Woohoo! downhill all the way to Summer :)

[scarey55]

Happy Winter Solstice everyone

Shortest day today then it's downhill all the way to the growing season. Forget Christmas for me, this is the best day of the Winter.

I love Christmas too btw

[veggiechicken]

I love the Winter Solstice too - I was wittering on about it yesterday - saying that after today Spring was on its way. Don't like to brag but I was right - the February GYO mag has just arrived and, on the cover, "10 Tasks for Spring"

[Bill HH]

The funny thing is you would think the shortest day would coincide with the cold weather yet the worst winter weather is always Jan/ Feb.My old pappy never stopped telling me that the worst winter they ever had (1947) didnt start until Feb! The coldest I ever saw was in the 1960's when it froze solid for 8 weeks, froze our diesel and water pipes that were 3ft underground. We had to carry buckets of water to 10,000 chickens, it was character building.

[veggiechicken]

Today is the official first day of Winter so don't worry, Bill..........its only just begun
I was born in the great snow of '47 (January) - I think it stunted my growth permanently

[scarey55]

The funny thing is you would think the shortest day would coincide with the cold weather yet the worst winter weather is always Jan/ Feb.My old pappy never stopped telling me that the worst winter they ever had (1947) didnt start until Feb! The coldest I ever saw was in the 1960's when it froze solid for 8 weeks, froze our diesel and water pipes that were 3ft underground. We had to carry buckets of water to 10,000 chickens, it was character building.

I'll bet
We used to volunteer at the Hawk Conservancy Trust (a bird of prey
conservation park) and we were in charge of cleaning the water bowls. It comes as a bit of a shock when you have to take a 4 inch thick block of ice out of the bowl before you could re-fill it!

Lovely sunny day here btw

[veggiechicken]

Sunny here too and 10.9c.
Those flexible red rubbery cake "tins" are good for bird water, as you can wiggle them about and the ice falls out - so I'm told!!

[Nicos]

Dark and dismal today...looking forward to the lighter mornings for a start!!!

Out of interest...if today is the shortest day...was last night or tonight the longest night????

[Bill HH]

Today is the official first day of Winter so don't worry, Bill..........its only just begun
I was born in the great snow of '47 (January) - I think it stunted my growth permanently

I was concieved in the great snow lol, they were snowed in and had nothing better to do .

[scarey55]

Out of interest...if today is the shortest day...was last night or tonight the longest night????

Oh noooo! now my brain hurts

[Bill HH]

I'll bet
We used to volunteer at the Hawk Conservancy Trust (a bird of prey
conservation park) and we were in charge of cleaning the water bowls. It comes as a bit of a shock when you have to take a 4 inch thick block of ice out of the bowl before you could re-fill it!

Lovely sunny day here btw

Spot on, it wasn't what they drank it was the ice, a normal drinker required half a bucket to top it up but once you smashed the ice off it took two buckets, we had taps all over the farm but they were useless. My wrist bled fron chaps and my wellies got filled with ice cold water, Eeee by gum them were the days.