[Lesley Silvester]

    in Shropshire too.  It did go black at one point and started to rain but only lasted minutes.  Usually it's the sun that only last minutes.  The sky is still blue.  Long may it last.  (But I'm not holding my breath).

[Mammyshaz]

All the    was on us today. There was threat of thunderstorms, but still waiting for that one  .plenty of heavy rain tho.
  for us tomorrow  please 

[Fowgill Farm]

As mammy shaz said we had horrendous rain up here last night, torrential for about 3hrs, but today blue skies and  however everywhere is absolutley bogging, sick of mud.
You can tell the weathers better by lack of participants on here this morning, me i'm stuck inside at work   working alledgedly!
Mandy

[Mammyshaz]

Yes fowgill,      at last 
It  took a few hours for the frost to go but still lovely to see the sun while sludging about in wellies, instead of hiding from the rain in my hooded jacket   

[Lync]

  Hi,  here today as well.  Not looking forward to tomorrow though forecast  , then  Saturday and then  Sunday and into next week!!  If only I was not sat in front of the computer working!  Never mind make the most of Saturday.

[Lesley Silvester]

More    today.  I could get used to this.  The goats are now cleaned out and enjoyed walking round their yard instead of wading through the quagmire.  Even my walking was better today.  It's amazing how much better you feel with a bit of sun on your back.  Hope everyone else gets loads of the yellow stuff as well.

[feldar]

Oh good grief they've issued yet another flood warning for my area from midnight   ewes are still on high ground so ok but we want to put them on a fresh bite. this is becoming repetitive if i so much as hear the word drought or hosepipe ban for at least a year i'm going to scream long and loud

[MAK]

I have just read the post by Victorian Farmer and I alert everyone to his last paragraph. Over the last year I have read so many posts from people describing their difficulties with cold, wet and even sun. Main crop potatoes, cereals etc have been poor and fruit producers must have had a terrible financial year. On the pig forum others are talking about the massive increase in the cost of feed and the potential consequences for producers and consumers.
So - I too have concerns for those making a living from smallholding and I am also concerned for those of us aiming to be as near self sufficient as we can.
Challenging ?

[Victorian Farmer]

This latest update makes no change to the chance of a White Christmas in both northern and southern regions. It now suggests a higher than average chance of a White Christmas across all of the country. There are continued signs of northern blocking developing during the autumn months according to some long range forecasting models, and if that turns out to be correct then expect subsequent forecasts to increase the chances of snow on December 25th. Cyclonic conditions have developed across the country in late September, and TWO seasonal forecasts consider this to be a more favourable pattern for colder weather in the winter months. The for cast of 2010 when i said the coldist for 100 yeares the set up is the same blocking developing at the mo it would be a diaster for farmers in late november we have double feed costs and no straw or hay ether .

[MAK]

Thanks for that forecast. The northern block resulted in "le Grand Froid" here in central France about 1500 feet. Three sodin weeks of severe cold - frozen water pipes and the livestock refusing to leave their shelters. Please - not again!  It was good fun though - a bit like "it's a Knockout"  - the marathon was me carrying water down the lane to our house and seing how much I emptied into a large black bin. The joker was me having a snow bucket to flush the toilet !! 

[jaykay]

Yes, I can see three weeks of that would get tedious!
Mind you, in general I prefer the cold to the endless wet and mud - at least it's solid and dry underfoot when it's properly cold 

[goosepimple]

Agree, we had the big diggers in again churning the place up as we're moving big half tonne stones around relandscaping, so swampy and squelchy with kids and pets running around, can't wait until it freezes up so I'm not tripple-salcho-ing around.

[MAK]

Sorry to say that I had to water the melons, peppers etc today. T shirts and cold drinks on the "terrace" - ( well bit of grass we have outside the back door).

[goosepimple]

Don't be sorry, everybody on TAS is coming over in half an hour....

[jaykay]

Too right, if it weren't for the York sale tomorrow, I'd be asking you to make up a bed and get the barbecue on