The new fireplace

The farm house had 5 fireplaces in it before we started our rennovations and this is the one surviving one. The hearth is from Gairstay quarry and all the fireplace work was done by Dave Major from Dounby. Robbie is very pleased with his work. In the foreground is one of the chairs I have been working on over the summer - stripping off the light house brown paint.

This is Claude (the cat) and Ben (the collie) playing in the snow. Claude would really like to be a dog we think

This was sunrise on Monday 27th - before the thaw started.

The view from here on a snowy day.

December has flown by and with it Christmas.

It was a very quiet affair this year, but we were prepared with a 24lb turkey courtesy of Lydia Harvey of Slinghorn.  Sheila had been watching Jamies Christmas preparations of the TV - I adapted one of his recipes and prepared a herb butter which I clarted between the meat and the skin.  I don't think it really needed much enhancement - but it didn't do it any harm.

Just one heifer calf this month - and I have named her Colleen - born on 12 December.
What a lot of snow we've had this December. 
This morning was so dark - mainly because the snow has cleared away and the moon has waned - so much less light. 
Rennovations are going slowly at the house - the fireplace has been done, and Wallace is up today doing painting and decorating. 
I had been hoping we would have been in for the New Year but its not to be!

The house is almost finished

and what with the snow - our garden looks as good as gold! The carpets are in the process of being laid, and the painting and decorating are being completed bit by bit. I just have a thousand things to do - make curtains, clean and polish furniture that I've had in storage, not to mention Christmas, and helping out around the farm. The views from the porch and the upstairs rooms are breathtaking. I can see me sitting in the porch with my coffee!!

The last days of November - views from the New Porch

There are 61 milking cows at the moment. There are 4 cows waiting to have calves in December.

This is Ben, our collie. He is almost 2 years old. He is very quick to disappear - in the back gound you can see Bruce - Sheila and Raymond's labrador.

Robbie and Joy

Pictured here are Robbie and Erland. They run Burnside Farm.

The last weeks of November

Has seen all the animals come inside for winter.  Last to come in was the bull and 4 of the heifers he has been keeping company for the past months.