Half Term busy bees

Half term is busy and everyone gets stuck into life on the farm. Its great to have the children home and everything is so on the go. Lots planned on top of farming to keep us all busy and spend some time together, because soon its all hands to lambing and getting away becomes less likely. 

Garreg Ddu in the snow.

 

Dolfolau in the snow

Dens are what keep children outside for hours...... especially with a picnic!

f 5 1/1600 ISO 100 114mm

Sky one of the working sheepdog pups is growing and watching all that goes on.

 f 5 1/1250 ISO 1600 164mm

Helper for the week.

Rides in the back of the trailer

Hill tup on the top as the sun falls behind the hill.

f  1/6400 ISO 1600 200mm

Storm Doris hits the Elan and Claerwen Valleys

We are used to seeing the dams coming over with force through winters it's quite common. The big wow about storm Doris was how quick waters rose on the Estate. It's been 2 years since I have seen the banks burst on the streams and rivers like it has this time. Water on the roads and some wind blown branches to pick up and trees down in Troedrhiwdrain Planting opposite us. We left the sheep not giving them their morning feed as it was so rough, it was better to leave them in the shelter which they had found within the hill sides.

Some photos taken around the valley over the storm period.

Craig Goch under the stormy Sky, you can our sheep in the background sheltering on the hillside.

f11 1/15sec ISO 125 35mm

Penygarreg under the winds blowing across - I wanted to slow down the water and yet get the drama of the waves... I enjoyed the challenge - i may try this again - 

only problem is everything keeps getting raindrops on it, worse of all on the lens.

F 16 1/3sec ISO 100 35mm ND grad

Penygarreg wild in the water

F16 1/3sec ISO 100 35mm

Craig Goch

F 7.1 1/80 ISO 360 35mm

Mighty Claerwen Dam as the sun sets

F? 1/4 sec ISO 100 24mm

Dolfolau bench and falls

F11 0.6 sec ISO 125 35mm

Ciloerwynt Rocks, Claerwen Valley

F 8 1/10sec ISO 100 35mm

Few wet blobs on the camera lens, but still worth seeing the water rage through the rocks.

F5.6 0.6sec ISO 160 35mm

5 Dams and Wild Waters as storm Doris hits the elan Valley

February Life so far

Its been a really mixed bag in the hills the last few weeks. There has been a range of weathers from snow, rain and some sunshine. Jobs around the farm keep us busy with fallen trees to sort and new trees to plant over the next couple of weeks. The ewes are a couple of months away from lambing so much of the work involves ensuring they are well looked to in this important period. Feeding sheep some of the SSSI cropped meadow hay is mostly on the cards. Opening up a bale of hay and basking in a few moments of the summer gone, and little pieces of meadow flowers fall from the hay bale. Over head the kites are flying and pairing, Roe deer have been heard, snipe drumming, woodcock and barn owl are frequently seen around the farm... and signs of the spring to come as skylarks are seen more frequently on the hillsides. 

Gruffalo and sheep on our hill waiting for the hay.

f 6.3 1/250 ISO 640 35mm

Upland stream as the sun goes down on the Day

f  16 3.2sec ISO 50 35mm

Jess in the snow 

f 6.3 1/320 ISO 400 278mm

Claerwen Rocks in the snow

f ? 1/6 ISO 100 

Herdwick girls curious as always

f 5.6 1/160 ISO 100 109mm

Brian catching sheep on our hill by Craig Goch Dam, strangers to go back to their hill.

f 5 1/640 ISO 320 43mm

The vehicle of choice which enables us to bring food to our stock.

f 5.6 1/60 ISO 800 55mm

Dashed out to get this one morning before kids off to school, was most chuffed it was put on the Welsh Weather forecast.

This is what I have named the eye of horus or the all seeing eye. Capturing the rays of the sun onto Caban Coch Dam. It was taken in HDR as i wanted the range of Shadow and light. 

Its been too long!

I am just going to add some photos taken with my new canon lens... it is a 100 - 400mm ii. I have been playing with it a fair bit and I am most pleased with it.