09/12/007Christmas jingles bellowing from every shop, have left me feeling very Scrooge like. Yuletide endeavours to celebrate this religious festival with overt commercialism and scant regard to any attempt to understand the impact of this particular set of beliefs, are leaving me bewildered.
Our crops seem to be growing quite well in this damp and (relatively) mild early winter; so I have much to be happy and thankful for. Unfortunately, the sodden fields have not deterred an increase in ‘joyriding’ and some of our wheat fields near to the housing estate have been successfully ploughed by stolen cars trying to make their escape from the Police helicopter. Massive ruts, now filled with water, have ruined our lovely smooth fields; I will try to take some sort of remedial action in the Spring.
Attacks by rats seem to be reducing as the occasional frost, spring traps and rat bait stations take their toll on the large autumn population of our furry enemy. Keeping up proper monitoring must be our major concern now to prevent any unfortunate material getting into the lorries that ship our produce away to the mills.
Evenings are very long now, as we near the shortest day, so I am finding it harder to find excuses not to keep up with the deluge of unabated paperwork that flows onto this desk. Most of my time seems to be doing other peoples paperwork for them, whether for school or the many tentacles of the government that delights in micromanaging every aspect of our lives. Young teachers seem to accept that this burden is a necessary part of the job of educating our students (pupils), but I have yet to be convinced. However, I still feel privileged that I have two jobs that can offer so much satisfaction, so must try to put up with the negative influences.
Even the impending announcement of the fate of our fields for houses or travellers camp has had its positive side. Active support, by so many local residents who enjoy the access we provide to our patchwork of fields and small conservation areas, has been very encouraging (and often quite humbling). Regional unelected QUANGO’s may try to offer a quasi-democratic ‘authority’ to their ill-begotten plans, but this is being challenged by elected officials who have been coaxed into action by letters and comments from their local voters.
The forge will have to be lit over the holiday period, as I have quite a few jobs waiting in the workshop. Several hours of hard and hot metal bashing, should knock some sense back into me and return me to the practical ‘self’ that I like best.
In the meantime, lessons need to be prepared, reports written and forms filled. No excuses! Grindstone it may be, but at least it is one of my own choosing.
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