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webcams

What a sadistic lot some of you are asking if…

What a sadistic lot some of you are asking if I had given the Bees the second dose of the treatment. Just waiting for me to tell you that I had been stung again. Sorry I cant give you that satisfaction for it was raining on Sunday when I was going to do the job, and you don’t do Bees in the rain I was advised. I have been trying to do it ever since but I have just not managed to find the time as I have been collecting materials to make a new enclosure area for a new webcam that I am starting to set up on the Farm. I am 99% sure that it is going to happen but I don’t want to say any for two reasons. One reason I will tell you when I get the new animals on the Farm, the other because I want to torment you. But it will be worth waiting in suspense for when I tell you.

I got a phone call last night at just before 11.pm from a lady who was concerned about a Badger that was laying flat out looking rather dead or ill next to the feeding area. I must admit it didn’t look to good to me when I viewed the webcam so I made me way up to where it was. Trouble is in my haste I forgot that that just before the gate that I get over to the feeding area an old dead Elm tree had fallen and I finished up flat on my face. The noise I made cursing and falling had woken the Badger who must have been a sleep. I reckon he may well have had a good helping of the fallen apples in the Orchard. I did curse the Lady at the time. But It was good that she phoned as only the day before I found a dead Badger very close to the Farm entrance that more than likely came from our Sett. There were no signs that it had been shot, probably run over. But there is always the chance that it was poisoned.

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webcams

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

A few more pictures of Oxford if you would like them, I expect you will be over-whelmed with snow pictures now!

1/ St Michael at the North Gate, this Saxon tower used to form part of the old City wall believed to be the oldest building in Oxford CH

2/ The memorial commemorates the “Oxford Martyrs,” Anglican bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley and the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, who were executed in Oxford on the orders of Queen Mary Tudor. CH

3/ New College Lane looking east towards the gate of New College Oxford. CH

4/ New College lane looking west. CH

5/ After a walk around Oxford taking pictures it’s into the Royal Blenheim for a couple of pints. CH

Checking the Valley on the webcam yesterday I could see what looked like a fallen tree that seemed to be blocking the the path that leads into the gap at the far end on the left hand side. As I had not had the time to inspect for any damage that the snow had caused I decided to have a quick look before I fed the Badgers.

Two trees had fallen onto the path. Both were Ash and had been caused to fall by the weight of the snow that had formed on the Ivy. One of the trees was very large and was part of group that had grown attached to each other. The tree had some rot in the base and would have died within a few years. I should think the others will have the rot and will also die or fall with the wind or snow.

Through the gap into the part of the valley that you cannot see, leads to another part of Ash Wood where another very large Ash has also fallen, not so much fallen as snapped off at the base, again snow had form on the Ivy the weight being to heavy for the tree to bare. This tree was in good condition before it fell. There were other trees in this area that were down. I cant remember if they were down before the snow. As soon as it is easier to walk through the snow to get to the Wood I will I will see if there is any other damage.

On the way back I saw a group four Roe Deer further in the Valley cross the foot path and on entering the Valley another Roe Deer ran in front of me. Any one watching the webcam would have seen it.

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webcams

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Picture of the lovely bread basket we used to get at breakfast on our holiday in Dubai. The birds used to come down to pinch some before you had even left the table. Cant say I blame them. Janet South Yorks.

Some of the birds we used to see. Cute little babies in the background. Janet South Yorks.

Next door neighbours cat seems to think I clear tubs out to make a new bed for him. Janet South Yorks.

Visitor who used to come and visit last summer. Janet South Yorks.

You don’t leave your seat for long otherwise you loose it. Wouldn’t mind but it isnt even my cat. Janet South Yorks.

As you can see on the webcams we had a lot of snow at Denbury over the past few days. If I had the time I would really enjoy it, but when I have to work in it I cant stand it. More so when we had a fourteen hour power cut with it that caused us to have no water at hand for the animals. That is the only down fall of us having our own water supply. As we pump our water from 50m underground we need electricity to work the pump. Fortunately we have the Leet Spring as a last resort, but that entails fetching the water a lot further that the tap.

