[Pedwardine]

Just changed back into my PJs having got wet through to my undies for the second time today! Horrible horrible horrible. Couldn't feel my hands and then they did that REALLY PAINFUL bit where the feeling starts coming back    I was so miserable and cold I'm ashamed to say that I cried and swore alot. Even got wet inside my lovely Aigles as the rain seeped down my jeans and into my socks...sob    Bloody p*****g weather. All this was to move our exceedingly miserable ram lambs to higher ground though increasingly there's not alot of that left.

[Ina]

I really don't think there's any reason to feel ashamed for swearing these days (or any days...) Doesn't sound good, what you are saying, but nothing much anybody can do about it. It's raining again here, too... 

Take care - keep your fingers warm - maybe you need waterproof gloves? I hate wearing gloves at the best of times - but sometimes it's preferable to all the pain...

[jaykay]

Neoprene gloves are good when it's so wet, they're sold for kayakers to keep their hands warm when wet. Probably for fishermen too.

Just about to go out and get soaked too - I'm avoiding it but I want to be done before it's dark so I'd better get out there 

[SallyintNorth]

Don't be embarrassed about crying with the pain of your numbed fingers - hereabouts even the hardened lifetime farmers admit to doing exactly the same.  Just be glad this is extraordinary weather for you, not your usual winter as it is for us! 

I am in the process of trying to invent keep-you-warm-whatever-the-weather-and-whatever-you-are-doing gloves.  Wool is the key, as are layers.  And trying to avoid having to take the gloves off at all, but being able to free the fingertips if needed.  If my design is successful I will write it up 

I bought neoprene shooters' gloves but haven't found that they do the trick.  Maybe because I am adding wind chill factor from zipping about on the quad bike to the wet and cold equation...

Meanwhile, Ped, know that you are not alone, and take care you don't get chilblains.  If you do get chilblains, get Snowfire - it's magic.

[Bionic]

I am using ordinary gloves with rubber washing up gloves over the top. It seems to do the trick and isn't too expensive.
Sally

[Mrs Snoodles]

Just go for it, let it all out.  Then a good drink. It has got to be the only way!  I'm fed up with the washing all this rain has brought. Like you everything soaked through, almost every visit out.  I got a whole load of pig mash on a wet jacket yesterday, didn't realise and it left the most digesting mess all over me.

[Pedwardine]

I had bodyguards gloves on (thin rubber type) then brickie's work gloves on top for grip. Don't know how the wet got in but it did. Don't know how to dry out the neoprene lining in my wellies? Peeled all my clothing off and lobbed it in the sink apart from the coat which is currently dripping on the kitchen floor.

[Fleecewife]

Stuffing your boots with newspaper soaks up the wet, then stand them under a radiator to dry.  Trouble is of course you have to go back out before they are dry.
 
As a biker, the gloves answer for me is lots of layer - 4 on a bike: very thin silk liners, then fine wool, then ordinary leather bike gloves then waterproof barbour mitts over the top - and plastic hand guards help to keep the windchill off too.  On a bike you can of course put one hand at a time down on the engine - does that work on a quad too?
All those layers don't really work for farm work though, as you usually have to take your gloves on and off all the time.  I've tried the washing up gloves idea, over fine wool gloves, but they are too tight and make my fingers worse.  Of course I could use larger marigolds     I have been wearing the thin wool gloves under sheepy lined tractor drivers thick leather gloves, but recently I've been coming in almost weeping with the cold.  My OH is doing the heavy work so I can come in when I need to, but I totally sympathise with those of you who can't.  I had to stick it out for many years - miserable     That's about the only advantage I can think of to be in poor health 
 
 

[in the hills]

Not really cold here at the moment, 5 degrees, just rained hard all day.  When it's cold, well sort of -5 and below I get chilblains on my fingers. Try not to complain but they are a bit miserable so reading this thread and making a mental note to buy some thin gloves to go under my thick gloves, which are under my Marigolds  . I have to hide my hands behind my back when the local farmers come for a chat ..... not much cred. wearing pink Marigolds  .

[Lesley Silvester]

My OH will not wear gloves no matter how cold it is.  Every winter he has sore, cracked hands and practically buys Snowfire in bulk, but HE WILL NOT BE TOLD.

[lachlanandmarcus]

If ever you find a house with underfloor heating, that dries out wellies incl neoprene ones a treat. I never realised until we had to do a house from scratch and put in UFH, you can put wet coats, hats etc on the floor and next time you go out they are dry and warm.....

[Pedwardine]

Fabulous, I'm having underfloor heating in the kitchen at my next house for sure! IT does make sense with the rubber gloves on top of the woolly ones. Usually when it's just cold but not wet the thin ones underneath work brilliantly and my hands almost get too hot. I think today the same happened with my hands as it did with my wellies. My sleeves got sodden and leeched down inside my gloves. I really get why sheep are sow darned miserable in the wet.
Pink marigolds eh? At least they don't have a feather cuff!

[Herdygirl]

I am a bit late to this thread but i can relate to every sentiment!  i go out 3 times a day, i am wet 3 times a day! as i sit here i have no jeans left to wear that are dry, i am washing and drying at 8.25  on a Saturday night, not that i have anywhere to go

Shetland ponies had to be brought in today as they are SO wet, the ewes are so bloody miserable that if this rain continues they will be brought into the barn 2 months early (OH is killing himself to get the roof on).

My winter haylage is going down fast but the ewes have to be fed the grass is under water.

sorry for the moan, there's lots of people much more worse off than me

[Lesley Silvester]

I think you're entitled to a moan, Herdygirl, as is everyone on here facing the same difficulties.

[Plantoid]

Don't be embarrassed about crying with the pain of your numbed fingers - hereabouts even the hardened lifetime farmers admit to doing exactly the same.  Just be glad this is extraordinary weather for you, not your usual winter as it is for us! 

I am in the process of trying to invent keep-you-warm-whatever-the-weather-and-whatever-you-are-doing gloves.  Wool is the key, as are layers.  And trying to avoid having to take the gloves off at all, but being able to free the fingertips if needed.  If my design is successful I will write it up 

I bought neoprene shooters' gloves but haven't found that they do the trick.  Maybe because I am adding wind chill factor from zipping about on the quad bike to the wet and cold equation...

Meanwhile, Ped, know that you are not alone, and take care you don't get chilblains.  If you do get chilblains, get Snowfire - it's magic.

Try making use of water proof mitts with a long elastic cuff that goes up to your forearm.
When I did an endurance trek of over 60 miles in deep snow where my boots off my feet froze inside my sleeping bag they were a godsend , the inners were sheepskin about 3/4 of wool. When  ever I needed to do intricatre work they cme off and I played in some silk liner gloves .  If my hands did get wet throught eh liner cloves i soon got warm and dried out once they were in the mitts.
When I had my small farm ....Water proofs. I found that the old fishermans Redmayne yellow sowester jacket and chest high loose fitting over trousers of the same material . The jacket & trousers were good & hard wearing . I always wore three thin pairs of loose fiting socks in my wellies as well ,  I also rarely went anywhere with out a decent strong six foot beating stick of 1.5 inch  or so thick seasons  hazel stick to help me get around the wet and muddy area on crap days .
Lost my safety  wellies a couple of times and socks as well for a while some days till I got the drainage set up .