Wednesday 6 January 2010

The winter weather has arrived in the South West



We have had the cold and the ice, but up to now we have escaped the snow until today. It isn't that bad to be honest. we managed to get the trusty Discovery out of the yard at 7.30am this morning and were the first vehicle to go down Ponsworthy Hill, Steve dropped me up at the fields before going on to work. We are lucky that Steve actually works for one of our neighbours as Estate Manager so he can walk to work if needed.
We have a booking for the holiday cottages coming tomorrow ( if they can get here) so I first went in there to get that ready, just need to put the Cream Tea, eggs & milk in tomorrow.
Then up to feed the Llamas and weanings. It is bitter cold in the wind but the little boys were tucked under the hedge and all looking happy with life, with a covering of snow on their backs. I am so glad we didn't have any of them shorn last summer, something we considered as we are hoping to show a couple of them this year. I do wonder how cria which have been shorn are coping with this cold weather, I suppose it is OK if you have the facilities to bring them in during the worst weather but if not, well I don't know I am sure there are many different views on that subject.
The boys Llamas all seem to be coping OK they are in a really sheltered paddock with lovely large overhanging hedges to shelter from the wind, they have a full hay rack and are on double rations during this snowy weather. Jazz and Georgina are tucked up in the field shelter with some hay nets which they seem to sit next to constantly munching.
It does amaze me in this country that a few inches of snow can bring the entire place to a standstill. It was forecasted so why is it such a surprise when it arrives, for some reason they have not gritted the main road over the moor which has always been gritted in the past. At the risk of sounding old now I can remember living in Princetown as a teenager and having several feet of snow and at the most the road was closed for a couple of days, everyone helped clear roads and paths, people don't seem to want to do anything for themselves these days.
We live on a hill, to get to our stock we have to dig ourselves out of our yard, take a shovel out to the road and clear as much as possible then throw grit on it, if we waited for the council to do it our animals would stave.

I have just turned the TV on and the BBC have put on a special News Bulletin just about a few inches of snow, I am sure in other countries they would just be getting on with it.
Any way enough of my ranting I am going to make a curry for dinner. Before I go I thought I would just pass on something my Grandson Charlie aged 4 said this morning after being told that his school was closed because the teachers couldn't get there, he said "well them can come here then" hew was really upset he couldn't go back to school today.

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