Sue Woodcock: A week of dog days and cold nights

The sheep have been munching on the grass and then coming and telling me they are still hungry, and getting through a fair amount of hay, too. They head out into the fields some nights and others they retreat into the barn. One old Shetland ewe has definitely decided to stay in the warm and sometimes an old Balwen cross joins her. The nanny goats don't do inside at night and consequently neither does the lamb, Horace, who is growing fast and becoming very demanding. He rushes to the barn door when he hears my voice and latches on to the bottle with unerring accuracy. As soon as he is full he runs back to his adopted mum, Dulcie the goat, and snuggles down with her.

Brillo's son, Nelson, came up for the day. His mum has hurt her foot so he came up for some exercise and he certainly got it. He and the collie, Mary, hit it off and spent the day romping around both inside and out. Then Ewan decided to join in. The end result was two smashed plates, one shattered wine glass, a quiet Mary and Ewan and an exhausted Nelson. The older dogs just looked on and let the children play.

I've had a busy week homing dogs. At the moment I have as a foster dog, a sweet little long-haired Jack Russell bitch who has had a bit of a rough time recently. She is even smaller than my "Grassington Terrier" Brillo. I don't think she has had a good walk for a long time, so watching her charge around was very gratifying.

She was called Maisie but doesn't answer to it and instead she prefers Dora. She has settled in well; she belonged to an elderly lady who couldn't keep her.

I was expecting my godson to visit with a friend for the weekend and spent some time trying to tidy the house up. This was the cue for the generator to cut out, or, more accurately, a fuse did. The light rose fixture in the sitting room died so I spent an exasperating afternoon rewiring and replacing it. Then the washer motor on the car failed. I am sure it got frozen during the bitter spell.

My godson, a musician and composer, visits me when he needs a break and, as he says, "a potion of insanity". He and his lady friend came up and were happy to rough it. He has always adored my labrador whippet cross bitch Tara and she him. It is really too cold for her up here, so he offered her a loving home down in Portsmouth. I shall miss her, but I think it is the right move for her.

My godson played the organ at church on Sunday for us. He finished the service with a wonderful Bach piece. It was great seeing him and I look forward to their returning later in the year.

Some friends came to work their ferrets and dogs on the rabbit population and not only had a successful morning but also managed to get some rats. I really enjoyed the dogs working as a team and doing what they are good at. Gavin the billy goat has gone to a new home, and I also agreed to rescue a few pathetic chickens which were in terrible condition and now are acclimatising themselves.

An anonymous benefactor sent me an M&S voucher. Thank you. Should I go for a luxury or get some essentials? Difficult decision, but common sense will probably prevail. We are in for another cold spell and I am replenishing supplies.

The waterfall below my land is a picture. Framed in dramatic icicles and topped with a snow drift, water cascades down and in the moments of sunshine the lights reflect in rainbow shades. I delight in such small marvels of nature.