Snow, Snow, Snow

For some very boring technical reason that I cannot fathom out I am unable to download any pictures onto the blog so I will just have to rely on words to convey how lovely it is have snow and also how difficult it makes life for us farmers.

As I write it is still snowing albeit very gently and I am looking out onto a hedgerow that has every branch & twig highlighted in purest white, broken only by the rich evergreen gleam of ivy entwining itself through the hedge. The hedge is silhouetted against a background of chill grey skies and and the only movement is that of the steadily falling snowflakes. All the little hedgerow birds are hiding away though the occasional corvid dashes blackly across the sky on some mysterious wintery mission.

For the Farmer & Elder Son the daily routine of feeding & bedding down all the cattle that are in sheds is made difficult by the snow, not only because it is very cold to be out  for any length of time but also the snow churned up into mud becomes a disgusting slurry of brown slush that is very slippery and deeply unpleasant to walk & drive through. The cold is somehow intensified by the messiness and  both the Farmer & Elder Son rejoice in their enormous thermal wellies which are essential if one is out on the farm for any length of time. Cold feet have always been one of the banes of country life but are now a thing of the past thanks to these wonderful very deeply soled and well designed boot which are made using thermal insulating modern materials.

We still have some cattle who are out wintered. These are our rare breed Traditional Herefords and they are not in the slightest way inconvenienced by the harsh weather with their thick coats and ability to forage for grass through the snow. If the weather should get any worse or continue for any length of time then we shall take some silage out to field for them as a supplement. The same applies to the sheep.

Here on the farm when we have weather like this it feels as though we are very cut off from the world as looking acrosss the valley we just see a beautiful monochrome landscape where nothing moves but we have only to go to end of our track and the world is carrying on as usual. The main road is clear of snow and traffic is moving along  freely. The Farmer has gone out on a tractor to deliver some wood to neighbours but the postman did not come this morning and we will have no callers today I'm quite sure. The steeper part of the track is very slippery in snow and we shall have to grit it for the milk tanker tomorrow.

Despite the extra work involved I do love it when it snows, the views are spectacular and as I always have a good well-stocked store-cupboard so we just settle ourselves down and get on with things...and it may only last a couple of days anyway, so we must make the most of it!