No, not the "You Spin Me Right Round" Pete Burns, but it does burn really well. Tarasgeir is the Gaelic name for the cutting iron used to cut the peat and kurans are the little bits of peat that are eagerly picked up by everyone.
Well, following the "success" and recuperation of the spinal cord I set off to cut even more banks. This time just off the road to Lemreway. These banks hadn't been cut for a couple of years......and now their ours, mwah!!.
The good thing about these banks are they are literally just off the road and a tractor can get in once they have been dried (no lugging). The strange thing is we have a full mobile signal (probably good incase I cut off my toes using the cutting iron. We don't have that good a signal at home!! From the banks you can see the 3 wind turbines near Stornoway, The radio mast at Achmore, the Barvas hills, and the Harris hills (all on a fine day of course).
Will I have enough peat to last the winter? Time will tell and if Muriel throws and lifts enough ;-) (Muriel is our 60+ neighbour who enjoys nothing more than throwing and lifting peats....she's tough)
Bunny heaven at the moment. Had 3 young bunnies in the house. 2 had their heads chewed off by the cats and one was still alive. I caught it and lifted it by the scruff of the neck to take it outside. I never knew a bunny could squeel so loudly. Misty caught one outside, which is no mean feat for a dog as old as Misty. We also have starlings nesting in th wall at the back. 2 parents working non-stop, feeding the weans, listening to them moan for more, just like humans eh ;-)
Sheep are doing well. I haven't seen Larry or Dangerous Brian for a while as they are in the re-seedings and don't get fed supplements.
Shearing is next on the agenda, and by looking at some of the sheep (other crofters I may add) they are in dire need of it. Some sheep have wool hanging off them longer than Princess Di's wedding dress.
Well, that's about it for now. I will keep you posted about the peat banks and the shearing in due course
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Sunday, 6 May 2012
It must be love
You come home to a lovely electric, all mod cons, one flick of a switch, instant heat, with "flames"....nothing better?
Well, her that shall not be named thought it would be a grate (get it?) idea to remove the above and open up the original fireplace. "Okay, what will we use as fuel?" He asks, hoping she says "logs and coal".....Aye right.
Just spent the weekend (Sunday not included) cutting peats.
First of all, the peat bank is identified (they have been in family "ownership" for generations), marked by using a spade. Two spades wide from the edge and all the way along. Then, getting down and dirty, you jump below the level of the bank and remove the turf (turfing) about 6 inches worth all along the bank. After that it is better to work in two's, one cuts (using an implement, called an iron which is soaked in water two weeks prior to using that can only be described as a scythe-like, l-shaped tool) to cut approx. two inch blocks from the bank. The second person then picks up the block and throws it back up above the bank. This is repeated numerous times until the bank has been cut.....Finished? I wish! The thrown peats are then moved back from the bank to make room for the second level (luckily not all peat banks have more than one level, but some have FIVE!!!).
It would be okay if it was just one peat bank, but we have six. Once all six have been cut they are left for 21 days to dry. The 4 to 6 kilo blocks will have shrunk to about 1 to 2 kilo blocks. They will then be stood up and dried firther. After that they are collected and kept for the winter.
Tips:
Get a peat bank on a slight hill - stops the bank being like a bog and getting sucked into it.
Get one that has no stone near by - it knackers the iron tool
Get one that is only one cut deep - it saves having to move the peats more than once
Get a bank near the road - goes without saying.
Tomorrow is the sequel
P.S. (cos I know you care) - My back, arms, and legs are killing me.
Well, her that shall not be named thought it would be a grate (get it?) idea to remove the above and open up the original fireplace. "Okay, what will we use as fuel?" He asks, hoping she says "logs and coal".....Aye right.
Just spent the weekend (Sunday not included) cutting peats.
