Summer Rains, Autumn Calving, Old Farm

In recent days we have had some of the wildest nights I can remember for very long time though we have come off quite lightly. As far as I know no treees have actually come down, thogh some large branches dropped, they've just shed a vast confetti of leaves and twigs everywhere. The wind blustered around in the trees which surround the house and the rain poured in torrents but this morning the wind has died down and the rain is reduced to just occasional light drizzle. My garden is looking rather battered, with flowers drooping their heads looking rather sorry for themselves.however, as I write there is even a faint glimmer of sunshine appearing in a small break in the cloud, so there is hope that things may improve as the day goes on. we have had a summer of showers and sunshine for the most part which is frustrating in many ways, especially with the children off school for six weeks when we would have hoped to have trips to the beach in the evenings to cook supper and mess about in kayaks but most evenings the weather has been rather off-putting. Apart from pleasure trips being curtailed the more serious effect is on the silage crop when finding a window of good weather to get grass cut and turned then baled has been difficult. Elder Son was out yesterday mowing the fields of a neighbour where the local agricultural show is to be held next week. The grass was cut but last night we had torrential rain once again so whether they will be able to gather it off the fields today is doubtful. It will have be done by Wednesday as that is when the preparations for the show begin with the erection of the marquees and and roping off of the various paddocks for the horse show, the main ring and the sheep and cattle exhibition areas.The Farmer will be up there to help and we can all hope that things will have dried out a bit otherwise it will be a sea of mud!

Although we are still in the summer holiday period we have technically started our autumn calving season and these are the first two calves very snug in their beds of straw. They are coming slowly at present which is good, in few weeks time their will be many more and the feeding regime will be taking longer each morning and evening just as the light is going, so that by the height of the calving period it will all be done in dark mornings and with the dark evenings starting about 4.o'clock in the afternoon.

For a couple of years the Farmer has been growing a grape vine on a sunny wall in the yard and this year we are actually going to have small harvest of grapes from it. They are beginning to change colour now and hopefull we will get enough sunshine to bring out the sweetness. All conversations come back to the weather...so very British!! Penyrallt Home Farm is very old, we know that there has been a farm here for well over 400 years and while our buildings date from the mid-19th century parts of the main farmhouse are much older. In our handsome Victorian buildings there are still traces of their original features including this iron trough placed in the corner of a archway where presumably horses were led through to paddocks or out to work in the fields. There is still limewash on the walls in a delicate shade of pink. What is pleasing is that these old parts of the farm are still in use alongside the array of new modern building that been put up in recent years. It is all process of evolution.