The summer holiday juggle

We have just returned to the farm from a wonderful family holiday in Germany. A trip we make each year to see our very special family friend Margaret who will turn 96 next week.
Our german holidays are always filled with plenty of cycling, sausages, swimming and sunshine – except this year there was less of the sunshine! Charlie in particular absolutely loves Germany and has declared Gartow his favourite place on earth.
The cycling is just fantastic as there are miles of amazing off road cycle trails and coming from a very hilly part of Cornwall it is such a joy that there isn’t the hint of a hill in sight! Being on the bikes you really get to appreciate the countryside and of course we have to throughly inspect the farming activities. Will and Charlie like to admire the farm machinery which always seems so shiny and new. This time there was a brand new Class combine which we had to stop and admire several times! The german harvest is ahead of us in the UK, they have finished combining their wheat and barley. While we were there a farm were very busy harvesting carrots. And of course we always keep a keen eye out for any cattle.
We were lucky enough to see several White Storks during our stay. They breed in the area and the locals have built specially created stork nest platforms and the birds will build huge stick nests on rooftops. While the breeding season is over they are always so magical to see. Standing at 1m tall with a wingspan of 1.5-2m they are quite the sight.
While we have been away Kenny has been doing a brilliant job looking after the farm and I think all the animals behaved themselves!
It may be a bank holiday but there is no day off here as I am catching up on emails, liner returns and orders while Will is busy preparing for our TB test tomorrow.
I can’t believe that the mini farmers are back to school next week, this holiday has just flown by. School holidays are always a serious juggle but it is definitely getting easier as the children get older. Charlie has been helping Will quite a bit on the farm and is quite the dab hand at moving electric fencing for the cows. While Flora is as always my right hand girl and has been helping with labelling meat.