Just a general catch-up, I have nothing earth-shattering to say today...
Spring is with us, and it has been great start to the year - dry and warm. The lakes are open, we have heard peepers and loons in the last couple of days, crocus and daffs are blooming and even the grass in the field has started to come away. I got the top field clipped off, but am still pinching out rocks that the frost heaves to the surface to wreck unwary mowers.
It's easter weekend and it should be torrential rain in a traditional Arran sense, but the forecast is for sun and temperatures averaging 22deg :-)
The new greenhouse is still coming along, but shouldn't take too much more work in time to fill with transplants for sale.
The kids have been very busy. Cameron won his Grade 6 Science Fair and went on to the regional finals where he came away with a prize. Breagh designed a 'peace poster' which went on to Provincial level and was given an 'honourable mention' - they framed it for her and is currently on display in the school. Cam was headhunted to play drums and played a gig at Westfield Hall last week with Billy Martin & Old Country - they want him to sit in whenever he can! Breagh is working on her Heritage Fair projects. They are both in full swing with 4H, in particular the public speaking component just now.
What else? Well, with Jane's work and my interest in woodland, we've been out at a few workshops recently. Last weekend we went to Windhorse Farm in Lunenburg County. Jim Drescher manages a 100 acre block of old growth woodland which has been continually harvested for over 100 years, and serves as a model of sustainable approach to forestry. The woodland with big trees, diverse species mix and regenerating younger woods accessed by low impact sawdust paths, and extracted by horses is a lovely place to spend time, and indeed in addition to selling timber products, they also provide retreat and conference facilities. The whole place was really inspiring and a privilege to visit.
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Snow!
First proper snowstorm of the year has dumped a fair amount on us - and it's still snowing.
We weren't absolutely unprepared, but I hadn't put snowchains or the snow bucket on the tractor, so I spent most of the morning doing that before I could shovel any snow. These things are never as simple as they should be!
Because the ground isn't frozen yet, the drive is a bit of a mess. You can't go too close or else you dig up the gravel, but too high runs the risk of it leaving ridges which can freeze and then you're stuffed until spring. Hopefully though, the forecast is calling for it warming up by Tuesday, so we will maybe get another shot at it.
We weren't absolutely unprepared, but I hadn't put snowchains or the snow bucket on the tractor, so I spent most of the morning doing that before I could shovel any snow. These things are never as simple as they should be!
Because the ground isn't frozen yet, the drive is a bit of a mess. You can't go too close or else you dig up the gravel, but too high runs the risk of it leaving ridges which can freeze and then you're stuffed until spring. Hopefully though, the forecast is calling for it warming up by Tuesday, so we will maybe get another shot at it.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Caledonia in the the Spring
We've gone from snow cover to sunburn in a few short days. Those in the know reckon '3 snows after Easter' and I think we've had them. The weather forecast here is pretty reliable, Environment Canada, the last frost date isn't until early May, but the temperatures are now forecast consistently above freezing. Fantastic - time to get doing...
You may know that one item we brought with us from the UK was a 18' x 32' polytunnel (term not used here, folk look at you blankly - it's a greenhouse, or a hoophouse). We had bought the tunnel not long after we moved to Skye, but never found the time to put it up - that's five years or more that we've had it, making that a very long erection indeed (sorry).
We could not find any flat ground at all! 76 acres, and not enough flat ground for a wee polytunnel. So, we've had to be inventive. You'll see from the photos,that we dug one corner in below ground, and I bought some tubing and made my own 5' ground tubes for the other end. That is going to cause other problems with fitting the plastic, opening doors, bed layout, but I think we have it sorted.
I can't remember if I mentioned the Hun yet? He's a 13hp BCS 2-wheel tractor with a 30" rotovator attachment. Beast. Why the Hun? Well, he's 'a tiller' - boomboom. The Hun cost us a fortune, but will handle most of the land cultivation. We do have a tractor with single furrow plough and disk harrows, but for small beds, and small turning circles, we feel the compaction and damage the tractor would cause isn't justified.
So, we now have 56 x 30' rows cultivated, plus some rows for fruit bushes. Working on the fences around this plot, so that we are ready come the last frost date to get a whole load of stuff in the ground.
Yesterday, and today, there was a frost first thing, but the thermometer (in the sun) had reached 34deg. by afternoon - wow!
