It's that time of year again! We've just been snowed-in for two weeks, with our only way out through Woolhanger. I bought some chains for the Land Rover just before Christmas, thinking that now I'd bought them we'd have no more snow for a decade, but I was wrong and they proved to be worth their weight in gold (well, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration, but we'd have been in a muddle without them). The snow was very pretty, but the novelty's now worn off (ice everywhere, frozen taps, fractious underexcercised horses, lots of cold, hungry animals to feed, Mum having to miss appointments with the doctor and the physiotherapist, the Atkinsons having to cancel their holiday in the self-catering cottage....yes, the novelty wore off some time ago!).
The ferrets (yes, Shannon, I promised you pics of those ferrets) have been behaving like delinquent teenagers on Red Bull, because the only way we could stop their water dispenser from freezing up was to add several spoonfuls of sugar to the water. It worked but it made them very naughty. Chris looks as if he's been at the ferret water, too - or perhaps it's that Edradour Single Malt Whisky I gave him for Christmas:

Hopefully George will come and get The Devil Children (as they're affectionately known) before they take over the house completely. Sarah has given them to George as a Christmas present, but we still haven't worked out how to get them up to him in Scotland, especially as he's really-and-truly snowed-in up there.

Stags coming over the hill, ready for breakfast!
Some other uninvited guests which are in danger of outstaying their welcome are the deer. Chris counted over 30 on the farm yesterday morning. We wondered why the high-energy licks and large round bales of hay we've been putting out for our animals have been disappearing overnight, and now we know. A few deer are a lovely sight, but feeding 30+ is like having another herd of cows.

Stags lying in the field we call Opposite (the field opposite the farmhouse, which you look out on from the holiday cottage)

Ziggy and his mares scoffing their hay before the stags steal it!

During bad weather we're glad we have Exmoor Horn sheep. They're much tougher than some of the larger, leaner breeds.

The Exmoor ponies are so well insulated that the snow often stays frozen on them.

The Exmoor pony geldings on the moor came as fast as their little legs could carry them when they saw Sarah and Chris with a bale of hay....or were they just coming to check out what the coolest farmer on Exmoor is wearing this winter?!

The Exmoor Foxhounds met at West Ilkerton just after Christmas. It was one of the few ice-free days of the Christmas holidays. A meet is a lovely way to have a party - no invitations are sent out, so you have no idea who will turn up or how much food and drink to lay on. Lots of people turned up at West Ilkerton, which was just as well as I'd made rather a lot of sandwiches!

Jim Sanders and Tony Piper entertained everyone with songs:

And Jim sang Happy Birthday to Felicita, the joint Master of the EFH.

And we all drank a toast (some while getting dressed!):

The Willerton Family, who have been coming on holiday here for many years, came to the self-catering cottage for New Year. Oliver brought his guinea pig with him, which I think is a first for pets which have stayed in the cottage. She was adorable. I've always wanted a guinea pig, but I don't think it would have a peaceful life with the dogs, cat and ferrets.

More about the ferrets in the next blog....

Sarah and Luke wrote this in the snow on Opposite (the field opposite the house) a couple of days before Christmas.

For the first time in ages, we had a white Christmas at West Ilkerton. In fact, it was touch-and-go whether everyone coming for Christmas lunch would be able to make it, as the road to Barbrook was like the Cresta Run.

From afar, Chris and I saw the cloud which dumped most of the snow on the farm because we stayed for a night at the Red Lion, Clovelly, as my 50th birthday treat.

A snow cloud rolling towards Exmoor, viewed from Clovelly Harbour

We stayed at the Red Lion for the first night of our honeymoon many years ago, and for my birthday we slept in the same bedroom, which has wonderful views of the harbour and the sea (Room 4). If anyone is looking for a special place to stay (apart from West Ilkerton!) go to the Red Lion - it's comfortable, warm and friendly, with good food and a spectacular location. The harbour was lit with Christmas lights, which made it extra-special.

The Red Lion is the large white house at the end of the harbour wall

Lundy was never far away during our holiday. We went for a lovely walk in the sunset round Morte Point, and there it was:

Then, the next day, we went for a walk along Woolacombe Beach, and there it was:

And then we went to see Kizzy and her foals, and there it was:

Kizzy was our children's pony for many years. She's now back with the Oldhams, who bred her, and has had two foals. Her 2009 colt (the chestnut) is particularly handsome. Kizzy's mother was a Lundy pony called Magic Flute and her great grandfather was Midnight (as in Midnight on Lundy) If it hadn't been for Kizzy (and the Oldhams telling me about Midnight) I wouldn't have written the book.

Anne Bush and her family (Andy, Liz and Larry) stayed in the self-catering cottage over Christmas. Anne's family lived at West Ilkerton during the War, because their house near Plymouth was turned into a hospital. She has many memories of West Ilkerton when it was owned by the Tuckers, and it was fascinating to talk to her.

More news soon, but I must catch up on all the things I meant to do over the Christmas break....