Foraging walk.....and neighbours..and history

 We walked across the field, down the big hedge...which is covered in apples and pears....

We picked half a carrier bag of some fairly sweet crab apples for a neighbour to make bramble and apple jelly..Scriby Apples in Ayrshire Scots.

Then up to the farm on the hill that we see between us and the Isle of Arran.

We took a bottle of last year's apple juice made from apples growing by one of his fields, and damson plum chutney made from damsons from a croft on his land...that in 1850 had 78 acres...a considerable holding then.

He nearly emigrated to New Zealand along with others of his family when he was young....and I think that two of his children have followed their relations to Nelson.

At 81 he no longer has cattle, just 40 hens or so for eggs and overwinters hill sheep on his fields. 

His wife is a vet, and also a brilliant gardener! For the first time, he showed us their front garden...it is fantastic, not huge, but with paths and sheltered corners..and a good windbreak fence!! They have an open day for charity every year, and are open in the summer by appointment.

Then Pirate and him talked tractors!!!! Before we realised that lunchtime had passed..

First stop was the special apple tree. We picked another large bagful..they ripen fully after picking...the ground was covered with windfalls.

This tree has been noticed by apple specialists looking for Scottish varieties..they took lengths for grafting and are returning soon to take DNA samples to see if it is linked to any known variety.

After that, we headed towards home...via the croft with damsons, as Farmer told us of the trees that still had fruit....

The bottom two feet of the croft building walls are still there. It would be a good place to live...but was probably badly affected by the coal mining on what is now Hannahston nature reserve, just up the burn from it.

A goodly bag of plums collected...and home, via our neighbour with the Scriby apples she wanted plus a share of the damsons.

We were lucky to stay reasonably dry...we started our walk after a morning hail shower and it started to rain again once we were home!

Day Out. for a change!

 At the National Museum of Rural Life near East Kilbride..

 Fantastic to see this from all angles,even if it wasn't working...

 A cheese press...no doubt that this would work!!

 Ayrshire Coo..

 and in the farmyard....

 Waiting to be shorn..

 and the others..

 the indignity!!

 We just missed the falconry display..and he was quickly putting the birds in their boxes .....

 they were getting interested in an unconnected occurrence...some large bird being seen off.....

what do we want?

A hard decision to make, when there are too many things we would like to do.

What do we really want?

If a person doesn't want one aspect of one activity, why should they drop every aspect and "throw the baby out with the bathwater" ?

Meanwhile we have had some pleasant cycle rides .

 I think they used a very battered Massey Ferguson 135 for this job, not the horse!

Then we've just had  a racing weekend spoiled by rain and cold weather...

The weather seems to be running at an average of four degrees colder than last year.
It isn't easy to stay upbeat and carry on at a time when you're usually recharging your physical and mental batteries with the summer weather..and its cold wet and grey.

getting agricultural...

After today's ride in gentle sunshine and a quick lunch, we wandered up th path by the Taylor River to Brayshaw Park.
This is the home of the Agricultural Machinery Museum, as wll as many other thingsm  a place well worth a visit any day,
Many photos taken, the Secretary, who was on duty that day, made us a cuppa, and both he and the pirate having been in their respective airforces, talked aeroplanes!
Footsore already, we retraced our steps, pausing to watch a new concrete path being laid for cyclists and walkers. Readymixed concrete being delivered by lorries, but the finishing all done by hand-and done well, too.
One thing we noted eas the lack of damage or graffiti...in the whole of the last two weeks work, one small heart outline and one set of dog pawprints....would that be so in the uk ?

making hay

All in safely....lucky, as we've just had the Typical British summer.....two hot days and a thunderstorm....

farm art

gardening escape!

from sorting and de-cluttering!!

We now have a large heap of brambles and buddleia in the Walled Garden, ready to be turned into potash!! I started, and now finished removing brambles from a huge forsythia bush. The buds are just showing on it and soon there will be flowers. Now it will look good and be safe to prune after flowering!

The New Mugs and New Handles have been unwrapped, and just loosely covered with one sheet of plastic. They should be dry enough to lightly fettle on Sunday.

On my way home I came over the mountain (surprise!) to avoid the traffic, and drove behind a young farmer (in his twenties-we need more of his generation to carry on, when the average age is 58) on a quad bike as he moved sheep to a field half a mile up the road.
I didn't mind waiting, and it would have helped if someone impatient had come up behind. Two large lambs got a ride on his lap, and the two dogs hopped up behind him for breaks! It was good to be thanked and pass the time of day (and to be recognised...he keeps an eye out for me on my mountain walks.)

We are back to Spring weather again, with light showers. The forecast is to stay much the same, getting a bit breezy on Saturday and colder on Sunday, although still above freezing point.

We do need a dose of Winter. Just please can it wait until I'm back from North Wales!!

Tuesday's walk

Bollard!!! Lovely shape.
Looking from Risca up the valley, with the brickworks left of centre
stalactites! Under a canal bridge

It was still cold and frosty this morning, with little wind, so Mountain Man had the best of it at home on the mountain whilst the village was in shadow until almost lunchtime. Lambing is progressing slowly, some losses to the fox, some not surviving. Not all bad as the one who lost hers had one of a pair of large twins.
I worked in the kitchen this morning, waxing the bottoms of pots while the bread baked behind me and the sun shone in the window in front of me giving warmth and good light.
This afternoon The Carpenter helped deliver the pots for Newport Museum/Information Centre Showcases to the potter who will be setting up the show.
Then he left me in Risca to do a little shopping and walk home, and I regretted only wearing a scarf on my head...freezing ears!!
The Carpenter collected the Oily One from work. This gives them an hour's more daylight to finish fixing my car before it gets tested tomorrow!
Talk about working to the last minute!!