Category Archives: Farmblog

Well, the sun has set leaving a mix of light and dark blues clouding the skies and I’m coming to realisation that this time tomorrow I’ll be on the mainland for good. The caravan is clean, most of my stuff … Continue reading →

Up this morning and in the dash to the portaloo I noticed Rhona was standing on her own by the water trough with no calf in sight. Hmm. I do my daily task of filling the various buckets, basins and … Continue reading →

Last night Rhona, one of the three cows in the field, gave birth to a wee calf. Which seems to have disappeared. Admittedly I haven’t been working in their field today but the two times I’ve gone to have a … Continue reading →

And so to the coppice this morning to coppice some more coppice. We were last here on April 21st, exactly three months ago, and in that time it had become a bit more overgrown but still had a unique aura. … Continue reading →

Funny, again I haven’t wanted to write this journal for a few days. Is it because I’m leaving soon that my mind is on other things? Or is it that the routine of life here is not stimulating me to … Continue reading →

As the weeks have gone by my capacity for cycling has improved and with every ride I suprise myself. Tonight, after work, I rode into Newport to make use of the late opening library. On the way in I took … Continue reading →

The hot weather has definitely broken and it’s jumpers before sunset, but only just before. That said, the Island seems to have missed the thunderstorms reportedly covering the south of England and working their way north. My rusty knowledge of … Continue reading →

The heat of the last week looks like it’s about to break at any moment and beyond my window a tractor is rapidly gathering up the fresh bails of hay from the field. Well, I say rapidly but the whole … Continue reading →

Today was a good day. We got a lot of stuff done and it was very rewarding. In fact it was what I always thought this kind of thing would be like. First of all we brought the sheep in … Continue reading →

Cycled 20 miles today. A few months back that would have been unthinkable, but I did it, and apart from a slight ache in my lower back muscles I could probably cycle some more. Blimey. After lunch, at about 2.30, … Continue reading →

When I came back from Newport this afternoon, all hot and sweaty from the cycle ride, I saw one of the orphan lambs in the farmyard but not in the field paddock with the calves where they’re supposed to be. … Continue reading →

Funny, a week ago it was getting cool enough to wear a jumper out to the field (only to take it off as soon as actual work commenced) and, despite July and August still to come, I was thinking that … Continue reading →

“How did the idea of Ira’s shack maintain its hold so long? Well, it’s the earliest images – of independence and freedom, particularly – that do live obstinately on, despite the blessing and the bludgeoning of life’s fullness. And the … Continue reading →

Just now I was lying down in the caravan as the sun set, reading the Philip Roth book (very good, btw), listening to Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) and pondering how good I was feeling. It occurred to me that … Continue reading →

I was lost in the noise of strimming the lawn when I spotted M looking thoughtful in the farmyard paddock amongst the chicken runs. As she was coming back to the house the plastic cord in the strimmer snapped off … Continue reading →

Finished creosoting the shed – it really does soak it up, like painting a sponge – and set to work clearing some thistles from the top field. This is where the animals are normally kept and while the grass is … Continue reading →

I have a serious urge not to write for this journal. Ever since making the decision to leave the farm I just haven’t felt the need to write stuff down. It’s really odd as usually such a thing happens when … Continue reading →

What is it now, Tuesday? Well, I made the decision on Saturday and told M on Monday that I’d be leaving in three weeks and I feel pretty good about it all. There’s no sense of “escape”, because I’m not … Continue reading →

I can announce I’m leaving the Island and stopping WWOOFing on July 26th, though why I’m bothering to announce it on a journal that won’t be public until after that date is beyond me. (Cue meta-summat discussion about the need, … Continue reading →

M grabbed one of the sheep’s rear legs and held it up. Fred and I were sitting on the bonnet of the car having chased the sheep down from the field. M wanted to trim the sheep’s hooves and called … Continue reading →