Snow / WC / More Snow - The Accidental Smallholder

Posted: Monday 15 February, 2021

by Rosemary at 9:07am in Smallholding No comments Add your own

Monday 8^th February

Forecast for heavy snow – hopefully we’ll miss it. Being so close to the sea, we’re a little microclimate and quite often the forecast for here turns out to be inaccurate – and usually not so bad.

Graham is getting on well with the WC

The new WC is coming on.

The hens are right off their lay – no eggs in the caravan this afternoon.

Dan went for hay tonight; Steven was out gritting so wasn’t back until late, but I think we’re just better having a couple of bales in.

Tuesday 9^th February

Woke up to about six inches of snow this morning; heavy showers through the day has added another six inches. Thank goodness, Dan went for hay last night. I get a bit freaky when the weather’s like this – it’s the loss of control. We have enough food to last months, and I always make sure we have plenty bagged feed but we can’t store much hay. For next year, I think I’ll try and create a bit of space in the barn so we can maybe store six bales.

We have snow.

Kept the ponies in until after 5pm and fed them before they went out – digesting forage is how they keep warm so I don’t like the idea of them being out in snow with nothing to eat (they have hay but finish it sometime during the night).

And more snow.

Wednesday 10^th February

A few snow flurries and quite a lot of blue sky and sunshine; no wind so it doesn’t feel very cold, even though it is. This is supposed to be the end of the snow; now we have a couple of cold days forecast, then rain at the weekend then into what looks like Spring. The ditches are empty – not for long, I guess, though.

The sheep are obviously enjoying their browsing opportunities as they aren’t eating much hay. Arnot’s going to put hay in for the steers but there isn’t much of the bale left down there, so we will need to get down soon. And we need to pick up more hay. Not looking forward to that.

Ewes in the snow.

Got through a pile of paperwork that I had been avoiding, including the filing. Very therapeutic.

Thursday 11^th February

A few snow flurries, but nothing of significance. Cold, dry, windy. Not doing much apart from waiting for the thaw.

Rewrote the Powerpoint for our sheep keeping course – hope we actually get to run some this year.

Spilled waer on teh feed store floor. Brushed it out. Looked like there had been a murder. Don't think this paint will last long.

Honest, it's paint, Officer.

Friday 12^th February

Still cold, still snowy. Not Spring yet. We're very lucky to have missed the worst of the storm - further North has been really hammered.

Been working on my cattle herd health plan. Just need to get the blood testing done to see where we are.

Hens still laying poorly and bird flu found at Leven, in Fife.  Still, now the snow has slid off the polytunnel, there’s more light and they might pick up a bit.

Saturday 13^th February

Station Road is like an ice rink; very cold here today, with a strong wind but some sunny spells. Picked up two bales of hay for East Pitkerro and two for here. The roads weren’t too bad but quite a bit of drifting off the fields in some places. Dan drove, so I just shut my eyes and breathed deep.

Having a relaxing day, apart from the chores and working on the cattle show schedule for the Scottish Smallholder Festival. Six Nations Rugby this afternoon. Oh, well - the 100% win rate was nice while it lasted

Sunday 14^th February

Valentine's Day. And the thaw has started and the hens have laid more eggs. Hope both continue apace. And Station Road has been gritted and the water at the cowshed is running again.

Dan started to process the piles of waste wood in the barn and I baked mincemeat cookies, ginger nuts and a fruit tea loaf. Shetland beef stew and dumplings for dinner, followed by trifle. Very good indeed.