A Grey Day
The thaw has begun in ernest, it has been a dreary grey day here in darkest Northumberland. Come back snow………
Sheep, Dipton Foot
Boxing Day Morning
Well, this is Boxing Day?
The day when traditionaly children, who worked in mines and mills or lived in workhouses used to make there way home clutching little boxes. When home the children would greet their Mothers and hand them the little boxes, and say
“Get me stuff packed Mother, a’m off for good”!
At least that is what will happen in our house!!
Christmas Morning
Daily Orders!
“Listen up ladies. As we all know, today is the Turkey’s big day but be that as it may, The Boss has placed an order for half a dozen eggs so jump too it”
Christmas Eve
As am looking after the cottage for a few days, Hilary and the girls offered to do the horses this morning, part of my christmas treat so that I could have an easy morning!
Up early, the hens and donkeys were fed and the boys walked before breakfast, this was going to be good. Nothing to do till a family gathering at lunch time.
Then the phone rang, problems with a property I look after and a thirty mile round trip to sort the mess out!
"Well ladies, what shall we do today?"
"I'm doing it!"
While I was out, I delivered some presents to my sister and aunt. I found my uncle (in his seventies) carrying buckets of water from the local river, their water supply has been frozen for several days. After drinking river water on a climbing trip years ago and contracting dysentery I only hope he was boiling it!
Shotley Grove Road, on the way to my aunt
I finally made it to the pub for lunch at 2.30 but it was nice to see everyone and lunch was good.
Horses done, hens and donkeys tucked up in bed and the boys walked, I am now battling with my old laptop to produce this.
It’s been a funny old day.
Hilary and the girls have offered to do the horses in the morning so that I can have an easy start to the day……………..
I AM STAYING IN BED!!
The Ice on the Tyne!
Helen made a delicious gluten free, cream rich yule log last night, wonderful!!
Then beat her Mother and me at scrabble………
Yule Log, a'la Helen!
Mother has gone to Leeds for Christmas. Hooray!
I now have even more animals to look after. Hooray!
I won’t be able to spend as much time at home this Christmas. Hooray!
The country is going bust. Hooray!
It’s snowing again. Hooray!
Who cares?
The Land Rover is fixed. Yippee! Hooray! Hurrah!!!!
I stopped off at Corbridge to take a few pictures of the river. Over the last few years we have become accustomed to seeing The Tyne in spate and flooding the surrounding area, but today there was no chance of that!
River Tyne at Corbridge
The Ice on The Tyne is all Thine, all Thine!
Sub Zero, again…….
It’s been a busy few days, I am not sure why……
At last, this morning I had some time to take a few pictures in the glorious but very frosty sunshine. Only a few days to Christmas and so much to do, not so much christmasy, just jobs, cars to be fixed before it snows next, (without the Landrover which seems to have a duff starter motor, we will be completely stuffed), Mother to be transported and all the other things on the ever growing list!
Frosted Silo
Hoar Frost
Rooflines
A very cold night has left us with a Landrover that wouldn’t start, broken windscreen wipers on The Children’s Mother’s car and no heater in Jonny’s car!
Not the best start to any day!
As a result there hasn’t been much time or opportunity for taking pictures. An afternoon roaming the countryside with the terriers would have been very therapeutic! I took these shots of snow and icicles on my Mother’s roof but the results were not that exciting so desperation took over and some manipulation later, I am quite pleased with the results.
Roofline 1
Roofline 2
A Winters Day
Sheep on the Glen Road
A spread of pictures today, the first in the bright frosty sunshine this morning on the way back from the cottage. The snow is a little less today despite a light overnight fall but the sheep that remain in the fields are having to work hard to find food, though it has to be said that most are having supplementary feed.
Straw Bales at Dusk
By late afternoon, a light cloud cover was forming but the temperature still plummeting and the horses were glad to be in and fed.
On the drive home I stopped in the dark to get some shots of the “Old Man’s Baccy” I had seen earlier and immediately began to have doubts as I got out of the Landrover. It was freezing! By the time I finished the tips of my gloved fingers were beginning to throb, (oh how we suffer for our art?)
It was minus 7c……
Old Man's Baccy
The Lanchester Chronicles?
I had to drive over to Lanchester this afternoon for a meeting, it was a nice journey in wonderful frosty sunshine. It had been another very cold night.
From the A68, (fans of John Buchan’s “Thirty Nine Steps” will know the road well!), the view across to Muggleswick Common and the old lead mines of Waskerly was spectacular covered in a blanket of deep snow.
Muggleswick Common
I spotted this old barn on Cronkley Fell above Derwent Reservoir the other day but the light wasn’t very good, so it was nice to get a second chance today.
Barn, Cronkley Fell
Cocky’s Big Day Out!
Since the snow arrived, Cocky the cockerel has hardly stirred out of the youngster’s house, leaving Walter to claim the hens as his own. Walter is now firmly ensconced in the ark with his girls, I will need another pen next spring.
Today the sun shone and it was quite mild so Cocky ventured out to take the air…….
'Cocky' the Cockerel
Meanwhile the terriers were having a great time playing in the deep snow up the field.
"Harry, what do you mean 'you left Granny here somewhere'?"
"I can see you!"
I love this leaf lying in the snow.
Leaf
Below The Treeline?
Not as cold today and the snow is starting to melt, so sad. I only took one photo today.
This is it!
Tree Line - Wooley
-12c, The Sequel
The glory of this morning’s sunshine and frozen air was somewhat tempered by the heater fan freezing solid on the Landrover!
Sitting in a sub zero tin can trying not to breathe as every exhalation coated the windscreen with ice, while trying to keep on the snow covered raods was not a great deal of fun. I eventually arrived at the cottage in a fug of de-icer applied to the inside of the windows. My lungs remained unfrozen throughout…….
Corbridge Common
Towards Todburn Steel
Thankfully, the heater thawed out by the time I drove home. Anyone who knows about Landrovers will know that the heaters are grossly inadequate but it was bliss!
-12!
Yea God’s it’s cold!
-12 outside this morning, Landrover battery on charge again. On the other hand it is a beautiful morning!
The Road to Durham (and back)
The journey to Durham started well with our personal snow plough, (thanks Mr Ridley!) who does a great job keeping the road to Slaley clear every winter.
Mr Ridley - photo Hilary
The rest of the drive was snowy but without incident and we arrived at the Passport Office in good time for one of the girls to get her emergency passport. The UN New York trip with school can go ahead! JUST!!
Durham was beautiful as usual despite the covering of snow and the Cathedral dramatic against the winter sky.
Durham Cathedral
These cattle looking for forage on the way home reminded us that the snow was not only great fun but hard too.
Cattle near Rowley
Off to the Edge of The World?
Off to Durham this morning, may never be seen again. Could end up like a mammoth, found in a glacier in a million years time…..
Snowy Journey
Horses done this morning, I headed off up to the cottage to check on my Mother and see to the donkeys and hens. We had more snow overnight, a couple of inches in the valley but more higher up on the road to the village.
My road is over there somewhere?
Peel Flatts
Three inches of snow fell in the hour and a half I was there and a lot more on the journey home. The second picture is the same piece of road on the way home. Just after I stopped to take this shot a little blizzard blew up and the road started to fill in with the visibility awful. Thankfully it didn’t last too long but the rest of the journey was interesting…..
Peel Flatts - later
Still snowing so the evening shift of doing the horses etc should be full of excitement!
