We've suddenly got some unexpected good weather!  Temperatures around 8 degrees (that's 45 in American money), calm, and sunshine!  I went swimming Saturday AND today -- possibility I might make it in tomorrow morning as well -- if I do, that will be a miracle to have three consecutive swimming days in January!

Danny and I went for a walk at Cata Sands yesterday afternoon -- these photos show just how calm the wind is -- you would never normally get reflections this clear!

This hen has started hanging out on the windowsills -- she's startled me quite a few times now!

And here's Cookie's latest snoozing spot!

Finally made it in to the sea yesterday for my first swim of 2025 -- boy was it cold!  The car said the the air temperature was 2C, maybe the sea was 5C or 6C?  But the sun was shining!

The reason it's taken me so long to get in for my first swim is that the weather has been horrible.  We've had snow and hail for nearly a week -- you can't really see it in the photo, but there was snow on the beach when we swam!  Not enough snow that the sheep needed hay, but it's still thoroughly unpleasant being outside with hail hitting your face all the time...  

It's warming up now and nearly all the snow is gone except for this little patch in the back garden which gets no sunlight in the winter at all...

We harvested the last two boys from last summer...

...so now there are 15 hens and 1 cockerel to lay eggs and make chicks for us this year.  Here are some of the hens (and our very muddy drive!)...

Tupping is also over, so the girls are just chilling now while their babies cook...

And speaking of cooking, remember that batch of mincemeat I made back in 2007?  Turns out I had one jar left, and it's still good, so I made an apple mincemeat pie!  Yum!

I managed to make it to 65 swims for 2024 on the 27th of December!

Haven't been in this year yet -- aiming to go tomorrow morning when it looks like the weather might be a bit better -- after an unseasonably mild end to the year, 2025 has started with snow and ice and frozen drinking troughs for the sheep!

(Yes, that's little Cookie completely not bothered about the snow!)

The boys (Horatio & Raymond) came out on the 30th so fingers crossed that I now have 10 ewes in lamb -- we will see what happens in April!