Roof leak’s being fixed so chin up!
THE farmhouse is covered in scaffolding. Water has been raining in for too long and finally the builders have replaced the split lead flashing on the roof.
Suspended from the scaffolding poles outside the front door have been either wet, muddy waterproofs or children doing chin-ups.
The old house has stood the test of time, but it is so exposed to rain and winds blowing across the open moors that some sash windows also need replacing.
Any cracks or gaps in the wood let in draughts and I spend my life mopping up puddles from sills or scraping ice off the inside.
It’s hungry weather too – everything wants feeding. Sheep and horses want hay, cows want silage and the children need hearty, warming meals.
It’s all about getting into a routine. With the animals it is not so difficult as they never tire of the same thing, but for the family it requires a bit of thought.
As these few weeks have shown, with the early heavy snowfall it is important to keep the dairy stocked up with provisions like sacks of potatoes, bags of rice, flour, sugar and teabags.
Chocolate too, though the children believe there is none in there!
We feed a couple of pigs throughout the year and last week took them and a sheep to the local abattoir. It’s not a task that I relish but it is entirely necessary.
We take great pride in what we do, breeding and tending to the animals, but we must not lose sight of the fact that at some stage most will go into the food chain.
Knowing the provenance of meat on your plate is important.