The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: deepinthewoods on October 16, 2011, 05:53:50 pm
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here we go again peeps, theres a distinct chill in the air down here in cornwall, and ive seen the snow forecast for scotland.
im much more prepared this year than i was last, have stockpiled wood, coal and gas bottles over the summer, ive picked up some snow tyres for the car (yes you are going to school dearest!!) and ive my new woodburner.
the chickens are all looking well and the sheds had a new roof too so they should be ok.
good luck all!!
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Don't; my mother is Scottish and every time she sees the forecast for them she tells me it's going to Snow, rain ,hurricane etc..... then i have to remind her she's on the south coast now! not that i don't feel sorry for you folks up there :-* it's just that i can do without the heart attack she gives me ::)
Good luck everyone winter is on the way :'(
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But a lovely day today allowing us to do far too much heavy work. Again.
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Deep depression coming over from Turkey later tonight..
My OH gets back from 2 weeks holiday :-\
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I've just watched the Countryfile weather in horror as all the little bright green bits (with the really heavy rain) just seem to be above us pretty much all day tomorrow :P And since we're 1000ft up, I reckon we'll get the snow too, joy ! ::) It's all just arriving about 4 weeks too early for my liking - we're still in the process of getting sorted :-\ but I'm confident (for confident, read hoping like mad ;)) that it won't stay and we'll get a wee reprieve before winter 'proper' arrives :thumbsup:
Pigs win hands down when it comes to priorities though, so long as their shed is all weather tight and the hose has heat tape to stop it freezing we can get by, and I'll just put the kids to bed in jumpers til we get wood carted down from the forrest ;)
Hope your OH doesn't get too depressed Waterhouse :wave:
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It was a lovely day today as well- got loads of stuff done. I am starting to get organised for this winter. Got my back up supply of chicken food this weekend, and some grit too. Cut some logs today, so got them stacked up as well. Still want to do a bit more before winter proper comes on. It's why I'm trying to get so much done at the weekends just now.
Beth
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Rain didn't reach here untill after I had gotten the hen houses all cleaned out and repaired the pigs electric fence
(thankfully they had not noticed that it was not working) ::)
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We had a wonderful ::) day here in southern Scotland today (no yesterday, as I'm writing this rather late) - heavy slashing rain all day with lovely big fat snowflakes in. In fact this depression is forecast to bring 3" of rain - it's already passed that I should think and our normally free-draining land is waterlogged. My son in the south of England is complaining of the drought down there
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Fleecewife
I am in the south of England and yes, its been very, very dry. It has rained a bit overnight but not that much.
I was in the New Forest on Sunday, expecting to take some pics of the autumn leaves, but most trees are still green and very few leaves have fallen. Many of the little streams have run dry.
There were blackberries and gorse in flower. Everything is topsy turvey. It was very warm and a wonderful afternoon for a walk but I am sure it all means that we are in for a severe winter (well as severe as it gets down south).
Sally
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Yes really dry down here, we had a blustery night with some rain but when i walked the dogs this morning it had all gone into the ground so no puddles and the stream was very low still.
Trees are just starting to turn and my dahlias are still in full bloom.
Hubby was still complaining it is hard to drive the fence posts in, but that's normal for him, he's a farmer and they are not happy unless complaining. He's gone to market today to complain with all his friends and put the world to right! ;D
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very cold and blustery rain here and we are not really prepared this year :o no heating still in the living rom, the girls and me huddling under a duvet to watch TV (OH is cosy in the office >:(), I just wish he'd feel more compassionate and get on with the job! The freezers are full but not with useful things - last year I cooked 3 weeks worth of food from them when we were snowed in, no idea what to do with what's in there now, fruit and a few veg seem to take up all the space... ::) :&>
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We live in a stunnng part of the country. Wild windswept moors, surrounded by big rolling hills, looking down on patchwork fields and farms dotted in the valley. All looks beautiful on a sunny day, but today, the wind is howling, its raining hard, and its so cold as well .......it ,makes me want to live somewhere warmer!!
Council have been round with a new grit bin, and piles of salt .....hmm......are they expecting the dreaded white stuff???!!!!
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We had a wet day yesterday (Monday), although not as wet as some. It was sunny and windy in the morning, then the wind dropped and the cloud rolled in.
