Cold, wet and windy.

Well the rains have come. A good start with over 40mm a few weeks ago and a follow-up 10+mm falling as I write. Grass is trying to germinate, nettles are starting to take off (makes for a tasty omlet!) and most of the decidious trees have lost their leaves.

With things previously so dry and no grass growing, every breeze bought a bonanza of falling autumn leaves for the sheep and they would race each other to catch and eat this tasty bounty. The alpacas were practicing their tree-climbing skills – balancing on their hind legs to reach their equally long necks way up into the pine trees and tree lucerne, pulling down mouthfulls of leaves and small branches.

But now it’s officially winter, with the cold, wet and windy days that can bring.

This morning the barn cat refused to leave the shed, preferring to perch on top of the hay bales and preen herself. The alpacas and sheep had all high-tailed it into their respective shelters and were grateful to be fed under cover.

By lunch time and after some time grazing on what they could find in the paddocks, they were all quite damp. But we need the rain. It should in time bring a flush of green to the paddocks after such a long dry.