The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: CameronS on March 28, 2010, 07:00:55 pm

Title: Snow again
Post by: CameronS on March 28, 2010, 07:00:55 pm
Just watched the 5day weather forcast, as of Tuesday it's is going to snow till Friday, up to 20cm widespread thoughout Scotland,

not what is needed
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Rosemary on March 28, 2010, 10:22:41 pm
Great, hope the ewes keep their legs crossed until it's gone.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: sandy on March 28, 2010, 10:25:49 pm
Ohhhhhhhhhhh!!! NO!!
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: jameslindsay on March 28, 2010, 10:27:03 pm
The gritters have been out here in Fife tonight.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on March 29, 2010, 09:53:45 am
Hello James I've just asked Miri if her OH has asked for a bit so she can bang the Yellow Knob down ;D ;D :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Rosemary on March 29, 2010, 11:31:30 am
Snow on the hills here, but none at our altitude.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: CameronS on March 29, 2010, 05:53:08 pm
Snow this morning, about a 2cm covering, but pretty soon dissapeared,

 snowing again as i write this though
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on March 29, 2010, 06:21:21 pm
Not a bad day at all in Gy Cameron 14C mid afternoon then a very light shower The sort that you get wet through in You look at it and think its only spotting and you go down the yard and do something and you come back wet through.If it were raining you would not have gone ??? ;D :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: egglady on March 29, 2010, 07:21:02 pm
been several heavy showers in our part of Fife and now snowing heavily.  Thought one of the sheep was going to lamb this afternoon - hopefully she's decided to wait a bit!
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: ballingall on March 29, 2010, 09:38:03 pm
Despite the fact that it was forecast to snow, it still took me aback this morning to open the blind and find it snowing! Went to rain during the day, but has been snowing steadily since before 7pm. Was pretty horrible outside doing the goat's water buckets tonight!

Beth
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: doganjo on March 30, 2010, 12:04:35 am
I have to take Freckles to the East Neuk Vet hospital at St Monans on Wednesday morning - I will need to leave here about 8 am.  If there's anyone in that area can they give me an update on the weather tomorrow evening please.  Thank you
Annie
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Daveravey on March 30, 2010, 01:30:34 am
We had a wee flurry earlier, but it's all disappeared again...thankfully   ::)
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on March 30, 2010, 08:14:11 am
Overcast in Gy rained in the night the tub is overflowing and it wasn't :( :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Rosemary on March 30, 2010, 09:06:01 am
Wet and miserable here but Dan's brother sent a photo this morning of his garden in Braco and there is several inches of snow there. I can't see the hills...
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Daisys Mum on March 30, 2010, 11:14:09 am

It hasn't stopped raining here since yesterday, river has burst it's banks and fields are sodden AGAIN!! Thank goodness we are not lambing till the end of next month. Have just about run out of hay so going to need to do some phoning round see if I can get hold of some as horses have had to come in and sheep won't venture away from shelter.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: northfifeduckling on March 30, 2010, 12:32:21 pm
Sleat started coming down last night. The road is clear but the freezing wind is blowing straight through the house.  I wish I could just go back to bed and "sit" it out... :&>
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: egglady on March 30, 2010, 01:47:35 pm
it is really horrible.  gale force gusting winds and driving rain/sleet/snow.  horses nearly ran me off my feet when i brought them in from the field.

one of our shetland ewes looks like she's about to lamb!  i really want to bring them into a nice warm stable i have ready for them but not sure how i get her from field to stable without manhandling her (that's if i can catch her in the first place)...anyone any ideas?
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: daniellestocks on March 30, 2010, 03:08:29 pm
Weve had noting but down pours in north yorks!!! just as bad as the snow  :( wanted to get my pony schooled but its guna be wet for ages in the fields here! grrrr
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Hardfeather on March 30, 2010, 04:10:18 pm
It's blowing a hooley here, with rain and sleet but no snow. We're only a couple of miles from the coast so it's unlikely we'll get the snow.

The burn is in spate and the water table up, so there's flooding in bits, but nothing to worry about as our house never floods.

My colt is inside, but the other four are out in it, although down in the den out of the worst of the wind. I'd hoped to keep my last two bales of haylage till I go on a weeks holiday in a fortnight, when they would have fed them ad lib while I am away. Had planned to use hay in the meantime, but it won't stay on the ground long enough to be eaten in this wind. I have a source of more haylage if needed, but had hoped not to have to buy. The grass had been growing there for a few days, but this will slow it up again.

I haven't seen a hen all day.

I hate living here. There is very little shelter from the winds; it's either muddy or it's dusty; late spring and early summer usually means haar and easterly winds whilst the rest of the country enjoys sun; and the risk of grass sickness is ever worrying. I want to move a bit to the north west and into more undulating, wooded country like I'm used to, where I can get a bit of shelter on one side of the hill or the other. I get it from all sides here.

