A week of frosty weather and Blue Tongue again

We've had a week of very frosty weather, it's been so white that at times it looked like a light covering of snow. Because it has been so frosty, has meant that Tim has not been able to do much on the land, which in turn, has meant that his eye has had a week to recover. Today he wore his contact lenses for the first time since last Sunday.
On Friday night, the news broke that a cow at a farm near to Middlesbrough, that had been imported from Germany, had been confirmed as having Blue Tongue, it has been culled and thankfully the Blue tongue protected area has not been expanded. But what we all don't understand is that we can't move animals out of the blue tongue protected area into the Blue tongue free zone. So why this farmer was allowed to import a cow from a country infected with Blue tongue to Middlesbrough which is in the Blue tongue free zone is totally beyond me. Lunatics running the asylum spring to mind!!!!
Graham from Bidgimire Pig Arcs delivered 3 arcs on Tuesday, 2 large ones and 1 small one. The small arc has gone into the small paddock that one day will be my veg plot, so that Lotty and Dougal can go in their and eat the grass, one of the large arcs went into the paddock where the whethers live, the other where Charlie and his ladies are. So now all the animals have got shelters and these last few days have been using them, only coming out when Tim has been putting feed into their troughs or when the sun came out.
Yesterday we went to York, delivering some of our lamb, but also to take birthday and Christmas presents and cards. It was good to catch up with family and friends, but it did mean the dogs were a little "crossed legged" when we got home
Today, it has been very mild, all the frost has gone and it was a pleasure to be out and about. I took the bottles to the bottle bank and the newspapers to Bunnyland for them to use in their kennels. Because it was dry we managed to burn all the hedge trimmings from the hedge laying we did last weekend. The fire took a little starting, but once it was alight, it burnt in next to no time. So we're now clear of debris ready for the next hedge laying day in January.
This coming week we're going carol singing around some of the local farms with the singers from the local church, instead of walking to the various houses to sing, you have to go by car, or to be precise, a 4 x 4 to get down the farm tracks. We end up at one of the houses in the village for supper, this year we'll end up at Brian and Jackie's. Should be good fun, more about that next week.
With Christmas only 9 days away, I'm feeling quite smug as all presents are bought and Christmas cards sent. The only down side is the goose we were going to have on Christmas Day, is in a fox, so we'll be having some of our lamb instead.
Next Sunday is the last weekend before Christmas, and how stressed will you be........