It's May 1 already. How this strange and troubled year is flying by, which is amazing given all the events and shows we had planned to visit are now just a passing thought as the dates get closer on the calendar. Very disappointing.
It must be tough for event organisers and show committees having to write the dates off and plan for the following year, as well as the massive financial implications. Let's hope they all survive and come back bigger and stronger in 2021. It will be something to look forward to.
After waiting for much of March for the ground to dry up to get fertiliser out, it seems strange in such a short period of time to have ground which is rock hard and dry. There are clouds of dust billowing from the cow tracks as the milking herd comes in each afternoon for milking.
After the endless rainfall this last winter I thought I would never see dust again or not for a good while.
Grass seems to be growing on what appears to be fresh air and I have been surprised how it has grown and how well the farm looks on no rainfall for more than a month.
The weather is changing this week and my rain dance must have worked, just in time to bulk up and push the silage grass forward.
The dry weather and the end of calving have helped us get caught up on jobs, although we start breeding again next week as the cycle continues and planning for calving 2021 starts just as we finish calving 2020.
The new norm of Covid-19 restrictions has meant we had our first ‘Zoom' video meeting over with our farm consultant last week and, while we could not walk the farm, it was good to talk farming and have outside, supportive contact.
This was only possible after having to change internet service provider to a local satellite installation with a dish on the back of the house.
Like a lot of rural areas, our broadband came down old copper phone lines, was very poor and made video meetings and streaming of videos impossible.
It has also come just in time for our son to be able to take part in remote school lessons. He did make me smile earlier in the week when he was in a school assembly sat in our garden reclined on a sun lounger with a drink in his hand.
Apart from missing his friends and peers, and of course the lack of cricket, this summer home schooling does not look too bad for him.
