Sue Woodcock: Brightly shone the moon that night...

There is something about a bitterly cold, frosty spell to make the light seem very special. The moon has been quite spectacular, casting a silver glow over the night scenery and shadows all over the fields from clumps of reeds and even molehills.

The earth has been hard as iron but with a lack of any noticeable wind there has been a tranquillity at night. The stars seem closer to the hills, which almost take on a translucent quality.

The daytimes have been magnificent too. I have been able to see for miles, even as far as Halifax. The cold has been very obvious with ice in the water troughs and the snow left in the drifts now crisp and crunchy. Then the sunshine melted the surface and I was slithering and sliding all over the place.

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I have a sneaking respect for moles. How they can dig their way through solid ground and raise so many molehills all over the fields I find difficult to fathom.

They throw up some interesting bits and pieces. I went to investigate what I thought was a fallen sheep

in the top field but it was a huge molehill with some interesting bits of what I think may be ancient pottery shards on top of it.

To my relief, the sheep I had been so worried about came and watched with interest as I scrabbled through the cold and fresh earth to see what I could find.

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Luckily my well has not frozen again so I was able to thoroughly wash my very grubby hands.

I had a very gracious and apologetic letter from the tax office over the mix-up of my tax codes. Yes, they had made a mistake but the officer dealing with my complaint has sorted it out very well. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. Things do go wrong sometimes but it is gratifying when this is acknowledged and I have been assured I will not lose by their mistake.

I have been astounded and very humbled by the offers of help from many friends and even people I hadn't realised were such good friends during a time of severe financial difficulty for me caused by the tax mix-up.

When your back is to the wall you truly find who your real friends are.

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At last we have found a home for my foster dog. I have also assisted in the containment of a stray cat to be adopted.

It just needs to be neutered and calmed down. I am still wearing the plasters where it got me as we got it into a cat basket. It is the most beautiful ginger tom, who has been a stray for a while but who has a good home to go to.

There was the most exquisite wedding at church. It was a very posh affair. All brides are beautiful, but this one, who is the daughter of a friend of mine, was stunning. The church looked wonderful with the flowers and decorations.

The family is a musical one and during the signing of the register we were entertained by professionals. The choir was delighted to contribute and with the junior choir we had 21 singers, not bad for a small parish church.

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I took delivery of two new turkey hens, much to the delight of the turkey stag, Henry. He is strutting around showing off to them. Maybe I might get some chicks this year. The lamb, Horace, is thriving and enjoying trotting round behind his adoptive mother (one of the goats) in the fields. The moment he sees me he gambols over to me expecting a bottle.

On my way to the feed and corn merchants to pick up more hay I saw three elegant and agile roe deer running in the field beside the road. I seldom see deer at my place so I pulled over to watch.

Deer have had a tough time recently and they had emerged to graze on some good grass. They were a delight to observe and I felt privileged.

We threw a party for our young Frenchman up at Buckden to say goodbye before he returns to college in France. He has worked with the National Trust for six months and has made many friends here.

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He was astounded that so many people turned up. We weren't. He has really made an effort to integrate. He will do well wherever he goes.

I have been given a comfortable dining room chair that a friend was getting rid of. The old chair on which I sat to write was getting harder, probably because I have lost a bit

of weight during the bad weather. That has been relegated to the kitchen. It might mean I do a bit more writing.

I have found all the cold weather rather strenuous and have felt very tired. I am fit enough but I have had to concentrate on keeping warm and active. I am not alone in feeling exhausted; quite a few of my friends have experienced the same torpor and we can only put it down to the cold.

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The week has been pretty busy and I have a lot to do in the coming weeks as well. The dogs clump round me when I relax in the evenings and eagerly try to help me with my knitting. It took me two hours to unravel it the other night.

I have never been a tidy person and I doubt I shall change now. It took me some time to find some crochet work which I eventually tracked down to under one of the dogs' beds.

Then I discovered the remains of a bacon packet in my bed, minus its contents. No wonder the dogs have been so thirsty.

They didn't seem to pay any attention to my lecture on theft, however and presented me with the remains of the sausage packet shortly afterwards.