Time seems to be moving so fast, yet this winter is taking absolutely ages to get to its end. I am normally quite accepting of whatever weather is happening, as long as I am appropriately dressed. But this year has tested my patience on accepting persistent rain. I cannot quite believe just how much rain has fallen from the sky so far this year. I have tried my best to honour the water; to be thankful for having a plentiful supply and to honour the sacredness of life that it provides, but I am still tired by the weariness that I feel at yet another grey, wet, depressing day. The mud on the farm is absolutely everywhere and awful, making all jobs take longer and be more unpleasant to complete. Usually optimistic, even I am struggling to find the bright side of all this gloom. Despite the most glorious day yesterday, it got thwarted back violently once again today with both wind and rain; reminding me that winter isn’t ready to let go just yet.

Thank goodness we now have several wetlands which have remained filled, over flowingly so, for a couple of months. I have had the joy of borrowing a thermal camera for a couple of weeks so have enjoyed a few night walks to them lately, and I have even tried some of those in the rain too, but it’s much more pleasant on drier nights when there is more to see. I have been fascinated by the sheer number of rodents. I would say mice, but they could also be voles. Whatever they all are, there are dozens of them, all over the land. No wonder we have an increasing owl population – there is a lot of food for them, and it is everywhere! As well there are geese and ducks all over the wetlands which I don’t tend to see in the daytime so they must come out after dark and take refuge on the water. I have also seen what could have been a stoat or possibly a mink hiding from me under a log, its thermal image darted quickly behind the log once it knew I was there skulking around trying to identify the poor, timid creature.

Spring is trying to push through. The bulbs are well on their way. Snowdrops and crocuses delight the lawns and the woodlands, the ones not covered in brambles, are developing their bright green carpet of soon to be bluebells. How ridiculously early they are, although the flowers are still a long way off, the leaves are well on their way. Great tits, blue tits and the woodpecker are all declaring their territory, and we have 11 piglets and 4 calves so far this year. I now also have 3 chickens and a couple of cockerels. I’ve not tried having cockerels before; I do hope I enjoy their declaration of territory as much as I do the great tits and woodpeckers, otherwise at least one of them might have to go. Funnily enough, it does feel more like a proper farmyard with two stunning cockerels strutting about the place so I do hope I can cope with them when sunrise is much earlier than it currently is.

It has been a long, wet winter again but a lot has happened here this year which has been rewarding. Trying to stay in the present moment, I am enjoying the slightly longer days, but I can’t help but yearn for more blue sky. Perhaps this is a lesson in patience, or maybe I need to honour the presence of water a few more times and to enjoy all the surrounding mud rather than begrudge it; be grateful for what you have, rather than what you have not. I will try to think more positively about it. I am also aware that there is much change happening energetically for all of us and today, 16th February, is the last day of the year of the wood snake before the fire horse takes the chalice and runs with it for the next year. Buckle up, it is going to be a bumpy ride for a while – and not just because this muddy winter has left us with fields full of ruts and hollows.