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

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

Monday 12 March 2012

A squirt in the eye....


Each week the old byre door has burst open and another group of excited children have gathered together to celebrate another birthday. We have had Barbie, Justin Bieber and SpongeBob, with all of the traditional fayre of sandwiches, cakes, sausage rolls and crisps, together with pottery painting and party games. I often wonder what the farmers of yester year would make of it all as balloons and streamers are hung from the rafters of the old byre, and the island’s children gather to celebrate another birthday. At the weekend we had a cat themed party, complete with storytelling, before the youngsters each got to paint a pottery cat in their own individual creative style.
Last month the happy farmer’s sister was over visiting. The two of us sat in the pottery showroom eating our way through the various cakes on offer; we justified it as quality control. Over tea she entertained the visitors with stories of bygone days, recalling how her father used to keep a Jersey cow. He would milk the cow daily in the byre, where we now sat eating cakes; any unsuspecting visitors would get a squirt of milk, right in the eye, if his aim was on target, as he sat chuckling away to himself on the milking stool.
Years later when I first came to the farm, my father in law could often be seen pretending to busy himself at the farmhouse door, before squirting unsuspecting visitors with the hose at the standpipe, my father in law chuckling away. He graduated from the hose pipe onto water pistols, allowing him a greater aim from any part of the farm. A good sense of humour was an absolute must; any sign of anger would ensure a good old soaking every time, as this was the reaction he savoured the most. My poor brother in law’s wife got regularly drenched, as she failed to see the funny side, and my father in law would be bent double with laughter as she got more and more angry. I am sure that if my father in law were still around today he would be highly entertained by the parties in his old byre, and I am also know that he would be poised by the door, a huge grin on his face, with water pistol in hand!!
By far the most important birthdays on the farm happened the other week, when my youngest celebrated her third birthday and turned twelve, and on the same day, her Grandpa, my dad, celebrated his eighteenth birthday, wishing both of them a belated happy birthday from my blog, I was too busy celebrating by eating birthday cake with them to write that week.
Until next time….

11 comments:

Molly said...

Looks a brilliant party, Posie. Belated happy Leap Year birthday to your daughter. Those cakes look delicious. Your F-i-L was a bit of a one - I think I would be with B-i-L's other half and treat him to a surprise bucket of water now and again :0)

Elizabethd said...

What fun that was!

Fennie said...

Yes, give Theo a hosepipe and he thinks it amazing fun to soak people and can't understand at all when they holler. But then he is just three.
Still looks like you had a really good party.

Frances said...

Posie, I so loved reading this post. You really gave us an affectionate portrait of a gentleman who loved to tease a bit with a liquid stream, and also showed us what a change has made to a traditional building.

What happiness I found!

Pipany said...

Loved the water pistol story Posie, though I am sure it wore thin pretty quickly! Birthdays are hard work these days aren't they? I always feel a sense of relief when it is all over and children have gone away happy. Daft really. Have a lovely week x

bayou said...

This is certainly the youngest grand father one can have, lol. I would have loved to be also a quality inspector for those cakes, mmmhhh and the hose pipe squirt reminded me of the old days when we showered the horses and it mainly ended up in a wet t-shirt and jeans party. I love your byre.

Chris Stovell said...

Happy belated to birthdays to the Leap Year babies. I'll stick with eating cake rather than a squirt in the eye, thanks!

Anonymous said...

How lovely for them to share their birthdays! Pictures of the pottery painting made me feel quite nostalgic - my daughter used to love those parties! Now it's discos, boys and pleas for a bottle of Smirnoff Ice! *wistful sigh*

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Happy Birthday to both. I could help you with the cake quality control any time you have spare. Just pop it in the post!

Pondside said...

What a great spot for a party - it all looks so festive and bright. I'd be glad to join the Quality Control group any time!

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