'My heart's in the highlands, my heart is not here, my heart's in the highlands a-chasing the deer'  ::) :(

Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on March 30, 2010, 04:29:57 pm
It stopped raining around noon and its nice and sunny but wet 10C Here in Grimsby :D :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Daisys Mum on March 30, 2010, 07:41:06 pm

The rain here has still not eased off at all. Stable yard is flooded, had to spend ages clearing the drains and 1/2 of my land is totally underwater.
The horses are quite happy tucked up in their stables but I can't see the sheep anywhere they must be sheltering at the far end of the field where there is an 8ft wall. Thank god I have no pigs just now. Hope everyone else is Ok  :gloomy:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: CameronS on March 30, 2010, 07:50:27 pm
our car is not very well, i blommin tree bow landed on it. as for the chooks, they were out through driving sleet and hail, i had to manhandle them to get in, so they now have a heat lamp to dry them off, Stupid Birds.
i had to bring Clive (adopted horse), into the log store, basically a tin shed, as his field shelter is waterlogged
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Daveravey on March 30, 2010, 08:01:18 pm
Been sleet most of the day here & it's now starting to lie ..... so much for summertime eh  ::)
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 30, 2010, 08:16:09 pm
looking guilty bright sunshine for most of the day. i hope it stays away the ewes are pretty close to lambing. the ponies were playing sheep ball yesterday so they were banished to the bottom field. they tend to pick on the sheep at lambing.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: northfifeduckling on March 30, 2010, 08:50:59 pm
lucky you,Paul!
After it turned into rain during the day it's been snowing again, so the cars are out on the road, in case we can't get them out of the drive otherwise tomorrow...
The chooks were hiding in the duck house from the wind but did find their way into their own house in the end.
Laura, I hope all goes well with the birth and that she found her way into the warm shed, what a time to do it...if you need any help from a total newbie with sheep I'll be around until 2ish tomorrow  :&> :&>
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: CameronS on March 30, 2010, 08:55:00 pm
Quote
I have to take Freckles to the East Neuk Vet hospital at St Monans on Wednesday morning - I will need to leave here about 8 am.  If there's anyone in that area can they give me an update on the weather tomorrow evening please.  Thank you
Annie

Will do, my gran is just round the corner so well informed  ;D
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: doganjo on March 30, 2010, 09:21:50 pm
Quote
I have to take Freckles to the East Neuk Vet hospital at St Monans on Wednesday morning - I will need to leave here about 8 am.  If there's anyone in that area can they give me an update on the weather tomorrow evening please.  Thank you
Annie

Will do, my gran is just round the corner so well informed  ;D
Thanks, Cameron - could you text me if there are problems?  I'll PM you my number
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: egglady on March 30, 2010, 10:12:23 pm
lucky you,Paul!
After it turned into rain during the day it's been snowing again, so the cars are out on the road, in case we can't get them out of the drive otherwise tomorrow...
The chooks were hiding in the duck house from the wind but did find their way into their own house in the end.
Laura, I hope all goes well with the birth and that she found her way into the warm shed, what a time to do it...if you need any help from a total newbie with sheep I'll be around until 2ish tomorrow  :&> :&>

