We had some lovely light rain on Saturday and this time there was enough to stir the river.

It is the first time it has been running here for months. That morning, when Stuart went out to feed some calves in the High Laithe, there were four newly-fledged swallows sitting on the iron rails protecting the shippon windows.

It looked as though they had just completed a maiden flight and they were sitting twittering excitedly as mother (or father) circled the hay mew anxiously.

They might well have been anxious – it must be like watching your 17-year-old driving away in a car on their own for the first time, only with the swallows, parents keep a watchful eye and continue to fly with the youngsters. I’m only glad we don’t have to do that, because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be welcome! Then last night, at about 7.30pm, there was a real commotion and when I went outside it was like watching at a WW2 dogfight.

Our resident birds were swooping and screeching, targeting a lone bird, a Sparrowhawk probably, but maybe Kestrel, as it flew low and deliberately past the front of the house and away across the river. The swallows were fearless, swooping in to within inches of the bird, screeching for all they were worth.

There must have been more than 20 or 30 of them and they didn’t stop until the raptor was well out of their territory. I only hope all our novices survived and did not end up as supper.

Last Friday, Stuart, Eddy and Philip gathered Yockenthwaite Moor, dosed all the lambs and kept the hoggs in for clipping. Yesterday, Stuart and Eddy set up all the pens and clipping machines in preparation. This morning, they were up in good time to get the hoggs inside (just in case it rains again).

David, who has just finished his GCSEs, is helping me this week as we are getting ready for the Great Yorkshire Show next week. With Pawel and Kamila away on holiday we are pretty busy. We are in unknown territory at the moment because we have just started to supply a company called Shepcote, who are based in Driffield.

They are distributors and cover a wide area, from the Scottish border down to Lincolnshire and then west along the M62 corridor through to Preston. Our first big order went out last week and we are expecting something similar for next week (Yorkshire Show Week) – so, it looks as though someone is going to be burning the midnight oil.

All this means I will not have time to make some elderflower cordial. I have been looking longingly at the blooms, but I’m pretty sure that by the time we get next week out of the way, it will be past its best and if I even try to think about making some in between everything else, I’m sure Stuart will have plenty to say about me getting my priorities right!