Hey Ina

[Hillbilly]

Blinkin nice to meet you :-)

Chooks installed in the henhouse - looking happy. They'd laid an egg for me when I went to pick them up.

Jo

[Lou8]

Ah, did you buy something from the rare breeds sale?

I had hoped to meet you both there but my husband Steve had other ideas for the weekend and as he works full time and I don't, I felt I should be accommodating.

[Hillbilly]

Hi!

Yes, 3 Bovans Nera (now in new coop) and 6 Light-Sussex-to-be (currently in incubator).

VERY hard not to take the welsh hill sheep too but hard to get in friends car ;-)

It would have been nice to meet you too but another time :D

[Stonehead]

I was over at Thainstone on Saturday as well - I was the one in the big hat who bought two pairs of Scots Greys. Luckily, I deliberately left the trailer at home or we'd have had another three (or maybe six) pigs as well. The three large black crosses (4.5 months) look great and delicious!

Then there was the pony and trap, the hebridean sheep, the old crosscut and rip saws, the planes, the scythes....

Just as well the OH dragged me away. As it was, I still managed to get some more fencing materials before she managed to lock me in the Land Rover!

Stonehead

PS I'm over to the Netherton dispersal sale this weekend because it's got even more interesting stuff. Can I evade the OH this time?

[Hillbilly]

I saw you, your OH and the kids walking through the central area but as we hadn't even spoken on the forum at that time I thought it a litle rude to come running up shouting "OI Stonehead!" - you looked determined and now reading what you bought I can understand why! LOL!

However, we're at the Netherton roup this weekend too so will say hi this time.

[Stonehead]

I saw you, your OH and the kids walking through the central area but as we hadn't even spoken on the forum at that time I thought it a litle rude to come running up shouting "OI Stonehead!" - you looked determined and now reading what you bought I can understand why! LOL!

However, we're at the Netherton roup this weekend too so will say hi this time.

You should have said hello. I did have a couple of strangers say "You must be the laddie from Stonehead Croft - the one that keeps pigs. We could tell by your hat". They turned out to be friends of George, the farmer across the road. And he tells me he's not into gossip!

Stonehead

[ina]

Hi everybody

Sorry I wasn't on earlier - I spent the rest of the weekend in the garden! My dear friend has gone OTT again and bought about 10 times as many seed potatoes as she needed - and as I can't see waste, I had to find places for all these potatoes to grow. So now, later this year visitors to our place will see tatties coming up in all sorts of weird and wonderful places! (I hope, anyway.) I'm growing some in feed bags, too...

Shame I missed you, Stonehead - didn't even see the hat. It was nice to meet you, Jo; there were so many people there, it was hard to see anybody! Maybe we can have an Aberdeenshire meeting soon (where's Netherton?).

Btw, my friend was impressed with the pigs, too - she suggested I could hold one on my lap on the way home! I was NOT impressed with lots of the other animals, though; some were in a pityable state of malnourishment and illhealth. Shame. This kind of thing gives farming a bad name - a lot of the "townies" who go there just to see some nice animals will think that this is how farmers keep their livestock!

Edited to remove THREE spelling mistakes - what the heck is wrong with me!!!

[Stonehead]

Btw, my friend was impressed with the pigs, too - she suggested I could hold one on my lap on the way home! I was NOT impressed with lots of the other animals, though; some were in a pityable state of malnourishment and illhealth. Shame. This kind of thing gives farming a bad name - a lot of the "townies" who go there just to see some nice animals will think that this is hjow farmers keep tyheir livestock!

I couldn't agree more. The large black boar, the sow and the three large black X rearers were clearly well fed, happy animals. They were completely unstressed by the strange environment and spent most of their time lying on their sides grunting happily.

There were also a couple of very good highland heifers - but some looked neglected and as for some of the horses and sheep, ugh. I think sale marts should refuse to auction animals that are clearly neglected and malnourished.

