A few years ago we replaced a leaking concrete water trough that served two fields with a black plastic one. Over the years this has settled to the point where water was overflowing at one corner and making a sometimes already waterlogged field even more so.

So, earlier this week when the weather was springlike and mild, I turned off the water supply to the trough and let the horses and sheep reduce the water level for us. This morning, in the cold and wet, I decided that it was the day to try and level up the trough! Recruiting Andy to help, this inevitably turned into a full scale emptying and cleaning of the trough first, before we set to and levelled it with the help of stones and recycled roofing slates.

We turned the water back on – and got colder and colder watching the water level rise slowly to the top. The reason for watching it, was that we hadn’t managed to get the thing completely level and weren’t sure that we’d cured the original problem. Well, it filled, and it filled, and it filled, eventually stopping just before it would have overflowed.

We’ve decided to level it properly in the summer.

Coming back inside after that, not even a cuppa warmed me up and my thoughts turned to making soup. It was very much a ‘what do I fancy putting in this soup’ soup, also limited by what I had in stock. Eventually it turned out to be tomato, parsnip and lentil soup, helped with a splash of sherry, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and an onion.

… and what of progress on my wheel? – well, I’m waiting to drum card some more Jacob fleece and have been happy to use that as an excuse to get on with my Doily, which is now very near completion. I’m nearing the end of round 109, of 112. Hopefully it’ll be finished by the end of the week!

Then I can get back to finishing my Second Sock!