Dove Farm Diaries
it’s hard being a Super-hero
The end of July is significant for all sorts of reasons – end of term for kids, hay-making, getting ready for harvest, agricultural show season ……and my birthday. I have many memories of ‘celebrating’ many birthdays, sat in a tractor cab late at night – cos when the weather’s here, mowers, trailers and balers wait for no man.
So what I’m saying is, that I never have the luxury of reflecting back on the year past, and planning ahead. It’s all one blur of actvity at birthday time. This year is even worse, cos we’ve been building a new grain shed in our spare time, ready for storing this year’s crop, and I am supposed to be online, giving a snapshot of progress and activity each week on the farm.
I dont know which is harder to do – being a ‘Super hero Dad’, or ‘Super hero Farmer’. Most of the time, I fall wide of the mark on both – but this week, the new version of www.dovefarm.co.uk has gone live, and I’ve had a good week of machinery sales. The grain store is nearly done, by the skin of its teeth – and I have promised to keep a good supply of blog updates coming through. So that’s super hero farming taken care of, and all is well on the dove farm homestead..(for one day, at least)
Now who’s got some advice on how to be a ‘Super hero Dad’?
Posted in family, Farm Days, Life, Life on the Farm, Uncategorized | Blogging, Derbyshire, Dove Farm, farmlife, Staffordshire | 
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Leave a commentRSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2011
what d'you reckon, George?
How did everybody get on with the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2011 then?
Our bird feeders are in and around a tatty old lilac tree, outside the kitchen window. It’s a favourite spot with all our animals, including the chickens, ducks, dogs and cats – they all love pinching food off the bird table, and anything that drops to the ground.
In fact, it costs a small fortune at dove farm, to keep our garden birds in peanuts and what not. They are total guzzlers, but it is nice to watch them through the window, while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil.
Here’s Kipper the dog, asking George the Buff Orpington cockerel, what he reckons to it all.
We topped up the bird feeders on Friday – so our little feathered critters wouldn’t think there was any funny stuff going on over the weekend.
Saturday morning, nobody had time to stop and do birdwatching – but things were looking good – several visits from the woodpecker, practically a flock of long-tailed tits, a collared dove, nuthatch and a couple of tree-creepers.
All the above, in amongst the usual robins, blackbirds and sparrows.
Come Sunday morning – kids and notebook at the ready – not a sausage.
Well, ok – the usual robins, blackbirds and sparrows, but where are the woodpeckers when you need one?
I would say - “…and where are all the tits, when you need a pair of Great ones to appear in your garden?” - but I better not, cos I’ll get in trouble.
Posted in family, Farm Days, Life on the Farm | Derbyshire, Dove Farm, family, farm blog, farmlife, Staffordshire | Leave a comment
Leave a commentWelcoming the New Year
Wishing all of you a healthy and prosperous New Year, and happy to introduce our new blog:
Here we are at the top of the Weaver Hills on New Year’s Day. Jane is taking the photo, that’s why she’s not in it. (There aren’t many passers-by on the 1st Jan, on a bleak and windy hilltop in Staffordshire.)
At the top of the Weaver Hills
It’s become a family tradition, to brave the elements, and walk up to the top of these hills on New Year’s Day, to make our wishes, and dream our dreams for a brief moment, until we can’t bear the cold any longer, and rush down to the car, to thaw out. Oh, didn’t I say that bit? – we drive most of the way there first!
I mean, when you are inventing a new family tradition, you can make it how you want it to be, can’t you?
Wish we could do the same with the farming year – make it how we want it to be…
No matter how carefully you plan or do things a certain way, nature and bureaucracy have a nasty habit of doing what the hell they like, and suddenly, everything’s up in the air.
Nothing new there then.
Posted in family, Farm Days, Life, Life on the Farm | Blogging, Derbyshire, Dove Farm, family, Staffordshire, Weaver Hills | Leave a comment
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