Barley and Wild Oats

A mix of barley and wild oats. Have you ever wondered what the green patches are in among the barley?

With the sun splitting the skies it appears the Happy Farmer has been sowing his wild oats. I was more than a little concerned. However, before you splutter on your porridge, do realise my apprehension came from the fact that parts of his barley field were looking ever so slightly on the green side. As the Happy Farmer rolled his eyes reassurance came in the knowledge that it is simply wild oats growing among the barley, apparently wild oats can lie dormant in the ground for years. So with our farmhouse bed and breakfast in mind, watch out for the Happy Farmer’s brand of Persabus porridge in the future, never mind the barley for the whisky, although whisky and porridge is a rather good combination on a cold winter’s morning.

Filming at Persabus

Aside from his wild oats experience, the Happy Farmer has not been living quietly. He has been somewhat of a film star these last few weeks. In the Pottery we have even been treated to a Kilt clad Happy Farmer as he entertained our guests. We have had a couple of YouTube bloggers staying with us on the farm. They have travelled all the way from China and chose Persabus as they wanted to experience traditional life on Islay and look at what the island offers apart from whisky. I did forget to point out the Happy Farmer’s crop of porridge oats to them.

Our lovely guests appear to have over five million followers in China

and everywhere we went a camera was filming us. When I was out for an evening stroll, I realised the buzzing overhead was a drone following me along the single-track road. The Happy Farmer duly took his new friends along with him on his farming duties. They were out feeding the Highland cows. They were then filming the Singing Shepherd, the Happy Chappies from down the road and the Happy Farmer all working with the Persabus sheep, as those girls were getting dosed and the lambs were being separated from their mothers.

Keepsakes were created in the pottery

and their friends, big Instagram bloggers, joined us for a few days too. After two weeks we really were quite sorry to see them go, but with promises to stay in touch, guided tours of Beijing on offer, and then a beautiful Chinese watercolour painting they had brought over specially for us, we felt very privileged indeed to welcome such interesting people to spend time on the farm.

The summer busyness continues.

Our little campsite has been buzzing, with the Happy Farmer even taking up football to entertain one of our younger guests, who, was crying when it came time to leave. He had been bent double laughing when he managed to kick the football right between the Happy Farmer’s legs and into goal.

Yesterday then we took time out.

With huge blue skies and the sun shining down, the barley boys were busy in the fields. The Happy Farmer and I headed to Killinallan beach. An afternoon spent paddling in the shallow waters of the sea collecting cockles for supper.

Until next time…