Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Posie's Blog. Tales of island life on a hebridean hill farm

Friday 27 April 2007

A Magpie on the Doorstep.


Another scorcher of a day, I was champing at the bit as I sat through a girls’ coffee morning, enjoying the chat, but desperate to get out for my run and on with the gardening. I do love a good natter, but today was one of those days where the outdoors was beckoning.

We had our first barbeque of the season in the back garden this evening. The happy farmer came in and suggested it, so I was left to get salads ready and chicken marinated, while he disappeared off to the pub, on the pretence that he was getting charcoal from the local shop.

He did arrive home with the charcoal, eventually! Luckily I was on my second glass of wine, sat out in the sunshine, totally chilled, so I just smiled as it was my turn to relax while he raced around lighting the barbeque and doing the cooking. The children were really excited when we mentioned the word barbeque, the youngest disappeared off and came back all dressed up. Once they realised it wasn’t going to be a full scale party though, and the only invitees were us, they all voiced their disappointment before disappearing off to watch ‘The Simpsons’ instead, chomping on burgers as they went. The happy farmer and I had a lovely peaceful barbeque all to ourselves.

I let the sheepdogs into the garden for a last run around, Mist the pup trampled over every trough of plants, as she warily made her way across the patio for a piece of sausage. They are obsessed with the pigs at the bottom of the garden, the happy farmer even found the pup in with them yesterday. I think they will be firm friends soon, and it took their minds off stalking the hens for a day.

After tea the happy farmer took off around the sheep on his quad bike, one final tour, the lambing is largely finished now, he is just keeping an eye out for any stragglers, and making sure all is well with the sheep and lambs.

As the happy farmer raced through the fields, I cleared the old rusty ‘clutter’ that has gradually been appearing at my old doorstep. I don’t know what it is about farmers and their odd bits of old scrap, the happy farmer doesn’t seem to be able to help himself, he is like a magpie, just as one bit of the yard clears, another pile gathers. So as he made his way across the farm his old junk and metal treasures made their way across the road, into a heap outside his shed.

Until next time…

5 comments:

Inthemud said...

We had our first BBQ of the year last Sunday, the day the weather changed, but although it was cooler it didn't rain till that night, It really feels like summer is here when we start having bbq's.

Suffolkmum said...

Glad you had a nice peaceful BBQ! My children would have been the same, they love a party, but get really disgruntled unless we put on bells and whistles! The weather is unbelievable isn't it.

@themill said...

Saturday now and really grey and cool here on the Northumbrian coast. have the same heaps of clutter issue with my Farmer too!
BTW if you send me your full web address (the http;) thingy I'll link you to my page

Pondside said...

Sounds like a lovely evening - wine, sunset and barbecue. About the rusty scrap bits - maybe start a sculpture and sell it for beg $$$s to someone out for the day?

snailbeachshepherdess said...

clutter, scrap we've got more than is healthy so have ordered skip - then it will be the inevitable "No, no, no, I might need that!"