Farmer Allan

You may have heard from Allan at different times that he once thought that he would study agriculture and become a farmer.  That dream never came to pass, but during our time at the farm in Corranure he has had the opportunity to get his hands dirty and even wear a boiler suit.            

                          

This is essential to stop the smell of the farm penetrating your clothes and hair. But farming is now in his blood!!

Allan has helped John with the sheep.          

The sheep waiting to be shorn. 

The mobile shearing 'shed'.

This mobile shearing trailer interested us;  this is all that is required for a small flock to be shorn.
The shearer brings it with him when he comes to shear the sheep.  Can you see the innovative way the roof is held down?  Ropes are tied to old milk containers and to the roof.

Here we  come, ready or not..

Robert, the Shearer and his assistant.  

Shawn the sheep

Allan  also helped John and Howard get a bull back to the farm.  Six weeks ago John had to move some  bulls from one property but one of the young bulls wouldn't come so they had to leave it there.  On Saturday John, Allan and Howard went to Stradone, a 20 minute drive, to collect the bull but once again they couldn't coax the said bull into the trailer.

Howard had the idea that they go back to the farm and bring a cow with a newly born calf, that they had separated from the herd that day because the calf was having trouble feeding from its mother.  The mother's udder was enormous!

Happy cows!

The mother in the shed.  

                   Success!! 

They returned with the cow and calf and let the cow lose but kept the calf in the trailer, knowing that the mother  would want to return to her calf.  The young bull dutifully came forward, eagerly wanting to meet a member of the opposite sex.

The trailer was positioned in front of the gates with the gates angled into the trailer and Howard and Allan standing one each side, on the road.  The cow and bull came to Howard's side but when he raised his hands they went to the other side, where Allan raised his hands.  The only option was for  the cow to lead the bull through the gate and into the trailer.  A successful expedition which took 3 1/2 hours!!

These old sheds were on the farm when Dad was living in Corranure - a long time ago.

These tractors aren't going anywhere.

We have become quite Irish - we set off to visit my cousin Charles at 10:00pm on Satuday night and didn't leave his house until after midnight.  He had told us that he didn't like to go out on Saturday nights because he liked to prepare himself for Sunday.  He was putting the final touches to his sermon when we arrived but he insisted that we come in.  Then Phelam and Lyn, his neighbours, called in and Charles insisted that they stay too.  I didn't hear how his sermon went!   We did enjoy the walk along the dark, country road, there wasn't  a star in the sky to light our way.