Fen blow

Another very windy day today and yet more rain is on the way. Storm Ciara, followed by Storm Dennis on successive weekends, both caused us some damage in our rather exposed location. The most serious was Ciara which ripped off the roof of our barn in its entirety, depositing it half way down the bank of the dyke on our rear boundary. This was not good timing in view of lambing starting in a couple of weeks when the barn is most needed.

Here is a photograph looking across the field opposite us on Sunday morning of the 9th of February when Storm Ciara was going full pelt and before the rain came. It shows a Fen Blow when farmland topsoil gets caught in the wind and eventually banks up on the field margins. It is often associated with the Fen peatlands but we also experience it on our light sandy soil. The field, about 40 acres, had not long been sown with onions. I don't know if it needs to be re-sown. Perhaps onions will crop up in odd places during the summer.

A Fen blow caused by Storm Ciara in the field opposite us.

A new roof for the barn has been constructed with a more storm proof design. 

The rain has been unrelenting this winter which for livestock keepers presents a real challenge. The pig paddocks in particular are very muddy and I am thankful we are not on heavy clay which would make conditions far worse. I'm already planning for next year (and subsequent years it looks like) to avoid this winter's pig-keeping difficulties.

Working on the smallholding has been on the irksome side recently. But then again, we have not had our home or business flooded as in the west and north of the country, and our crops and livelihoods have not been devoured by locust swarms as is currently the case in parts of North Africa, nor our house burnt to a cinder from uncontrollable bushfires.