October started off well with a new addition to the livestock .. a good friend Jean had a pony that needed a home, so I couldn’t say no and when we met Gemma pony a  section A (tiny hardy sturdy little unit ) she seemed just the thing to keep Lotte company  … just got to get them used to each other and avoid the kicks !

so we are now a farm with 17 ducks, 16 sheep, 10 chickens , 5 pigs , 2 ponies and a dog !

I think that classes as a Farm now not a small holding ?

Ribs were healing well so my thoughts turned to
getting back on Lotte , maybe not for anything too speedy but it was frustrating not being able to get out in the lovely autumn sunshine .

Body armour was my weapon of choice and I think it’s pretty sexy huh .. am hoping it will remind me to ride better and stay on !

 

 

 

The weather was getting crisper and with all the produce , I was inspired to work on the “self preservation” range .. we had damson jam , rhubarb jam, Glutney (chutney) powdered porccini mushrooms, Elderberry vinegar (bloody lovely) , rosehip syrup and dried chilli flakes . I was looking for something new maybe alcoholic and found it .. meet my Lime marmalade breakfast tipple  ..

Lime marmalade essentially but with a drop of rascal thrown in .

I’m still working on the colour , cos it kind of looks more like pond water and I’d like it a bit crisper looking . It’s a work in progress but it tastes divine ..

Betty, Bam bam and Pebbles soon needed to be outdoors and were proper giddy when we braved their release into the main pen .. it’s an unknown risk how animals are going to get on and

Nora being probably 200kg plus now she’s not someone I’d tackle..

So we were quite relieved when she ,true to form  was quite laid back and welcoming to the new pig pen pals x we’ve brought her up well and her manners were impeccable x

This months title mentions determination , well the hubby earns that title with our grass. The cutting was quite late and so we were advised not to bother with square bales however Andy was adamant that we were long to try and make square bale hay !

He cut, he dried , he baled , we collected from the field and air dried all over the farm .. in tractor shed in the new wood shelter even the dog kennel had some .. they were rotated , and sorted , shifted and a couple of weeks later most of them made the grade . Of the 65 square bales made 50 made it to our feed store .. The round bales however needed moving but the weather had been pants so again determined husband of the year set to welding and fabricating a bale mover to tow behind the kubota and go fetch some of the bales in tricky places. It took some designing building and tweaking but it does the job and looks

pretty spanking huh!

Lotte our first pony , had arrived at Grobdale ‘‘Barefoot’ ’ or without shoes, and after reading up on its benefits to her hooves and circulation I figured it was the way to go …A visit from the blacksmith confirmed my feelings on this and gave Lotte a much needed pedicure .. meet (magic) Mike Roberts our farrier..

Had a great opportunity to skive a little when my very good chum Wendy or Mrs T arrived , off we went to enjoy a day out in D&G .. standing stones, beaches ,Wigtown a book town and lovely lunch was the order of the day

 

 

So ,Balls was the title for this months blog and a pair I had to grow ,when it came to getting back on my feisty little pony (and no that isn’t a euphemebob ) ..I just gotta try harder at staying on !