extreme weather

As a British citizen, there is nothing I like more than talking about the weather, except maybe a nice cup of tea. And a cake. My ideal morning is sitting around drinking tea, eating cake and talking about all the rain we had in June or the amazingly hot and sunny April. Extremes in weather are fascinating, but as a small holder they are extremely important. Bad weather needs to be anticipated, do I need to protect the plants in the polytunnel in cold weather Give extra feed to the horses during heavy rains, check nothing can blow away during the gales.

But extreme weather can be enjoyed. I can remember standing outside one January night. It was -14C and there was not a breath of wind or cloud in the sky. We're lucky to not have any man made light pollution. It was amazing. Sooo many stars, sooo silent. It didn't feel that cold. But I've also been stuck in a howling snow storm, the car buffeted by the gusts, snowdrifts growing before my eyes. That was definitely cold. Last summer we had some really hot days. Weeks went by with little or no rain, (not like this summer). I'd sit outside until 11pm marvelling at the warmth and listening to the drone of the insects.

Regardless of what the weather is doing, I'm always reminded of a comment by Billy Connolly, who lives at Strathdon, not far from here. He said, there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing

Pete