Bitter

1 comment

The dogs’ breath silvers in the last of the light as we leave Lacey the goat and Diva the Welsh pony to the night. Both shelters have been double strawed, hay is inside, and this determinedly tough duo have sanctuary if it is needed.
Without doubt Diva will brave the snow and the wind and may condescend to put her head into the shelter to eat the straw, as long as it is clear her round fat backside was outdoors all along.
Linney, Lacey’s sister who is usually her companion, is away over to Pewsey way, with a billy goat, hopefully ensuring the continuation of the line. Poor Lacey has a detached udder, and although in fine general health, cannot be bred again, so will have to settle for being an auntie.
We’ve taken the unusual step of bringing the Oxford Downs in for the night, partly because of the exceptional cold, and partly because this morning we were greeted with an unexpected babe. Since Aran the ram did not make the acquaintance of the new mother until a scant four months ago, he cannot be the daddy.  One of last years ram lambs was obviously left in a position of trust for too long.
This means our plans for lambing – still a long way off – have been scuppered and anything could happen.
Back at home the Rayburn and the woodstove are kept fed all evening, as phone calls are made and we battle with making sense of the instructions for the incubator – eggs are on their way and we’ve yet to decipher the translation from the Chinese.
Tomorrow, after a week’s leave that amounted to ten real days, I’m back to work. This lamb thing has somewhat messed up our plans. Thankfully Neil is working locally so he’ll be on lamb check for the foreseeable.
My tiny plants in trays in the polytunnel have had a few hours of fresh air and daylight each day while I’ve been around, but from tomorrow, they, like me, will be confined. They will be under fleece. I will be in an office.

February Freedom

Leave a Comment
I'm not even going to say anything.
I always love it when people pop up and say, 'I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while.'
I'm pretty sure no one was waiting.
Had the lovely H home for the briefest of visits this weekend. So lovely to see her, and hear all her news.
Boo, meanwhile, who nominally lives with us, works so many hours I barely see her.
This weekend we vaccinated the sheep and goats. We've moved the sheep around so the girls are all on our field and the boys are at the field in the next village. So a bit of driving around with a satchel full of sharps, but all done.
Then H came home, and we had a late night chat, and then Sunday morning church, big  roast, sleepy afternoon, and then she went home.

Thus begins a whole week of 'work' in which I have to make inroads into the veg garden, and try to sort out the house and bits of the general garden. Two cubic metres of recycled compost due for the veg garden have been delayed until Thursday, so Monday is starting slow and I really must be careful not to waste the week.

Updates to follow, I hope!



Powered by Blogger.
Follow Me on Pinterest