First of all, the peat bank is identified (they have been in family "ownership" for generations), marked by using a spade. Two spades wide from the edge and all the way along. Then, getting down and dirty, you jump below the level of the bank and remove the turf (turfing) about 6 inches worth all along the bank. After that it is better to work in two's, one cuts (using an implement, called an iron which is soaked in water two weeks prior to using that can only be described as a scythe-like, l-shaped tool) to cut approx. two inch blocks from the bank. The second person then picks up the block and throws it back up above the bank. This is repeated numerous times until the bank has been cut.....Finished? I wish! The thrown peats are then moved back from the bank to make room for the second level (luckily not all peat banks have more than one level, but some have FIVE!!!).
It would be okay if it was just one peat bank, but we have six. Once all six have been cut they are left for 21 days to dry. The 4 to 6 kilo blocks will have shrunk to about 1 to 2 kilo blocks. They will then be stood up and dried firther. After that they are collected and kept for the winter.
Tips:
Get a peat bank on a slight hill - stops the bank being like a bog and getting sucked into it.
Get one that has no stone near by - it knackers the iron tool
Get one that is only one cut deep - it saves having to move the peats more than once
Get a bank near the road - goes without saying.
Tomorrow is the sequel
P.S. (cos I know you care) - My back, arms, and legs are killing me.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
It's over
Lambing season I mean. ;-)
The last month and a bit was like a smarties mcflurry (oh for a Mcdonalds or KFC) of emotions. There were the highs of birth and the lows of death, but the highs far outweighed the lows. The most enjoyable (if you could call it enjoyable) this season was going through the touch-and-go life or death battle with Larry the abandoned twin.
Larry was the weaker twin from a gimmer that didn't have much milk and we believe the bigger brother Barry scoffed the lot. Mother and lambs were brought in to be able keep an eye or ten on them. Muriel, our neighbour and carer of all strays and orphans, brought Larry into the kitchen for warmth as it was really not doing too well. In a box, next to the stove, fed with some packet colostrom he was still very, very weak. Muriel gave the lamb a wee dram (apparently it gives the lamb a wee kick. Mac, Muriel's yorkshire terrier, climbed into the box and started liking Larry all over (now I realise that this is not the normal thing to do as the dog's smell would carry onto the lamb making it unlikely that the mother would take Larry back, but she had abandoned him anyway. The next day a ewe lost her lamb (probably to an eagle as the lamb could not be found).....a perfect match? You'd think so, but it took two weeks of catching the ewe, penning it in, holding it, and letting Larry suckle. After two weeks of the mother butting and pushing Larry away she suddenly decided to adopt him.
Now, I don't know if Larry would have survived anyway, but if in doubt a wee nip and a big mac go along way to sustaining life.
Lambing is a wonderful, but stressful time. Pulling lambs out, finding out whether male or female, marking, them etc. make up the early morning rises and the hours spent in the dark when it's raining, windy and cold.
We are now looking forward to the gambling whacky races the lambs seem to take part in.
Spring has well and truly sprung. Lots of birds flying around looking for nesting materials, and so close to the house.
I love it!!
The last month and a bit was like a smarties mcflurry (oh for a Mcdonalds or KFC) of emotions. There were the highs of birth and the lows of death, but the highs far outweighed the lows. The most enjoyable (if you could call it enjoyable) this season was going through the touch-and-go life or death battle with Larry the abandoned twin.
Larry was the weaker twin from a gimmer that didn't have much milk and we believe the bigger brother Barry scoffed the lot. Mother and lambs were brought in to be able keep an eye or ten on them. Muriel, our neighbour and carer of all strays and orphans, brought Larry into the kitchen for warmth as it was really not doing too well. In a box, next to the stove, fed with some packet colostrom he was still very, very weak. Muriel gave the lamb a wee dram (apparently it gives the lamb a wee kick. Mac, Muriel's yorkshire terrier, climbed into the box and started liking Larry all over (now I realise that this is not the normal thing to do as the dog's smell would carry onto the lamb making it unlikely that the mother would take Larry back, but she had abandoned him anyway. The next day a ewe lost her lamb (probably to an eagle as the lamb could not be found).....a perfect match? You'd think so, but it took two weeks of catching the ewe, penning it in, holding it, and letting Larry suckle. After two weeks of the mother butting and pushing Larry away she suddenly decided to adopt him.
Now, I don't know if Larry would have survived anyway, but if in doubt a wee nip and a big mac go along way to sustaining life.
