Smallholding Nostalgia.

Picture of a jigsaw puzzle box.

We found this rural picture on a jigsaw box in the attic the other day.  It's a painting of a hay making scene.  Think the tractor is a Ford-son Major.  We have a Ford-son Super Dexta.  She's very close to full restoration.  Will post pictures of her soon.  The Ford-sons and Fords were made in Dagenham.  They also use to manufacture them in Cork.  Not any more, sadly!

I reckon Health and Safety would have something to say if smallholders made hay in the same way.  Wonder what the lad has got in the stone jar?  Cider, real ale or perhaps even Adam's Ale - water?  Love the Border Collie (sheep dog) in the painting.  They are such an intelligent creature.  The one in the picture looks like its supervising the hay making or perhaps looking for rats or rabbits?  Do you remember Timmy the dog in Enid Blyton's Famous Five books?

Those days are gone for ever, sadly.  I bet it was nothing but sweat and toil.  But doesn't it look so wonderful?  Rather like a graceful swan going across a lake.  So graceful and sedate, above the water and feet paddling like mad, under the water.  Do you get nostalgic about old tractors and rural scenes from the past? Think I need to visit some vintage tractor shows.

Something To Do On The Smallholding When The Satellite Receiver Gets Struck With Lightning.

 The electricity supply was restored on Monday night.  So I turned on the old computer and nothing happened.  The broadband wasn't working.  Then I switched on the television and satellite receiver and they did not respond.  Further investigations found the satellite receiver had taken an hit courtesy of the telephone cable.

I am informed that a certain telephone company doesn't appear to 'earth' landlines.  Any road we lived to tell the tale and the Sky man is supposed to be arriving tomorrow to reinstate our television and satellite.  Don't know when the telephone company will arrive?  So folks.  Always make sure you unplug your television and telephone when its going to thunder and lightning.  Sky says they won't charge us anything for replacing our receiver.  I just hope the old goggle box still works?  

Lightning strikes our satellite receiver.

It's been quite boring not having no television to watch the last few nights.  We have no street lights for 4 miles.  So you can't go a walk with the terrier.  There's no pub for five miles and we have no public transport.  So we watched some vintage tractor DVD's the other night.  This led to me and my eldest son giving comments about every vintage tractor and wasn't Harry Ferguson a genius...?  Last night we watched 'Some Mothers Do Have Em'.  Why can't they make a new series?  Michael Crawford is a legend.  

I wonder how smallholders passed the long dark winter nights before the days of radio and television?  I suppose neighbours called round and  conversation was still an art.  I don't think I could manage without a television.  Just wish their were more programmes about vegetable growing, smallholding and vintage tractors.  

Dog and cat aren't concerned about having no television.

A Scary Seaside Drive To look At A Tractor. ( A break from our smallholding next to the sea.)

We went to Galley Head in West Cork on Friday to have a look at another tractor.  Number one son said he knew where there was an old tractor for sale.  He was spending his own money and I wanted a break from looking at the sea from our kitchen window.  So we went for a drive to the sea side.  Like you do!

The coastal road was like the Grand National at Blackpool Pleasure beach.  It was blowing a gale and the white horses were quite mountainous.  Never in my life have I ever seen such a sight.  We could see why they built a light house there.  If only we could harness all that wind and wave power?

Any road.  We followed our tractor mechanic friends car to a house perched high on the cliffs.  We were in the middle of a gale and several Frisian bullocks huddled together in a Kale field.  They looked like die hard none league football fans.  I felt sorry for the cattle.

Eventually after a very precarious and long and meandering journey along a single track road.  We arrived at the house and noticed the tractor parked  in the drive.  I wasn't coming back to look at it.  So me and number one son pushed the car doors open and attempted to walk to the tractor.  It was blowing a gale and icy sleet smacked against my face.  Tractor mechanic got out of his car and began to turn the key and turn the engine.  Guess what?  Yes she started first time with no pre-heat.  You can't beat a Ford tractor!  Number one son bought her and she's being delivered this week.  Yet another restoration project for us both!

