Farmer Focus: Dark days made darker by loss of a loved one
Neil MacLeod © Angus Findlay Autumn is normally a favourite season in our family and an opportunity for more time at home as jobs on the farm are completed.
This year, though, as the light begins to fade, the boys and I will transition into winter dealing not just with the usual uncertainties of the weather but also with the devastating loss of my wife Catherine.
Having finished our autumn sowing on 18 October, one could be forgiven for thinking it would be fairly straightforward to get across our earlier sown crops with their insecticide and trace element spray.
See also: How a farmer is planning weed control without flufenacet
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In reality, that has not been the case, with 50mm of rain in late October and 56mm so far in November making travelling quite tricky.
Where we could travel, progress has been made worse by the ridiculously warm temperatures and flat calm days, creating damp coastal haar or sea fog that stubbornly refuses to shift.
I always find this time of year quite strange. Transitioning the mind from being so busy to daring to allow oneself time to think can actually be quite a challenge, made worse by the onset of darker days, poorer weather, and the fairly monotonous office jobs that I have been parking for the past three months.
With just enough evening light to kick the football about with the boys, who have barely seen me since August, we will start to make our plans for the winter, this year without the steadfast and guiding hand of Catherine.
Having battled cancer for the past 12 years, Catherine passed away on 1 November in our own home, surrounded by love.
She fought so incredibly hard over the years to stay well and raise a family, and her passing comes as a devastating shock for all who knew her.
Many were kind to sponsor Catherine’s fundraising in the past, and we’ve set up a Just Giving page for her memorial fund, with money raised going to the Breast Cancer Now charity.