Lambing is a wonderful, but stressful time. Pulling lambs out, finding out whether male or female, marking, them etc. make up the early morning rises and the hours spent in the dark when it's raining, windy and cold.
We are now looking forward to the gambling whacky races the lambs seem to take part in.
Spring has well and truly sprung. Lots of birds flying around looking for nesting materials, and so close to the house.
I love it!!
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Where has the last 3 months gone?
First off........I apologise for not posting for 3 months, but I have been busy(ish).
So, what have I been doing?
Well, the loom arrived and we have been very busy getting the damned thing "tuned". That was a steep learning curve, believe me. But, perseverance has paid off and we are turning out genuine Harris Tweed. There are only approx. 120 weavers that can weave Harris Tweed, so we both feel rather honoured doing this.
Then we were both on a Gaelic course, so I can now speak a wee bit.
Then there was the lambing course, where we were taught how to "deliver" lambs etc. Little did I know then that I would need this sooner than expected, but more later.
Then a week later it was Dry Stone walling. 2 days of back wrenching, stone lifting, ball breaking........... enjoyment. Concentrating on finding the perfect stone for the space you are working on......getting into the zone.
Back to the lambing.....one bleak and wet Thursday evening Matthew and I were out feeding the pregnant ewes when I noticed that one of the ewes was behaving strangely (not coming down for the feed etc. ), and sure enough she was in labour. The lamb was stuck in the mother. We eventually managed to get the lamb out. it's head was massive and it looked like it had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. At first we thought it was dead, but it started to breathe. The lamb was too weak to go to the teat and get the colostrum, so I milked the mother and squirted it into the lambs mouth. Unfortunately the lamb died the next day, but not for the lack of trying.
Lambing is well on the go now with new arrivals plopping out daily (three today). So far all has gone well, with only one "problem" child. Larry, younger twin brother of Barry, was left by the mum, probably because she was producing so little milk. Well, it was decided to take Larry indoors. Our neighbour put Larry in a cardboard box next to the radiator. Mac, the yorkshire terrier jumped in the box and warmed up Larry. Larry is still an orphan, as his mum has rejected him. Both Larry and Barry will be "rubbered" soon. A rubber ring, a bit like a chewy Cheerio is placed around their bits and in a few days it really is "cheerio" (guys are probably reading this between the tears), but such is life. So far 8 ewes have given birth, with 9 lambs beginning to frolic.
I went fishing with Stevie one afternoon, and all we caught was experience. But, the next time we WILL be catching arctic char.
I will try and post a few pics of Larry before he starts to sing in a very high pitch
So, what have I been doing?
Well, the loom arrived and we have been very busy getting the damned thing "tuned". That was a steep learning curve, believe me. But, perseverance has paid off and we are turning out genuine Harris Tweed. There are only approx. 120 weavers that can weave Harris Tweed, so we both feel rather honoured doing this.
Then we were both on a Gaelic course, so I can now speak a wee bit.
Then there was the lambing course, where we were taught how to "deliver" lambs etc. Little did I know then that I would need this sooner than expected, but more later.
Then a week later it was Dry Stone walling. 2 days of back wrenching, stone lifting, ball breaking........... enjoyment. Concentrating on finding the perfect stone for the space you are working on......getting into the zone.
Back to the lambing.....one bleak and wet Thursday evening Matthew and I were out feeding the pregnant ewes when I noticed that one of the ewes was behaving strangely (not coming down for the feed etc. ), and sure enough she was in labour. The lamb was stuck in the mother. We eventually managed to get the lamb out. it's head was massive and it looked like it had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson. At first we thought it was dead, but it started to breathe. The lamb was too weak to go to the teat and get the colostrum, so I milked the mother and squirted it into the lambs mouth. Unfortunately the lamb died the next day, but not for the lack of trying.
