Y Bont: 2006: July/August: Wellies & Wheelbarrows

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2006 July/August

WELLIES & WHEELBARROWS

With the sun shining and summer supposedly just around the corner I decided last week that I had better start shearing. Although the weather influenced my decision the real reason I decided to start was that my neighbours were getting on with the job and I was in great danger of being last to finish again.

However, after two days of struggling the job has come to a standstill - the sheep just aren’t ready to shear. I should have realised the sheep were trying to tell me this, when after half an hour of changing fuses on extension cables and shearing machine I discovered the reason I had no power was due to the fact one wily old ewe had bitten through the cable! When I did finally start shearing I spent the day being knocked about by bad tempered ewes. The decision to postpone shearing was taken half way through the second day when one particularly awkward old sod bit me in the armpit. Looking on the bright side the pain in my armpit made me forget my back ache for a while.

With the shearing job on stop I decided to try and grab a little field of hay whilst the weather was fine. Before I cut I checked the forecast on BBC and HTV, I checked the Teletext, listened to the World Service and tapped the glass in the living room. They were all in agreement - the weather was fine and was going to remain so for a few days.

By Saturday night the hay was almost ready and only required a few more hours of sun to get it perfect. There was no problem, a chance of rain had been forecast for Sunday evening but by then the field would be baled and safely in the shed - easy.

Sunday morning dawned dark and miserable, but dry, so I pressed on. Had it rained on me before I’d wasted diesel turning the field and rowing up I wouldn’t have minded so much but as it waited until I was ready to start bailing I was somewhat annoyed (somebody up there has got it in for me). Fortunately the next day I managed to clear the field and get some nice hay.

If anyone is planning a bar-b-que this summer and wants to know the forecast, just take a walk to the Llan and if the the mowers on the tractor cancel all outside activities. If I’m going to cut it’s bound to rain.

Henson the wonder dog has been improving steadily since lambing time. He has firmly established himself as leader of the Llan Farm Posse by consistently battering the other dogs in the back of the Landrover. Fortunately for him (and me) he’s turning into a handy member of staff, so I’ll overlook his antisocial behaviour for the time being.

All the cows have been turned out and are happily grazing in the fields. The calving went well with the exception of one cow. She actually calve okay, however, unfortunately she developed mastitis and her udder dried up. I’ve spent the last few weeks fetching milk from Vivian to bottle feed her calf, and did she appreciate my endeavours? No, is the short answer. She spent most of her time head butting me whilst I tried to keep her baby alive. To add insult to injury the calf only drank when it suited him and then hardly anything at all - still the pet lambs enjoyed the left over milk .Having come to the end of my tether with cow and calf, last week I turned them to the field. I hurled abuse at the pair as they went through the gate and held out very little hope for the calf’s future.

Amazingly the calf has now started drinking a decent amount at regular intervals now and is thriving. His mothers temper has improved and she has stopped butting me. Why couldn’t they behave this way from day one?

I don’t know why but everything in the Llan is awkward and bloody minded (with the obvious exception of me, of course!)