Oh the perils of straw in your bra! This is a real affliction that can really get on your tits!

What you choose to wear when you get up in the morning can set the tone of the day.  Normally days are hard enough without being constantly reminded  you are wearing that item.

Put your socks on in the morning, all good yes?, pop your wellies on and head out for the day, all still good then it starts to happen for me I am usually about 100 yards away from the house and slowly but surely one sock starts to creep down the leg, I think it’s fine pull it up and on i go but it starts again and before i know it, it is half way down my foot and if I am having an especially fab morning in bundles at my toes where it can not go any further.  By this time it is too late to change it I have to carry on till tea break or lunch, that’s not bad i hear you think but have you ever had a naked foot in a welly ugh yuck totally nasty and all I had to do was turn back when i got the first signs and change it but No.  I am not alone with this affliction, if you have never had this what is your secret?

Trousers, I tend to live in waterproof trousers so what underneath does not really matter visually for example leggings or trackie bottoms, now depending on your build you can look great and rock that look me however not so much, but I am blessed with the not giving f#@k gene. Comfort is number one priority, being able to bend over and when you do, not show your crack to your fellow workers, not having to pull them up every 2 secs is a bonus with that though comes your under crackers, now this may very well just be my issue but I have knickers of all sizes for all occasions and most of them are not suited for the farm.  The small ones (still not sure why I own small pants as I have a lot to cover) if I choose badly in the morning as getting dressed while still asleep is a skill I have not yet mastered I can spend most of the day with my trousers being the only thing holding them up and what makes for a particular sight is me walking strangely down the yard with hands down the trousers trying to recover the aforesaid knickers.  It’s lunch time, do i change them oh no that would be far too easy!!  Nighttime now this is the perfect opportunity for the knickers to be binned but yep you guessed right I don’t they go into the laundry basket to annoy me another day.

Lets talk straw in the bra!

No real straw!!

I am so happy that I am not the only one that suffers from this, I did make reference to it on Tv and once it’s on the BBC there is no going back!

Like my knickers I have bras for all occasions but mainly work as don’t get out that much and what I call my tidy ones are far too uncomfortable for the farm. It still leaves me in wonder how it gets in, I mean it’s not like that is all I have on, there is usually about another 3 or 4 layers but sure enough straw gets in.  Now the big bits are okay as they are easy to see and pull out, it’s the tiny wee jaggy bits that get stuck in the fabric.  It starts with a wee tickle that you can nearly ignore then seems to get really annoying so I just use my inner arm to brush against to see if I can dislodge discreetly, this has not worked yet, eventually the pure irritation takes over and I am found on the farm peering down my top trying to see if I can see the offending straw bit, once located one hand goes up the top and the other down the top and pure concentration starts.  The men are now quite used to this and just walk on by usually with a comment followed by an expletive from me except hubby who is always happy to lend a hand 🙂  This is all just the perils of work but the other day I escaped the farm to go bridesmaid dress shopping when much to my surprise my boob was itching, now standing in a very high end bridal store in my bra that has never made it to the farm perplexed me rather, then it hit me I washed it with hubby’s socks, big mistake 1.  You are not meant to machine wash your bra but I haven’t got the time for hand washing and for the price I have to pay for them I expect them to take anything 2. hubby’s socks are always covered in straw, long and the short of it it’s all his fault.  It can be said that possibly if the bra fitted properly then nothing could get in but if this was the case where would I keep my phone!  If in leggings or similar there are no pockets so what is a girl to do, but pop in her bra… My party trick is when a lorry driver, rep or some one looking for hubby appears and I need to phone him I just pull it out and their faces are priceless make the day worth while. Oh thought!  if I got the voice recognition to work I could just talk into my boobs haha you can tell what I will be doing later.

A x

I love to read (can’t quite get the audio book thing) and i love information, the more information you have the more empowered you are, that is what i was always taught though i wish i actually put that into practice when i was in school! At the New Year i was ill and didn’t read anything for nearly a month nor looked at my social media and then that’s when it happened i got a back log! When a back log happens your doomed, you can’t catch up i tried it’s was overwhelming!

Information now is so easily available have a thought just google it, google does not judge, google never says why do you need to know that or you should know that, there are no silly questions and i am full of them.

On a weekly basis the Alan the Postie delivers us The Scottish Farmer, I like the wedding pictures! Farmers Guardian, Farmers Journal this paper is a rising star in Scotland, a very good read and we also have the weekly local paper.

