Ach well dear reader, hello and I hope you are well? This summer has been a gie trachle with weather so I hope you are reading these blethers with the pit well tramped and covered, bales stacked bonny or the yaveens itching yer oxters.
If not never fear all that will happen in the fullness of time; I’m gie near sure of it. I pen this months edition to you from the usual place at the kitchen table, it’s an even bigger boorach just now but that’s no bad thing, as always at the usual late hour, it’s good for me this cow has a long tail!
As I say to think on the yarn I spied a big Auld toad who had, like him and his clan often do came in the back dairy, he sat there as I told him what I was going to write, watching me through unchanging eyes and breathing in a canny way, after he listened he stravaiged off in the manner of his arrival, with a tangible indifference; I hope you enjoy the read better than he!
I was fortunate to be asked to judge the any other native at this year’s Keith show. I couldn’t refuse the chance to return again to the land that was a happy home for Gill and I and enjoy what is aye a great day.
Well I wasn’t disappointed, the team delivered a fantastic weekend for local and visitors alike. It was good to see auld friends for a haver and Keith folk really do live up to the signs on the way in “the friendly town”.
Next year, the society celebrates their 150th birthday and I wish them every success, that really will be a “rare” weekend. On the judging stint I was handling some very correct sheep; Hebridean, Soy, Ryeland, Border Leicester, Oxford, and Welsh Badger Face.
I would say that I learned from this foray that flock masters in some of the more popular breeds could study some of the mouths on these auld breeds, in particular the Welsh Badgers had some of the best mouths I have handled in a long while, the basics matter aye and fashions change.
All told it was a great advert for cattle and sheep of the north-east corner and beyond a credit to all involved. My only concern was it clashed with Perth but change does a chiel good!
On Tuesday, I was lucky again for a day out (I do bide at hame whiles) this time we took the road south to Sanquar and visited the Grahams at Craigdarroch for the Luing Society open day.
This canny family were not behind the door when livestock nouce was being dished out and are the maisters of their airt in the disciplines of Luing, Blackface and Texel. I have to say that it was one of the loveliest show of cows and calves I have witnessed, with skin’s shining like otters in the August sun.
The sheep stock was also perhaps one of the most impressive examples I have had the grace to look too. These unassuming folk will be the first to quietly tell you that it’s a “guid hill” however that only makes a beast big, no braw; that’s on the breeder!
The stock quietly displayed on Tuesday, the rosettes and sashes on Saturday along with an exemplary show of sheep in Quoybrae from Orkney and Caithness on Monday illustrates again what this wonderful community offers from the hills and glens, straths and vales of this country.
Once again, the good folk and beasts deliver and the endured coorse days at the lambing, stiff nights at the calving and the crabby days when you wish you stuck in at the physics pays off; the graft is worthy of the reward for a day at a show of in the sale ring. Without a doubt our Countryside is a story of absolute success.
On the croft, the lambs are filling out and are looking well, although there is no way to spare the Gree, there won’t be enough as there should but we will endure and try again, different, harder and smarter. We will spean the twin wedders next day or two and get all to the hill. Silage will be a war fought on many small battles but we will get it.
Today the fruits of Atholl and Breadalbane will be on show at Aberfeldy, one of the best show sites in Scotland, it will as usual have some very special entries and a high calibre of stock.
The Drumchastle herd has the show team all looked out and prepared, they are as ever a great credit to him and I hope he fairs well, but as the great Forfar auctioneer Ewen Massie wisely extolled to me “if you are in it to win it, yiu have to be in it to loose it” so time will tell!
Since I last scribed the blethers, fate has offered a few things for me to ponder a bit and have a bit think on life, it’s very sweet, also very fragile and some folk have a gie few more hurdles to loup than others.
So as long as we keep louping there’s very little we cannot overcome with a little help whiles. The email reminding me of our annual subscription to the RSABI was a timely reminder of the importance of their work.
My late grandfather told me once when I was a childer “when yer feeling beat, find a buddy that’s worse beat, it’s good medicine “ hope the harvest goes well and the lamb sales are a flier!
Now off you hop like yon auld toad!
Keep at it I doubt there’s any better!
