I was going to tell you about how apparently cows could one day help to meet the rise in demand for alternative energy sources, according to Ohio State University researchers, who used microbe-rich fluid from a cow to generate electricity in a small fuel cell. There’s a rather macabre description of how it’s accomplished and I have a horrific and gruesome vision of lines of cows wired and plugged up complete with shunts and catheters supplying our power needs…

Or I was going to chat about the difficulties that can arise when you’re organic and your fields need some extra loving care in the way of lime (Ph), phosphate (P) and potash (K)…

Or how some new research has shown that carbon sequestration in soil balances out the methane emissions from cattle in organic systems…

Or how Ruth and David, of ‘The Archers’ fame, have just been successful in their Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) application from Natural England and how maybe I should be a radio programme as I might have more luck…

Or how Peter, our thatcher, is married to a Chinese woman (from a tiny village in China where they haven’t seen European foreigners), who thatches alongside him in wonderful eclectic clothes…

Or how little Theo happily sat on my hip when Jill (my working dog) and I moved the lambs to another meadow and was a natural at making big noises to stop the lambs from breaking away in front of me…

But I’m not going to do any of these…

I received an email (once again), this time from Robert, at lunch time today
FW: Suspected F&M Outbreak
Tried to ring - engaged. Let’s pray it’s a false alarm. R

Not a false alarm. It’s been confirmed. They are also testing a suspected case in Norfolk.

This time I’ve no reaction. Just a deadening. I feel numb.