some useful rain

10 mm rain overnight so far and still raining. Hopefully enough to persuade the grass to grow and the game cover to germinate. It is colder than we are used to and Gig the pony was shivering at 6.30am. Half an hour inside his warm stable with some hay and a rug on and he is much recovered.

Meanwhile we must plan what to do with the 35+ ladies from the WI who are coming on a farm visit at 10.30 today if it remains wet.

This photograph is from a previous educational visit by another WI group on 23rd May. The tractor has stopped and Jon is explaining all about new hedges and beetle banks.

EDIT: Update at 11.15am, another 3 mm rain making 13 mm in all since 6pm last night, that is half an inch in 'old money' and enough to make a difference says farm manager Jon.

The lovely WI ladies have braved the weather and set off on their trailer tour of the farm whilst the rest of us continue with routine tasks and organising things for Open Farm Sunday.

Gig having a bit more soaked hay inside and his rug is now off, he appears to be restored to his normal greedy self.

EDIT: 5.50pm. Jon is very pleased with the rain, the WI ladies were just slightly damp after their trip and their tour ended with Jon lambing a ewe. Unfortunately the lamb was stillborn, but that is farming for you.

Next Monday we have another WI group and Offley First School Reception Class after lunch. We look forward to both these visits.

a partial thaw?

Just above freezing this morning, with drips from the gutters. We hope it will be enough to get the water pipes running again in the buildings and outdoors for the pigs before the next big freeze starts. The two buckets of water were still frozen inside the stable.

Gig the native New Forest pony was, for the first time, this morning waiting by the gate for his daily two hours indoors for breakfast. He has grown a hugely thick and woolly coat and until this year has lived all his life in the New Forest so he is hardy and a bit of cold weather is nothing to him so long as he has plenty to eat. However it is still too slippery and hard to ride. Here you can see he is in the original old stables c1700's. He has one side section all to himself, all but one of the original stalls [pictured] were removed long, long ago. He ended up in here because all the other byres and stables he used were eventually commandered, one by one, by farm livestock, and since this stable is right beside the farm house he won't be bumped out of here. Until earlier this year this building was in a very neglected state with the ceiling falling in and all that has been cleared now and apart from some acrow props holding up the beams it is working well for its age. Everytime I go in there I think about the horses, and the grooms, who toiled in there in winters every bit as cold as this.