Frost and dust.

This week has seen generally lovely clear and sunny days (except one day when everything turned white again!) and very frosty nights.  Watching the boys nibbling at frozen grass makes us shudder so a bowl of beet in the morning is always welcome.  The boys have also had their Verm-X granules daily in their feed this week.  Gaucho is in the front of this photo with Wee Eck close behind and Gully and Faro at the rear.

We also let the boys into one of the top paddocks this week for a change of grass.   We know exactly what will happen - they will take it in turn to re-acquaint themselves with the field shelters and will take it in turn to roll in the dust!  We don't put the straw down until the rolling is finished now.  Wee Eck is deaf so often has to watch what the others are up to before joining in - here he is watching Rufus having a roll.

Gully has joined in for a roll with Rufus, and Eck is still watching the proceedings carefully!

Rufus has had enough, Gully is getting down and dirtier by the minute and Eck is still making up his mind about joining in - which he did shortly afterwards.

Later in the week after a heavy overnight frost this was Wee Eck and Rufus, nose to nose moaning at each other as Rufus ate his haylage.  These two characters joined the herd together a couple of years ago and often argue, push and shove and spit at each other over food - then the next minute they will be lying side by side chewing the cud contentedly!  Boys, huh?  The frost really shows up on the fleece of the darker animals.

Down in the chicken compound Hunkey Dunkey the Buff Orpington is looking the real deal with his new set of feathers.  Behind him here is the Bluebell.

And finally...........we had lots of requests (OK, we had two!) to see the drive with the 20 tons of newly laid chips.  Every time the camera came out there was either too much wintry shadow, too much snow or something to spoil the long shot.  Anyway, this is the last few metres of the drive as it reaches the garage end of the house.  There is still about 4 tons of stones left.........now where can I get himself to lay that I wonder?  Have a good week!