2010 on hold

Already we are halfway through January and it feels as if though 2010 is on hold. Most of the country is still coping with heavy snowfall or the aftermath. Other than severe frosts we have suffered very little from the adverse weather conditions but we have been held back from starting this year's agenda of 'things that need doing'

I still haven't be able to make the journey to Hereford to collect the birds to form my breeding group. The conditions in that part of the country have been atrocious.

Everywhere is muddy, somehow the ground seems to suffer more from frost than rain.
We haven't even started digging the vegetable patch, first too frozen, now too wet and the soft fruit bushes still need planting.
The empty pig area needs rotovating and levelling in readiness for re seeding.
We still have the field hedges to cut.

The house we are renovating is making slow progress. The freezing temperatures at the end of 2009 made block work and plastering almost impossible. Deliveries were delayed.

However the thaw has now set in, the evenings are getting lighter, the mornings still seem very dark.
The hens are going to roost later each day and are laying well.
Hopefully the sheep are in lamb and we still have 11 1/2 months of this year left in which to achieve some of our goals.