August 2000

So the harvest has started - initially it is the barley as this is always ready first.  A field of barley looks like "fur" when it is in a field and the wind is blowing it gently.  This is because it has "awns" - which are like cats' whiskers - these grow on the end of each grain and it give it a soft looking appearance, although the awns themselves are very  sharp.  Other cereal crops do not have these.  Barley is used for malting (beer - an alcoholic drink some humans like to drink) or for animal feed. 

The wheat is normally ready a few weeks later, but both are harvested by a massive green and orange combine which has spoke-y wheels which go ahead of the machine - these spokes provide a way of raising up any of the crop which might be laying flat due to weather etc and a blade goes along and cuts the crop.  This is then harvested by the machine and the grain goes into a storage bit on the back of the machine.  Every so often, when this storage tank is full, a tractor and trailer comes alongside the combine, a huge "spout" comes out of the side of the machine and this transfers the grain to the trailer, so that the combine can keep going, and the tractors and trailers can ferry the grain back to the shed.  I am really proud of myself for learning all this by watching - I asked Will, but he prefers to remain around the shed with whoever is there, having a snooze in the old armchair - I've been watching from my vantage points on Pam's shed roof and the fence post at the end of the farm which is in just the perfect viewing position. 

Dad's Aunt (or as he pronounces it "Ant") Dorothy has been over too - well, she is not really an aunt, but she is Dad's Dad's Cousin.  Some friends of hers have a son - also called Andrew - who is really interested in farming, so he has been over and stayed at Dad's parents.  Andrew want to go into farming when he is older so he is taking the opportunity to learn more now.  "It is always important to learn new things and challenge yourself" and this is especially good in an instance like this as Andrew is "keeping one eye to the future" which is always important - and why I am interested in learning about all aspects of farming (although some of these are a lot more boring than others!) 

Some of the farmers are also carting the bales of straw - most of the farms around here have "bats", "bales" or even "hestons" these are varying sizes of the rectangular bales but only one farm has the round style of bales........Mum and Dad refer to these as "Dougals" which refers to a dog (?!) in some old tv programme called "The Magic Roundabout" (this is more Dad's vintage than Mum's!) 

Mum has been busy at work but still has time for me in an evening, although, to be honest, I am often out and about on the farm.  But on a weekend, we enjoy some time together - it is so nice to be out in the garden with company (or without!) feeling some sun on my fur and watching over "my domain".  After all, to borrow a famous quote, "The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours in which we live" and there is so much beauty in a garden, the plants, flowers, leaves, butterflies.............although I do like to try and catch them (well, Mum thinks I am trying to catch them, I am really only just pretending!)

these are "dougal" bales as the apparently resemble some old dog in some old tv programme!