Winter Stories Wanted!

In this post I'm after a bit of help! 

I'm currently writing an article for a popular magazine about being prepared for hard winters - A kind of batten down the hatches and stock up piece. 

Last winter will be one we remember for a long time! 

I want to give lots of advice but also contain some stories from hard winters in the past, especially on farms, smallholding and homesteads. Winters like 1963 or 1982 spring to mind, although they were before my time so it would be great to have some first hand accounts and stories.

Also I'd love to know what unusual items or ones most people wouldn't have thought of that you now keep in stock because of a hard winter or a problem you had to overcome.  

If anyone has any old pictures from winters past it would be great if I could use them? I'd love some pictures of people and animals snowed in or pictures of heavy snow - I bet there's some great pictures out there! 

You can leave comments here or email through pictures via my contacts page or through social media and you'll have my everlasting thanks and a mention! 

Roofing In The Wind

So with much juggling of childcare this last week I managed to help start putting my brothers roof on in some of the worst weather we've had in months!  

Conditions have been far from ideal but we've made a bit of progress with this roof for the  house my brother is currently building.

Brooder Extension

On my last post Jo mentioned that she didn't have anywhere to keep chicks under a heat lamp.

This is initially what put me off getting day old chicks. Every brooder set up I saw was in a shed or a barn and I don't have that kind of space available unfortunately. I've even had friends keep them in their dinning room before now but that isn't something I fancied as they soon start to smell!

Meat Chickens

Last year we had great success growing some meat birds for the freezer, so as everything else winds down I thought it would be a great thing to do again. 

This time I got 26 day old chicks delivered out to me on Wednesday of last week. It was far more cost effective than driving to get them and the company delivers lots of poultry so really knows what it's doing.

Walking For Pleasure

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This year I've been putting extra effort into looking after myself. 

My new mens ski Jacket ready for winter walking on the hills

I'm only 35 but already I can start to feel aches and pains more. There have also been a couple of instances that have really slowed me up and made me think.