Weekly Update

Now this doesn't mean that I will be only posting news once a week, or that I will always be doing an update - but sometimes there's not a lot to say. Looking back over the past few days I've been trying to remember what we've been up to. Sometimes the days merge into one, only differentiated by the weather. The weather has to some extent governed farm jobs lately, and if you've been downwind of Strickley you will know what we've been doing. Muck is always with us and if the ground is not too soft it's a chance to lower the level in the pit.

On Monday (or was it Tuesday?) we had an Dairy Inspection. This is unannounced on behalf of the FSA. All was well, and it's reassuring to know that we're part of the link proving that British food is the safest there is. About the same time James' new shed arrived - made at a Cumbrian prison. So that was another job done this week - put in place, assembled and roofed. It's now up to James and Michelle to fill it.

We've also had the vet on his monthly routine visit. Of the 11 heifers he PD'd 10 are in calf.

We've had a meeting with the Accountant and it's good to know we're Doing Alright. Though we'll never be bothered by Gordon's tax on the Super Rich.

Most of the stock is inside now, so Doing Up takes longer, but in between Henry and James have sawed up a lot of wood to feed our Wood Burners. We aim to be really warm and snug this winter. Following on from adding extra insulation to the pantry roof, Henry has now crawled through the loft space above two bedrooms and the bathroom, with the Space Blanket in tow. We have to partly thank his age for this - as he's over 60 he qualifies for the Winter Fuel Allowance, so we've used it to buy 2 for 1 insulation from a nearby DIY store (where he get 10% Over 60's Discount). There's some advantages to being old.