Turf in The Range On Our Smallholding.

That's pictures of  our Stanley stove this morning.  We found the 'Turf'  (Peat) for sale at a builders merchants yesterday.  It was only four Euros bag and its dry.  The turf smell reminds me of when we use to get off the ferry in Dublin years a go.  A  wonderful aroma would hit your nostrils.  You can also put the wood and peat ash straight on to the vegetable plot.  Its great potash for the onions.  Glad I did my digging when we got the uncustomary dry weather in December.  Still don't know why Sky television stopped showing the old gardening shows.  At least there are millions of blogs to read.  Blogs about allotments and smallholdings especially.

More Adventures Of Domino The Smallholding Cat And A Poem About The Wind.

Here's our Domino busy tree climbing this morning.  Who needs a gymnasium if you are a cat?  That's a willow tree he's climbing in.  They call it the 'Salix' here in Ireland.  Which happens to be it's real Latin name.  They also call the airing cupboard the 'hot press'.  And (never start a sentence with and) they often say they are going for the 'messages' if they are going shopping.  It's strange and incredibly interesting the regional differences and words we have in the British Isles.

The two storms of the last week have been very frightening.  I have never known noise like the thunder and lightning storm we had the other Wednesday.  It sounded like World War Three.

I talked to a middle aged farmer the other day.  Says he had never seen or heard storms quite like them in his life.  The storms look like they are to be a regular visitor.  I often wish we had built a cellar when we built our little cottage in the countryside next to the sea. Somewhere to go in a storm. We live ten minutes walk from the bay.  Luckily we have cliffs above the sea.  Also it means that the land can drain via the streams into the sea.

I  remembered a poem from years a go the other night.  It's called 'Wind' by Ted Hughes.  He talks about the house being far out at sea all night.  Thanks to You Tube and the people who put these poems on it for our viewing.

Pictures At My Smallholding Tractor Exhibition.

I seem to be collecting prints of old tractors these days.  There are pictures of Fergusons and Fordsons.  People like myself have a few REAL tractors on the smallholding.  They all remind of us of by gone farming times.  

Here on our smallholding.  We love to watch television shows like "All Creatures Great And Small" and "Wartime Farm".  Thought last weeks Christmas special was quite magical.  Especially the Christmas Carol service.   It was quite moving to think that people were missing their loved ones serving overseas.  

A lot of people will be missing loved ones through bereavement this year.  This will be our first Christmas with out my parents.  It can be a very sad and numb like loss feeling for so many.  I hope there is a better place for all our loved ones.  

Many thanks for reading this blog over the last year.  Special thanks for those who make comments.  I wish you all a very peaceful Christmas and I hope you have a very prosperous year on your allotments, kitchen gardens and smallholdings.

"All Around My Hat". Another cap to wear around the smallholding.

A belated  50th birthday present arrived the other day.  It's a baseball cap from America with a picture of a Ford 3000 tractor on it.  I have a real Ford 3000 tractor on our smallholding.  So I couldn't have got a better present.  I seem to be collecting hats these days.  I reckon I have at least 16 hats these days.

Hats are great around a smallholding.  If I had a pound (or Euro) for the number of times a cow or branch or bramble took my hat off instead of damaging my head?  

Any road I reached the big FIVE 0 last week.  Fifty to be precise.  According to the adverts I can take out a funeral plan (free Parker pen), go a (wait for it!) over fifties holiday.  Perhaps I could get an allotment or a smallholding?  Already done that.  In my twenties and thirties.  I blame that self sufficiency guru:  John Seymour.  He wrote some brilliant books and inspired millions.  

Time for a song.  "All Around My Hat!"  Steeleye Span are currently touring Blighty at the moment.  Wish they were playing Ireland.