Tuesday 5 January 2010

History Repeating


It was 50 years ago this week when I started my first job on a farm in the Clyde valley. I was 15 and remember clearly having to get up at 5am to catch a bus at 6, to get to the farm by 7.30am.

Trudging through the snowy fields to get to the farm, my wellies were full of snow with balls of ice formed on the home made knitted wool socks. For £2-14-2d (That's £2-70p) for a 5 and half day week ! I was allowed to keep the 14 shillings and the rest went to my parents for my keep. I recall that during the 50s and 60s deep snowy winters were a regular occurrence, and as kids we used to seek out the deep snowdrifts built up on embankments to dive into them ! This winter looks like it will be a record breaker, maybe the start of a mini ice age ? Who knows !

Today I went down to feed the Swans as usual and was damn near blown off the bailey bridge by a ferocious northern blizzard, it was bitter ! The Swans were bobbing around like corks as the waves travelled right up under the road bridge. We have a little grebe visiting, and of course the tufted ducks as well.
Can I remind readers yet again to put out food and water for the birds, this weather is lethal to them!
I recently invested in a mini slicer/processor for £16 from amazon.co.uk very useful for chopping up peanuts which most garden birds relish, especially when mixed with wild bird seeds !






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