Sun, Rain and Snow

Over the last month we have had a really wide range of weather and autumn has definitely changed into winter. The hedgerow trees (of which we have a lot) put on a great display, particularly the field maples, and the leaves seemed to hang around for quite some time. September was damp but it ramped up, and we then got quite bit of rain (128mm to be exact) in October, which meant the land on the floodplain turned from meadow to lakes. Because it's all permanent pasture rather than crop land the plant communities here are adapted to being flooded, so whilst its inconvenient its not a problem. We just moved the cows to drier ground. It also gives a whole range of family canoeing adventures right on the doorstep...

And then we had some snow. Luckily not much but I wasn't expecting it and the cows were not impressed.

Now, due to the wet fields and the fact the temperature has dropped and the grass has stopped growing, nearly all the cattle are indoors in their winter quarters.

Its all part of the cycle and makes life interesting.