Wet and wetter

The swallows are flying low, slugs are in heaven, it can mean only one thing - damp weather. Understatement! Did I say damp? Wet would probably be a truer description, or even wetter than wet may sum the situation up better.

Now I have no idea who or what has been poking bloody great big holes in our clouds but I think it only fair that they now get the darning needle out and do some running repairs. I never knew clouds could hold so much of the wet stuff, but seemingly they do.

There again it could be the giants thumping around up there and putting their feet through the clouds letting the wet stuff out. Giants? Well you see, as a kid I was told that thunder was the giants up in the clouds and they were angry and as we've had a humbdinger of a thunder storm today it made me imagine them stomping around and causing holes in the clouds, coz after all, the rain we've had today could only have come out of big holes, it was pretty big rain, actually I think the giants were tipping buckets of water out of the skies and laughing at us! At least I have grown out of hiding in the wardrobe when it thunders, just as well as today there wasn't a wardrobe handy!

Yup! I can see you all rolling your eyes - Shep has got water on the brain alright!

We've had a number of downpours, also showers, persistent showers, damp showers, wet showers, wetter than wet showers, more downpours and a handful of drier days - honest! there has been a handful, we just tend to forget about them between the wetter than wet days.

Burns have swollen, burst their banks and traveled where they fancy, as have field and hill drains. Roads have also been transformed to look like rivers, saves Shep getting the pressure washer out and removing all the muck and grime from the wheel arches of the car, it happens naturally when you drive on the roads!

I have no idea how much rain falls every day but there is a days worth in these dogs dishes - saves washing them out an' all - wonderful!

Today saw Shep clipping sheep, I only do a couple of days a week, not because I'm getting lazy but due to the fact that for the other five days in the week sheep are sopping wet. Today was one of those couple of days, fortunately the sheep had been housed overnight, otherwise Shep wouldn't have had any to clip as a misty morning would have guaranteed they would be damp of the fleeces and with rain commencing by mid morning they would definitely have never got dried. Fortunately I was working for someone prepared to house sheep overnight. Yesterday saw the clipping finished and then helping to gather, run lambs off and house ewes ready for today, it's a comfort as the raindrops hit the windscreen on the way home to know you'll get on in the morning.

As today's clipping drew to a close the heavens opened, it wasn't a hole in the clouds this time, more like a bloody great big tear, the wet stuff came down whole water, a spate no less. Lightening flashed into the shed and them giants commenced grumbling as the thunder brattled louder and louder. As clipped sheep were reunited with lambs and returned to their pastures Shep quite enjoyed the rain piddling down on her bare shoulders, a humid day had seen much sweat lost and the rain was truly refreshing, until I was wet that is, then it got somewhat tiresome, fortunately a change of clothes was on hand.

Gear was packed up but a delay ensued when it came to leaving and heading for home. The rain was torrential, the thunderstorm was right overhead, lightening and thunder complimenting one another, there was no way Shep was taking to the road in those conditions!

Overall, the storm would last a couple of hours and eventually Shep headed South and back into England. Water was running all ways, through gateways, down bank sides, almost running back up them, burns were boiling, some overflowing onto the road, driving with caution was necessary.

Once back into Northumberland everywhere seemed even wetter. I have never flashed my headlights to oncoming vehicles so much as I did in this particular journey, neither have I had so many flash theirs at me, there was much waving of acknowledgement for consideration to others on the roads. Broken down cars were passed just yards from flooded areas of the roads, police even had roads blocked and diversions set up as I got closer to home. What is normally an hours drive took me an hour and a half, there was much creeping through puddles (more like lakes) on the road.

I eventually had to stop and take a photo, I had passed some sheep just half a mile prior to this stop which were marooned in the flood water, ewes and lambs huddles on a tiny patch of soggy green surrounded by what looked like a raging torrent, I wish I'd taken a photo, but due to a police road block and redirecting of traffic there was much traffic on my tail and no where safe to pull over, so no photo. Hopefully the river would begin to run in and the sheep would find their 'island' growing in size before finally once again becoming their pasture.

The above photo is of the Rede, a twisty narrow river in the next door valley to our own, it is noted for flooding but even so had managed to do remarkably well in such a short time. It had swamped much ground and presumably was the cause of the redirecting of traffic a short way back down the road.

The excitement of my journey still wasn't over. There were still many watery obstacles to negotiate, small hill drains and burns had swollen to ridiculous proportions, running across roads and bringing down stone walls which were in the way of the spate. My mind was full of "Ooh", "Blimey", "good grief!" and even "Wow!". I just can't help feeling full of awe and respect for the power of nature.

The water levels began to subside quite quickly, an hour from returning home and it was more than obvious that water was draining away and heading at a rate of knots for the coast.