Lambing is well on the go now with new arrivals plopping out daily (three today). So far all has gone well, with only one "problem" child. Larry, younger twin brother of Barry, was left by the mum, probably because she was producing so little milk. Well, it was decided to take Larry indoors. Our neighbour put Larry in a cardboard box next to the radiator. Mac, the yorkshire terrier jumped in the box and warmed up Larry. Larry is still an orphan, as his mum has rejected him. Both Larry and Barry will be "rubbered" soon. A rubber ring, a bit like a chewy Cheerio is placed around their bits and in a few days it really is "cheerio" (guys are probably reading this between the tears), but such is life. So far 8 ewes have given birth, with 9 lambs beginning to frolic.
I went fishing with Stevie one afternoon, and all we caught was experience. But, the next time we WILL be catching arctic char.
I will try and post a few pics of Larry before he starts to sing in a very high pitch
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Something warm to come back to after a hard day in the office
I have been feeding, Matthew, my mentor's sheep for him whilst he goes to school.
So armed with 2 bags of hay and half a bucket of "cubes" I make my way to the "reseeding". Shouting "Kirri, kirri, kirri" (there is a reason why) I make my way to the feeding troughs. In ones, twos, and groups they trundle in. Climbing the gate with my two bags (leaving the cubes outside) spreading the hay as best I can with forty-two vying for the prime spot (right in front of your feet) they grudgingly chew the hay knowing that the dessert is on it's way. I get the cubes and they are there.......jostling like school girls after the last JLS tickets, or recovery specialists after a missed impact claim where the Veh Reg. is known, I move, as best I can, over to the troughs, but alas, they are already there. Scattering the cubes (a bit like giant All-bran) whilst being jostled, pushed, and butted whilst still standing does take practice. After the food orgy they amble of for another day........
.......So here is a traditional Island recipe for your loved ones to make for your return. Please tell me how tasty it was, "unfortunately" I don't like fish ;-)
Ceann Cropaig
Fish Livers
Oatmeal
Salt & Pepper
mash the livers and discard the veins. Combine the liver and oatmeal (taking care not to make it too dry) and season with salt and pepper.
Fill a fish head with the mixture and coat with flour so that the water does not get in to the mixture.
Place in a pan with cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Cook for 15 mins.
P.S. Finely chopped onion can be added to the ceann cropaig, and some people are know to add a pinch of sugar.
Enjoy
So armed with 2 bags of hay and half a bucket of "cubes" I make my way to the "reseeding". Shouting "Kirri, kirri, kirri" (there is a reason why) I make my way to the feeding troughs. In ones, twos, and groups they trundle in. Climbing the gate with my two bags (leaving the cubes outside) spreading the hay as best I can with forty-two vying for the prime spot (right in front of your feet) they grudgingly chew the hay knowing that the dessert is on it's way. I get the cubes and they are there.......jostling like school girls after the last JLS tickets, or recovery specialists after a missed impact claim where the Veh Reg. is known, I move, as best I can, over to the troughs, but alas, they are already there. Scattering the cubes (a bit like giant All-bran) whilst being jostled, pushed, and butted whilst still standing does take practice. After the food orgy they amble of for another day........
.......So here is a traditional Island recipe for your loved ones to make for your return. Please tell me how tasty it was, "unfortunately" I don't like fish ;-)
Ceann Cropaig
Fish Livers
Oatmeal
Salt & Pepper
mash the livers and discard the veins. Combine the liver and oatmeal (taking care not to make it too dry) and season with salt and pepper.
Fill a fish head with the mixture and coat with flour so that the water does not get in to the mixture.
Place in a pan with cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Cook for 15 mins.
P.S. Finely chopped onion can be added to the ceann cropaig, and some people are know to add a pinch of sugar.
Enjoy
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Weather Watch
Mid-November and apart from a couple of windy days in October the weather has been excellent (there goes the good weather). In fact, I'd say that I've been windier after a mild curry than the winds up here (so far).
Today saw the first foggy day, but again nothing compared to a Dundee hoar (I know that there are a lot in Dundee ;-) ).
Went for a walk (man goes for a walk sensation!!!) and snapped a couple of these
Today saw the first foggy day, but again nothing compared to a Dundee hoar (I know that there are a lot in Dundee ;-) ).
Went for a walk (man goes for a walk sensation!!!) and snapped a couple of these
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