Saturday 31 December 2016

Emergency rations

 
It looks cold, and it was cold.
 

....which is why Lester was having a bowl of porridge.
 

 
Now you might think it strange that he was standing out in the cold eating porridge,
and I would also think that if I were not his wife,
because I had taken the porridge to him,
so that the chill would keep out of his insides.
 
 
.......So what he was doing was keeping an eye on these:
 
 
..... our flock of sheep, who had been let out for an hour of grazing
on the back field, around where the veg plots are.
They can't stay there all day because they would eventually take themselves out on the lane.
They do like to roam.
But they do need some green grass to supplement the hay they are now on,
so this is the first day of the 'hour a day of back field grazing'.
 
This morning we had to bypass breakfast because unfortunately we were running late.
My fault.
I had gone back to bed instead of staying up,
which meant that 'tea and porridge' had not been handed out to Lester
before he went milking, and then on to his morning chores.
 
What to do to squash my guilt about going back to bed.....
aha.....I know, ..... take him out a bowl of porridge!
 
 
.... by which time the sheep had grazed their fill, and were headed back to Lester.
 

Job done.
Back to the main field they went,
and Lester came indoors to defrost.
 
A couple of hours later we were in bed for an afternoon snooze,
with the electric blanket on of course!
We can do that because we are hibernation mode!
Well it is winter,
and we are still getting over the flu.
(PS. How long can I use 'getting over the flu' as an excuse to be slothful?)
 
So, taking the opportunity of wishing you a happy and successful 2017,
bye for now,
 
Vx

17 comments:

Cottontailfarm said...

I love reading these little snippets of your life. So wonderful! Happy New Year.

Vera said...

COTTONTAIL FARM, thanks! Hope your New Year is a good one too.

Dawn said...

Nothing wrong with a bit of hibernation, roll on spring and you will be burning the candle at both ends.
Have a good new year :-)

Horst in Edmonton said...

Happy New Year to you and your hubby. Talk to you next year. ;-)

Vera said...

DAWN, hope you are having a good rest as well! Best wishes for a good New Year to you both.

HORST, bless you, and here's hoping that 2017 is a kind year to you.

Mama Pea said...


A delightful post! Good to know your dear husband is out standing in his field. (Get it? Hahahaha!) Love that you both snuggled under the blankets for an afternoon nap. A very wise thing to do under the circumstances, I'd say.

Happy, happy New Year to you both!

Cro Magnon said...

I'm a reasonably early riser (5.30 am without fail), but at this time of year my wife often stays in bed until about 10 am. With our upcoming weather, I don't blame her! Best wishes, Cro xx

local alien said...

Love the image of Lester out in the mists eating his porridge! A farmers life is never easy. Siesta/nana-nap/hibernation...sleep gives you rest. We do it every day whatever the season. It's a 'must' in the med!

Vera said...

MAMA PEA, bless you, snuggles under the blanket are one of the best things about winter!

CRO MAGNON, I am an early riser as well, but not at the moment!

LOCAL ALIEN, we are down in the SW of France, near the Pyrenees, and on a parallel to the Med. The local culture here is to nap in the afternoons as well, which is a habit we joyfully embraced when we moved here nine years ago!

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Meilleurs vœux pour 2017 et une un tres bonne année...
Happy New Year Vera & Lester...
Wishing you good health....
whatever you believe to be wealth....
and oooooodles of happiness and good fortune!!

This drear, grey freeze is the sort of weather...
to make the mind turn...
to porridge!!

Flu is a virus... which is why you need vacinations...
so there is always the possibility to "develope" Post-Viral Syndrome....
until, of course you begin to feel too guilty!!

Vera said...

LaPré DeLaForge: Thank you for your very funny comment, and also for the helpful hint about how long I can keep flu as a reason to be slothful! Wishing a glorious new year to you and your family.

northsider said...

Happy 2017 Vera. Great to see you are back blogging.

Vera said...

NORTHSIDER DAVE: thanks!

Coco said...

It´s been downright frosty here too. Oooh, yummy porridge. I even have some oats! Your sheep look lovely. What kind are they?

Take as long as you need to recover. You wouldn´t want to relapse!

Vera said...

COCO, our sheep are Jacobs, which are quite a small breed and just the right size for a smallholding. As for not wanting a relapse........that is what I thought as I avoided the very cold early morning and finally surfaced at 9.30 am this morning! That flu is proving to be a good excuse for not getting up early!

Denise said...

Happy New Year, Vera, to you and Lester. May it bring success to all your plans, and great peace and happiness, too. Xx

Vera said...

DENISE, .... thank you.