Well how are yu all a’gettin on t’gether?
We are a’gettin there, thas the weather I am a’talkin about. Mother Nature is a gettin har act t’gether. There ha bin enough warm sun t’git the soil warm enough t’start a’sowin a few seeds. The farmers ha bin able t’git on the land und get sum fertilizer onta the corn thay drilled last Autumn. Some o’them crops looked a funny colour durin January und February. I could see what they looked like cos, since the turn o’the year, I hev bin t’Norrridge a few times by bus cos I hev got one o’them bus passes . If yu sit on the top deck that giv yu a rare chance t’hev a good gawp around und I can tell yu that sum o’them winter sown crops looked poor, they were all yella, I recon thas could we hev hed a mild winter and a lot o’them fungus diseases hev got hold co there hant bin enough cold weather t’trim um back. Other thing is thas bin suffin wet und cereal plants don’t like a’havin their roots in cold water.
Last week (first week April) I were a helpin at the Spring Fling up at the show ground. That were a rare nice day und a good crowd o’folk with their children tunned up. I were a helpin on the Rare Breed stand und this year we hed a little ring where we could lead sum sheep round for folk t’hev a look at. We hev done this afor only this year we tried suffin different .
Our head lady , who were on the microphone, asked it there were any youngsters who would like t’cum inta the ring und touch the sheep. Well a whole drove on um cum in, their parents were a’busy a teakin photos on um.
Then the head lady asked if any on um would like t’hev a go at leadin a sheep. All the sheep were halter trained und hed bin in a ring afore und the ring hed hurdles all round so the sheep could be kept stowed up it any on um got loose. I were on the gate inta the ring so I ha’a kept that shut. Well bor a tidy few on um hed a go und sum on um meade a good job on it once they hed bin shown what t’du. That were suffin good t’see them a havin a go. We ha’a git out o’the ring afor they all hed a go,cos sum other folk w’goats wanted t’use it. We said we would be back in the ring agin in about an hour so those on um who din’t hev a go at a’leadin a sheep should cum back then. Well bor when I went back out t’the ring afor we were a’goin t’start agin there were a gret old line of youngsters all a’waiting the lead a sheep. We kept a’goin this time so them that wanted to, hed a chance t’lead a sheep. I think thas suffin we might try agin next year. Thas a pity we won’t be able t’du the same thing at the Royal Norfolk Show cos most o’the sheep we used ,and their owners, will be in the show ring a’tryin t’win a rosette.
Leately I hev bin a watchin a series o’programmes on the TV about livestock farmers in Scotland. They have t’put up w’longer winters than we du but that showed that their highs and lows o’farmin w’livestock are just the same as farmers w’livestock down here. As one o’the farmers said “That int a job, thas a way o’life”.
Well them boys up at Carra Rood are a’tryin the keep up w’the big boys, a’time yu read this I recon they’ll know where they will be a’playin football cum the start o’the new season at the end o’August. As The Tractor Boys (Ipswich) arnt a duin too well this year m’Brother hev bin fairly quiet.
We hed our Grandsons t’see us at Easter. I got them out inta the garden und we planted sum Pumpkin & Sun Flower seeds. When the seeds chitted und the shoots cum through I took a photo und sent it to um. Thas suffin I dint know how t’du a’few year ago.
Fare ye well t’gether und du yu keep a’troshin.