The past few weeks have been fairly hectic, although not from a farming point of view.

As is often the case at this time of year, family commitments have taken centre stage and there hasn't been a whole lot of time left for farming.

First up was a family trip to Titanic Belfast, which we all thoroughly enjoyed. That was quickly followed by an overnight trip to Laois, where my eldest daughter Gemma and her teammates representing CLG Beart at the Féile na nGael camogie competition.

She had a fantastic weekend and it was great to see so many young players enjoying themselves and making memories.

Family holiday

As they say, it never rains but it pours, because our family summer holiday was next on the cards.

We spent a week in Paris, including three days in the Disney parks. It really was an unforgettable trip and one the kids will remember for a long time.

I don't know if we should call it lucky or unlucky, but we were there in the middle of a heatwave.

Temperatures pushed close to 40°C, which was probably just a little warmer than any of us would have liked. A few degrees less would have done us grand!

But sure it made the beer by the pool taste nicer!

Then, last but by no means least, came a three-day pony camp at Lusk Equestrian, near Lisburn.

The kids had a brilliant few days improving their show jumping, dressage and cross-country skills, while also learning how to properly care for and look after their horses.

It was great to see them gaining confidence both in and out of the saddle.

So after all that running around, there wasn't a lot of farming done and I think I could probably do with another holiday (only joking).

Topping

Back on the farm, the grass certainly didn't wait for me.

The heat followed by the recent rain left some paddocks becoming stemmy, but, thankfully, I've managed to get a bit of topping done over the last few days, which should freshen things up and encourage some better-quality regrowth.

My second-cut silage is also starting to get a little strong. In truth, it probably should have been cut during the last spell of settled weather.

However, we were just about to head off on holiday and I didn't fancy listening to my wife giving out about me stacking round bales when I should have been packing my passport!

Silage

Besides, I always prefer to make silage as dry as conditions allow and there simply hasn't been much of an opportunity until now.

It's now around nine weeks since first cut was taken, which is definitely longer than I would normally leave it.

Having said that, this crop has been grown without any fertiliser or slurry, with the clover doing all the heavy lifting.

Growth has been respectable considering the circumstances, so I'm happy enough with how it's turned out.

The next job on the list is to weigh the cattle and see exactly how they're performing at grass. Depending on how they are weighing, I may draft out some of the heavier animals and start introducing a small amount of meal while they're still at grass.