Come back Sun....all is forgiven!

The freezing fog is still with us, most unusual weather for this area, and to think that we were enjoying temperatures of 11 - 13 degrees just before Christmas! This afternoon my car informed me that it was -5 degrees. Visibility was down to about 30 yards. Hmmmm.......think we've had enough of it now.

Yet more photos of the frost but the hedge in the garden looked so pretty that I hope you enjoy them too.

Global warming? More like the new Ice Age

The freezing fog is still with us and looks like it will remain so for a few days. The frost was even thicker today and all bushes and trees were encrusted with beautiful ice crystals.

Jana had a walk with my sister's Jake and they had a ball. I think she relished the opportunity to dash about and wrestle with an equally matched pal.

The fog about to roll in over Cummingston

The sun broke through the fog for a brief while up on a higher track but it soon disappeared and we ended up with a real pea souper. Jana and Jake had a great time racing and wrestling.

Very frosty tree

Looks just like snow

The big freeze

(The next few posts are catching up with the last few days)

Today was the closest we came to a white Christmas. Yesterday was bright and frosty but it got even colder overnight and today the temperature sat at about minus 3 degrees all day. We were lucky to get a sunny and bright first walk down the beach but the second, just over a mile away, was in freezing fog and made it seem like a different world. The trees were white with a heavy frost and so pretty.

Being agility dogs, Jura and Kyloh were practising ( unasked) at any likely spot.

Agility mad

Euan smiling at the sea

Jura does the table




The bank of fog approaches

Little drummer boy


Jana gets a cuddle from Alex and Lewis

A different world just down the road

The sun trying to break through

White trees

Family time

Ian, Lynne and our grandson Euan came to stay on Boxing Day, all were suffering from a nasty cough and cold bug but we still managed to have a good time. Euan wasn't quite his usual smiley self (and no wonder) but he still retained his usual good humour, he is such a good baby.

My sister Paula, her husband Julian and their children, Alex and Lewis, also arrived on Boxing Day but they are staying at my mum's house......no room at this inn! They have a dog too, a six month old vizsla called Jake who had a whale of a time running through the Roseisle woods with a bunch of our dogs and Lynne and Ian's collies. It was interesting to compare him with Jana and I can see how much she has actually matured. She decided she quite liked him although the mad collies were much more fun to race about with, poor puppy Jake got left behind a bit.

It was a lovely frosty day, perfect for a walk and we finished it off with a visit to the farm shop. The kids enjoyed the play area and our cake went down a treat!

Great day for a family walk in Roseisle

Alex and Lewis skimming stones


Euan at the farm shop play area.......

.......and in the coffee shop.....wearing some of his fish pie dinner.

Steaming cattle

The end of a beautiful clear day.

More from Santa

Adam is ready to be the new Dr Who
New boots!!

Euan in between unwrapping presents

Playing Peek-a-boo with Mummy's Christmas socks (doesn't everyone?!)

LSH gets to pilot his own helicopter

Home for Christmas

Like most people, we've had a busy few days and I have catching up to do with photos and posts. Adam came home from uni in Edinburgh a few days ago and here he is enjoying being out of the city and back to open spaces.

Tug o' war - a favourite game and it looks like Louis is winning!

Louis and Teasel become a blurry furry

Adam with Teasel and Jana

Santa Paws and venison ears

"Just what I always wanted!"

Santa didn't forget the dogs. Each one had a venison ear to unwrap and they were all keen to get that paper off. It wasn't long before they were all chewing away, all except Teasel that is.....she just loves to show people the prized possession and parades around your legs saying "Look what I've got!"

Unwrapping

Des thinks prison food just got better

Rosa thinks venison is yummy

Teasel still showing hers off

Three weeks old and getting interesting

Gypsy's pups are now three weeks old and coming on in leaps and bounds......well......on tottery legs actually! They are starting to interact with each other, games are initiated but don't usually get very far as one or both usually fall over! They have learnt how to bark and growl and the red and white has discovered he can wag his tail, his brother is a bit slower there.

Their muzzles and paws have a pinkish tinge, this seems to happen with some of our pups but not all and I think it is to do with white coats and suckling. It usually goes away once they are bigger and less reliant on mum.

Mildred and Mavis escape the pot!

Last week the local paper featured 700 hens looking for new homes (click here). Tthey had spent their first year on a farm as 'free range' layers but, now that their most productive days were past, they were destined to end up as pet food. This is common practice on farms, where profits come first, but these hens are still quite capable of laying well and for some time to come. We decided that we could accommodate two.

Although classed as free range it is more likely they were all kept in a very large barn with a door at one end, which they probably didn't use! Our two seemed to have no concept of outdoors and for the first four days we had to physically put them into the hen house when it got dark. They were quicker at perfecting the art of scratching about and discovering interesting treats in the undergrowth. They've also got into the swing of going to bed at night now.

They look a bit scabby (especially when you see the other three next to them!) but the feathers will come back in, they were also a bit on the thin side but should soon look better. So far, we have kept them separate from Hilda, Doris and Maud but will probably put them all in together soon.

Let's hope they all get on, we don't want feathers flying - Mildred and Mavis can ill afford to lose any more!

Doris and Hilda check out the new girls

Mavis

Slightly moth-eaten looking

Mildred soon learns about grapes