Spring? - Part 2

After what seems like 10 days of continuous easterly, cold, winds - now we've had a blizzard!

Not much snow on the ground where there's no shelter because the strength of the wind has scoured it away. 

Sheep shelter where they can, here behind a barn, and behind walls. One seen from our bedroom window was lying up to its shoulders in drifted snow.

Walking wasn't much fun, blown snow stinging any exposed skin. And drifting, eddying snow forming graceful shapes.

Today it's brighter. The sun is shining. The road is open. The wind is still cold & strong ... time to get outside! Jack needs a walk and we need some air.   

Spring?

Heard our first Curlew of this year yesterday (15 March). Over 3 weeks later than last year!

Lambs are beginning to appear in the fields.

And it snowed & sleeted yesterday...again!

Summer 2013 - in February?

The end of a glorious day that saw us both in t-shirts, working in the garden.
And a walk with Jack, down on the Newby Moor SSSI (between us and the Bowland Hills), under cloudless skies and with barely a breath of wind... so peaceful, and WARM!

Snow!

 Six inches of snow fell overnight Friday to Saturday 25th-26th January...

...and this is what we woke up to!

Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Yorkshire Air Ambulance

On October 15^th 2012, the first day for weeks when it wasn't actually raining John decided that it would be a good day to try to at least complete the undercoat on the garage.

Ladders out, paintbrushes & paint, get on with the job. Give the paint a chance to dry before that evening's predicted showers.

Then John & the ladder parted company.

999 was called & within a few minutes paramedics were on the job. Diagnosing a broken thigh (we didn't know this, but a major artery runs behind the thigh bone & thus potentially a life-threatening injury), urgent transfer to hospital was required. The Air Ambulance was called. John was flown to Preston, the major trauma centre for the north-west.

Crooklands is not particularly remote but still air transfer was preferred over a normal ambulance. In the hills, air ambulance is a vital service and needs support.

Air Ambulances are entirely funded by charitable giving. They receive no government funding nor Lottery money. We have a collection box here. If anyone would like to donate, we  will forward any donations on.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is featured on “Helicopter Heroes” on BBC 1. There was a cameraman on board and its likely that we will feature in the next series starting in March 2013. Judging by the post-incident visits, much of our bit will centre on Jack who raised the alarm by barking continuously until Di came to investigate. Apparently he played up to the camera like a star!

Hen Harrier or Peregrine?

Back in April John went on a 'Forest of Bowland Festival' walk, looking for Hen Harriers & other birds, in the Leaburn valley. He didn't see any harriers then, but we think we did yesterday! (but they might have been Peregrine Falcons!)

Hen Harrier

Peregrine

The birds were quite distant & of course appeared just as John was trying to keep his feet dry, crossing the beck - and not succeding in either case - but the show they put on was worth getting his feet wet! Twisting & swooping, flying up together & turning as if passing something from one to the other, an amazing sight that went on for 10-15 minutes. Suddenly they swooped low over the valley, rose high then flew off in opposite directions & the show was over!

Images from RSPB. These birds were too distant to photograph.

And then - there was the heather, covering the hillsides, coating them in a furry, lilac, purple colour!

Bleak Bank Farm Eggs

Bleak Bank Farm Eggs

We get our eggs from bleak Bank Farm, the farm whose fields surround us. John & Judith Dawson have handed over the keeping of hens & the egg business to their son William, or as John jokingly says, "I pay for the feed & William takes the money!". He is a keen young farmer & has full responsibility for the hens as well as a small flock of rare breed sheep.

This is what William has to say about his hens:

"We've kept hens at Bleak Bank for generations and little has changed in the way they are kept. All our 30 hens are able to roam about the farm every day. We don't keep battery (laying) hens; we stick to more traditional birds such as the Light Sussex and French Maran. I also keep a few Vorwerk as part of my passion for rare breeds. I hope you enjoy eating our eggs as much as our hens have enjoyed laying them".

Large Sussex

French Maran

Vorwerk