Struck down by the winter bug (From Craven Herald)

Struck down by the winter bug

8:30am Thursday 29th December 2011 in From The Farm By Liz Hird

Well, that was Christmas for another year. We have had better. In fact, the whole thing almost ended up as a non-event because the week before Christmas we all went down with what we suspect was the nasty Norovirus (winter vomiting bug).

I think it is probably Stuart's fault as he was poorly first, but even though we had him shut away in isolation for a couple of days, it didn't stop us all falling like flies. Sadly, all my last-minute plans were shot to shreds as I started with it on Thursday afternoon and spent almost all of Friday in bed.

On Christmas Eve I staggered round Skipton picking up the few last bits and pieces I needed, but I wasn't half glad to get home.

Fortunately we were all over the worst by Christmas Day and I managed to scrape together Christmas dinner, but it is only today that any of us feel as though we have our full appetites back.

This morning, while Eddy and David went round “feeding up”, Stuart went to Hawes auction mart with a trailer load of lambs, mainly horned tup lambs. Trade was good, particularly for the smaller ones, but on the day the biggest and heaviest were a bit disappointing.

This afternoon Eddy has been down the dale to get on with the important business of designing and building a roadworthy “pram” for Wharfedale Rugby Club’s annual pram race on New Year’s Day. I have been for a walk and dropped in to see Susan from next door and David has been watching some DVDs he got for Christmas.

I am currently sitting in the kitchen as it is quiet and lovely and warm as I lit the range this afternoon. There is washing hanging to dry over the fire and I have just finished off what was left of the turkey by making some soup, curry and coronation salad, so that should be supper sorted.

For the last three days it has been pretty miserable weather, mild enough, but wet. Rain has almost continuously been blowing down the valley in great grey- white sheets. It cleared up for a bit yesterday, long enough to let us get the lambs out of the shed to get them into the undercover sheep pens to weigh them and sort them out ready for today.

It has also been wet for most of the day today. It didn't actually stop until about 2pm and then, just on the edge of dark, there was a knock at the front door. It was a young man asking permission to go down a pothole over on Raisgill Hagg. I could hardly believe what he was asking me – Stuart rarely refuses permission, but on this occasion he did say no.

We are back down to Skipton tomorrow as we have a couple of big orders to sort out and these have to be away before the end of the week. A happy, healthy and prosperous new year to one and all.