Monthly we get Classic Tractor, hubby’s favourite read, Dairy Farmer, British Dairying, The Journal, Cow Management, Scottish Farming Leader from NFU Scotland

We also get Semen catalogues, sheep magazines, grass catalogues and other sales bumf.  I for some reason when out shopping still need to buy magazines, Of course the Farmers Weekly will always fall into my trolley, but i buy Ideal Homes & The Good Food magazine, i am so deluded and feel that if i read them my house and kitchen will magically be transformed & i will become an Ideal Wifey!!

How is anyone meant to keep up with all this, you can’t its just impossible that’s why the coffee table in the living room is being supported by pile of magazines and the office has multiple leaning towers of magazines.  How to wind up hubby, threaten to have a bonfire he has a melt down.

On top of all this there is Social media / Internet.  You can be updated on whats happening every second, minute, hour & day, it’s at your finger tips. You scroll through your news feed and see something of interest, then you  click on a link which gives you more info, another business / person to keep an eye on AKA follow! Have a quick look over breakfast, pop back in at lunch time, then in the evening and you are up to date with the world except the reality is most people are on in between as well and a quick look turns into 5 mins or 15mins, you loose your precious time in Social media.  For the sake of my phone i turned the notifications off as i cant afford to buy a new one, as i lob it across the room.

Social media does open up a whole new world, it’s infinitive with information and networks to people.  I have just encouraged a friend onto twitter she was very happy working away with Facebook, Instagram & Snap chat.  I feel really guilty now as i feel i have dropped her on a path of addiction and there is no way back (oops i’m projecting my problem on her!!) however while we were talking about people and events that were happening she had not heard as they were on twitter and she was not, she was missing out on opportunities.  She messaged me earlier to ask how to use, oh o i have not thought  this through!  I don’t know how to use twitter properly i just stumble through it and if in doubt delete! Anyway i asked for help for her and away she goes. Does anyone know the purpose of Snapchat?? apart from the epic filter!

So i moan about how my life is in information overload, been attacked by my phone, office computer with the constant notifications in the bottom corner, TV, and constant supply of papers / magazines but i would be lost without it all and i do enjoy being connected,It has given me a voice & a Platform which i can use for myself, my business and for connecting with people for educating, interaction or just pleasure.  Especially for us who use it as a promotional tool we have to use it responsibly and in the words of When the fun stops

A x

I started this blog as just a quick funny tale about my 3 pairs of very different wellies, then asked on twitter what wellies do people wear, why & what type of farm. Wow what a response, it seems a topical subject. If you wish to see everyone’s response in full please see my twitter feed @AylettRoan

As a Dairy farmer wellies are a staple in my wardrobe obviously not literally as that would just stink. Everyday you are in them.  Every farmer will have their reasons for choosing the brand of welly they wear general checklist would be (in not particular order):

Weight

Length of leg

Leather

Neoprene lining

Steel toe cap

Flexability

Cost

What looks good

I could go on but you get the idea.  I looked at all the comments and there were even some brands i had never heard of but after a quick bit of googling i recognised them.

To take a cross section across my twitter results from all types of farming to horses & walking the dog they preferred the following:

Le Chameau , Hunter, Aigle, Bekina, Dunlop Purofoot, Dickies Land Master, Nora, Seals, Quattro’s, Buck boots, Ariats etc etc

Nora, what is that about!! yes probably quite practicle but clearly the designer was on a half  day that day as they could not be any simpler, dull & uninspiring if they tried!

My family favourite is  the Dunlop Purofoot but we do have one that wears the Bekina and not any other!

I used to only wear Argyll then they changed the recipe that was the end of that love affair. I have moved onto Dickies Land Master but to my horror while googling stuff for this, they have also changed Urgh leave things alone Welly people! I am dreading having to buy a new pair if wellies.

My Land Masters are my farm welly comfortable, light, durable, a good tread so feet are off  the ground and not bad on ice.

I also have a pair of Hunters, not sure why,  I think I thought they would be my tidy welly (Oh this sounds so stupid) if I was on a family walk or visiting another farm or just to look good but the reality is my legs are too fat to look good, too close to the ground which means my feet feel vulnerable & cold Oh and slightest bit if ice and game over, taking them off haha that is a sight for sore eyes, hubby won’t help me anymore, our youngest just looks at me in despair shakes head & walks off so it falls to the eldest to help me de suction the wellies of me.  In short they don’t see the light if day very often. However I found 1 good point, you can walk through mud without them being left behind or having to curl your toes to hold them on.

