March 2008

I haven’t had a lot to post this last couple of weeks just mundane stuff like muckspreading and milking. Simon’s debate team lost in their semi but given their scratch consistency I think we can all be very proud. March has brought the preliminaries for the Cheshire show and I’m visiting a school next week. Also we have had an expert advisor to sort us out over the orchard re planting and restoration and as we have a works experience person next week weather permitting I think we will be planting our first trees. I’m told or existing ones are about 130 years old as their age denotes a countrywide planting spree in the 1880’s. Hello out there to our friends in France it seems your students like us.

The first Cheshire Show meeting of 2008 this is for our area RURAL LIFE and it was nice to see our new show Chairman Mr. Tony Garnett at the meeting. Some good ideas exchanges all round but on a sad note from Nigel Evans show executive director security is very much an issue this year as some large items of plant went missing last year. Today we have been joined by Nichola another works experience victim and she has started with a short day as the show meeting was in the afternoon. Besides the usual (milking feeding etc) we have prepared our Root Pulper for painting this is a must as we are lending it to the Salt Museum next month.

Sorry for my lateness but time has been upon me. The Root pulper is looking good in its painted and restored state and I think my next project may be a cake breaker. March has been cold more in keeping with the seasons so nothing is growing much as yet so no first week of April turn out for the cows much though they would like it. Everywhere has now had a dose of muckspreading and I’m just giving the long field a light second application assuming the rain doesn’t stop me. We have also bought an old set of disc harrows these are really good when leveling out rutted gateways. Spring field work has not really yet started as the cold has held everything back but the forecast is for temperatures hitting 14c this coming week so things should start happening. We are currently joined by Lucy from the Reaseheath collage for a works experience to complement her animal care course. Lucy seems to be enjoying working with the cows and feeding our young stock. Last night saw our neighbor James’s 30th birthday bash which I assume went well given Sarah’s late arrival home !!

See you soon PHIL.

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