Life on the Farm

early summer in pictures and a rant about the weather

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Land and livestock demand my full attention these summer days. Rising early to beat the midges and the heat, I wake to sunlight pouring in the eastern window, flooding our little home with sweltering warmth, and the rising dawn cacophony of stonechats chatting, swallows squabbling, magpies cackling, ewes calling for their lambs and our farm ducks quacking for their breakfast. The bustle of the growing season. I roll out of bed and into boots to feed and milk the goats, lead them out to their browse, hike across the hill with a bucket of beet and water for the sheep and then cut browse for the bucks who’ve been penned up away from the female herd because they’re already rutting and their constant harassment of the ladies was getting a bit much, all before coffee.