Almost ready. . .

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An early start

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No lying in bed today - loads to do before the guests arrive. But we didn't need an alarm clock - the cows decided to get over a fence and wander up to the yard at 5.30. Farmers have an inbuilt extra sense of hearing and the cry went up "There's cows everywhere! They're heading for the corn!". But the corn is so high - not quite as high as an elephants eye - but high enough to deter the cows, who moved on into the Paddock and circled the tent there.

More later.
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Penrith Show

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While half the family were busy with bunting and balloons, the other half were having a good day at Penrith Show. We just took 2 young calves, an in calf heifer and dry cow. Robert and Chris had been preparing the calves and practicing handling all week and were well rewarded. I just have our results so far -

Junior Calf - 1st - Strickley Geri 18

Junior Calf - 4th - Strickley Geri 19

In Calf Heifer - 1st - Strickley Starlet 103

Dry Cow -2nd - Strickley Starlet 91

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From an empty barn - to a Party Barn
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Counting down

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Not much left on the list now (though I do keep adding to the bottom as I cross things off higher up).
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Two fine days has meant the grass dried up enough for Victoria to mow the grass in the Paddock (and James' garden), and for Bill to strim the patio. Who is Bill you may be asking - our latest farm apprentice from Australia. The barn has been swept and is ready for bunting and balloons. The tables and chairs are stacked and ready to decorate (thank you very much, Kendal Boys Brigade). Photographs are printed, to remind us of when we were young with doubtful fashion sense. Cakes are baked and being decorated (thank you Victoria and Michelle).

The last bedroom will be full tonight, and first tent will be pitched. It's almost a mini Glastonbury.

All (!) I have to do is dust and hoover and watch everything click into place - but what have I forgotten?

But first, it's Penrith Show tomorrow and Henry and James are busy preparing some cows for their first outing this year. Just James and family are going while Henry and I blow up balloons and climb ladders.

So, see you in the sun where a cooling glass awaits you
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Update - dusting (not "a bit of light dusting" but heavy industrial stuff) almost complete - and thanks to Elliot for reaching places my creaky bones won't reach
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It's a bale Jim, but not we we know it

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Now that we've got our shiny new silage pit roof, and the latest state of the art covering on the grass, we don't need the hundreds of tyres that we used to use to weigh down the plastic sheet. Putting them on took all day and was a wet and dirty thankless job. But it's not so easy to get rid of the heap of old tyres. Today part of the solution arrived - a baler to compress them down to a neat solid shape (that apparently we will find a use for). James moved the tyres from our heap (with the Manitou) to another heap nearer the baler. One operator stacked them, and another loaded the machine, periodically pulling a lever to squash them down. Eventually the bale was wired together and moved away by James.

It must be something new round here, as we even had spectators - here's Jim wondering how many tyres in the bale.

How many do you think? First right answer wins a (virtual) prize.

What's big(ish) and yellow?

The new (to us) toy being tested round the back of the house. We have plans to extend the patio blocking right round the back of the back kitchen, but time is running out before our deadline (Sunday) so the new Big Boys Toy is scraping and levelling before we put some gravel down.
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