thanks kerstin.  they followed me right to the stable door but just wouldnt take that final step inside!  so frustrating.  and if anyone else is near (even john, whom they know) comes near, they just run away.  as i dont want to stress them i might just have to wait till they lamb and hope that it is during the day when i'm here so i can move mum and baby/babies into somewhere warm and dry.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: sausagesandcash on March 31, 2010, 01:32:37 am
Up to two feet of snow in Cavan, drifting to five feet in places. Just been out to check the stock and clear the fencing of snow. We had one breakout where the weight of snow dropped the tape to the top of the snow, the ever curious sow decided to wander a little with me before going back into her arc....invigorating, if a little tiring. (http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Sleepy/asleep-045.gif)
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: shetlandpaul on March 31, 2010, 09:00:58 am
to cheviots lambs born in sleet and gales. oh dear i should have kept my mouth shut.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on March 31, 2010, 09:09:47 am
No Paul I don't think it matters We take what we are sent.Here in Grimsby this morning its lovely and sunny after yesterdays rainy morning.I have said before there is two sorts of rain in my world the sort that wets you through because you think Oh its only a few spots I'll just do that little job down the field/yard and you come back soaked.Then there is the other sort what doesn't wet you through because you don't go out in it you do a undercover job and go do the other when its stopped.I know there are exceptions to this but its my way works reasonably well.I hope you don't get a lot of this snow that the lasses are talking about.It can make you very wet as well. ??? :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: RUSTYME on March 31, 2010, 07:17:48 pm
had really horrible weather here today . It has poured with rain at times , had hail storms and snow blizzards. Thankfully none of the snow has stayed so far , the ground is too warm as is the air temp . Left home today for the walk to the land to feed the horses in a hail storm, couldn't see a thing . That lasted about 20 minutes or so . Then a few more very short bursts of hail , then just very windy for the rest of the walk to the land.
Once there , the sun came out !! Blue sky the lot , lovely ...Didn't last for long though , just long enough for me to fill the bags with haylage and carry to the the feeder. Then as I was feeding the horses their bucket feed , it started to snow again . Very heavy for a while , then white out . I could only just about see the horse 3 feet in front of me.
That eased and I looked around at the fields , they were that half white/green stage . Carried on feeding the horses and the fields turned to green again, then the snow started again ...this time it was coming down like slices of bread. Never seen snowflakes that big EVER . In less than a minute or so everything was totally white , even the horse in front of me . The horse finished her feed and went back into the field to carry on eating the haylage , I shut the gate and locked it , covered up the haylage bale , checked everything was ok and started off on the trek home . As I started to walk along the track, everything was still white . Before I got to where the track goes into the woods ( about 150 yards or so ) , all the fields were green again !!! As I got to the end of the track through the woods (about 200 yards ) , the snow stopped and the sun popped out for a few minutes . A couple of tiny snow flurries and then mainly sun till I got home . By which time it was mainly blue skies and sun .
 It stayed that way for an hour maybe , then went back to hail , snow , sleet or rain .
 What a weird day ?  Thank god the knee is ok now though ...  ::)
 I hope all you up there in Scotland and over in Ireland don't get hit any more with this bad spell. What we have had here is horrible , but not the end of the world compared to what some of you have had and are still getting .

cheers

Russ
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Daisys Mum on March 31, 2010, 07:36:37 pm


What a night, was out at 2.30 trying to stop my greenhouse from being destroyed, had forgotten to lock the door and it had blown open luckily only 1 of the panes in the door was broken, few tiles off the roof. One of the watergates has gone and a large stretch of fencing but on the plus side the huge tree that destroyed it is still there so firewood for next winter. It has calmed down now and the sheep have all reappeared none the worse.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Rosemary on March 31, 2010, 10:19:39 pm
Windy here overnight but quite nice during the day. Tonight, cold dry and breezy. Hope it continues like this until spring proper
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: ballingall on March 31, 2010, 10:19:49 pm
The only good news about the weather we have had, is that the new drainage ditch I put in to take water away from the entrance to the goat's field works extremely efficiently!


Beth
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on April 01, 2010, 08:01:34 am
I have no wish to upset the Clackie Tartan Army Lassies members but it was the most grand day here yesterday in Gy and is beautiful and sunny now and I'm not playing at April Fool its a bit cool but lovely sun shine We had a flash shower yesterday about 3pm must have lasted 2 minutes and blew out to sea Cleethorpe way.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: shetlandpaul on April 01, 2010, 11:57:31 am
well the chickens are having to share the byre with floppsy the cheviot and her two lambs. the weather was horrid yesterday. not as bad as scotland or ireland but unpleasant. this global warming if taking a long time to kick in. large hay bales £48 small bales £6.50 and second quality hay £5.  the grass is growing but very slowly.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Roxy on April 01, 2010, 12:18:11 pm
Goodness, I was moaning at £25 per bale for big ones, but I have no cause to moan looking at your prices!!  Hay is usually £2.50 for small bales, but I notice now people are needing it again, its £4.00 at some places. And small straw is £3 as well.  I can usually pick up one large round bale of straw for £20, and thats better value, and good stuff.

Snow is all on our higher ground, but the house is in a valley, so a bit sheltered.  Can't say its green though.  Very wet and muddy with all the rain and snow over the last few days.  All the animals are hungry, and wanting new pasture.  5 ponies smashed the gate off its hinges yesterday, and got through into another field as they could see grass.
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: shetlandpaul on April 01, 2010, 12:28:33 pm
naughty ponies. ours are back to normal shape. they were rather portly last autumn so a hard winter has helped them get in better condition. some neighouring fillies went for a walk and our boys as teenagers do got over excited. one tried to roll down the hill and another tried to jump a very wide full ditch. picture telwells ponies and thats ours.
were is spring
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: doganjo on April 01, 2010, 03:20:53 pm
I have no wish to upset the Clackie Tartan Army Lassies members but it was the most grand day here yesterday in Gy and is beautiful and sunny now and I'm not playing at April Fool its a bit cool but lovely sun shine We had a flash shower yesterday about 3pm must have lasted 2 minutes and blew out to sea Cleethorpe way.
No offence Wiz - beautiful here today too
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: northfifeduckling on April 01, 2010, 03:49:14 pm
nice and sunny here, too! Still a bit blustery, apparently folks had a lot of damage around here, capsized boats, flooded houses near the river... :&> :&>
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on April 01, 2010, 04:11:16 pm
That sounds good Annie lets hope its here to stay It is not freezing at night but it went down to 4c last night Brrrrrrrrrrr  ??? :farmer:
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: doganjo on April 01, 2010, 05:05:52 pm
nice and sunny here, too! Still a bit blustery, apparently folks had a lot of damage around here, capsized boats, flooded houses near the river... :&> :&>
Yes, saw some of that yea
sterday when I took Freckles to St Monans Ortho Vet - lots of roads closed and huge flooding on roads adn in fields.  Saw one field with about 10 cattle in it and only a small piece of gass surrounding them
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: CameronS on April 01, 2010, 08:44:13 pm
Quote
sterday when I took Freckles to St Monans Ortho Vet - lots of roads closed and huge flooding on roads adn in fields.  Saw one field with about 10 cattle in it and only a small piece of gass surrounding them

