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Written by Stephen Baines
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Wednesday, 24 January 2007 |
Well, we were starting to think it would never happen, but this week winter has finally arrived.
The weekend was cold, and Sunday morning was dry and cold. First thing, before sunrise, we started on putting the electric fencing up in one of the paddocks ready for the chickens to arrive. We spent ages ensuring everything was working ok, and that the chucks would be fine, we finished rebuilding the run, and prepared it for them to move outside and eat the (now overlong) grass. On Sunday evening, to much protest from the chickens, we put them into their new home.
Next day, Monday morning, it's cold and the ground is hard. By 8am the snow started falling... By evening we had a good 6" or so across the land, and up to a foot in some areas. Nice snow, proper snow, snow that is dry and doesn't make you wet! The dog thoroughly enjoyed his chance to play in the snow. The chickens did not. They are now safely esconsed in the barn again, and there they will stay till the weather turns again. The predictions say it won't for a while.
Tuesday morning was a bit of a shock - the thermometer read -15.8°C! The car took an age to defrost even with the special car heaters they have here to help defrost a car, and warm all the windows so they don't instantly freeze again. The roads, however, were fine. The main roads are free of snow, the minor roads near our home are covered in snow, but thanks to the winter tyres, careful drivers, and whatever magic they have, it remains easy to drive the car.
Today we hope to get up to Söderåsen and see how it looks in the snow. |
