snow

Well, just like the rest of the country, the Beggshill Bothy was buried under snow in February. This picture was taken during the blizzard that had been raging all night. That snow plastered building on the left is the bothy. The snow had drifted half way up the window.

In the end we were snowed in for 9 days. Luckily there was no one in the bothy at the time. We have had guests who were snowed in and you just have to put up with it. All you can do is borrow our sledge or build an igloo or just watch the blizzard from the warmth of the bothy.
This years snow was the worst we've had in the five years we've lived here. After the blizzard I had to dig paths through the snow from the house up to the barn, round to the chickens and on to the horses. The chickens didn't like the snow. They wouldn't come out and after a day of enforced inactivity I was getting concerned. As you know, my chickens are very free range and being stuck inside can't be good for them. The solution was to dig a path through the snow to the polytunnel. Then they could have a scratch in the soil and enjoy a couple of dust baths. They did eat all my over wintering cabbages, but that's a minor thing compared to chicken welfare.

Now the snow is gone, like it had never been. The weather is warm (for this time of year) and I'm itching to get out in to the polytunnel and sow a few early seeds. I'll have to hold off another month or so. Last year the snows came in April and we had -4°C frosts in May.

Soon, soon, spring will be here and its time to start growing again. And mowing.

Beggshill Bothy.