While I am being honest I also have a pair if Dublin River Boots AKA Leather wellies. They look good and with a pair of white jeans they would be fab, but just not on me, apart from the obvious of why I don’t wear white jeans I would end up wearing my hot pink Wednesday knickers and everyone would see I don’t know which day of the week it is!! Anyway I have digressed, they are heavy,  one leg is much tighter than the other especially round ankle and just not made for day to day drudgery of mud and shit also crap on ice.

I do wear insoles in my wellies and the general consensus is they will make even a crap welly comfortable.  Nothing lasts forever but as long as they are comfortable and waterproof all is good!

In my case “It’s give a girl the right wellies and i can conquer the farm”.  Not sure wellies were on Marilyn mind when she was quoted.

One thing I learnt out of this is when typing wellies in google get it right as a mistype brings up a whole different thing although Neoprene willies apparently would be very useful when cold and wet!!!!

A x

Let me set the scene of the office for you, close your eyes and picture quiet, serene, subdue and a pleasure to go to work in, no piles of paper, endless to do lists, no dust I mean look at the this picture whats not to love?

Big problem in fact mahoosive problem, that is not my office, for starters the rubbish bin is far too small to be believable.  I got that picture from one of my many fantasy unrealistic Pinterest boards (Pinterest has a lot to answer for)

The office is a MDF box that sits in the Dairy shed above the milking Robots. There are 2 big windows on either side, one looking over all the cows and the other the maternity pen and calves, all very distracting, although they are so dirty I’m surprised I can see anything (just can’t get the staff these days) consequently it is rather smelly especially in the summer when it’s hot!

There are several businesses that run out this office which makes it a very full busy office.  Once the everyone has gone home and the phone stops ringing there is an air of calm that surrounds the office, usually I can get more work done then than throughout the day.

At a meeting recently about running an office and organisation (I will take any help going) we were given a check list, a very long and very extensive check list which made me laugh as well not a hope, however the following just made my day:

WHAT TO KEEP OUT OF THE OFFICE

Locked out the office!

•      Chainsaw, strimmer, small tools

•      Machinery bits that need fixing

•      Old ear tags

•      Empty medicine bottles

•      Odd socks

•      Private paperwork

I have all that and so much more although i don’t actually at the moment have a Chainsaw or Strimmer.  I do have what I call a Go bag No not a bag with cash, passports, a gun & a change of clothes, I have my wellies, jacket, woolly hat & gloves so I am ready at a moment’s notice AKA husband shouting! My slippers are also under the desk.

I am swamped by paper and chaos the office smells and its all a bit hap hazard, but it works.  As we sit on top of the robots we hear everything, the floor vibrates every time the cake augur runs (not always a bad thing!) we can hear the cows and what they are up to, I always know if someone is bulling and I can see to the yard to keep an eye out for sneaky salesman’s.  All in all, the office is not ideal, but I love it and would not want it to be anywhere else.  Every situation is what you make it.

This is actually the office, i have only shown my bit as hubby will have a heart attack if his piles get out haha

My view from the window.  This was at Christmas when i had a Yankee Advent Calendar and the best smelling office ever!

A x

I can wax lyrical about this programme for hours, but i won’t if you have a question or want to know detailed info please just ask or click Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme

So my journey is about to end with the closing conference about to happen later this week. I am initially filled with sadness and a little loss but this is the time to retrain the brain and see it as a new journey about to begin.

The programme says if you don’t have the time or cant afford it you should be on it, now i am a marketing dream i buy into everything, I believe while watching an advert that i can have a perfect six pack in 30 days while stuffing my face full of chocolate despite actually having several bags of spuds & a muffin top!!.  I went along to the information nights and spent the time grinning from ear to ear, this is exactly what i need in my life.

I had reached a point in my life, of nearly an all time low, i was so overwhelmed and out of control, if it had been a normal job i would have resigned however its a family business and life is not that straight forward.

It’s my first day, it feels like i’m am in high school all over again.  I am fortunate to have a few people from my area going so we meet up and travelled together. The first day was spent finding out about each other and what has bought us to be on the programme. We all had our reasons for being on the course, some further down the hole with me than others.

Over the last 6 months I have gained knowledge, information, networks & friends that i didn’t know i needed and that were out there. For me i found just talking & saying out loud what the problems i was facing just seemed to help in itself.  I also found saying something out load made one of my problems sound ridiculous yet, i couldn’t see it until it was out there.  I have taken great pleasure in watching how we have all come together and grown well until the wee drinkies then we are all 18 & back in College!!

