We had to go to Oban on Tuesday, and it was a beautiful day for it. Lots of errands were done, and at lunchtime we walked the dog at the War Memorial in the left of the photograph below, and found this little private memorial tucked into the rocks.
Back home, and at the Studio the new window had gone in.
One of the Zwarties seems to have inherited the 'getting stuck in the fence' gene. At least she has the sense to bleat so we were able to get her out. Took two of us though.
By Saturday the builders had finished in Studio, but not without a few hiccups with the flue position for the wood-burning stove! This cry for help was not staged!
Whilst alot of the UK has been covered in snow, Mull has enjoyed the sensation of the cold, without the inconvenience of it. Lovely views of Rum from here with its mountain tops covered in snow, and the same looking over at Ben More, but apart from one night of snow which left about an inch on the ground (mostly gone by morning) we have had frosts and dry weather - until Friday afternoon when it became milder and slightly wet...
There were moments of glorious sunshine.
There were moments of glorious sunshine.
The new window in Studio bedroom.
Little glimpses of spring in the garden.
Work has been progressing in Shian and Duill. Hopefully by this time next week we will have a new bath in Duill! Shian's new cooker has a swanky glass splashback now and looks very smart.
The Kingspan turbine blew its fuse some time over the last 10 days since I last recorded the meter readings! You can see the burnt out bit in the picture below! It is a 32amp fuse and we did have a spare but the slot had burnt out so we couldn't repair it then and there. Border Hydro sent a new one plus the slot it is housed in(and several new fuses to be on the safe side). Ian McAdam came over to fit it for us and we are back on generating now, in time for the storms brewing up this week!
Usually the cows would have been indoors a month ago. As calving is due to start any day now, Farmer decided to bring them yesterday. They walked up from the field at their own speed. The gates were open all the way along the track, and into the cattle shed itself - and they walked right in.
There is something 'right' about the cattle shed once the cows are back in. It must be like a sort of 'empty nest' syndrome but there is something missing when they are not inside - like a child's empty bedroom. (We aren't there yet as parents, so can only imagine!). It just feels right when they are indoors.
This afternoon, the rain was tipping down noisily onto the roof of the shed, and huge claps of thunder were breaking over the hill to the south, whilst Farmer was bedding them up. There was a real air of quiet and calm. Farmer walking through them with sections of straw, they seem to all know the scene even though it is 9 months since they were last in here.
This dun cow was sniffing her calf through the pen bars.
This is a salt lick. It will be interesting to see what it looks like once the cows have been at it!
In between the showers.
So Farmer's winter daily routine has changed. The cows indoors means Farmer will be spending alot more time with them. But under cover - which is luxury when storms are raging! He gets to know his cows in a way that he can't outside. He can walk up to them and give them a rub or a scratch indoors - and they hardly notice he is there when he is bedding up. It will be different once the calving starts as they inevitably behave protectively to their newborn calves - for those first few days.
