The schools shut. The roads half closed. The world was bathed in white. Our walks this week have been to the sound of crunching snow, the crystal kind that makes for poor snowmen and snowballs but that shines in the rare glint of sun. Here's hoping everyone stayed safe this February cold snap. The Beast from the East was far from pleasant but it had its silver lining. BACK TO BLOG #Winter #WalkingnearRiverView

Winter is harder on the chickens at River View. The water jug freezes and so do the pellets. Worms hide deep in the soil and on the worst days, our hens don't bother leaving the hut at all. Luckily a couple of our young guests who visited at Easter gave them some comfort. Two young people gave them extra corn at least once a day and picked them up for a few cuddles. Thanks boys! BACK TO BLOG #Winter #Birds #AtRiverView

It was one of those days that made you glad to be alive. Nidderdale had got itself dressed up moody and sultry in dramatic colours and sharp golden light. The General and I walked through the chicken coop, down the slope and through the kissing gate at the corner of our field. From there it was a short stroll past the postbox off Wath Road. We continued up towards Heathfield on the tarmac to avoid the mud (and the naughty collie, who likes the General too much when she's on h

"There are loads of blackbirds!" cried the five year old when we stepped out into the BIG Garden Birdwatch at River View Pateley this weekend. Pointless to explain these were the silhouettes of doves rooks and gulls against the winter afternoon light, just as it was pointless to explain to an eight year old that the mess of twigs the river had caught was not a nest. We looked in vain on the crib sheet for a water bird with black and white plumage that we caught in the middle

Winter is a time for enjoying the night's pleasures. The Yorkshire Dales is one of England's darkest areas. On a clear night, we see thousands of stars overhead including The Milky Way. It's a pretty impressive sight just with the naked eye, but if you get a pair of binoculars or a telescope on the case, our glittery canopy really gives up its secrets. Look through a lens and what seemed like one star might split in two, or explode into a constellation, which is why many loca