The SERLP opens doors, gives you networks and a support line with unique opportunities from

• Leadership coaching workshops
• One-to-one business focus sessions
• Team working on “Apprentice-style” innovative projects
• Effective communications workshop to sharpen up your media skills
• Learning journeys to Edinburgh, Brussels and London parliaments

This line up of flags will be different this time next year, The union Jack on the end will be out the door!!

This is a fantastic opportunity and if you have the chance grab it with both hands, don’t say next time, i did for several years and regret it though having said that if i had i would not of met 60+ amazing people. If when on the course you are asked to draw your interpenetration of your business through a vehicle, think twice about a rocket because one wee pen line in the wrong place and you are drawing a very different object ( use your imagination) haha

A wee group of us decided to pop in on Theresa May to help with Brexit talks however the two heavily armed policemen had other ideas! Excellent night.

I am looking forward to my new journey and where it will lead me.

A x

A wee update! You get a certificate at the end.

I am extremely proud of this, it has taken a lot of home truths & hard decisions being part of this programme but it was worth every minute.

One line sums our 2017/2018 group up “Diversity is our strength”

A x

It is all my fault!!

Earlier in the week I was going around the farm telling everyone Spring was here, there was warmth in the sun and I could hear the grass growing & there was nearly a bounce in my step!  FML the forecasters got it right they named it The Beast from the East and said it was coming and to give then their due they were right.  There are a few pockets of the British Isles that have been untouched by the snow, they are the fortunate ones.

My heart goes out to all the Farmers who had to let their milk away as the tanker could not reach them, the Farmers who had to dig there sheep out or worse collect their bodies, the Farmers who on top of a difficult long long day had to clear tracks & roads just to get on let alone helping friends, neighbours and perfect strangers, Farmers who’s water froze and were bucketing it to their stock, or were lucky enough to have a hose that would run.

We had enough to make our lives even harder, the sheep are not happy and we are keeping them well fed and checked.  The Milk business has been challenging the last few days.  Our drivers have done an amazing job to get to 99.9% of our customers but when your customer base consist of such rural locations sometimes it is just not possible.  Any of our customers that we can not reach you have to presume they cant get out either so a quick phone call to make sure they are okay and if they need anything extra in the next delivery.

Around us there are many outlets for us to sell our milk too but due to being on procurement contracts, price or just not bothered about having Udderly Moolicious milk we do not stock them, but hang on they have run out of milk as the infrastructure of Britain nearly stops and all of a sudden our phone is ringing of the hook.  All in all our sales have been good but soon enough they will forget and slip back into there ways!

How easily they forget is quite appropriate for the current conditions, i found this we very true poem on my timeline by Jan Millward Poetry i thought was very true:

So many hate the farmers
they don’t like tractors on the roads
especially those with trailers
and a slow and heavy load.

They moan about the cattle
they complain they hear them moo
and phone up to say the bale stack
is blocking up their view.

But when the roads are icy
and then it starts to snow
and they’re stuck on hills and ditches
and can’t get their car to go

The first one that they phone up
is the guy down on the farm
they know he’s got a tractor
and it can’t do any harm

and suddenly he’s a hero
with a tractor and a rope
the first one that they call out
when they cannot cope.

And he always takes the call out
he doesn’t want your money
he’ll do his best to help you
I think it’s rather funny

Because they will soon forget him
when the snow has gone away
and they’re stuck behind his trailer
loaded up with hay.
Jan Millward©

A x

So it would appear that anyone these days can be published, all it takes is a click of a button even if you are crap!  As a teenager I enjoyed writing short stories particularly about antics on the farm based on a man I knew.  I will never say I was good at it but its all about the enjoyment!

Apparently i am a “riot”, sure they are just waxing lyrical but one thing is for sure a dull day in my life is a blessing. My days are made up of Farm duties, running Roan’s Dairy with family,  being a mum, i sit on a couple of committees, paperwork for another business, wifey duties, Oh and clean the house, the latter seem to get a bit neglected. There are more things i do day to day but frankly i am depressing my self listing them. There are more busy people on earth but i am at max capacity and really need a holiday.

I work with family everyday and that would lead to a post that could write it’s self, however as anyone who does work with family will know it gives an interesting un conventional twist on dynamics, yet it works for better or worse. We bring our strengths to the table and get on with what needs to be done.

Don’t call or refer to me as a Farmers Wife, it winds me up!  You don’t say your an accountants wife, Civil Servant wife or a Checkout operator wife NO you do not, I married a farmer end of!

Whether you are sitting back with a cuppa, or reading on the go with your phone Thank you x

By the way that’s me & hubby, my favourite person in the world AKA Stuart.