December 5, 2010: A Wild Week of Welsh Weather

How's that for a bit of alliteration? I could have added the words wet, windy, wicked, and weird, and they would all fall into the 'fit-for-purpose' category. I haven't been able to think of a synonym for "cold" that starts with a 'w' but you get my drift. That's not supposed to be a pun, but there are a heck of a lot of snow drifts around all over the country. It has been COLD! Our water pipes remain frozen and we are into our second week without water. Thankfully the creek is still running.

Friday I was out training a couple of dogs and I finished in a snow storm. The last dog I had out was Keeper and at one point, he drove sheep up the field and I lost him in the snow. Being the good boy that he is, be promptly brought the sheep right back to my feet. I figured that would be a good time to stop. I was soaked, he was soaked and the sheep wanted little in the way of exercise. After feeding the dogs, it started to rain. By the time their walks were over, the rain had turned to slush on the ground...and this froze overnight leaving us with a thick layer of ice - everywhere! We could not stay on our feet anywhere. Even the gravel outside the cottage, in the parking area and down the driveway was covered by ice. No getting the truck down the driveway to watch the South Wales Nursery Final. It was a day for ice-skating! The dogs, oddly, were not amused. Snow, yes. Ice, No!

Despite the ice, I bravely headed up the hill with Bee to check all the sheep and the hay situation. I had filled the hay feeders during the week so I was hoping we were still good for hay because no way was I wanting to drag bales of hay up the hill. Contemplating the quad bike, the only thing I could think was suicide mission! Bee and I started up the right side of the property. It was hands and knees stuff for me in places. Once we hit some longer grass on the top field, it was a little easier but it was a day for being ever-watchful of where one was placing one's feet. There isn't a lot of long grass anywhere! Thankfully the hay was still plentiful. Coming down the track was terrible! I was leaf hopping at one point, trying to get traction from the fallen leaves, but most of the time I was flat on my backside wondering why the heck I thought going for a walk was a good idea. Bee seemed perplexed by all of this but as long as she got to move some sheep here and there, she was happy.

Gathering water from the creek and getting it to the kennel and the house has been fun. You try 'skating' down the hill in wellies and a watering can full of water in each hand? God forbid you hit a lonely stone protruding above the ice. It brings new meaning to 'farm hazard.' More than once I thought I was a goner, only to find, despite old age, there is a wee gazelle still in this body yet. :-) My tactic of last resort is to run downhill, watering cans in tow, and rely on a gate or fence to catch me. So far, so good.

In our dog play area, it is a death defying act to get into and back out of this area. The dogs have worn the grass away so once you are in the gate, you are greeted with a lovely patch of black ice on a downhill slope. The only way down and back up is to hold onto the fence for grim death and inch your way up or down. I did try holding onto a dog's collar and letting them tow me up the hill but that turned out to be fruitless as I still couldn't stay on my feet, and once down, the dogs are total hooligans displaying mob-mentality. Why is it that dogs think they can lick you to your feet? As an aside, have you ever wondered why psychologists sometimes call Mob Mentality "herding behaviour"? Quite frankly I think this does a total disservice to sheepdogs (although given how my dogs like to come to my aid, all at once, perhaps I should rethink my disdain for likening the behaviour of a sheepdog to that of a mob -and by that I'm thinking soccer hooligans!).

Alas no training possible on the main field as it's frozen solid. And as for my post hole digging...I am dejected! Not a chance of continuing that, although someone helpfully suggested I use a concrete breaker on the hard ground. I figure if it's come down to using a concrete breaker then I'd better come up with Plan B! ...and I have. I'm not telling yet what my elaborate Plan B is, suffice to say I will most certainly miss my Christmas deadline of having the fence repaired, but New Year's Day is not out of the question (as improbable as it may be!).

Today we have had snow, sunshine, snow, sunshine...OMG, I hear WATER. WE HAVE WATER AGAIN! YIPPPEEEEEEE...................