I knew I was getting old, but just in a natural unstructured sort of way, but hadn't really thought about how long it was since I left school. But yesterday it was brought home to me how long ago it was. I had a phone call from a girl (well, we're all still girls aren't we?) that I hadn't seen since we left school - in 1967. She's organising a reunion for later in the year and was ringing the Class of '67.
I'm not sure if I want to go or not. I have put off answering with a definite yes or no, as it will be on one of a my Saturdays at work. But do I want to meet all these girls again? I can't say they will be younger than me, but the chances are their lives will have gone in different directions to mine. Will they all be tall and slender? Rich and famous? Well, I'll never be any of those, but happy and contented? Yes. What would we talk about? There will no doubt be lots of "do you remember. . . " and "whatever happened to. . . . ", but how much will we still have in common? Are we all grey haired Grandmothers, with photographs of our families (and in my case cows as well)?
Someone wrote "The past is a foreign country" - and I don't know if I want to go there.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Monday, 9 July 2007
Window of Opportunity
At last ! A chink in the weather!
After a fine weekend, we're feeling optimistic and the mower is back on the tractor, on it's way to cut a few fields for (I think) big bales.
The good/better weather is bound to continue as I'm due to go back to work on Thursday. I had better make the most of these last few days by either:
1 - getting up to date with the paperwork
2 - cleaning the house from top to bottom
3 - ironing
4 - sorting out the freezers (full of food, but never anything to eat tonight)
5 - sitting outside with a book.
Which should I choose? Difficult decision!
After a fine weekend, we're feeling optimistic and the mower is back on the tractor, on it's way to cut a few fields for (I think) big bales.
The good/better weather is bound to continue as I'm due to go back to work on Thursday. I had better make the most of these last few days by either:
1 - getting up to date with the paperwork
2 - cleaning the house from top to bottom
3 - ironing
4 - sorting out the freezers (full of food, but never anything to eat tonight)
5 - sitting outside with a book.
Which should I choose? Difficult decision!
Friday, 6 July 2007
Dear Diary
When I started this Blog I thought it would be easy to scribble a few words each day. I never intended it to be a recital of my daily routine (got up at 6:30, had 2 slices of toast etc), assuming that there was always something going on that I could talk about. But it’s proving to be a bit difficult. I would hate people to think that we were sitting around doing nothing in between Milkings, and I’m sure most of you realise that there’s more to farming than that. Of course Milking is the backbone of all our work – without it, no milk; no milk, no income.
So this is a brief outline of what the two farmers have been up to today –
(and apologies to farmers for this Dummies Guide approach)
6:00 – alarm goes off in two houses. Henry grabs a banana and goes to get the cows in.
6:15 – James gets the parlour ready for milking.
6:30 – the cows are gathered in the Collecting Yard and start to come through the parlour. It’s an Alfa Laval 12/24 – which means that 24 cows come in at once, 12 down each si
de. As the cows come in James or Henry recognises them and presses buttons on the Feed Controller so that each one gets the right amount of dairy cake. The units are put on the first side, and the milk starts to flow, filling the large glass jars above the cows. As the flow of milk from each cow lessens the ACR (automatic cluster removal) kicks in and removes the unit from the cow. We then send the milk from the glass jar though to the Dairy next door. The units are then put on the cow on the opposite side. When all of one side has been milked, the exit gate is raised and they head off to the Cattleplan (indoor housing) where they get a bit of buffer feeding (the silage that James has put out). The entrance gate in the parlour is opened and the next 12 come in.
7:30 – as the last cows leave the parlour, the units are washed out and the parlour hosed down, so no traces of muck remain. Clean water and detergent is run through the system and the parlour left clean and hygienic. Meanwhile the milk is cooling in the bulk tank. By it reaches it, it is already several degrees lower than when it entered the system. It passes through a series of pipes which are cooled by the Ice Bank Cooler. It is kept at about 3 degrees until collected by the Milk Tanker.
8:00 – breakfast
8:30 – the cows are let out to the daily pasture. This may be the other side of the road to the buildings, so we try to avoid school run times, though most drivers accept that it’s a fact of country life that cows sometimes have priority on the road.
At this time of year there are not many animals inside to feed, just the youngest calves who are still on the bucket, and the stock bulls. The Cattleplan and alleyways and yard are cleaned up with the scraper tractor.
Most of the stock is outside, so at some point during the day one of us will go round and check them, especially the in-calf cows and heifers.
Most of this morning was taken up with a visit from what could be loosely termed our “feed rep”. I think the correct term might be “Account Manager and/or nutritionist”. This was a planned visit, to look at the whole farm. He took samples of grass, and first cut silage, so we can make informed decisions about feeding.
12:30 – dinner, and as it’s Friday, time to have a quick look at the 3 papers that matter (Westmorland Gazette, Farmers Weekly and Farmers Guardian).
13:15 – back out again.
More routine work – mucking out the two stock bulls (Radar, Hooton Perfection), fixing some spouting that’s been hanging off since someone (nameless) hit it with the loader, and other odd bits of maintenance. (What is sometimes known as “jobbing about”).
15:45 – quick drink and chocolate biscuit
16:00 – time to get the cows in again for milking
18:30 – no extra jobs today, so inside for supper.