Today, it's very windy and it was blue skies and sun unril about 20 minutes ago, then it clouded up. No rain yet, though and most of the wet puddles from yesterday have gone. It was good to walk the fileds where the new drain was put in, in May,and find it dry.
Off to make sponge cakes with the 18 eggs we found under the hedge :)
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The sun is shining again but my goodness is there a nip in the air. I have just upped the horse feed so that he doesn't loose weight with the colder nights as it isn't really cold enough to bring him in yet.
I'm trying to get organised but getting hay and straw delivered as I don't have my landy anymore is really difficult looks like it may be 2 bales at a time in my little peugeot.
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Very cold but beautifully sunny here in North Yorks, weatherlady says we're in for a very hard frost tonight so will be taking new straw to all pigs this afternoon and making sure all their water troughs are full tonight as no doubt the hosepipe will be solid in the morning. Leaves are still clinging on here but a very windy night on Monday dropped loads of acorns much to the delight of Clover & Gerry pig who have set up camp underneath the main oak tree. They even insisted i take their breakfasts to the tree this morning, the things you do ;D
The long forecast looks cool and dry and long may it continue anything is better than rain & wind.
Mandy :pig:
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Icy cold srong winds/ sleet from the North today, I have been told it is going to be a bad winter, even worse than the last two we have had. Hope everyone is stocked up with hay etc Looks like winter is coming!
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Some sheep off to you know where tomorrow (so they don't get snowed in like last year) shed full of logs cut on Sunday - pic up feed today - the sheep 'dome' is all sealled for their winter shelter - new snow boots on order - think I'm prepared but will probably find I'm not!!!
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New woodburner goes in next week; can't wait, probably fall asleep in front of it, that's if the cat doesn't beat me to the sofa first!
Love this time of year though, prefer cold to too hot
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Sunny AND sleeting here as I write! Have plenty of home made sheep hay, logs, central heating oil and grit tho think I will need more horse hay at some point (tho if we are snowed in they can have the sheep hay if necessary, it's just a bit richer than I like to give them, no wonder the sheep love it!).
Do need to get the 10 ewe lambs off to our vet tho, he has agreed to buy them to add to his flock so I need to ship them over before they get snowed in here!
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A bit nippy here today in South Devon when the sun went in. A nor' westerly breeze made me put a jumper on and light the Rayburn for the first time this year and now I have the back door open and am sweltering ;D
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We have dug twice as much peat as normal so cosey tosey this winter with the price of oil and leccy and made thirty or so barrels of silage and 120 blaes of top sweet hay , harvest in and freezers full so bring it on! Winter is a real test of self sufficiency all the preperation , preserving , freezing , drying etc is now up for testing ( generaters at the ready for the freezers that is ::))
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Big frost overnight here in North Yorkshire, pumpkin plants all collapsed and thin layer of ice on water troughs, field tap frozen solid (must get some lagging on to it) but most beautiful sunrise and glorious blue skies now its light!
Heating on for first time last night.
Mandy :pig:
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Just finishing the insulated shed on the side of the stables to house the water supply and keep it from I freezing. Spent lasts winter heaving buckets from indoors after all the outdoor taps froze
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frost here, too, this morning. Good I remembered to cover my lettuces last night....it just seems so early, have to put my winter tyres on asap! :&>
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It was a bit chilly here today but nothing unusual. Now its bright sunshine. This is one time when I am happy to have a north south divide.
Sally
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We have dug twice as much peat as normal so cosey tosey this winter with the price of oil and leccy and made thirty or so barrels of silage and 120 blaes of top sweet hay , harvest in and freezers full so bring it on! Winter is a real test of self sufficiency all the preperation , preserving , freezing , drying etc is now up for testing ( generaters at the ready for the freezers that is ::))
That is a good description. It must be a deeply engrained human trait (and animals too of course) to get everything grown and stored ready for the winter freeze, and to feel really content and confident once that is done. For a while we lived in a city with a supermarket a short walk away and no-one could understand why I laid up supplies for the winter. I would rather be self-reliant there than trust that the lorries which bring supermarket stock can still make it through the snow. I love that feeling when everything is ready and, bar warring tribesmen or the rievers setting fire to the lot ( ::)), we should be set for winter, however long it may drag on.
It would be great to have peat.
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Happy Hippy - whats heat tape and where do you get it - we are in France but it still freezes pipes/hoses in winter. Thanks.