New arrivals and projects

Spring in northern England a little more lush than western Mull.

Daughter went on a school trip to Hexham last week and we took the opportunity to deliver the Zwartble fleeces to a mill at Coldstream, en route to collect her. It was fascinating getting a look at how fleece is transformed into yarn, on a small scale. A husband and wife team working from 2 small industrial units near the English border. They will let us know next week what it will cost to do a couple of different options, and we can then decide what exactly we want to do. It is a bit like the chicken and the egg. Difficult to say until the work has been done exactly how much yarn can be produced from the bundles of fleece, and then difficult to price what a throw or a blanket would cost. Hopefully in a week or so we will know what we are doing. The millers were very helpful and explained the whole process very thoroughly.

But of course, I have forgotten what all these different machines do. Most of the wool they process usually is from Alpacas which is very very soft.

Our trip into England was brief. We spent a night at Battlesteads Hotel, another GTBS Goldstar 2011 winner, at Wark, near Hexham. A drive in the falling light over the moor, bleak and wild, to get there. And the novelty of waking up in an English village - pigeons and sparrows. All green and leafy - and lots of bunting! (This was a bit of a surprise as the Jubilee had not really reached our part of Mull and we have been so heads down in Treshnish life, the preparations had passed us by somewhat.)

Early start so we didn't have much time to enjoy what Battlesteads had to offer, but it was good to stay somewhere with a good environmental ethos. We picked up Daughter at 8am and drove to visit cousins for a late breakfast. Got lost a few times on the way. Took a walk to stretch the legs through very different scenery to our usual. It was lovely to see all the blossom and the grass so advanced compared to home.

Huge lambs compared to ours - born earlier in the year than ours.

Someone with an interest in rare breeds, keeping Soays. When I was about 14 my mother bought some Soays from a farm in Fife. She misguidedly decided that we would collect them in the car. A carpeted Citroen. I can well remember the smell and driving through Dundee with the windows down to get some fresh air. The Soays were really good at getting out of fields my father wanted to keep them in. I remember also they liked to eat cake. The interior of the car never recovered.

One of the lanes we walked. Lovely to see the cow parsley which wasn't out when we left Treshnish, but was when we got back - flowering in our garden.

Alston. Where better for an ice cream stop.

The Crown at Alston Town Hall. It has a pretty cobbled in places town centre, with an Award winning pie shop.

After a brief stop in Alston, we headed across to Gilston and stayed at Willowford Farm, which was right on Hadrian's Wall. Neither Farmer nor myself had ever seen the wall before, but we had a lovely stroll along this bit, in the field next to our B&B. (GTBS Gold Award and well worth a stay). We had simple but stylish rooms in a converted Byre, with welcoming homemade shortbread and even homemade (on the farm) natural soaps in the bathroom. We had supper here and enjoyed organic lamb from the farm, and it was delicious! It was a really good example of how you can get it right - comfortable welcoming accommodation with a low carbon footprint, and a genuineness that you don't come across that often. It was lovely and quiet, and very restful.

Thence to Dumfries and Galloway for a bit of Spring Fling. We went to a concert - One Day in June - at Dalswinton Church. We visited Trevor Leat's studio, Anthea Sommers's studio, and this which was the star of the show for me. When I first saw it my feeling was of slight disappointment, that it would have been great to have happened upon it, without knowing it was there. But it was great anyway, and looked fantastic.

As many of you will know we lost Tig two months ago, and Farmer was adamant that we shouldn't get another dog for a good while, especially as we have Cap and Jan. But it became more and more obvious that whilst they are both lovely dogs with friendly kind natures, they are Farmer's dogs, and they have questionable domestic habits. So the arrival of Coco, a small labradoodle, is nothing to do with Farmer, and he is going to have nothing to do with her. (So that is why I couldn't resist posting this photograph of Farmer on the ferry yesterday with Coco on his knee, all tucked up in her dog bed with her special red blanket). We collected her on Monday, and she is running the household already.

And bang on the Jubilee - a Treshnish golden sunset. As I type Farmer is hard at sheep work and I will let you know what has been happening in our real world (here on the farm) soon.

Sand, sun, seaweed and counting lambs

The weather this week has continued to get hotter and hotter. Planned farm work has been done in accordance with the thermometer which at times has reached 29.6 degrees (in the shade).

