Heavy hearts and sunsets

We are preparing ourselves emotionally for a difficult few days ahead as the cows are going through the market on Tuesday in Oban.  They are being transported tomorrow to Oban in a big lorry and drag trailer.    I am dreading it.  I know Farmer is dreading it too.  I won't write any more about it now, but I will write about it properly soon. 

It would be great if we were able to get a fair and decent price for our lambs so that we wouldn't need any kind of financial support from the EU, but with the way things are we couldn't keep farming without it, and neither could most hill farms, particularly on economically disadvantaged islands. 

We got £26 for some of the lambs we sold on Tuesday, which was roughly what we received for the first lambs we sold in 1995.  Our costs certainly haven't stayed the same.

Our farm has been assessed as a Region 3 farm, (mostly unimproved grassland) so in order to receive our farming subsidy we have to prove we are actively farming by keeping a certain number of ewe hoggs over the winter. They must be homebred and ear tagged and we can be inspected at any time by SGRIPD. (Scottish Govt.)  All this is fair enough - it is public money and we should be accountable - however farmers in other land regions (1 & 2) under the new CAP reforms don't appear to have to jump through any hoops to get their support.  So we feel a bit disadvantaged, and although we are extremely grateful for the support we receive because it means we can keep on farming, if I am honest, we quietly resent the stress it puts upon normal farming activity.   

Farmer and J are working away ear tagging and treating our ewe hoggs this afternoon so that we comply with this new scheme regulation.

The rest of the week in photographs... 

The colour

Yesterday I wrote about why we are supporting the Ulva Ferry Buy a Brick campaign. It is an incredible story.  

I looked out of the office window this morning and this buzzard was sitting in the tree, beautifully lit by the sun.  I grabbed the camera, didn't check the settings and clicked.  Realised the settings were ALL wrong, but by the time I looked again, he had flown off.  I then digitally lightened the image by 5 stops! I was amazed anything was on it at all!

Dog walking below the house... heaven.  I cannot believe the colour in the light, with the lengthening shadows.

The last 3 calves are weaned.  Their mothers are hanging around the cattle shed, calling to them.   They will stop in a day or so.

Farmer collected the 3 new tups.  There is quite a menagerie in the cattle building now.

And what can I say about the sunset...

Making silage while the sun shines

The rust on the blades wears off when the mower goes mowing.  Yesterday Farmer mowed our field and the field at Calgary and a field over near Salen.

Farmer 'rowed up' the Calgary field once he had done ours this morning ready for the baler. 

Patches of heather slowly fading now, but the bog is still vital in colour.

The other Farmer appears with an enormous baler and makes 75 bales. His machine makes a heavier denser bale than ours (used to) so this is probably equivalent to about 100 bales, meaning we have nearly 200 days worth of silage/food in the winter store now. Excellent work Farmer!  Here is the baler finishing the last bales.  

A Red Admiral, newly emerged I think, as its wings look so fresh but crumpled.  It sat for such a long time in the one place.

On the school run, the campers at Calgary were getting ready to party by the sounds of things! A huge party, with gazebos, and loo tents, and jet skis.  

Back home a party of a more sedate kind as the hens huddle waiting to get out of their run.  They are still laying really well. 17 eggs today!

Sunlight this evening on the buoys hanging on the gate post.

Light pouring in through the garden shed windows.

All we need now is dry weather for the wrapping.

85% moon rising over Shian this evening.

I could hardly ask the guests to move their cars...

Farmer putting everything away for the night.

And a sunset to delight.

A burst of colour before dark

Apologies for yet another sunset blog post, but this was so beautiful, I couldn't resist.