Wednesday 18 November 2015

Straw

, Today sees the delivery of the straw for winter housing for the in- calf heifers and cows belonging to our friend and neighbouring farmer A.   At present the beast are still out in the fields but this week has seen a lot of rain and the fields are now wet and muddy, so although it is better for cattle to stay out for as long as possible,  it really is time they came in.   Hence the urgent delivery of straw for bedding.

The straw is coming from Bedale, which is about twelve miles away, and the first load set off in sunny weather.   But as the tractor and trailer turned into our farm the heavens opened and there was what can only be described as a 'cloud burst'.   I had my camera all ready to walk down the yard and take a photograph for you - but no way could I go out in that downpour, so I put on an anorak, nipped quickly to the edge of the patio and took one of the back view of the trailer.   I think you can get the general idea of the weather from the photograph.


Within about ten minutes it had stopped but not before the water had run off the tops and down the side of the field opposite flooding it yet again.   I took a photograph from the landing window of that.   The trouble with living at the foot of hills is that every rain storm produces more and more water.   Luckily it drains off quite quickly.   This afternoon the farmer intended to bed the housing down with straw ready for the ladies to arrive.   Instead he will spend much of the afternoon trying to brush the water out of the housing.

15 comments:

Bovey Belle said...

Oh dear, brushing the water out of the housing first doesn't sound too positive. I hope those ladies are good at swimming!

Our river is up, but not a huge amount - I think we had more wind than rain last night, and boy, did we have the rain!

Keep dry and thanks for taking those Wet Wednesday photos!

Dawn said...

I was trying to get straw down this morning between gusts of wind, still have to get the hay racks filled the wind is starting to ease so may get out soon, being at the top any rain quickly runs down to the valley there has to be some advantages to location :-)

Heather said...

If the rain stays off maybe the wind will help dry out the housing. Hope he gets his 'ladies' settled in soon. Still gusty down here but rain now intermittent rather than heavy. A bit of cold and dry will be better for all of us.

Cro Magnon said...

Oh dear, one minute it's too dry, the next it's too wet. Still reasonably OK here.

donna baker said...

I can't imagine how much straw it must take to overwinter the cattle. They stay out all year long around here, but maybe in the far north they house them. I'm not sure.

Doc said...

We are having a short break in the rain but there is a flood watch for later today

Gwil W said...

On our weather they said it's all going to change the day after tomorrow. In the province of Burgenland today it was 22C in Kleinzicken according to reports.

Gwil W said...

Straw?
Whatever happen to Blair's Home Sec.?
What's our Straw man Jack up to these days?

Terry and Linda said...

My goodness look at all that water! WHEW! That is a ton of water. We would think we were flooding here.

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
┊  ★

Penny said...

Would love some of that rain here, we are so dry and have had no rain to speak of for 2 months.Hot as well. Awful.

Anonymous said...

Loved seeing pictures of the farm. Weather has a great sense of timing, doesn't it? I am working in a field on Fri - you can bet it'll pour down then too!

Joanne Noragon said...

Here we say, could have been worsecould have been snow.

Hildred said...

Oh, the rain does sometimes come at inconvenient times, but here, after such a dry summer, it is welcome whenever it arrives!!! Love to hear about the straw and the housing, - brings back nice memories of the smell of the new straw in the barn....

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for calling in everyone. Huge gales over night but a bright, sunny, cold morning so a chance for everywhere to dry up a little before threatened snow on Saturday.

Cro Magnon said...

Thanks for your very kind offer Weave, Lady M had already found a solution via one of her friends. Cro xx