It left much damage in it's wake, stone walls down, tarmac lifted on the roads, trees washed away, land slides. Our pub got flooded out, not for the first time in it's life time and probably not the last, we have been extremely fortunate though in many ways, television news coverage tonight shows people far worse affected than ourselves, we don't have houses standing in water, nor cars with only their roofs showing above the water level. Them holes in the clouds may have left their mark but we have much to be thankful for.

We have a private weather station in Tarset and they sent the following report through Yesterday (28 Jun 2012) the temperature ranged from 12 to 18°C with 54.8mm rain. The wind gusted up to 18 mph. Follow the weather on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarsetweather

For those of you like myself who don't quite follow the millimetre thing and prefer measurements in 'old money' as my mother would say then I have googled a converter and can report that 54.8mm equates to 2.1574803149629598 inches. Doesn't really sound a lot, however, the majority of it fell in just a couple of hours and believe you me, it did equate to a fair amount! BUT.......... apparently on 28th June 1917 243mm (9.5") reportedly fell at Bruton in Somerset, SO we ain't really got anything to complain about have we?

British Summer Time.

The clocks have gone forward, thanks to that strange phenomena known as British Summer Time, we suddenly find we have to get up an hour earlier than usual. At least in October when the clocks go back we get an extra hour in bed!

Sunday 25th March saw the days get longer, except they don't really, there are the same number of hours in the day only difference is it is an hour lighter at night and we get up an hour earlier in the morning so that makes the days seem longer, if you get my jist.

Shep had sheep to feed before heading elsewhere for the day, a sharp start was required to get on and move on so to speak. Sheep are accustomed to being fed at a set time and suddenly Shep turns up an hour earlier and on a misty morning........

It has to be said it was a beautiful morning, one which didn't see a soul astir anywhere, probably due to it being a Sunday morning with many adjusting their body clocks at their leisure, we don't all have that opportunity however.

This pheasant was awake if not somewhat dozy, trying to catch the weak sunshine which was valiantly attempting to burn off the morning mist.

The spider was no where to be seen, having a lie in, saving it's energy for whatever unsuspecting fly which might buzz it's way into the web once the day warmed up.

Sheep were taken by surprise, as was I, due to the fact I was struggling to see them. An hour earlier than they would normally expect to be fed they hadn't quite got themselves roused ready for breakfast and with visibility poor it was difficult to track them all down, 'twas just as well I knew how many sheep were in each group, a quick head count enabled me to drive further into the gloom looking for the few which were napping.

Sheep were eventually fed, taking longer than usual due to the visibility and early hour of the morning, then onwards Shep went to spend a day dosing sheep further down the valley. British Summer Time it indeed was, as mist burnt off the sun blazed down on us - this is the 25th March and the thermometer at Sheps back door recorded 23 degrees celsius!!! Can you believe that???

Young Kale wasn't too impressed to find himself locked in a livestock trailer, Moss was in there with him too but Kale thought he was missing out on something exciting and seemed to spend a great deal of time with his head stuck out of one of the ventilation slits, I would guess he had actually considered escaping from his captivity by this route and found his body was bigger than his head. The car was far too hot to leave the pair of them in and with bitches on heat on the farm it was far easier to have them barred up somewhere until they were needed or had cause to be released.

The buzz of bumble bees and singing of birds were drowned out by the roar of motorbikes, one of Tarset's downsides. We have roads which it would seem every motorcyclist in the North wishes to drive, once the weather picks up they are like midges, swarming upon us and shattering the peace of the countryside. Today was no exception. Fortunately for once the wail of sirens were not an accompaniment, there will be many sirens though over the summer months as blue flashing lights pick up the pieces of those unable to negotiate the roads - today we were fortunate.

Due to the farm Shep was working on being right on a busy motorbike highway it was necessary to fetch sheep under the road and into the pens,

they are able to walk along the edge of the Tarset burn below a bridge to reach the pens in safety. I was told today that the burn always has a dapply reflection on the underside of the bridge when the weather is really bright, I couldn't help but look up

Indeed the water was reflecting on the underside of the bridge.

 

The ewes managed to negotiate the busy road without too much bother, the burn was low and co operative.

Now one of these here swaledale ewes caused Shep some grief, I have no idea which one, I may write about the incident yet but I'll just say for now that I sustained a 'knock' in the pens, one which has had me pondering all afternoon as to how it happened and hoping that no one makes me laugh and definitely praying that I don't sneeze, cough or in fact perform any movement which may involve my ribs....

There was unexpected company in the sheep pens........

A new born lamb !

 

Then there were two!!!

She stopped at three - thank goodness!!

For all she found herself moved into a 'personal' pen I couldn't help but think that it must be like giving birth in the middle of a shopping precinct or such likes. Fortunate for her though that she hadn't been left back in the field as the first lamb came arse first (breech), with just a tail dangling out of the ewes backside. Lambs can be difficult to give birth to in this position and are apt to die due to drowning so both ewe and lamb were very lucky, especially as they aren't officially due to lamb until later in the week. Help was on hand and Shep lambed her first lamb of the season, the other two followed on at their leisure, with all three on the ground within ten minutes - not bad going! The ewe and her family then found themselves in a nice pen full of straw away from the hustle and bustle of the sheep pens.