You may know that one item we brought with us from the UK was a 18' x 32' polytunnel (term not used here, folk look at you blankly - it's a greenhouse, or a hoophouse). We had bought the tunnel not long after we moved to Skye, but never found the time to put it up - that's five years or more that we've had it, making that a very long erection indeed (sorry).
We could not find any flat ground at all! 76 acres, and not enough flat ground for a wee polytunnel. So, we've had to be inventive. You'll see from the photos,that we dug one corner in below ground, and I bought some tubing and made my own 5' ground tubes for the other end. That is going to cause other problems with fitting the plastic, opening doors, bed layout, but I think we have it sorted.
I can't remember if I mentioned the Hun yet? He's a 13hp BCS 2-wheel tractor with a 30" rotovator attachment. Beast. Why the Hun? Well, he's 'a tiller' - boomboom. The Hun cost us a fortune, but will handle most of the land cultivation. We do have a tractor with single furrow plough and disk harrows, but for small beds, and small turning circles, we feel the compaction and damage the tractor would cause isn't justified.
So, we now have 56 x 30' rows cultivated, plus some rows for fruit bushes. Working on the fences around this plot, so that we are ready come the last frost date to get a whole load of stuff in the ground.
Yesterday, and today, there was a frost first thing, but the thermometer (in the sun) had reached 34deg. by afternoon - wow!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Bogie Freezer
By George, it's been a bit nippy out. The thermometer was only reading -18C most of yesterday, and -20 this morning, but with wind chill the forecast reckoned -26C. Freezes the very bogies in your nose, so it does - an interesting sensation. I had icicles in my beard when I was out ploughing the drive and repairing the barn yesterday!
Another un-anticipated problem of the low temperatures became apparent when I trundled thankfully to the beer store the other night, and found the beer frozen in the kegs! Not good. I had cleverly found a suitably cool spot for storing beer kegs to clear and condition. Unsuitably cool, as it turns out. You know the 'slushy' soft drinks you can make, like flavoured snow - well it was like that - a beer slushy, yum, it might just catch on.
The animals are all taking it in their strides though. Jane has a chillblain on her toe, and the kids have fallen whilst cavorting on the ice sheets, but the horses and chickens seem happy enough! As Jane pointed out, last winter our biggest chore was wading through knee deep mud wrenching silage out of a bale for the cows, this winter it is gently chipping holes through the ice on chicken drinkers and buckets, with a hammer. Makes for an interesting life, though, eh.
Other than during the snow flurries, though, it has been clear, sunny and pretty stunning weather-wise. Suits us fine.
Another un-anticipated problem of the low temperatures became apparent when I trundled thankfully to the beer store the other night, and found the beer frozen in the kegs! Not good. I had cleverly found a suitably cool spot for storing beer kegs to clear and condition. Unsuitably cool, as it turns out. You know the 'slushy' soft drinks you can make, like flavoured snow - well it was like that - a beer slushy, yum, it might just catch on.
The animals are all taking it in their strides though. Jane has a chillblain on her toe, and the kids have fallen whilst cavorting on the ice sheets, but the horses and chickens seem happy enough! As Jane pointed out, last winter our biggest chore was wading through knee deep mud wrenching silage out of a bale for the cows, this winter it is gently chipping holes through the ice on chicken drinkers and buckets, with a hammer. Makes for an interesting life, though, eh.
Other than during the snow flurries, though, it has been clear, sunny and pretty stunning weather-wise. Suits us fine.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Snow time!
I haven't mentioned the snow on the blog yet, I don't think? The kids have been making up for lost time, for all the years of sledging disappointment in 1cm of slush over 10cm of mud.
I'm being kept busy trying to keep the driveway clear with tractor and snow bucket. We got the snow chains on and so far it is coping well.
We have plenty of food in, and aim to travel as little as possible. The kids haven't been sent home from school yet though, and it should be their xmas concert tonight. We won front row seats and the privilege of parking in the Principal's parking space in a raffle, it'll be a shame if it's cancelled.
I'm being kept busy trying to keep the driveway clear with tractor and snow bucket. We got the snow chains on and so far it is coping well.
We have plenty of food in, and aim to travel as little as possible. The kids haven't been sent home from school yet though, and it should be their xmas concert tonight. We won front row seats and the privilege of parking in the Principal's parking space in a raffle, it'll be a shame if it's cancelled.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sister visiting
My sister Claire arrived in Halifax on Saturday 20th for a week visit. Today, Nova Scotia was at it's best, temperature climbing to the mid-20s, cloudless and leaves in fall colours. Beautiful.
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