And, finally, before today's snow melts away

 So, where has all the green grass gone? Young sheep's first snow.
(The white line is the telephone wire...)

 Looking down from the breakfast conservatory to Sabden valley.

Cobden Farm B and B website

 Snow, mist and sunshine make the little birds busy...

 Longtailed tits swoop in altogether...then fly out altogether.

 Shy chaffinch decides whether to sample the food.

 Bluetit has a rest before attacking the fat balls again.

 Robin's the boss, keeping an eye on everything.

 Nuthatch samples the nuts, while the bluetit waits its turn.

Nuthatch and great tit this time.

 Finally got some photos of the timid woodpeacker...

... And another one




Cobden Farm B and B website

Autumn down the List

Lucy-dog is sniffing the air for rabbits...

...she isn't interested in the glorious Autumn view down the field we call the List

 

...neither is Gipsy, who's just sniffing for anything.

 Cobden Farm B and B website

DUCKS and DRAKES to the rescue.
Our pond was covered with a green weed for much of the summer - even though it's fed by spring water.
Throwing in a bale of barley straw was an option to get rid of the weed 'blanket'
Then a flotilla of more than 20 ducks turned up from the village lodge.
They dived in.
And tucked in.
It took them a couple of weeks to eat it all.
Thank you ducks... and drakes.

GOING...

GOING...

GONE...

Cobden Farm B and B website

The Boskins - a holiday cottage at Cobden Farm

Our former barn, dating back to the 1700s, is now a lovely home for our eldest daughter and her family – and also a self-contained holiday cottage for visitors to our area.

The Boskins combines historic with 21^st Century to offer the best of both worlds.

The cottage was once our ‘back shippon’ where, in days gone by, six cows were milked and where hay was stored on the ‘baulks’ above.

Each cow was tethered to a boskin by a soft cotton rope prior to milking...so the cottage’s name was easily chosen!

Click on this link to see photos of The Boskins, and to find out more.

http://www.dales-holiday-cottages.com/WebPages/Dales/ProductDetailPage.aspx?ISDLNK=1&SCODE=DC5463&ACODE=DC5463&RCODE=1427&PETCT=1

Cobden Farm B and B website

Olympic Flame

June 23 2012: The Olympic Flame at its Loveclough starting point, after visiting Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley. It was heading for Crawshawbooth, Rawtenstall. Rochdale then Manchester.

Great support from crowds. Three generations of our family watched it: our daughter Gemma, me  and our eldest grandchild, Josh. Lovely.


Cobden Farm B and B website

June 22 2012: Sabden Brook, on the way to Cobden Farm. Usually, you can paddle across.

A few hours later it was even higher. Not bad for the first day of summer.

Cobden Farm B and B website