LORNE HILL FARM

Well - June went quickly and now July's going the same way! - And at the end of my last post I said I'd be posting over the next couple of days: three and a half weeks later and here it is!  I'd like to say it was worth waiting for but it probably won't be that interesting.

The farming year has moved on as ever.  Haymaking flew by back in June

and I spent many evenings trying to get the best Glow worm picture (not very successfully)

and now harvest is underway.   The sunshine was great for haymaking and an early start to harvest, but with no rain the grass started to disappear and the cattle were very restless and had to be moved everyday - we were so relieved when the rain came.

Last weekend I had a brilliant time at the the Hollain Artefois, near Tornai in Belgium, with the Garston Gallopers - I had thought we were going to a place called Artefois - but then realised that was the name of the festival.  In fact, we were lucky to get there at all because as well as not knowing where we were going, when I booked the ferry I had us departing at 10am and arriving in Dunkirk at 2pm on the Saturday, and then returning home at the 3.00pm ferry on the same day - luckily I spotted it and managed to change the date to the Monday.

The town was beautiful with it's ancient Bell Tower and cathedral, and the festival was great fun.

 

 

And even though there were lots of heavy showers,

 

when everyone would run for cover in the marquees, when the sun shone it was wonderful.



 

We were in a lovely hotel, with large rooms and a balcony.  I was so pleased when I arrived and saw the lovely view over the countryside to the town away in the distance,

but then thought I was going mad when I got back in the evening and all the lights made it seem like we were looking straight down on the town:

I realised in the morning that it was because every single road has street lighting.

Anyway, from today I am officially on holiday (yippee) with no more school or workshops for a month (although the Tuesday morning pitch and stitch will still be running) and I intend to fill my days with gardening, sewing, walking the dogs and just doing what I want, when I want!

PS

Back in March I mentioned a cat/sheep that had appeared in my house.  Well - everyone denied any knowledge of it so I was really stumped, banished it to my workshop and stopped thinking about it.

Around came the Yoko Saito workshop which we hold once a term, and at the end of the day I think we were all moaning about the heat.  Just as Frankie (very gentle, friendly and quiet lady) was leaving she said, with a bit of a mischievous look in her eye,  "Look, even the sheep looks hot".  It was her!!  I couldn't believe it!  And of everyone I'd interrogated I'd never expected the culprit to be one of the genteel YS ladies!