Cows let out today for the first time!

We've given up on Spring arriving by the calendar date.  Our cows were allowed out into the field for a couple of hours after morning milking and boy did they skip and jump their way up the track.  Although the fields are fairly dry now thanks to the east wind, there is definitely no grass growing out there!  Even so, the cows had a hop, skip and a jump and seemed pleased to be let out of their winter housing.  Doesn't do the milk yield any good though as they spent most of the time playing about rather than eating.  They were brought back in by 11.30am and sulked!  I feel like doing that most days at the moment.

Isn't it funny, I feel exactly the same as the cows.  We're so in tune with them, I'm sure we have the same emotions.  Last Friday, the sun was out and I raced about doing housework, cleaning the kitchen and back kitchen floor thoroughly (almost a total Spring Clean).  Hung washing on the line, tidied up the log shed and dustbins and the mound of snow still stacked outside our back door (it's due north so never sees the sun).  In fact we still have loads of snow under the hedgerows and along side the lanes where it drifted.  Then the next day it was dull and I didn't do much and just wanted to sit by the fireside all day trying to keep warm.

Back to work this week with a bang.  Seven talks this week in four days.  Just hosted my first Farm Walk for 2013 this afternoon and although the sun was out, it was bitter cold on top of Telly Tubby Hill - the highest spot on our farm with fabulous views.  My visitors were from Arnold in Nottingham and I did mention they'd need to wrap up warmly for the visit as we're always 10 degrees colder than anywhere else.  They enjoyed seeing Mark milk the cows and helping with feeding the baby calves.  We've got 18 babies that we feed fresh warm milk to twice a day and a newborn arrived this morning.  I think there's 10 Ayrshire heifer calves so far which we'll rear on farm and the rest are either bulls or beef calves so will go to market to be sold.

Harry's home and very useful too!  Noel is feeling low with the cold and not so well in himself at the moment.  He's 82 and its been a VERY long winter!  Charlotte and I have a chesty cough and my mother-in-law is limping as due to have a new knee this summer!  Only Mark is keeping going as he has too.  No choice.

Roll on warmer weather.