Winter's finally here!

Well, we awoke to a gentle dusting of snow this morning.  The goats went out for a wander - they are quite happy out in snow as the ground is hard and they don't get their feet wet and muddy.

Jane and I didn't have to worry about temperature control for the cheese at Wye market this morning! Highlight of the day was seeing Pauline, our market manager, looking like an extra from War and Peace ..

And the real Russian cake lady was complaining about being cold, to which all the other stallholders cried 'but you're Russian!  You should be used to this!'.  Apparently not ....

The freezing temperatures mean that we are now starting to suffer with various bits and bobs freezing up.  The automatic water bowls are still functioning in the milkers' area but the one for the little chaps and the other for the big males have both gone on strike. This means that we have to put large buckets of water in for them all.  Of course, being goats, they think that this is wonderful and I am sure they are drinking much more water than they usually do, simply because of the novelty value of having a bucket there!

Mind you - Max always prefers to drink from a bucket.  He stands next to a perfectly serviceable water bowl and gives you a hard stare until you take a bucket of water over to him.  He then drinks the whole lot in one go!  Here he is waiting for his bucket at tea-time:

One of the things I love about snow in the country is seeing all the little footprints that various creatures leave.  Only a light dusting today but we can see that lazy Marmite cat has been out for a walk, closely followed by a large bird .. possibly our local pheasant that hangs around the garden.

Just had an email from Rachael, our Parson's Green market manager, who said that there is a 'generous coating of snow' now outside her window.  Sounds like it's on the way down ...

Wrap up warm everyone!  We will see what the morning brings and if I can get out to Parson's Green market or not.