Thursday 7 September 2017

Devastation

Seeing the awful devastation Hurricane Irma is leaving in its wake is quite terrifying.   I can only be selfish and say thank goodness I don't live in a hurricane area.   If there is a gale blowing here and it is in a certain direction then our market place is pretty hard to keep your feet in - but then I am ancient and wobble about with my stick anyway.  But one hundred and eighty five miles an hour wind and a huge storm surge - goodness me - any envy I might have had for the beautiful places there and the pleasant life style have rapidly disappeared.   My heart goes out to all those on Barbuda who, looking at the pictures from the air, appear to have lost absolutely everything - some even their lives.

Here in the Yorkshire Dales the third, and final, lot of silage is in the process of being gathered in.  Rain was forecast but so far seems to have kept off bar the odd spit or spot and as I write the last lot of grass is being baled and wrapped.   This has been an excellent year for grass and there will be no shortage of cattle feed this winter that is sure.

In another month or six weeks the cattle will be coming in for Winter.  We are a largely grass area - farms are either dairy farms or suckler herd farms or sheep farms.   Sometimes two of these.   Any arable fields on the whole are used for winter feed with some of the corn being sold to local merchants.   How different to lower down the country where the very large arable farms are.  In fact, thinking about it, what diversity on such a small island - not just in farming but also in the scenery.

I shall now take Tess down the road to see how the silage men are getting on.

18 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Down here on Sheppey in Kent, both silage and especially hay, are in short supply this year due to the very dry weather. People such as horse owners are going to find it very expensive to feed their animals this winter. This year's calves will be taken away from their mothers in a few weeks time and, if it stays reasonably dry on the grazing marshes, the pregnant cows will stay out until December/January before being taken back to the stock yards for calving.

angryparsnip said...

Have a lovely walk with Tess. She will enjoy the view.

cheers, parsnip

Joanne Noragon said...

I am hoping safe landing for all those affected by this weather.

Mac n' Janet said...

We're hoping it won't be as bad by the time it gets here. Doesn't seem fair, we were hit last year too.

DUTA said...

Sadly, in the upcoming years, most of the world's coastal area will be under the threat of hurricanes and flooding. Climate anomaly has become quite predictable.

justjill said...

We once had 140mph wind recorded at Kinnaird Head Lighthouse. I struggle at anything over 20 mph and have been blown over twice. Just cannot imagine wind speeds they have experienced.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I am hoping that Irma does not make it up the coast and hit my area. We have dealt with too many of them in recent years and they can be very frightening. Besides Irma, there are two others out in the Atlantic, so I I am sure at least one will find their way here. However, they are possibly not as bad or as destructive as Irma.

Librarian said...

Hurricanes are really scary, and earthquakes. Like you, I am glad that I live in an area where hurricanes can not happen (I have read it takes a large body of water that achieves a temperature of at least 26,5 Celsius for a hurricane to form) and quakes are rare and not so severe as in other parts of the planet.

Good to know there is enough silage for the winter, and also nice to know that the weather was good for your walk with Tess today.

Rachel Phillips said...

It's ok in Norfolk. Flat and cultivated.

Cro Magnon said...

A late friend of mine was Governor of the British Virgin Islands, and naturally the family still have many friends there; many of whom I've met. I hope they are OK, I shall make enquiries today.

Gwil W said...

I Mexico they are having a little reported hurricane and an 8.1 earthquake!

Nature makes the big brave manboy in Korea look small.

Elizabeth said...

Such terrible news from all parts of the world..
So glad you and Tess are out and about.
I always enjoy your accounts of a rather saner part pf the world.

Daughter just arrived from England for her birthday - and all well this end.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone. Just a small island and yet such differences in weather conditions and the amount of available grass.

Louise Stopford said...

Definitely share your thoughts for all those poor people affected by the Hurricane. How devastating to lose everything and be in fear for your life. Just can't imagine what people are going through. I am quite interested in your accounts of how the silage is progressing. I am still not 100 % sure that I know the difference between silage and hay. I would think that hay has to be very dry and silage is made from the wet hay. Sorry for my ignorance, I don't come from a farming background, but I do find it interesting.

donna baker said...

Here we have to worry about quakes, tornadoes and ice storms. I think the ice storms scare me the most. I've lived through a small hurricane, but wouldn't stick around for a large one. It is so hot in Houston, I bet many succumb to the heat with no air conditioning. Wonder when they'll get electricity back.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

We are very lucky to not have to contend with extreme weather in the uk...unless melting icecaps cause the gulf stream to move or disperse. Then think of the winters New York has, and that's 10 degrees South of most places in the UK

The Weaver of Grass said...

Louise - the difference between silage and hay - you have more or less got it right. Hay is literally dried grass. The weather has to be perfect for it to be made properly. The grass is cut and left to dry in the sun until it is almost brittle. Then it is baled and stored for use. It smells delightful.
Silage is cut grass which is then baled up and wrapped in plastic so that it becomes airtight. Then the grass can 'cure' so that it can be stored in plastic over the winter and cut open a bale at a time to feed cattle. Here hay is used main for horse feed - maybe a bit for sheep. Cattle are fed more or less exclusively on silage these days.

Unknown said...

Daughter just arrived from England for her birthday - and all well this end.


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