Friday 22 November 2013

Getting ready for next year.

I suppose one of the good things about farming is that one is always looking to the future, whereas in ordinary day-to-day life if you are sensible you develop a 'sufficient unto the day' attitude.

To that end the fertiliser has come today ready to make the grass grow in the Spring.   The prudent farmer buys it when the price is at its lowest and as our supplier rang to say that it was £50 a ton cheaper than at this time last year - the farmer ordered it and today it arrived on a large lorry.   It is now unloaded and stored in a cool, dry shed until such time as the land is ready to receive it.

Although it is cold, at least it is dry, the farmer, acting as Builder's Labourer has been up on the Milking Parlour roof again.   Half of the slates are now back and the job is in abeyance until next Thursday.   Our Builder is semi-retired and in his spare time is a loader for the Grouse Shooting parties on the moors around here.   He is grouse shooting Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

I try not to think about it as it is a way of life up here and I am not going to change anything, am I?   But he was out on the moors on Wednesday of this week and in the evening plucked and got to the oven- ready stage for his freezer - a pheasant, a grouse, a wild duck and a wood pigeon.   When I turned my nose up and said I couldn;t contemplate eating any of those, he replied that I would if I was starving.   I can't win, can I?

6 comments:

A Heron's View said...

I hope that you asked for the pheasants tail feathers at least, for they make great additions to hats and I've even see then in flower arrangements.

Heather said...

Our attitude to the meats we eat is odd, isn't it? Why can I accept eating cow and sheep and not horse or dog? Or chicken, duck and turkey but not other birds. I am almost sure I ate goat during the war without knowing it, as my grandmother's goats would surely have had some billy kids. Served as lamb I would have been none the wiser. I can understand your doubts and sympathise.

Mary said...

I'm with you dear, couldn't face chowing down on any of those even if starving - you know I'm vegetarian!

As always, love reading about farm life - glad you got such a good deal on the fertilizer for the coming year - hope the Winter weather will be kind in your area this year.

Happy weekend - we have a morning Christmas Parade in town, then the tree lighting in the evening - much too early I think, but nobody listens to me!!

Hugs - Mary

Robin Mac said...

Hmm, I like Heather's comment, though I am happy to eat young goat, and I doubt anyone could tell it is not lamb if it is cooked properly. I would really rather see wild birds flying however.

Cloudia said...

Men do crave our appreciation...

Aloha♥

Gwil W said...

My main rule is that I don't want to eat any animal that has been killed under stress. I'll eat deer meat for example if I think it has been shot out of the blue as it were - i.e. not being chased first. The last time I ate a pheasant was many years ago and I cracked one of my teeth on something hard possibly a piece of lead shot, I remember I thinking at the time.