Summer scorcher

July gets hotter and hotter; some parts of the country are regularly over 30 degrees. Grass around the country is the colour of straw; at the farm the animals have a lot of land to graze from, and Stuart is careful to move the animals appropriately to make the most of the better grazing. Today Stuart cut off low branches of trees around the border to give the cattle some extra tasty morsels. The cattle were quick to tuck into fresh leaves such as ash, oak and hazel. Watching them graze I noticed that the ladies’ coats are sunkissed – some now have blonde curls – but the bull stands out as his dun coat is still rich and dark. We’re at the highest point of the farm today; trees provide beautiful deep green accents across the view. We’re hopeful that the young trees planted this year for forage will survive the heat and lack of rain to provide food and shade in the future. We need rain! The hot sun is no deterrent for the fishermen however. The school holidays give fathers a chance to fish with their sons, providing bonding time and the sharing of skills. Today, though, retired Ted seems to be having the best success! He’s caught 15 fish so far this morning, some, he tells me, are double figures in weight. I’ve secretly given him the title of Fish Whisperer – they seem to leap onto his line!