Farm Sale 202

Farm Sale

No I am not having a farm sale here, but a couple of years ago a neighbouring farm sold up and I sent quite a few items up to be sold back then. Now another neighbour is having a dispersal sale and again I am contributing some more of my dead stock, to be sold at his sale this April 11^th . (2014).

I have been selling off items of machinery privately over the last three years as and when a buyer came up, but you get down to the last few thing that could still be worth selling for further use. I have been scrapping all that what I call "useful reusable metal", you know, the sort of metal that you can make or mend stuff with, but it’s got to go at some point in time.

 Everything is on a priority list, and I keep gleaning through my workshop scrap heap, some of my tools are the old Whitworth and AF spanners, but I fear they are getting frightfully close to going to the crusher.

The Farm Sale

The years have come the years have gone, its time to sell the lot,

And now I've got to organize, the sale of all I've got,

To pull it out the sheds and then, n’ lay it out in rows,

For all and everyone who comes, to have a dam good nose.

The tools and all machinery, bought it years ago,

Ploughed the land and worked it, encouraged crops to grow,

Harrowed all the grass in spring, soon as the Daff’s appear,

Cattle would be turned out, and sold that big fat steer.

Job to know where to start, and find things long forgotten,

Things we used like brushing hooks, n’ pitch forks stale gone rotten,

Shovels spades and muck forks, all standing where last used,

Some I've had a long time, and some they were abused.

Workshop that’s a nightmare, the scrap ruck will increase,

Wading through the junk to find, that lost now found tailpiece

All the things you save as spares, but things move on apace,

Out dated now and far too small, with newer one replaced.

The tractor that’s seen better days, reliable it has been,

Well used and got a loader on, could do with a dam good clean,

Worked it hard all day long, every day of the year,

Last day now it has arrived, and to the field must steer.

A second one it’s older still, with a draughty cab,

Tyres worn and torn about, n’ the paints a little drab.

Steering wobbles brakes no good, useful to have about,

Its winter when it wonner start, I have a dam good shout.

Be sorry to see an empty yard, and all the cleaned out sheds,

The damp old house abandoned, and empty old farmstead,

Silence now for few a weeks, until new folk move in,

Then once again start from new, new livestock make a din.

Owd Fred

My Parents Learned us Everything 201

Its not until you have your own kids to bring up, that you begin to realise the job our parents had bringing us four lads up during the war.

The rationing and the scarcity of things we take for granted now. I remember seeing my first banana in 1948, mother made us eat it mashed and spread on bread and butter. 

My Parents Learned us Everything

My parents learned us everything, how to live our life,

Helped to show us how to cope, and all about the strife,

Little things they matter most, and manners we did learn,

Respect for other people, and trust that you must earn.

Father taught us how to, feed calves and milk a cow,

Breed pigs and rear them, then taught us how to plough,

How to cut and lay a hedge, to fence the cattle in,

Hang a gate so it would swing, show us where to begin.

Mother showed us how to cook, from very early age,

Pick the peas and beans and mint, and parsley and the sage,

Tasted all that she prepared, even before it’s cooked,

It always met with our delight, tasted better than it looked.

Experience takes a long time, to build up over years,

Learning takes a lifetime, and sometimes brings you tears,

Knowledge is what you try to gain, path of life to smooth,

No one knows how long we’ve got, wounds in life to soothe.

Owd Fred