When i text you, we were stuck in a 4ft snowdrift, a tractor fell in a ditch pulling cars out, and a gritter ploughed into a tree(litraly).

But now all we have is severe flooding and snow piles  ;D

Power on thank goodness

Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: juliag on April 01, 2010, 08:56:22 pm
RAIN RAIN RAIN ! Fed up with it! We have friends coming down from london to spend Easter with us with their children...... Easter in the countryside!!! ummm lovely, it hasnt stopped raining for days again, just as we got all dried up down it comes again! Do friends have Wellies, Yes I expect so pretty little Boden ones I would guess that have never had mud on them! Do the kids like animals? Yes but the mother will be paranoid that hands are washed immediatley, Can they collect eggs? Absolutley not unless the eggs are sterilized and come with a waitrose label attached! Could children eat our eggs? Horror of horrors, cant even answer that one!!! What about the dogs, surely a 3 legged terrier will melt the heart of anyone? OMG dogs in the house!! dont even go there poor daisy dog will spend the weekend living in my car! Talking of cars at some point we will have to give them a lift to the local gastropub restaurant, I can almost see the disgust on their faces as they pile into my 4x4 over the baling twine, muddy mats, in fact muddy seats actually, dont I have time to clean car? NO I DONT! Am I looking forwards to this weekend? Like a bloody hole in the head! SO Why did we invite them??? WE didnt, does anyone else suffer from guests who invite themselves because they fancy a weekend in the country?  ???
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: doganjo on April 01, 2010, 09:24:20 pm
I'm sure you feel sick, you can't move away from the toilet, must have eaten something bad, or maybe it was that sick child down the road you caught something off.  But tell them not to worry you'll be fine by tomorrow evening and you'll cook them a lovely hot meal ;) ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: juliag on April 02, 2010, 07:35:07 am
lol, god I was off on one last night wasnt I?? ;D must have been the wine! However rereading my post all very true and worse! Woke up this morning to...... more rain!!!!!! We really must be more winter prepared next year. We have put all of our chicken pens, polytunnel , stables etc at the bottom of a field, all very pretty and away from the road etc but of course now its very muddy walking across to it all. What we need is loads of concrete and  undercover areas! oh and the money to put it all in!!!  :D
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: Wizard on April 02, 2010, 07:57:53 am
Hello Cameron So sorry to read of all you good peoples bad luck with the weather.Cameron I am not trying to be funny it's a little true story to make you envious  ???(That Wizard's a rotten sod )I can barely remember a decent snow in Grimsby district Should one come out of town along Scartho Road (A16) to the fork and Bear right to Waltham  there are a couple of fields as the houses in Scartho ends and before the Vets Practice and the BT Exchange building in Waltham.So as I remember it would be 1989 ish give or take a year when it snowed with a strong east wind and the wind blew all the snow what would have fallen in the field in between the 2 hedges along side the road there was about 3 feet of snow WOW There was none in the field and about 2" in both villages.Normal bad winter in Grimsby is 2" at most and it stops the traffic.This winter past I have not had 11/2" at worst just a white dusting at best.I think it is due to the estuary where the Humber flows out into the North Sea.The weather forcasters very seldom get the weather right.OK at the height of summer they can forcast sunny but at this time of year they are invariably wrong This week they have not been right once as such Its been lovely a bit cold but sunny.We had a shower or three Thursday but nothing to talk of.It is a problem here though is the rain a bit later on it will rain day after day.Juliag I dare not comment on your post dare I Annie ??? ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Snow again
Post by: northfifeduckling on April 02, 2010, 11:10:20 am
same here, Wizard - not the snow but that hey hardly ever get the forecast right for Fife. I was quite impressed with them over he last few days as it came true, no more snow but sunny and cold overnight - I had to defrost the water bowl again!  :&>