So this is a brief outline of what the two farmers have been up to today –
(and apologies to farmers for this Dummies Guide approach)
6:00 – alarm goes off in two houses. Henry grabs a banana and goes to get the cows in.
6:15 – James gets the parlour ready for milking.
6:30 – the cows are gathered in the Collecting Yard and start to come through the parlour. It’s an Alfa Laval 12/24 – which means that 24 cows come in at once, 12 down each si
de. As the cows come in James or Henry recognises them and presses buttons on the Feed Controller so that each one gets the right amount of dairy cake. The units are put on the first side, and the milk starts to flow, filling the large glass jars above the cows. As the flow of milk from each cow lessens the ACR (automatic cluster removal) kicks in and removes the unit from the cow. We then send the milk from the glass jar though to the Dairy next door. The units are then put on the cow on the opposite side. When all of one side has been milked, the exit gate is raised and they head off to the Cattleplan (indoor housing) where they get a bit of buffer feeding (the silage that James has put out). The entrance gate in the parlour is opened and the next 12 come in.7:30 – as the last cows leave the parlour, the units are washed out and the parlour hosed down, so no traces of muck remain. Clean water and detergent is run through the system and the parlour left clean and hygienic. Meanwhile the milk is cooling in the bulk tank. By it reaches it, it is already several degrees lower than when it entered the system. It passes through a series of pipes which are cooled by the Ice Bank Cooler. It is kept at about 3 degrees until collected by the Milk Tanker.
8:00 – breakfast
8:30 – the cows are let out to the daily pasture. This may be the other side of the road to the buildings, so we try to avoid school run times, though most drivers accept that it’s a fact of country life that cows sometimes have priority on the road.
At this time of year there are not many animals inside to feed, just the youngest calves who are still on the bucket, and the stock bulls. The Cattleplan and alleyways and yard are cleaned up with the scraper tractor.
Most of the stock is outside, so at some point during the day one of us will go round and check them, especially the in-calf cows and heifers.
Most of this morning was taken up with a visit from what could be loosely termed our “feed rep”. I think the correct term might be “Account Manager and/or nutritionist”. This was a planned visit, to look at the whole farm. He took samples of grass, and first cut silage, so we can make informed decisions about feeding.
12:30 – dinner, and as it’s Friday, time to have a quick look at the 3 papers that matter (Westmorland Gazette, Farmers Weekly and Farmers Guardian).
13:15 – back out again.
More routine work – mucking out the two stock bulls (Radar, Hooton Perfection), fixing some spouting that’s been hanging off since someone (nameless) hit it with the loader, and other odd bits of maintenance. (What is sometimes known as “jobbing about”).
15:45 – quick drink and chocolate biscuit
16:00 – time to get the cows in again for milking
18:30 – no extra jobs today, so inside for supper.
And if you want to compare a routine day in 2007, with one in 1940, go to our website - and click on the 1940 Button.
Wednesday, 4 July 2007
Did Anyone Miss Us?
A gap of over a week with no posts!
Normal blogging will be resumed as soon as possible
We've just returned from a very wet week in Wales, with very little to report. We were in a caravan in deepest mid Wales, with no mobile phone signal, no television signal and certainly no Internet. But plenty of rain, rest, drink, sleep and did I mention rain?
But just to show it wasn't all doom and gloom, here's a farmer on holiday enjoying the one fine evening.
.
Monday, 25 June 2007
The Champions Return
After five days away James and the cows arrived home about midnight last night. They had to stay on the Showfield until the show closed, giving visitors the chance to see the all the cattle. Then the long drive home. The cows were let out and the rest abandoned till this morning. Rummaging in the Show Box I keep coming upon prize cards, rosettes and sashes. And I'm told, if I dig deep enough I'll find a silver cup!If you want to see the prize winning team - look for us at more lo
cal shows throughout the summer -
cal shows throughout the summer - Royal Lancashire - 21st July
Penrith - 28th July
Cartmel - 1st August
Grayrigg - 6th September
Westmorland - 13th September
Friday, 22 June 2007
Stop Press
First results now in from the Royal Highland Show
- and it's looking good!
Maiden Heifer - First (Goldie 176)
Heifer in Milk - First (Goldie 162)
Heifer in Milk - First (Goldie 162)
Dry Cow - Third (Lady Serene 2)
Cow in Milk - First (Pansy)
Junior Champion - Goldie 162
Reserve Junior Champion - Goldie 176
Champion Dairy Shorthorn - Pansy
Honourable mention - Goldie 162
Loads of prize cards, rosettes and even a medal!
Congratulations to James and his team of helpers.
A New Adventure
After the partying and celebrations at the weekend, we've hardly had time to draw breath and we're off on another roller coaster. For the first time we are showing at the Royal Highland Show. James left Strickley early on Wednesday with a trailer full of potential show winners (we hope). He, and the cows, will be there until Sunday night, so the Landrover was packed with essential supplies for all of them.
The show opened to the public yesterday, but the first Shorthorn Classes aren't until 10:00 am today.
The show opened to the public yesterday, but the first Shorthorn Classes aren't until 10:00 am today.
So Good Luck to James,
Pansy, Lady Serene 2nd, Goldie 162 and Goldie 176.
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