Muddyboots

Follow the fortunes of Muddyboots & Family on their East Yorkshire farm which has changed from dairy farm to luxury ice cream manufacture

Tuesday 25 September 2007

cold ears

This evening's dog walk has left me with cold, tingling ears, a sure sign that autumn is here. It is one of the down sides to living so close to the sea. The sharp, salt laden wind was one of the first things that l noticed on moving north from Gloucestershire, apart from the strange language which l really struggled to understand. The banks of the River Severn were often breached during the winter months & the villages & hamlets around Gadbury, Pendock & Eldersfield often took on a supernatural appearence, but cold wind whistling around the ears? Not on your life!

So here we are then autumn. Summer neatly tucked away until next year, and boy what a summer it was, if you could call it that? It would be fairly accurate to say that the weather has impacted on the business this year, only the brave ventured out during the months of May through to July. Oh to have had shares in hunter wellingtons this summer! Well, at least we weren't flooded out & summer of a sort eventually arrived in August!

So what next? Foot and Mouth is still bubbling away down south & now we have blue tongue; the best bit of news was that of price fixing by the major multiples, we as farmers, & having been involved in price negotiations with dairy companies, have been always aware of the fact, though of course it must NEVER be mentioned in public!! I can even recall a board member of a Leeds based dairy company vehemently deny that this was ever the case, what did he call it? A cartel & this was illegal, he said.... need l say more?

So, l guess it's now time to turn on the central heating, chop the logs for the woodburner, set up the mouse traps to catch the little blighters as they move into their winter residence, and, perhaps, more importantly get out the woolly hat!

11 comments:

Suffolkmum said...

Lovely photos. Brought back memories of the sharp northern winds of my childhood! The wind seems to come straight from Siberia in East Anglia, too, though we're quite sheltered in a valley. The price fixing, yes - what did they think we'd say - no, really?!

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

I have to wear a ear warmers when walking now. I get serious earache when I go out in the cold winds.

Business here hasn't suffered at all with the not so good summer and we are busy right up to the end of the year and already have bookings for next year . . .

Exmoorjane said...

ooh, this is when I'm glad i live in the south=west. Adrian took me to Southwald once for my birthday (January) and I froze to pieces... You're a tough lot on the east.
Am wondering whether, following our move, the mice will come in for the winter! Hope not.
you are DEEPLY lucky not to have escapee Londoner media types.....(sigh)....

Anonymous said...

Wooly hats rule in this house. It did make us sit up whilst watching the news the other day regarding dairy prices!

It's absolutely freezing up here tonight! I'd say it was more like mid winter than the beginning of autumn. Still, we can't complain can we. Us farmers. The price of wheat was up as was corn in general. God, give us strength.

Crystal xx

Un Peu Loufoque said...

And yet again I wonder when Autumn had arrived over night and I managed to miss the passing of summer... despite the sunshine it is here now... so off log chopping too!!

Norma Murray said...

I expect your walk down to the beach is still lovely though.

Pondside said...

Yes, the summer-that-wasn't is officially over. Your photos are great!

muddyboots said...

yes corn prices may be up CJ, but, remember the price of feed is rising as a result, despite the price of meat/dairy [liquid milk contracts ppl] remaining more or less static, for example the pig men around here are squealing! world market forces!

Sally Townsend said...

Bet it's some gorgeous Boden woolley hat isn't it ? can hardly see you in a tea cosy type affair dearie.

Woozle1967 said...

Pendock and Eldersfield, you really were only just down the road, weren't you? Small world.......

Love the autumnal pics - my favourite time of year, but you can keep the cold winds, thank you! Well, actually, they're blowing through our cottage at the moment as we only have half a roof and no windows in the kitchen. Thank goodness for the caravan.xx

Bluestocking Mum said...

I think I will have to get some ear muffs for this winter up here on the hill! My ears always hurt, even though I always like to wear hats.

Lovely autumn pictures. I do love this time of year.

warm wishes
x

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