We were more fortunate than the many hundred or thousands who also had power cuts in our region. Our oil fired Aga gave us the means to cook and have hot water for drinks as Julia found out. We also have a wood burner for heating, and we were also able to watch television powered by a small petrol generator, so we could have suffered the loss of electricity for longer than most.

Our Drive and the Lanes gave us the biggest problem with the ice. If the snow and ice had not have partially thawed through the day we would have stood no chance of leaving the Farm in our cars. As it was we could not get up our Drive yesterday until late afternoon as the wheels of our cars spun on the ice, and it was the same today.

The heavy snow settled on the trees, especially those with a lot of Ivy on them, It is liable to cause them to come crashing down by the great weight of the snow. More snow will settle on the trees that have Ivy growing on them. Without Ivy the snow will only settle a little on the branches. There are many so called wildlife and forestry experts who say that you should allow Ivy to grow on trees. I completely disagree. The weight of Ivy that grows very big at the top of a tree and the water that that it holds make trees with Ivy more prone to fall down. With the added weight of snow it makes the chance even bigger. Nearly all of the trees that have fallen at Denbury are caused because of Ivy. One tree has fallen in to the Valley Field because of the snow and Ivy. I haven’t had the chance to look in the wood, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the trees with Ivy have fallen.

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webcams

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number six there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

Only enough photographs left for one more change.

1/ Hinksey railway sidings near Oxford, it used to be a large freight depot in the days of steam, now just a ballast store. Clive.

2/ Hinksey lake frozen over in the last cold spell in January. Clive.

3/ The weir stream at Donnington, Oxford. Clive.

4/ Narrow boats moared above the weir at Donnington, Oxford. Clive.

5/ The river Thames near Donnington, Oxford. Clive.

We had a few very big gusts of wind in the gales last night. On checking around the Farm locally other than a few buckets, bags and plastic containers there no other damage. I have not had a chance to go to the far end of the Farm or in the Wood that we have just purchased, so there may be some fallen trees their. Very close to the Farm entrance there was a fallen tree in the road.

Again when I checked the feed that I put in to the rat trap was taken. I reckon that a mouse may be the culprit being light enough to take the food but not to trip the trap. I have adjusted the trip bar to the maximum before it will close by even a mouse. Not that I would want to catch a mouse.

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webcams

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on…

Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.

The train on the North Yorks Moors Railway and also one of my lights outside my house. Sue. North Notts.

We have been extremely busy in the Woods that we purchased a couple of months ago. As I mentioned it was owned by Somerset County Council before we purchased. Other than clear a few trees that had fallen across footpaths they have done nothing in many decades that would benefit the Woods other than to restore a Lime Kiln.

We have taken many loads of hardwood logs from the Woods from tree that have been blown over by strong winds or that have fallen through being rotten at the roots. There is a good few years of this work to be done in Woods, let alone the thinning that the Wood is desperate for to open the canopy that will let light in the Wood to help in the natural regeneration.

The trees in the Wood are mainly Ash and Oak with come Beech and other trees that we are trying to identify. Most are old tree that are extremely tall that have grown tall to get light as there is little light in the bottom. There are some younger trees but not what you would expect so we will need to plant the Wood once we have allowed light in.

As the Wood is Ancient Woodland any work that we do other than clearing fallen trees we need to get permission to do from the Forestry Commission. We had one of their agents visit in early December. On the visit he recommended that the Wood should be assessed by a professional. The idea was that the agent was to send an application form for a grant for the assessment and a few contact details of the professionals. A month later we are still waiting. We need to get the assessment done with the recommendation before April so that we can apply for the grants needed to improve the Woods. Some of the grants available that we will need have many applications so it is important to get the applications in well before.