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

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

Saturday 22 January 2011

Marmite the lawn mower....

I looked out of the window to see Marmite the lawn mower busy at work, trimming the grass in the front garden. Who needs their grass cut in January you may well ask, but then you see Marmite is very particular, and will go to great lengths to make sure our garden is kept well clipped. 

Marmite is one of the happy farmer’s group of girls, one of the four legged variety, a resident Highland heifer, who simply cannot resist a tasty bite, especially at this time of year. Keeping a close eye on her mother, Treacle, she too has mastered the art of pirouetting over the cattle grid on a daily basis in search of tastier delights than the ones on offer in her home pastures. Every morning mother and daughter follow their well practised routine of skipping daintily over the grid which is there to deter the cattle from sauntering onto the single track road.

It doesn’t get better than a cold January  morning, lying cosily between the sheets, surveying the view whilst I await a welcome morning cup of tea from the happy farmer who is hard at work in the kitchen, Marmite busy out cutting the grass. This morning the happy farmer even took it upon himself to lay on some added entertainment. Whilst watching our Highland cow, I suddenly became aware of one scantily clad happy farmer making his way across the front garden, in his under garments and flip flops, waving his arms in the air, a well practised dance routine, which had little effect on Marmite. That is until the happy farmer grabbed a nearby football to lob at her. Marmite on seeing this frightful vision lifted her head, took one look and bolted in the opposite direction, out onto the road, past the pottery, galloping to what looked like home before swerving sharply to the left, spying another opportunity, another garden needing a wee tidy up, she fled into the cottage gardens.

Sometime later, cup of tea in hand, a slightly disgruntled happy farmer arrived in the bedroom. What was annoying him the most was the bit of ‘cattle herding’ that I completely missed, dash it. Apparently when Marmite took off into the cottage gardens the happy farmer was forced, by impassable muddy puddles, to come back to the house and ditch the flip flops, for a more sensible pair of wellington boots. Now the image of the happy farmer running around, waving his arms, shouting, in underpants and wellingtons can only be left to the imagination, luckily the holiday cottages didn’t have guests this week.

Until next time…


14 comments:

MILLY said...

Fantastic photograph of the moon over the mountains. You look like you are having some of the beautiful sunsets.
Think we should have had a photograph of the happy farmer this morning. Lovely story.
millyx

Molly said...

Posie - which only goes to show - the grass is greener on the other side of the grid! I love the names Marmite and Treacle!

Sarah Jane said...

How funny! What a shame you don't have a photo!

Cait O'Connor said...

Lovely funny post Posie, I could just visualise the not so happy Farmer!

Your header picture is to die for, it is so dreamy, I could look at it for hours.

Frances said...

Posie, with your description, I really could see the entire scene played out on the lawn. No camera required!

Best wishes to you and to all the players. xo

Elizabethd said...

You do make me laugh Posie! I think you should write a childrens book about Marite and Treacle!

Funkymonkey said...

You should really have been out with your camera! I love Marmite, she's so gorgeous I'm sure she's forgiven anything.

Tracey

Posie said...

Marmite is just hysterical and is such a bolshy teenager, the happy farmer always has to follow her back along the road, and she dawdles and then stops for another tasty bite, waiting for him to catch up, and then refuses to move again...
Glad you like the header picture...it is the view from the farmhouse...and I never ever take it for granted, in all its glorious shades and seasons...
Posie

Thedarkerside73 said...

Hi Posy,

Thanks for your comment on my blog. Thought I would pop over to yours and say hello!

What a lovely blog you own. Was laughing at your wonderfully descriptive account of The Happy Farmer down to his bare essentials and wellies, frantically herding an errant Marmite. Fab name for her by the way.

Look forward to more stories. And seeing those amazing views too!


MBB x

Tattieweasle said...

What a brilliant thought underpants and wellies and much waving, wish it could have been filmed!

bayou said...

Great lawn mower! Did I tell you that one of my biggest desires is to have a Highlander? ;-))

Fennie said...

Beautiful pictures Posie and I never knew that Highland cattle can be black. Very handsome they look, though - all sleek and rugged under that covering of hair. How ever do you send them for slaughter? It would break my heart no matter how many cottage gardens they had broken in to. I suppose you could hobble them by tying their front legs together loosely: that would give your man in his underpants the chance to catch up. Ya-hoo!

shrly_lloyd@yahoo.co.uk said...

Posie Marmite is gorgeous - I love that haughty expression - and what a beautiful coat - I agree with the others a shot of the Happy Farmer rounding her up would have been good! x

Katherine said...

Great post!I'm blog hopping today. So happy I found your blog. Wishing you happiness, Katherine