With a flock of in-bye sheep like our Cheviots and the dozen Zwarbtle crosses, who live all year round on the fields and do not have the open extensive hill to graze, it is really important to ensure that they are protected against the infections that are present in the in-bye grassland. So despite the heat, the ewes and lambs needed to come up to the park, and be put through the fank. Avoiding the heat in the middle of the day, the lambs were vaccinated and ewes and lambs were protected against fly and tick. This is when the Farmer is able to really tell how lambing has been - as he counts the lambs that go through the fank. Last year was the first year that the cheviots lambed as gimmers, when they are more likely to have single lambs. This year our lambing percentage has noticeably increased on last year, so Farmer was quietly and modestly very pleased (indeed). The hill lambs won't be gathered for another couple of weeks, so we won't have a final figure until they have been put through.

And after the working day, in this weather, the beach at Calgary has called us down a few times.

The sea has been calm, calm and seriously blue. Farmer did swim and said it was very very cold despite the temperature on the car reading 29.6 degrees at 6.30pm!!

Buttercups glistening in the sun on the machair.

Even when the beach is busy, there is a feeling of space.

And the water so clear, although there is a lot of fresh seaweed, washing up along the tideline, and I wondered if it has anything to do with the boats which have been dredging the seabed recently out at the end of the bay.

The tups will be sheared soon along with the hoggs, and any eild ewes (who haven't had a lamb).

Lots of interesting wildlife has been seen too this week. Prasad spotted a Red Kite yesterday, and also a Red-backed Shrike. This morning a Short Eared Owl hunted in front of the farmhouse, and up above the steading later on, the sun catching its wings in its distinctive faltering flight. We are seeing them so much this year - and each sighting as special as the first.

Enjoying the sun while we can. Al fresco meal outdoors.

Post sunset skies are so magical. The views from Shian and Duill particularly this time of year looking straight out on this. Light enough to walk down and back up from the boathouse beach without even thinking about taking a torch.

The baby rabbits are growing fast.

Celebrating the spring

It is difficult to be indoors when the weather is this good. So please excuse the light on words blog this week!

On the farm, Jamie has been helping with the field work, and cleaning out the cattle shed. This saves Farmer's back, which does not like the tractor at all. Next week, the in-bye ewes and lambs will come in for marking. Planning dates for shearing hoggs and eild ewes. (those who did not have lambs). We expect the eild numbers to be higher this year, as although the ewes were in good condition in January, the winter has been hard on them.

Leaves are just beginning to show on the sycamores round the farmhouse. Sometimes at this time of year we can have strong winds, but the forecast for the next week or so is pretty good and calm, and so we are hoping the blossom on the apple trees is safe.

Burns are running dry.

Wild flowers are moving from 'spring' into summer, with bog cotton, common orchid, early purple orchid, birds foot trefoil, milkwort, lousewort, butterwort, flag iris and water avens. We are still enjoying huge clumps of king cup though!

In the garden the comfrey is attracting lots of bees.

On a walk to the Sitheans the other night, we disturbed a snipe - and found this where it had lifted up from. Don't know if this was plundered or whether the young had fledged. (hopefully the latter). I have been hearing lots of snipe drumming near our house.

Bluebells still strong.

Silvery sun.

A broody hen in my flowerpot.

We found the remains of a curlew on the hill. Feathers everywhere. I know it is Nature doing its thing, but it had been attacked by something bigger than itself and it was sad to think we had lost one of 'our' curlews. I so love seeing them and hearing them. I was surprised by the length of its beak.

Time to get the rotovator out.

Farmer and I took off to Lochaline yesterday to meet some friends for a delicious lunch at the Whitehouse. Sensibly they have a special 2 course lunch deal! Prince Edward was also visiting Lochaline and this was his reception committee.

Away with the camo look, and welcome to the beacon look. A replacement 'buggy'. Will be easier to spot Farmer now!

The cockerel.

Lots of water avens at the side of the burn by the house.

I can hear Farmer calling the cows. Someone had left a gate open so they were in the Haunn cottages gardens this morning.

And these 3 are getting more difficult for one person to feed on their own. Need 3 hands.

Speedwell.

Common orchid.

The Park dyke.