As said, the days are getting longer, it was indeed a long day. To round it off a shot of the setting sun. Darkness didn't fall until 8pm. It is still incredible to believe we could be experiencing such weather so early in the year, enjoy it whilst it lasts is what I say!

looking skywards

Tues 9th August saw Shep stuck in a shed all day. Unfortunate, as it was one of those rare dry days, with sunshine as well, but the shed beckoned.

It was a long day, needlessly long really. Shep entered the shed at 8.30am and didn't exit until early evening. Shearing was the task in hand, late in the season but there are still sheep needing shorn and I was available to give a local shearer a hand out with 300 odd sheep which needed their wool off.

A pleasurable day it was and probably too relaxed, working for a really pleasant family shearing the last of their 1400 hexham blackfaced sheep. Everyone was smiling when we left the shed in the early evening. The farm was clipped out, our job was finally done and the sun was still shining.

The farm sat up on a hillside looking away across both the North Tyne and Rede valleys, a beautiful, clear and sunny evening the low light was accentuating all the rig and furrows on the hillsides. I loaded my gear into the car and just sat and soaked up the view. Pressure off it was a pleasure to enjoy the last sunshine of the day and soak up a view I was unaccustomed to, working out which farms I was looking upon from a different angle I was used too. Eventually a final crack with those I'd been working for and with, farewells were given and I went my way.

As I headed the car towards home I was aware of beginning to feel stiff, tired and hungry too. The final hours clipping had caught me out. Occasionally this season and invariably towards the end of the day I have taken the 'shakes'. A frustrating position to be in but one to be dealt with. The problem will arise from the fact that I don't always feel hungry and so when we stop for our tea time bait a cuppa will suffice, however and hour later and the body complains. The ideal solution is to devour a banana, high in potassium and energy it is a miracle cure and will set you on the way. Foolishly I had no banana on hand but a Mars Bar did as a substitute.

And so it was, my banana substitute was wearing off and dinner was beckoning as I drove home. But then I noticed an unusual sight in the sky and ended up pulling over and trying to get a photo.

The weather forecast for the following day was for heavy rain, we had all been discussing the fact prior to leaving the farm, unbelievable on such a bright and cheerful night, not a sign of rain clouds anywhere. This tiny spot of a rainbow caught my fascination (top right hand corner of photo). I had been watching this multi coloured little spot for a number of miles worth of driving, probably to the detriment of my road handling abilities, I'm not aware of having seen such a sight before. Eventually I just had to stop, sit and enjoy.I also mused, trying to work out why no proper rainbow, why just a beautiful, minuscule spot of colour? (I have since been informed that this phenomena is known as a sundog)

The spot didn't fade or grow any bigger and eventually my desire to lie in a hot bath, don clean clothes and fill my belly with food had me on the road home again. Until I got even closer to home when once again I ground to a halt.

This point of the road is a sure sign I'm nearly home, a descent of a mile or two will see me in the house, not far to go now, but once again the sky got the better of me and stop I did. I stiffly clambered out of the driving seat and wandered forward to photograph the setting sun before looking skywards in all directions. Behind the sky was fairly none descript but to south (I think) the cloud formations caught my eye

not just cloud but the moon as well, almost glowing like a sun in the sky. South westerly saw an equally fascinating cloud formation

Whilst north easterly saw yet another variation

Wherever I seemed to look the sky was different and changing by the minute. There wasn't a soul around, sheep grazing on the hillsides were my only company as I stood and soaked up the spectacle transforming by the minute in front of my eyes. The sunset finally caught my attention one last time, one last time which I may add probably lasted a good quarter of an hour.

Eventually the light became poor, the sun had almost set and the light show I had been appreciating had gone out, faded with the light of the day. I shivered. The air was cool now. I realised that the feelings of hunger and tiredness were still present, they had just been overlooked during my enthralment of nature and her beauty. Once again I climbed into the car, turning on my headlights this time and didn't stop until I arrived home. The other half greeted me with "long day?" "Umm, needlessly tho'" was my reply.

The following day it did indeed rain, in fact it came just an hour or two after the beautiful sight I had revelled in, the weather forecasters did not disappoint. I found myself in the company of the elderly cumbrian farmer whom I work for, an opportunity for him to visit my area and view the stock and farms he hears much about. A modest and humble gentleman prone to philosiphising we lightly covered the subject of the problems some of our cities were facing at that point in time. He quietly said "It's a bad job when people have to have, when they can't just appreciate the simple things around them" The memories of the past evening came to the fore and I appreciated how lucky we are compared to many.