Winter Draw(er)s On....

Trump towers?

In the last post I alluded to my passing, and Liz's more passionate, interest in the US Elections and the big horse-race between Trump and Clinton. There can not be many people now left in our orbit who do not know that Trump shocked 'em all by winning, leaving a trail of formerly confident Clinton-ites upset, angry, baffled and plotting revenge in his wake.

A more reflective, considered response from the British Isles
papers by the next day. 

By early morning it was all sweary disbelief on Facebook and Twitter, with the Irish and British national papers going to print too early to know the result. By the next day, when they could do their Trump headlines, they had all had a chance to put together more reflective, considered reports. Now I am way too much of a beginner at this to add my opinions to the learnéd prose but I am going to sneak in one observation for what it's worth. Feel free to skip on by. It all looked to me a bit like the UK's 'Brexit' vote with the big majority not really voting on the issues but just wanting to give authority a bloody nose.

I was feeding a neighbour's cattle while he
is in hospital again. Love this fine Charolais
head.

Clinton obviously represented the governing elite, Washington, the White House and Democratic Party centre. Trump no doubt did not, but also, in my humble opinion, did not really represent the "other party" either. He seemed to have snuck in 'despite' the Republican grandees and was portraying himself as his own man; his followers could still vote for him and still feel sufficiently 'anti-establishment'.

The Irish Times had a lovely picture of a baseball capped, bearded 'good aul' boy' Trump supporter at the victory bash rushing at the photographer and doing two middle-finger salutes; real "F**k you and the horse you rode in on!" stuff. Like the British government and their Brexit problems, the US government on both sides (all sides, maybe) is going to have to react to this urge by the majorities to smear their noses across their faces. Meanwhile we have what we have, Brexit and Trump.

One of the turkeys tries his hand at
 'magnificent' up on the fence.

Aside from that excitement. it is all fairly quiet here. Steak Lady has gone on her hols to Malta so invited Liz to borrow her car for the duration. This is a regular treat for us, and Liz catches a train down to Silverwood-land, stays the night to catch up with her Mum, sees her off in the 'Sparks' taxi to the airport and then high-tails it back up here in the smart red buzz-bomb hot-hatch. We are a 2-car family for a week or so and then we have to give the whizzy racer back. Liz used to enjoy driving it to work where all the gang would say in impressed amazement... "New car, Liz?" By now they are all wise to the 'play' and just say "Uh huh.... borrowed Mum's car again then, Liz?"

Liz has now graduated to 5 needles at once knitting this
tubular sock-leg. Definitely NOT a game to play when there
are 'kattens' to help.

Heavy rain has been the order of the day and we are, once again, slopping around in a bit of a mudbath. We are not alone. I was over at Sue and Rob's today and he, too, was bemoaning the quagmire in some of his poultry pens.

One or two workers struggle up into the 'attic' to see why
there is suddenly daylight streaming in. Plenty of 'brace comb'
on these frame-tops. 

Warm enough today, though, to be able to crack open a beehive without killing all inside from hypothermia. After 2014/5 when my smaller colony perished from cold, damp and condensation, I like to snug this hive down tight before the frosts. I take off the un-used 'super' (honey store) box(es) and fit a blank 'box' (eke) into which has been fitted a tight-fitting slice of stiff house insulating foam. This gives the bees 3 inches of 'snug' between their brood box and the stainless steel sheet of their roof and stops any 'chimney' ventilation with all the hot air disappearing up through their roof.

All the spare hive boxes and bits go into
dry store

It worked last year and there was no repeat of the 2014/5 disaster. I whip off the eke in April or May before there is any chance of the hive overheating and put the super back on to give the workers space to store their spring time nectar gatherings.

Trying to get a crisp cat's eyes pic. Not bad, but not as crisp
as I would have liked,

I think that'll do you for this time. Just a few more pics because I had them.

Bobby the dog came a-visiting so I tried with him too.

Random cow.

Growing old gracefully? Reading glasses for me now.