Lime-spreading, Returning Holiday makers, Red Cow-Slips,Harvest Trust

It has been a very busy week here for the Farmer & the Sons. Two days were taken up with lime spreading on several fields which has not been done for a few years. A large lorry delivered several loads of ground limestone onto the yard which was then loaded into a lime-spreader and distributed over the fields. Work started on Tuesday but a wind got up and the Farmer had to call off the work as the lime was blowing away. Fortunately the following day was calm and still so the spreading was able to continue.

When not dealing with the lime Younger Son & the Farmer were kept occupied with re-locating YS's workshop. He does all the machinery maintenance and servicing of the tractors and implements on the farm and has an extensive and well equipped workshop but, as is always the way, had outgrown the space he has had for several years, so it was decided to allocate him another shed. This involved putting in a loft & moving his 'lock-up' as well as putting in a window, so the job, like Topsy just grew into a bigger project than originally intended.

I am waiting for my next holiday makers to arrive. The family who left this morning after their 8th consectutive year here (!)  had a lovely week with very reasonable weather and were as usual very loath to go, but have promised themselves to return next year. It is great when families return to us and we see their children growing up and they feel that the farm is an important  part of their lives...rather like the swallows returning each year!

The daffodils are almost over now, though we are very lucky in having a range of varieties that flower in succession so I should still have some for Easter. Primroses and primulas are appearing everywhere and its always lovely to find self-seeded plants appearing in unexpected corners that were empty last year. I have a small but steadfast colony of cow-slips in the farmhouse garden, but in the past few years some of the them have been producing flowers with dark crimson edges which must be the result of cross-pollination with red primulas that are also in the garden. they are very pretty and there are still plenty of the proper yellow

cow-slips coming up through the grass.
 
During the week the Farmer & I met with some people who work for a charitable trust which gives children with low self-confidence and are socially withdrawn  a holiday in the countryside. Harvest Trust (http://www.harvesttrust.com/) was set up about 20 years ago on a small farm near here and has welcomed hundreds of children through its doors. The trust has had amazing results in enabling children who have difficulties in the class-room and in social situations to become more confident and even to speak and join in activities. We hope we may be able to host visits from Harvest Trust to the farm in the future.