SNOW!!!
Well we have had this for three months now and just a week ago some bright meteologically minded spark said somewhere in our community ‘ooh look at the big bright halo around the moon, that means a lot more bad weather is on the way’. Next morning we woke up to find about 12 inches of snow everywhere. Needless to say it kept snowing throughout that day and the next. Every single school closed for the whole week and as on Monday we edge into the beginning of March they have an occasional day! (for god’s sake!). Needless the snow is still forecast to make an appearance every day over the next coming week and will take ages to melt. It has been a rather cold miserable damp week. The worst weather Shetland has had since the 1980s. Even 4X drives were getting stuck. My wife drove into work and ended up staying in town at colleagues because there was no guarantee about getting home safely.
On the bright side we are going away on holiday but that is at the end of the month and I wanted to get plants on the go and seedlings ready but I think I’ll have to wait until the middle of April. The hens have been laying consistently and I have enough extra to sell some to neighbours which helps buy the next bag of food. So much for putting a double length of green netting on the house. Such was the intensity of the wind driven snow that is merely was blown through the gaps and froze on the roof and the inside of the house. The top of the house’s netting had so much snow on it that it bulged down almost touching the roof of the hen house. Thankfully with all the shredded paper I put inside the house remained very cosy and the chickens seemed happy. Not so when I accidentally hit the roof with a stick and a sheet of white crystals poured down on top of them. Much cackling and discomfort over this. I started taking the water container in every night otherwise it was just a solid lump of ice! Really cold at night for Shetland, down to about -7 apparently. The new hens are an incredibly messy lot compared to the Sheltie ones. They throw their food everywhere and of course once it is on the ground it ends up as slush. This will attract mice which is not a healthy option which is why I hung the feeder up on a hook in the first place! Since a little bit of the grass has appeared I have let the chickens out for a scratch. Funny watching the rooster as he is so bossy but these hens are at least one and a half times bigger than he is and he still hasn’t worked out how to er get on them!! When you go and pick then up they automatically adopt the squat position which is really bizarre! I mean do I look like a rooster?
High C built a fantastic snowman holding a fishing pole and netting. A huge thing though not as big as the one I drove past in Cunningsburgh! That was higher than the roof of the hall where it stood next to in the car park. Never mind….just a bit ahead of myself! Anyway enough of snow and chickens. I am looking forward to gardening after France. A good chance to stock up on goodies by the way though I won’t be able to carry a lot in my baggage of course!
I just realised while writing this missive that I should have named the last issue the February issue instead of March! A senior moment I guess…never mind! A Bonus for you all!
The Shetland Drama Festival is on this week and we, Brinna Players, were supposed to be in it but there were so many problems finding a dialect speaking actor and absences that we had to reluctantly call it off. The snow has caused havoc with rehearsals and Dunrossness cancelled their appearance for this very fact. The children had a whole week off school which is a shame as they look forward to performing. My eldest is in hers on Friday night despite lack of rehearsals! They apparently are pulling together quite well though so hope they do okay.
The next big event for all of us is the South Mainland Up Helly Aa which takes place next Friday. Our very own Viking invasion and the galley will actually be burnt in St Ninians Bay. Fingered crossed for fine weather and hope some of this snow melts quickly because at present it is lethal in the mornings with the ice. I am working at Bigton Hall as I am on the committee so it should be a fun night. Wife and ’ 3Cs are going to the hall for the dance as well so it will be a late one for everyone.
Then April in Paris…wonder what joys the weather will bring. The last three days of March in Shetland are referred to as ‘borrowing days’ and they apparently very much dictate what the weather will be like in June, July and August! Stand by for some very dark faces if it blows and rains on any of those days. Ah quaint traditions you might think…but…there is an element of truth. Someone was speaking about St Swithins’ Day before Christmas in the shop and I can’t remember exactly but something to do with if it rained on this day then we would have a shite winter! Well no need to explain that one to everyone here then…is there?
A short edition I know but this is actually Part II of the March issue! Shows how much time I have had on my hands! Now if you will excuse me I am going to go and brush up on my tap!
