Where to start ......
Russell & I are a bit stressed. In fact, we admit to feeling a little overwhelmed with everything we need to do on the "farm".
Starting with good news though - the plans for the riding school have finally been submitted. It's only taken 7 months of blood, sweat & tears since the pre application but it is done! Still a few loose ends to tie up - surface material for the parking area (still waiting to here back from the env agency on that one), disposal for the wc in the yard, moving the telegraph poles to name but a few but at least we are getting somewhere. I am preparing myself for a few complaints though, I am off to the local Parish Council (hopefully) on the 10 Jan to talk to them about our plans and then the Planning Committee is scheduled for the 6 Feb, so we will know either way after that.
On Friday I attended a first aid in the workplace course - a qualification needed to be a Group Instructor with the RDA and I have been trained in stage 1 of turkey processing at Cuckoo farm in Rutland with Pat. We were going to "do" the turks on Thursday, but really, really mild weather is forecast so we have had to delay until Monday. Not too sure how I feel about it really, best not to think about it too much.
I have no idea of heavy the birds will be, Russell and I spent a couple of interesting mornings recently trying to catch them to weigh them. We're not very good together with the turkeys -I can't catch them (hate the flapping wings) and Russell's back isn't v good so he can't bend down quick enough to grab them. Our attempts start out well, but invariably end up with me giggling, then us swearing and shouting at each other and then Russell storming off the field in a "huff". It is a bit hopeless, for me to be a poultry farmer and not even be able to pick the bloody things up. Obviously I haven't let on this fact to Pat.
Unfortunately things didn't work out with poor Rita and she had to go back to her owner. She just hasn't done enough recently for her to be a useful horse for me.
Springtime is settling in and hopefully she will be more suitable. She is a typical thoroughbred horse and has already lost one shoe and eaten around 100 bales of hay but I do really love her.
The freezing weather has made watering the livestock challenging -carrying buckets of water out each morning and night has kept me fit. Poo picking (of which I do so, so very much) is much easier though, frozen manure is much less horrible than non frozen.
No photos I'm afraid as my phone is jammed on to text message mode (I know, another i phone ruined) but hopefully I'll get round to taking some over the holidays.
xx