Oh, and I also noticed some of the chicks and ducklings were way too young to be out from under heat lamps or away from broodies. Listening to baby chicks chirping shrilly and anxiously as they crowd together for warmth is not my idea of good animal welfare.

Changing the subject, my OH and I have been discussing having a barbecue here during the summer and inviting people who know us via the various forums we frequent, from the shops, from neighbouring farms and from the water crisis. We can't feed a horde but we can provide a venue, some food and some booze to get things going.

What do the Aberdeenshire and parts nearby contingent think? You'd have to bring a contribution of food/drink and probably some drinking water!

Stonehead

PS Netherton is not far from us, over towards the A96.

[Hillbilly]

Changing the subject, my OH and I have been discussing having a barbecue here during the summer and inviting people who know us via the various forums we frequent, from the shops, from neighbouring farms and from the water crisis. We can't feed a horde but we can provide a venue, some food and some booze to get things going.

What do the Aberdeenshire and parts nearby contingent think? You'd have to bring a contribution of food/drink and probably some drinking water!

Stonehead

Well as the representative for Keig we think its a great idea. More than happy to contribute food, drink, water whatever!

Now, jimbob has stopped crying so its back to the weeding..

[Shirley]

Stoney!! That gets the thumbs up from the kildrummy lot!! We'd have to buy some water to bring with us though as our water still isn't sorted... bloody solicitors grrrrr

Spent a week in Manchester... and my skin was getting softer by the day... hands almost baby soft (well ok... 40 year old baby soft...) - got back around 11.30pm last night... and even now.. just 24 hours later my hands are getting dry and cracked around the finger tips

What's the deal at Netherton?? Is it worth going along to?? Who else is going and what times etc...?

[Stonehead]

What's the deal at Netherton?? Is it worth going along to?? Who else is going and what times etc...?

Details at http://www.goanm.co.uk/anmarts/displenish/satsale.htm and photos at http://www.goanm.co.uk/anmarts/displenish/netherton.htm

My favourite "boy toy" is the Campbell gas engine, but I can't see the OH letting me have it!

Norman Robertson, who's finally parting with most of his stuff, is one of those blokes who frequents dispersal sales and buys stuff no one else goes for or is going cheap. George, the farmer who lives opposite me, described him as "an old cra who can't help but flap his wings every time there's a sale"!

So, there's a lot of tat scattered around the useful bits.

There is a Leyland 344 with loader, but from the photos it looks a bit neglected. If it runs reasonably well and the hydraulics are okay, I could be tempted, but I suspect it's as bad as it looks from what George said.

Stonehead

[ina]

My favourite "boy toy" is the Campbell gas engine, but I can't see the OH letting me have it!

Norman Robertson, who's finally parting with most of his stuff, is one of those blokes who frequents dispersal sales and buys stuff no one else goes for or is going cheap. George, the farmer who lives opposite me, described him as "an old cra who can't help but flap his wings every time there's a sale"!

Now that engine looks seriously nifty! What would you use it for?

The description of Norman Robertson could be of my friend's husband... He will be there, unless there is another sale nearer by.

I'll have to see if I can make it on Saturday, if only to see all you lot!

Barbie at Stonehead gets my approval, too 8) . I'll start looking out the water containers immediately...

[Shirley]

ok - we are up for it!!! Will bring along the bottles too Dennis if you fancy doing the freecycle stuff on that day

[ina]

Can't make it this Saturday - I have a hairdresser appointment... Doesn't sound like me, does it! But they are closing down, and this was my last chance. Since they are the only ones who'll cut my hair the way I want it, i.e. short enough so I don't need a comb, and at a reasonable price, I had to take this chance!

In future I suppose it'll be the clippers, and a no.2 job.

[Stonehead]

In future I suppose it'll be the clippers, and a no.2 job.

Welcome to the club. We have monthly shearing - me first, then the boys. But for some reason the OH opts out...

Stonehead