps a little too cold for me except for your hottest days of summer.

angryparsnip said...

I have alway loved fall because of our very hot summer fall is a blessing to us desert dwellers.
All the quail have come together, javelinas herds are bigger as the little ones grow up and more birds are in the trees.
It is just so nice.

cheers, parsnip

Morning's Minion said...

Undoubtedly we can make certain accommodations to the weather that weren't available to our grandparents--things that allow us to endure bad weather in greater comfort.
That being said, we are still rather helpless as farmers and gardeners, trying to plan around the 5-day forecast.
We've not put up hay for several years now, but our fields are leased out to corn and soybean crops--a poor weather year means a diminished payment!

Alphie Soup said...

Taking the bull by the horns - an appropriate expression for a farmer/farming task. :-)

Alphie

Derek Faulkner said...

Hedge cutting is not something that I am a great lover of, especially where it is done for a purely "tidying up" reason on an annual basis, with the awful flails that often tear and shred the ends of branches, hedges are so important for all manner of wildlife. Clearly the side of hedges that border roads and lanes need to be kept trimmed back for visibility and safety reasons. I wonder what type of hedges it is that you will be trimming back and hope that the cutting will not see the removal of the berries that the Fieldfares and Redwings are coming over from Scandinavia to feed on during the winter.

Dawn said...

we are just starting on hedges, we have a lot of new hedges to get under control this year, it will take a few years of work, they have been neglected for 10 years, more trees than hedges.

thelma said...

I love the farming year, the machines bustle up and down here on the road and I wonder what some are used for. On the weekend we get parades, they must come from Malton driving through the lanes, vintage motorbikes, vintage tractors and Sunday a whole stream of old jeeps/landrovers. Everyone treasuring these old reminders of the past.

Heather said...

I don't know about a woman's work never being done - shouldn't that be 'farmer's work'? We have had things flowering for a second time down here, but like you, yesterday was a bit cooler and I needed a cardigan by evening. Not looking forward to winter - it always seems a long haul before spring arrives, then the months fly by. However, if I get the garden sorted before winter, I have months of lovely things to do in those long dark evenings. Hope the farmer gets the right conditions for making silage.

The Weaver of Grass said...

now I can't help wondering what YP's funny comment was!!
Galant - of course you may call me Pat - and that goesfor anybody.
It seems we all dread the dark nights more than the cold - in fact our last few winters have not been cold have they? I think on balance I would prefer snow to those damp, dark days (although then there is the risk of falling and i don't want that).
Thanks everyone for calling in for a chat.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I love this time of year. Here we are still having very warm days and of course, the corn is still in the fields, not yet harvested. Now that I have actually seen the English hedges, I understand what you mean about getting them trimmed and taken care of. -Jenn

Frances said...

Dear Weaver, I will now begin my comments with, Dear Pat. Thank you!

This post is a gem. I could visualize all the stages of planning and accomplishment, all with the weather as a starting point. I loved the expression "the Tops" and will remember it.

Since this is my first post-retirement autumn, I am having the opportunity to be much more attuned to the changing daylight than I was when required to spend many days and early evenings in enclosed workplaces without much natural light. So, in a way, I am being more affected by nature and weather myself. I like that connection very much.

xo

Gwil W said...

The ospreys as I may already have mentioned have left Glaslyn. The Greylag Geese will depart the Austrian Puszta in early November. There are clouds of starlings in the Burgenland vineyards. Imitation sparrow hawks fly like kites in the sky on long poles over the fields. I already have bottle of 2016 wine believe it or not. Lots of swallows are feeding their faces in Illmitz. They too will be on their way soon. There's a joke about red hats but I won't say it.