Silage update

Poor W (the tenant farmer), he was cutting the fields until 2.30 the other morning (we were fast asleep of course and never heard him leave), he finally managed to finish yesterday (he also had his family farm to look after and silage). The weather (as usual) seems to be against him as the forecast was for rain today but now it looks as though the forecast is for rain tomorrow night instead (mind you better than the sleet that Scotland might get today - in JUNE!).

Anyway the tractors (5 of them, plus the trailers that the grass is collected in and the amazing machine that actually 'scoops' it up off the field and chucks it into the trailers) finally arrived at lunch time today and it really is a race. It's a bit like Piccadilly Circus here with tractors roaring past the house at a rate of one every 10 minutes.

The eastern sky is dark and the wind is picking up, will they get it done before the rains come...? I feel for W, if they don't get it in it will be wasted and that would be dreadful as is the winter feed for the cattle, it is vital that they get it in in time. I am reminded of those old black and white films with the heroine tied to the railway track with the train coming and the associated music, sure you can imagine. The biggest enclosure is done now but they still have another 6 to do, another 40 acres. I wish we could help, but neither M or I have ever driven a tractor with one of those big trailers on the back and you have to keep up with the tractor gathering the grass in, you have to get the timing absolutely right (actually I have never driven any kind of tractor). We did suggest yesterday that we could get out with the wheelbarrow and some grass rakes but it would take a while! Fingers crossed that the dark eastern sky does not herald rain for us today. Updates to follow (ooh the excitement of the countryside!).